Read Online A Christmas Code (The Code Breakers Series Book 2) by Jacki Delecki - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jacki Delecki
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Ash’s room. “But my lady…” She heard the valet following, but that didn’t stop her from proceeding into Ash’s room.
She wasn’t prepared for the awful sight. Ash lay on his bed in a night robe. His color was a ghastly white, his breathing shallow, and a fine mist of sweat moistened his brow.
“Ash.” Her voice was filled with horror.
She felt his skin—cold and clammy. His pulse was irregular. Symptoms of possible poisoning. Could he have been the recipient of the holly berries?
“How long has he been like this, Worthy?”
“In the middle of the night, he became ill. Since this morning, he has uttered nothing, except your name. Last night he was adamant that I should tell no one of his illness. I was with his lordship in France and followed his directions explicitly…” Worthy let the implication hang.
“The master and I’ve been in some tight spots, but nothing this horrendous.” Worthy’s chin quivered. “I was about to go downstairs and speak with Brunton to call for the doctor.”
Ash didn’t want to alert anyone. If he’d realized that he’d been poisoned, he would’ve sent for a doctor. Burning red anger exploded in her. Ash had been poisoned and could’ve died with no one knowing.
“Lord Ashworth has been poisoned. And since you were with him in France, you know that his work requires secrecy. I’ll need your help, but we mustn’t alert anyone in the house since I don’t know who we can trust.”
“I’ll do whatever I can for his lordship.” His eyes were serious and understanding.
“We’ll need plenty of warm water to give to his lordship. We must rid him of the poison.” Anxiety caused Gwyneth’s hands to tremble and her heart to flutter. She didn’t know when he had consumed the poison and whether her treatment would be effective. “Can you summon my friend, Miss Bonnington? Tell her to come immediately here. Do not let her maid hear you.”
He nodded his head in agreement.
“I know that will be tricky, but I need her and the water now. And leave the basin in the change room. We don’t want anyone to know of his lordship’s illness.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Worthy walked briskly out of the room intent on his mission, his shoulders set with determination.
Gwyneth knelt over Ash’s body. “Ash, you aren’t going to die. Now that you’ve finally declared yourself.” Her voice broke with the words. She suppressed her feelings and the need to throw herself on Ash and weep. She couldn’t give in to emotions. Ash needed her.
She’d force warm water down his throat to make him vomit the poison. She needed to prevent him from going further into a stupor. Worthy would go to the stable to get Brinsley, whom Ash had said she could trust. And Brinsley would get a message to Cord. She couldn’t leave Ash, but she was stuck, uncertain what to do about the holly berries that she had found in the stillroom. She couldn’t prove that Cook had prepared the potion. Anyone could enter the stillroom and concoct poison.
Chapter Nine
Fighting the poison in Ash’s body continued through the day and into the early evening. Ash remained unresponsive to their ministrations, but Gwyneth refused to quit.
Inducing emesis with warm water had been repeated through the morning until Ash vomited only water and bile.
When he started to drift into a stupor, cold water was splashed onto his face and chest followed by Brinsley and Worthy forcing him to walk as they dragged him back and forth in the room, attempting to purge the poison from his body.
Brinsley had been a steady presence for Gwyneth, unwilling to give up on Ash. He had sent a coded message to Cord. One of the men in the stables had ridden out, but they all worried about him making it to London with the thick snow that covered the ground.
Gwyneth focused on Ash who was showing some signs of improvement. His breathing was less shallow, his heartbeat was steady, and some of his color had returned. He was still pale but
She wasn’t prepared for the awful sight. Ash lay on his bed in a night robe. His color was a ghastly white, his breathing shallow, and a fine mist of sweat moistened his brow.
“Ash.” Her voice was filled with horror.
She felt his skin—cold and clammy. His pulse was irregular. Symptoms of possible poisoning. Could he have been the recipient of the holly berries?
“How long has he been like this, Worthy?”
“In the middle of the night, he became ill. Since this morning, he has uttered nothing, except your name. Last night he was adamant that I should tell no one of his illness. I was with his lordship in France and followed his directions explicitly…” Worthy let the implication hang.
“The master and I’ve been in some tight spots, but nothing this horrendous.” Worthy’s chin quivered. “I was about to go downstairs and speak with Brunton to call for the doctor.”
Ash didn’t want to alert anyone. If he’d realized that he’d been poisoned, he would’ve sent for a doctor. Burning red anger exploded in her. Ash had been poisoned and could’ve died with no one knowing.
“Lord Ashworth has been poisoned. And since you were with him in France, you know that his work requires secrecy. I’ll need your help, but we mustn’t alert anyone in the house since I don’t know who we can trust.”
“I’ll do whatever I can for his lordship.” His eyes were serious and understanding.
“We’ll need plenty of warm water to give to his lordship. We must rid him of the poison.” Anxiety caused Gwyneth’s hands to tremble and her heart to flutter. She didn’t know when he had consumed the poison and whether her treatment would be effective. “Can you summon my friend, Miss Bonnington? Tell her to come immediately here. Do not let her maid hear you.”
He nodded his head in agreement.
“I know that will be tricky, but I need her and the water now. And leave the basin in the change room. We don’t want anyone to know of his lordship’s illness.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Worthy walked briskly out of the room intent on his mission, his shoulders set with determination.
Gwyneth knelt over Ash’s body. “Ash, you aren’t going to die. Now that you’ve finally declared yourself.” Her voice broke with the words. She suppressed her feelings and the need to throw herself on Ash and weep. She couldn’t give in to emotions. Ash needed her.
She’d force warm water down his throat to make him vomit the poison. She needed to prevent him from going further into a stupor. Worthy would go to the stable to get Brinsley, whom Ash had said she could trust. And Brinsley would get a message to Cord. She couldn’t leave Ash, but she was stuck, uncertain what to do about the holly berries that she had found in the stillroom. She couldn’t prove that Cook had prepared the potion. Anyone could enter the stillroom and concoct poison.
Chapter Nine
Fighting the poison in Ash’s body continued through the day and into the early evening. Ash remained unresponsive to their ministrations, but Gwyneth refused to quit.
Inducing emesis with warm water had been repeated through the morning until Ash vomited only water and bile.
When he started to drift into a stupor, cold water was splashed onto his face and chest followed by Brinsley and Worthy forcing him to walk as they dragged him back and forth in the room, attempting to purge the poison from his body.
Brinsley had been a steady presence for Gwyneth, unwilling to give up on Ash. He had sent a coded message to Cord. One of the men in the stables had ridden out, but they all worried about him making it to London with the thick snow that covered the ground.
Gwyneth focused on Ash who was showing some signs of improvement. His breathing was less shallow, his heartbeat was steady, and some of his color had returned. He was still pale but
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