soon as possible.”
The words were simple enough, no more effective than the ones I used earlier, but Colin delivered them with the Easton imperious tone. He expected to be obeyed. That was something he shared with Benjamin.
The receptionist nodded and tightened her red lips into a meek smile. “Of course. The doctor will speak with you soon.”
As she picked up the phone to call the doctor, Colin led me away from the reception desk, towards two empty seats in the corner of the room.
My throat felt achy and raw as I tried to explain to Colin how Benjamin arrived at the Vastors.
“I was upstairs in the guest room, when I heard Lady Vastor scream. By the time I got downstairs, Benjamin was lying on the floor.” I rubbed my eyes then continued. “I have no idea what happened to him. He looked bruised and battered.”
I closed my eyes, remembering how terrible it had been to see Benjamin, usually so strong and confident, lying there hurt.
“I don’t even know how he got to the Vastors’ house. There was no sign of his car.”
Colin tightened his arm around me. “His car was found half a mile away from the Vastors’ house. It was in a ditch.”
“So he must have walked all the way from the accident? Why didn’t he call for help? An ambulance?”
Colin shook his head. “I’m as much in the dark as you are, Kate.”
I shivered.
“Here,” Colin said, pulling off his jacket and draping it over my shoulders.
I wasn’t cold. If anything the hospital waiting room was too warm, with heat blaring out of the radiators despite the fact it was still summer. It was the shock that made me tremble.
“What do you think happened?” I asked.
Colin didn’t answer. He looked around the crowded waiting room, and his gaze lingered on the cheap plastic seats.
“I’ll have Benjamin moved to a private hospital as soon as possible,” he muttered to himself.
I wrapped his coat tighter around my body.
I looked down at my shaking hands. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you straight away. I was in such a rush to get to the hospital with Benjamin I forgot my phone. I couldn’t remember your cell phone number, so I called the hotel.”
“It’s all right. Lord Vastor rang me as soon as the ambulance left.” He glared down at the floor. “I knew something like this would happen eventually, but Benjamin wouldn’t listen.”
I stared at him. “But it was an accident ...”
“Maybe.”
I was about to ask Colin what he meant by that when he stood up abruptly.
A grey-haired man in a white coat approached us. I searched his face for clues. Was Benjamin going to be all right?
My legs trembled as I stood up.
The doctor greeted us and shook our hands. He smiled kindly at me, no doubt seeing the fear in my face.
“Benjamin is awake and talking. He’s still a little woozy and has a mild concussion, but he was very lucky to escape the crash with minor injuries.” The doctor turned to me and smiled again. “You can see him now, but make sure he rests.”
I grasped the doctor’s hand. “Thank you so much!” I could have kissed him.
“He is in Jenner ward, straight down that corridor, third on the right.”
I put a foot forward then hesitated as Colin pulled the doctor to one side and asked for a quiet word. They spoke in low voices, so I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I didn’t want to wait.
Colin glanced up and noticed me. “It’s all right, Kate,” he said. “Go ahead. I’ll catch you up.”
I nodded then walked quickly, following the doctor’s directions, to Benjamin’s room.
The third door on the right was painted light green. It squeaked as I pushed it open. I stepped inside slowly, suddenly feeling shy. It wasn’t a private room. There were six beds, four of them occupied. I scanned the beds, finally recognising Benjamin in the bed nearest the window.
His eyes were closed, and the bruises on his face had darkened. His lower lip was cut and swollen. How did this happen? Was he
The words were simple enough, no more effective than the ones I used earlier, but Colin delivered them with the Easton imperious tone. He expected to be obeyed. That was something he shared with Benjamin.
The receptionist nodded and tightened her red lips into a meek smile. “Of course. The doctor will speak with you soon.”
As she picked up the phone to call the doctor, Colin led me away from the reception desk, towards two empty seats in the corner of the room.
My throat felt achy and raw as I tried to explain to Colin how Benjamin arrived at the Vastors.
“I was upstairs in the guest room, when I heard Lady Vastor scream. By the time I got downstairs, Benjamin was lying on the floor.” I rubbed my eyes then continued. “I have no idea what happened to him. He looked bruised and battered.”
I closed my eyes, remembering how terrible it had been to see Benjamin, usually so strong and confident, lying there hurt.
“I don’t even know how he got to the Vastors’ house. There was no sign of his car.”
Colin tightened his arm around me. “His car was found half a mile away from the Vastors’ house. It was in a ditch.”
“So he must have walked all the way from the accident? Why didn’t he call for help? An ambulance?”
Colin shook his head. “I’m as much in the dark as you are, Kate.”
I shivered.
“Here,” Colin said, pulling off his jacket and draping it over my shoulders.
I wasn’t cold. If anything the hospital waiting room was too warm, with heat blaring out of the radiators despite the fact it was still summer. It was the shock that made me tremble.
“What do you think happened?” I asked.
Colin didn’t answer. He looked around the crowded waiting room, and his gaze lingered on the cheap plastic seats.
“I’ll have Benjamin moved to a private hospital as soon as possible,” he muttered to himself.
I wrapped his coat tighter around my body.
I looked down at my shaking hands. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you straight away. I was in such a rush to get to the hospital with Benjamin I forgot my phone. I couldn’t remember your cell phone number, so I called the hotel.”
“It’s all right. Lord Vastor rang me as soon as the ambulance left.” He glared down at the floor. “I knew something like this would happen eventually, but Benjamin wouldn’t listen.”
I stared at him. “But it was an accident ...”
“Maybe.”
I was about to ask Colin what he meant by that when he stood up abruptly.
A grey-haired man in a white coat approached us. I searched his face for clues. Was Benjamin going to be all right?
My legs trembled as I stood up.
The doctor greeted us and shook our hands. He smiled kindly at me, no doubt seeing the fear in my face.
“Benjamin is awake and talking. He’s still a little woozy and has a mild concussion, but he was very lucky to escape the crash with minor injuries.” The doctor turned to me and smiled again. “You can see him now, but make sure he rests.”
I grasped the doctor’s hand. “Thank you so much!” I could have kissed him.
“He is in Jenner ward, straight down that corridor, third on the right.”
I put a foot forward then hesitated as Colin pulled the doctor to one side and asked for a quiet word. They spoke in low voices, so I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I didn’t want to wait.
Colin glanced up and noticed me. “It’s all right, Kate,” he said. “Go ahead. I’ll catch you up.”
I nodded then walked quickly, following the doctor’s directions, to Benjamin’s room.
The third door on the right was painted light green. It squeaked as I pushed it open. I stepped inside slowly, suddenly feeling shy. It wasn’t a private room. There were six beds, four of them occupied. I scanned the beds, finally recognising Benjamin in the bed nearest the window.
His eyes were closed, and the bruises on his face had darkened. His lower lip was cut and swollen. How did this happen? Was he
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