Once Upon an Accident 01 - The Accidental Countess Read Online Free PDF Page B

awake at the sound of an angry male voice. For a brief moment, she was disoriented and almost panicked. The unfamiliarity of waking to the sound of a man caused her heartbeat to quicken as she looked around for help. Then her mind began to function—slowly at first, but it was working.
    Straightening in the chair, she glanced over at her patient. His eyes were still closed, and he moved restlessly beneath the bedclothes. Wearily, she moved her head from one side to another, then rolled her shoulders. The past two days had been long, frightening and painful. Keeping watch over Sebastian had taken every bit of energy she had. Through the days and nights, she had listened to his rantings.
    At first, she had tried to ignore him, but it had been impossible as he raged against a woman she imagined was his wife.
    “There is no way I will be cuckolded. That is not my child.”
    Pulling herself out of the chair and onto her feet, she stretched, working out the stiffness that had developed. She padded barefoot to the bed. Sebastian tossed and turned, thrashing about.
    “You won’t stop me. I don’t care about the scandal.”
    Colleen swallowed. She had learned a lot about him the last few days. He was married, or had been at one time. Through his ramblings, she gathered Mrs. Ware had the morals of an alley cat. But then, from what she understood, it was common among the ton to have marriages like that. It was one of the reasons her mother never wanted an arranged marriage.
    His shivers were so pronounced she could see him quivering from beneath the mountain of quilts. Worry cramped her stomach. The fear of losing him to a fever brought tears to her eyes. Sniffing, she fought them, not wanting to succumb to feminine hysterics. She was stronger than that. Knowing there was nothing she could do but wait for the fever to break didn’t help.
    She walked to the window and peered outside at the desolate image of her snow-filled meadow. The snow had continued for two days. She was a little worried about supplies, but now that the storm seemed to be tapering off, she knew the vicar and his wife would be out to check on her. They did not own a sled, but past experience told her they would fret if they didn’t see her soon. They might be her only hope, if Sebastian’s condition did not improve. She had worried many times during her lonely hours of watching over him.
    “I don’t believe I’ve seen a lovelier sight.”
    She gasped and turned at the sound of his voice. He was still shivering a bit, but a slight smile curved his cracked lips, and his eyes looked clearer than they had in the past two days.
    “From the look on your face, I’ve given you a worry.”
    “Given me a worry?” she asked when she finally found her voice, which was hoarse with emotion.
    His eyes were unclouded, and he seemed to be more alert than he had been in the past forty-eight hours. Relief poured through her and she fought the urge to jump for joy.
    “Yes you did. Two days’ worth of worry to be exact.”
    Sebastian closed his eyes for a second, his mind still foggy from his illness. Her voice, softer than the day they met, wrapped around him. When he opened his eyes, he noticed her concerned stare. The comfort she offered warmed him from the inside out. What stroke of fate had brought him to her path? Sebastian didn’t know but he knew that one twist had probably saved his life.
    She wore a pristine white wrapper, but she had braided her hair, and it reached her hips. The sight held him momentarily speechless. He would have never guessed the woman had so much hair. All he could think of was running his fingers through it, feeling it tickle his chest…
    “Two days… Bloody hell .”
    Her eyes widened behind her spectacles at the blasphemy. Although it irritated him, he should have better manners than that. This woman had rescued him and nursed him through his sickness.
    “I apologize. My language… Well, I apologize.”
    She chuckled, a rich, full