Stephen cast a sidelong glance at Andrew. "Andrew bet his sister could best me at chess. I didn't believe him, though I should have." His gaze found Hayley. "I was on the receiving end of a tail-whipping at the chess table. Building Camelot is the price I pay for losing."

"It's too bad you didn't make a wager with Mr. Barrettson, Hayley," Andrew said with a laugh.

"Oh, but she did," Stephen said with a slow smile, unable to resist teasing Hayley. He thoroughly enjoyed the bright red flush that stained her cheeks. "I've already paid my debt to your sister," he said to Andrew, never taking his eyes from Hayley's flushed face. "She's not nearly the slave driver you and Nathan are."

Andrew looked at him with interest. "What did Hayley have you do?"

"She made me-"

"Goodness! It's getting quite late," Hayley broke in, her voice filled with a combination of outrage and desperation. She cast a warning frown at Stephen. "We really must get back to the house."

Before Andrew could ask another curious question, the group's attention was caught by the sight of Callie running from the forest, frantically waving her arms.

"Hayley! Hayley! Come quick!"

Alarm filled Hayley at the wild-eyed look on Callie's face and the panic in her voice. She ran toward the child, leaving Andrew, Stephen, and Pamela behind.

When she reached Callie, she dropped to her knees and smoothed curls away from the child's frightened face. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's Nathan," Callie panted, her eyes huge. "He's fallen, I think from a tree, and is hurt. I heard him groaning, and found him, but when I spoke to him, he didn't answer me."

Hayley's stomach crashed to her feet. "Show me where," she ordered, trying to keep her voice calm.

"What's wrong?" Stephen, Andrew, and Pamela all asked in out-of-breath unison.

"Nathan fell from a tree and is hurt," Hayley said tersely. "Take us to him, Callie."

The group followed Callie into the forest. She lead them past a group of tall oaks and pointed. "There he is. Under that tree."

Hayley ran and several minutes later found Nathan lying in a crumpled heap under a tree, a sack clutched in his arms.

"Dear God," she whispered, her heart tripping on itself. A small trickle of blood ran down Nathan's temple, and his face was deathly white.

"Is he all right?" Stephen asked anxiously, dropping to his knees beside Hayley.

"I … I don't know," she whispered, barely able to force words around the hard knot of fear lodged in her throat. Reaching out, she placed her fingers against the side of Nathan's neck, praying she'd find a pulse. When she felt the beat against her fingers, steady and strong, she nearly fainted from relief.

"His pulse is normal," she managed to say.

"Thank God," Pamela said. She held Callie and Andrew each by the hand and allowed Hayley to examine Nathan.

With Stephen's help, she examined the boy for broken bones. "As far as I can tell," Hayley said several minutes later, "he has no broken bones. It appears he's merely hit his head."

"Maybe he's bleeding inside," Andrew said, his eyes round with fear.

"I don't think so," Hayley said with a calmness she did not feel. She wanted to scream, rip out her hair, but she couldn't fall to pieces and frighten the others. Turning to Stephen, she asked, "Can you carry Nathan back to the house? I'll run and fetch the doctor."

Stephen nodded. "Of course." He reached out and gently picked the boy up in his strong arms. Nathan emitted a soft groan.

Hayley touched Nathan's forehead, then looked up at Stephen, knowing her eyes were huge with fright.

Stephen held her gaze, his eyes somber and steady. "I'll take good care of him, Hayley. He's going to be all right. Take Pericles and go get the doctor."

Unable to speak around the tightness in her throat, Hayley merely jerked her head in a nod and took off at a dead run toward the stables. When she arrived, she quickly saddled Pericles, and without a thought to her unladylike actions, hitched her skirts up to her thighs and vaulted into the saddle, sitting astride.

She pressed her knees to Pericles's flanks, and they galloped toward the village at a breakneck pace.

SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT

Chapter 14

Hayley burst through the door of Albright Cottage half an hour later, Dr. Marshall Wentbridge hot on her heels.

"Where are they?" she asked Grimsley breathlessly.

"In Master Nathan's bedchamber," Grimsley said, twisting his gnarled hands in obvious distress.

Hayley took the stairs three at a time, Marshall right behind her. When they arrived at the bedchamber door, Marshall entered and shooed everyone out.

"I'll speak to you as soon as I've examined him," he said firmly, closing the door on the anxious faces in the hall.

"Did he regain consciousness while I was gone?" Hayley asked, looking from Stephen to Pamela, dreading the answer she saw mirrored in their expressions.

Stephen shook his head. "No. He groaned a few times, but did not open his eyes."

"Is Nathan going to die?" Callie asked in a small, frightened voice. She clutched Miss Josephine to her chest, and peered up at Hayley with wide round eyes.

Pushing her owns fears aside, Hayley dropped to her knees and gathered the child into her arms. "No, darling. Nathan is not going to die," she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. I refuse to let him die. She pressed a kiss to Callie's forehead. "Dr. Wentbridge is going to make Nathan as good as new. In fact, I'm sure he's going to wake up soon, and I bet the very first thing he'll want is one of Pierre's sugar cookies."

"Yes indeed, Callie," Pamela agreed. "Why don't we go to the kitchen and arrange for a tea party with all Nathan's favorite snacks?"

Callie snuffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "A tea party?" she asked, looking from one to the other.

"The very best tea party in the whole world," Hayley promised with a smile.

"All right," Callie agreed, allowing Pamela to take her hand and lead her away.

Hayley turned to Andrew. "Could you please see to Pericles and Dr. Wentbridge's horse? We left them tethered in front of the house. They both need water and oats, and Pericles requires grooming."

Andrew cast a look at the closed bedchamber door. "Will you let me know what the doctor says?" he asked, clearly reluctant to leave.

"The minute he comes out," Hayley promised. She gave Andrew what she hoped was a reassuring pat on his shoulder and watched him walk away. As soon as he was out of sight, her shoulders slumped and she buried her face in her hands.

Stephen watched her struggle for control, and his heart rolled over. She was trying so hard to be brave for everyone, but he knew she was frightened to death. Damn it, he'd never felt so helpless in his life. He couldn't remember the last time he'd asked God for anything, but ever since they'd found Nathan, he'd repeatedly prayed the boy would be all right. He reached out and touched her sleeve.

"Hayley," he said softly, his heart aching for her.

She lifted her head from her hands and looked at him, the tears she'd tried to hold back spilling down her cheeks.

"God, Hayley, please don't cry." The sight of her aqua eyes swimming with tears, her face pale with fright, twisted him into knots. He opened his arms to her, and with a broken sob she threw herself into them.

Stephen clasped her to him, his arms embracing her like bands of steel. She wrapped her arms around his waist and clung to him, burying her face against his shoulder, her tears wetting his shirt. He ran his hands up and down her back, desperate to soothe her. Pressing gentle kisses against her hair, he whispered soft words he hoped were comforting. He didn't know how to help her other than to hold her. Her tears lashed him, wetting right through his shirt to his skin, and continuing down to his very soul. Listening to her muffled sobs, he thought his heart would shatter into a thousand fragments.

When her sobs finally dwindled down to a series of hiccups, Stephen realized the worst was over, and a sigh of profound relief escaped him.

Reaching into the pocket of her gown, she withdrew a handkerchief. She leaned back in the circle of his arms and gave her nose a hearty, unladylike blow.

"Feel better?" he asked, a smile tilting one corner of his mouth. When she looked up at him, his smile faded. Her eyes looked bruised and he clearly read the fear in them.

"I'm so frightened, Stephen," she whispered. "First Mama died. Then Papa…" A sob escaped her. "I couldn't bear it if Nathan-"

"He's going to be all right, Hayley," Stephen said in a fierce voice, and he knew he would give everything he owned to make his words true. He watched a lone tear escape her lashes and travel down her cheek. Reaching out, he captured the droplet on one finger. I didn't know angels cried.

She sniffed and wiped her eyes again with the handkerchief. "I'm sorry I fell apart in such a manner. I don't normally lose control like that. Thank you for being here. For being my friend. For helping Nathan. For holding me."

"You're welcome." Jesus, she looked so frightened, so very vulnerable, staring at him with those huge aqua eyes.

She reached up one hand and laid it against his jaw. "You're a wonderful man, Stephen," she whispered.

A rush of protectiveness crashed over him. He was seized by an overpowering urge to break down the door and shake the doctor until he said that Nathan was going to be all right.

He wanted to chop down the hateful tree that had spilled Nathan from its branches. Unprecedented emotions swamped him … emotions that made him want to destroy anyone or anything that would ever dare hurt this woman who stared up at him as if he were some sort of hero. As if he mattered. As if there were more to him than a title and wealth. You're a wonderful man, Stephen.