A Refuge at Highland Hall (20 page)

“There's no time! He must have help now, unless you want him to bleed to death on your watch.”

The guard took a step closer, deep lines cutting across his forehead. “I can't let him go. Not without a guard. And I can't leave these men.”

Lydia clenched her hands. She would not stand by and let this hardhearted, ignorant man have his way. Marius could die if someone didn't tend to his leg. “I insist you load him into the wagon now!”

The guard looked down at Marius and then at the men. Marius closed his eyes, his face etched with pain.

Siegfried stepped toward the guard. “Let him go! Surely you don't think he'd try to run away, not with his leg cut like that.”

The guard gave a dismissive wave. “All right. Carry him to the wagon.” He turned to Lydia and pointed his beefy finger at her. “I'm holding you responsible for keeping him at the house until we send someone to bring him back to camp. Do you understand?”

“I understand. Now step aside.” She strode past him.

A few men gathered around Marius, lifted him, and carried him to the wagon. Siegfried climbed up in the back with Marius.

“What do you think you're doing?” the guard shouted.

“Someone has to put pressure on that cut, and she'll need my help to carry him into the house.”

Lydia opened her mouth to protest, then stopped. Siegfried was right. Putting pressure on the cut would help slow the bleeding.

The guard scowled at Siegfried. “Go on, then. We'll head back to camp and report what happened. Stay with him until someone comes to pick you two up.”

Relief flashed across Siegfried's face, and he nodded to the guard.

Lydia climbed up into the driver's seat and unwrapped the reins. It had been a few years since she'd driven a team of horses on her family's farm, but she was sure she could keep these two tame bays in line for the short drive back to the house.

She called Lucy and Andrew over and asked them to gather all the baskets and bring the children home. They agreed, looking pleased she'd put them in charge.

She glanced over her shoulder at Marius and Siegfried. “Are you ready?”

Siegfried nodded, then reached for the sweater Lucy had left in the back of the wagon. He folded it and slipped it under Marius's head. “You'll be all right, Marius.” But his voice betrayed his doubts.

Lydia's arms tingled as she lifted the reins and called out to the horses. The wagon lurched, then rolled down the lane toward Highland Hall.

She tried to guide the horses around the rough spots in the road, but she hit one, and Marius cried out. She bit her lip.

Please, Lord. Help Marius, and don't let the doctor leave before we arrive.

P
enny lifted her skirt a few inches and followed Julia up the wide marble stairs inside St. George's Hospital in London. “I hope Jon is not in surgery.”

Julia looked over her shoulder as they reached the third floor. “We'll know soon enough.”

They set off together, Penny checking the names on the office doors to the right while Julia looked at those on the left. The scent of antiseptic and starched sheets floated in the air.

Searching and not finding seemed to be the theme of the day. They had spent the first two hours in London trying to locate William. They'd gone to the building where the committee usually met, but they were told the committee was not in session today. Next, they stopped by the flat William shared with Jon, but neither of them was home. Finally, they went to William's club and asked for him there.

William came out, surprised and pleased to see them, but women were not allowed past the front reception area, so he suggested they go to a tearoom a short distance away.

Over steaming cups of tea, William listened while Julia explained the reason for their trip to London.

“I saw the article about the Zeppelin's destruction in the paper this morning.” William stirred sugar into his tea. “Everyone is talking about it, but I didn't notice the pilot's name. I'm not sure I would've recognized it even if I had.”

“I've mentioned Alex to you a few times,” Julia said with a gentle smile.

“I'm sure you have, my dear, but I'm afraid I've never been good with names, and I have been a bit distracted lately.”

“Of course. I understand. But I hope you'll do what you can to find out what happened to Alex.”

William frowned at his teacup. “It won't be easy to get information like that.”

Penny had tried to be patient and let Julia lead the conversation, but she felt she would burst if she didn't speak up. “Oh, please, Cousin William. Alex doesn't have close ties to his family, and I'm not sure he has other friends who will step forward to help him.”

William studied her more closely. “So this young pilot is special to you?”

She nodded. “We've exchanged a few letters, and I do want to help him if I can.”

He lifted one eyebrow and looked at Julia. She gave a slight nod, and he turned back to Penny. “All right. I'll speak to Alfred Cummings at the War Office. He might be able to help.” He thought for a moment more. “And Michael Burlingame is with the Red Cross. Perhaps he could look into it.”

Penny tried to press down her disappointment. “Thank you. I appreciate your help.”

She wanted an answer today. Still, she didn't intend to rest until they discovered Alex's location and condition, and had a clear plan in place to bring him back to England. Which was the reason for their next stop, St. George's Hospital, where they hoped to speak with Jon.

“Here we are.” Julia knocked on Jon's office door.

No one answered, and Penny blew out a frustrated breath. “What shall we do now?”

A nurse approached carrying a clipboard. “May I help you?”

Julia turned toward her. “Yes, we're looking for Dr. Jonathan Foster.”

“I'm sorry. The doctor is seeing patients this afternoon. But I can give him a message if you'd like.”

“I'm his sister, Lady Julia Ramsey, and this is his sister-in-law, Miss Penelope Ramsey. We have a bit of a…family emergency, and we need to speak to him.”

The nurse motioned toward the door. “Why don't you wait in his office, and I'll see if I can find him and let him know you're here.”

“Thank you.” Julia reached for the doorknob. “We'd appreciate that very much.”

Julia and Penny walked in and took seats on the plain wooden chairs facing Jon's desk. Stacks of file folders and papers covered most of the desktop. Bookshelves, overflowing with medical texts, lined the wall behind the desk. One tall window looked out on the street below.

Penny tapped her foot and checked her watch three times before Jon finally walked through the doorway. He wore a white doctor's coat over his dark pants and white shirt, and a stethoscope hung around his neck.

“Julia, Penny, what a surprise. I didn't know you were coming to town today.”

Penny rose from her chair. “Did you hear about Alex?”

Jon walked behind his desk. “No, what's happened?”

“He brought down a Zeppelin over Belgium two days ago, but he was injured on his return flight.”

Jon's eyes flashed. “I was in surgery all morning, and I've just finished my afternoon rounds.” He sank down in the desk chair and rubbed his eyes.

Julia studied her brother with a slight frown. “Jon, you look exhausted. How long have you been working?”

“I came on last night at seven.”

“My goodness, how do they expect you to care for patients after that many hours on your feet?”

Jon slipped off the stethoscope and laid it on the desk. “Don't worry. I'm coming off duty now.”

“I should hope so.”

“As soon as we finish here, I intend to go home, have a bite to eat, and then get some sleep.”

Penny clasped her hands and leaned toward the desk. “Before you go, is there any way you could find where Alex is and…how badly he's injured?”

Jon shook his head. “Not if he's in France. I don't have access to that kind of information.”

“But you receive so many wounded men here. There has to be some sort of system for keeping track of the wounded and what's being done for them.”

“I'm afraid I don't know how they manage it.”

Penny knew he was tired, but she couldn't give up yet. “Isn't there someone on your staff who could find out? And then once we know Alex's condition, perhaps we can make arrangements for him to be transferred to St. George's so he can be cared for here.”

“It sounds like you have a plan in mind.” Jon sent her a weary smile.

Julia laid her hand on Penny's arm, sending a silent message to let her speak. “We're all concerned about Alex, but he and Penny have been exchanging letters and become…good friends. So you can understand why she's so eager to help him.”

Jon gave a slow nod. “I see. I'm sorry, Penny. I didn't realize. I don't mean to make light of the situation.” He opened one of his desk drawers, searched through it, and pulled out a letter. “Alex gave me this before he left for France.”

Penny straightened and stared at the letter.

“He said if anything happened to him he wanted me to give it to his sister.”

She blinked. “His sister?”

“Yes, Lindy Goodwin lives here in town, and Alex wanted me to pass it on if—if it was needed.”

Penny gripped the arm of the chair. “Do you think it's that serious?”

“I hope not, but Alex wrote her address on the envelope.” He handed it to her. “Copy it down and pay her a visit. If anyone has received word about Alex's condition, it will be Lindy. She's the one he listed as his next of kin.”

Finally, a lead that sounded promising. Penny took the letter and copied the name and address in her small notebook, then handed it back to Jon. They thanked him and left the hospital.

Thirty minutes later, their cab rolled to a stop in front of a large, stately home in St. James's Square.

Penny peered out the window, while she waited for the driver to open her door. “My, it's certainly a lovely home. I didn't realize his sister was so wealthy.”

“I believe this is his mother and stepfather's home.”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Penny stepped out of the cab and waited while Julia paid the driver, then they walked up the steps to the front door.

Penny reached for the knocker, then hesitated. “Do you think we should ask to see his mother or Lindy?”

“Alex addressed the letter to his sister, so I suppose she's the one we should speak to.”

“That seems a bit odd, but he must have his reasons.” Penny knocked, and a few moments later a maid answered the door. They asked if they might see Lindy Goodwin, and the maid showed them inside. They waited in the entrance hall no more than two minutes when a lovely young woman walked down the stairs. Her dark-brown hair was put up in a fashionable style, and it was easy to see her resemblance to Alex in her large brown eyes and the shape of her face.

“Good afternoon, I'm Lindy Goodwin. What can I do for you ladies?”

Julia stepped forward. “Hello, Miss Goodwin. I'm not sure if you remember me, but we met in India when you were quite young. I was Julia Foster then, but now I'm married to Sir William Ramsey.” She motioned toward Penny. “This is my husband's cousin, Miss Penelope Ramsey.”

Lindy's eyes glowed with genuine warmth. “Why, of course I remember you, Julia. What a nice surprise. How did you find me?”

“My brother, Jon, is a doctor at St. George's. He cared for Alex last spring when Alex injured his shoulder during his training.”

“What a coincidence.”

“Yes, a happy one for Jon and his wife, Kate. Alex stayed with them at their home here in London for a few days before he left to finish his training. Penny was there at the time as well. He and Penny have continued writing to each other these last few months.”

Lindy's eyebrows rose slightly. She turned to Penny and smiled. “How nice.”

“So you can imagine how concerned we were when we read the article in the newspaper this morning,” Julia said.

A shadow crossed Lindy's face. “Yes, it's wonderful what Alex has done, but it sounds as though it's come at a great cost.”

Penny clasped her hands. “Have you heard from Alex? Do you know where he is now?”

“I'm afraid not. Mother and I are both quite concerned.”

Penny's heart plunged. “You haven't heard anything?”

“No. We're hoping for a telegram or letter, but we haven't received one yet.”

“Oh, I see.” Penny pressed her lips tight, fighting to control her emotions. What would they do now? How would they find out what had happened to Alex?

A tall, middle-aged woman walked through the doorway at the end of the hall. Her elegant dress and hairstyle made it clear she was the lady of the house. When she saw Penny and Julia, her steps slowed, and she sent Lindy a questioning glance.

“Ladies, this is my mother, Mrs. Winifred Tremont. Mother, this is Lady Julia Ramsey and Miss Penelope Foster. They've come to see if we have had any news from Alex.”

It seemed odd that Lindy didn't mention knowing the Foster family in India. Did she think her mother wouldn't remember Julia or that the connection would bring up unpleasant memories? Alex had told Penny his parents divorced when he was quite young, that his mother had left him and his father and returned to England with Lindy.

“It's kind of you to ask after Alex,” Mrs. Tremont said, “but we haven't heard from him for quite some time. He's a dear boy, but he never was one to write many letters.” Her words were pleasant enough, but they carried an underlying coolness that made Penny doubt the sentiment behind them.

Penny studied Mrs. Tremont. “We were very concerned when we read the article this morning. We thought you might have received a telegram or some official notification about his injuries.”

Mrs. Tremont's dark eyebrows slanted. “You'd think he would contact his family, but we've had no word from him, none at all. We have to read about it in the newspaper, like everyone else. How can they allow a story to go out like that without all the facts? What am I to think? What are we to do? It's all quite upsetting.”

Penny swallowed and looked at Julia as an uncomfortable silence stretched out between them.

Lindy forced a smile. “May I offer you ladies some tea?”

“That's very kind of you.” Julia smiled at Lindy and then at Mrs. Tremont. “But we need to catch the train back to Berkshire.”

“Oh, I didn't realize. I thought you lived in town.”