Serendipity glared at her. “You just saidbloody hell.”
Grinning, Merry nudged her again. “We are going to be all right, Seri. I just know it.”
“And how do you just know it?”
“Because things could be so much worse.”
“How so?” Serendipity huffed, her breath fogging in the cold, damp air.
“We could have tumbled straight away into the river and been swept off or trapped under the water. But we weren’t. We are merely tilting into the water a bit and will soon be out and on our way to the nearest shelter with a warm fire to dry ourselves before returning to Broadmere Hall.” Merry nudged her again. “One must think positively and look for the silver linings. Remember Mama always telling us that?”
“Oh, do be quiet.” Serendipity turned her face away and closed her eyes, escaping the only way she could.
Merry felt sorry for her sister. Apparently, it was quite the disagreeable chore being the eldest, especially on days such as today.
With a whoosh that made them both yelp, the carriage door above them flew open, and a dark-haired man with a furious scowl reachedinside. “Take my hand!”
Serendipity stared at it and didn’t move.
Merry shoved her toward their hero. “Seri! Take his hand, for heaven’s sake.”
“Make haste, woman!” He stretched to reach Serendipity as she hesitantly moved to take his hand with both of hers. “That’s it, lass. Now, climb as I pull ye. On wi’ ye now. Come along, lass. Make haste.”
Climbing up onto the seat to scramble out after her, Merry squealed as the carriage slipped again with a sickening grind.
“Hold fast, woman!” the Scot ordered her as he pulled Serendipity to freedom. “The horses are barely keeping the bloody thing in place.”
Merry clamped her hands on the doorframe and did just that. At least if the carriage sank the rest of the way into the river, she could wriggle out of it before the current carried it away.
He reappeared, caught hold of her arms, and yanked her up out of the coach as if she weighed no more than a whisper. As he caught her to his chest, she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Now was not the time to worry about unladylike behavior.
“I have ye, lass,” he said, grumbling the words against her cold cheek as he trundled through the water, then up the slippery embankment. The dark dusting of his day’s growth of beard was as bristly as a boar brush against her face, but she didn’t care. There was something quite exhilarating about being carried in a man’s arms—especially one so solid and muscular. And he smelled nice—as crisp and fresh as the falling snow, with a hint of citrus and fine leather. Once he reached the top of the embankment, he leaned forward to set her down, disappointing her immensely.
“Thank you.” Reluctantly, she unwound her legs from around him, planted her wet boots in the snow, then slid her arms from around his neck. “My goodness, you are tall. It felt as if you werelowering me from the heavens.”
He scowled down at her, his dark eyes fierce and glaring.
“I meant that as a compliment,” she said, thankful that she hadn’t mentioned his impressively muscular chest as well. “Thank you for saving my sister and me.”
“Whether ye are saved or not remains to be seen.” He nodded at her feet. “Yer feet are wet. Yer carriage is stuck in the river, and yer man may have to unhook the horses to save them.”
“Well, I am a great deal safer than I was.” Good heavens, this handsome gentleman—for the fineness of his clothing bespoke of a man of good breeding—was as sour and bleak as Serendipity. She offered him a curtsy. “I am Lady Merry Abarough, sister to the Duke of Broadmere.” She cast a glance at her sister. “That is Lady Serendipity, my sister, and we are very grateful for your help, kind sir. Forever grateful, in fact.”
He barely accepted her politeness with an abruptness she didn’t understand. “Ye are welcome. I am the Marquess of Kirkston.”
Lord Kirkston.She had never heard of a Lord Kirkston, but since he was a Scot, she might not, since not all members of the Scottish peerage sat in the House of Lords. If she remembered correctly, only a select few were elected to represent Scotland in Parliament. Those few frequented London far more than those not politically inclined to do so. “It is a pleasure to meet you, my lord. A great pleasure indeed, since you saved my sister and me. As I said, we shall be forever grateful.”
He seemed uncomfortable with the conversation, looking all around as if wishing he were somewhere else. “Your man has the horses calmed now. I must lend my assistance to my brother and your driver to recover the carriage.”
She dismissed him with another curtsy that wasn’t necessary because he had already walked away. What a rude, unfriendly sort. Or maybe not rude and unfriendly, but certainly unnecessarily gruff.
Serendipity hurried over and hugged her, hanging on to her as if fearing she might disappear. “Thank heavens, you are safe. The carriage was rocking as he pulled you out. I was so afraid you would be swept away.”
“I told you we would be fine.” But Merry didn’t crow too loudly. There was still the matter of finding shelter and a means of getting there. “I hope the carriage is not a lost cause. Will we have to ride the horses? Do we know if they have ever been ridden?”
“Since they are draft horses, it is doubtful they have ever encountered a rider, as we never use postilions. We shall have to ask Jasper, since we cannot very well walk.”
Merry clapped her gloved hands and stamped her feet in an effort to beat away the numbness of the cold. “At least walking would warm us.”