He could barely hear Mary's words over the howling wind. She pointed west, toward a wooded area. John immediately kicked Thor into a canter.
The moon was obscured by the heavy rain-clouds, so he had to rely on his lantern, which was flickering nervously in the wind. He slowed Thor down to a trot as he searched the woods, painfully aware of how difficult it would be to spot her in the dark forest.
"Belle!" he screamed, hoping his voice could be heard above the storm.
There was no response.
Belle had lain unconscious for nearly an hour. When she awoke it was dark, and she was shivering uncontrollably, her once-fashionable riding habit sodden. She started to sit up but was overcome by dizziness.
"Dear Lord," she moaned, clasping her forehead as if she could squeeze away the blinding pain in her temple. She glanced about. Mary was nowhere to be seen, and Belle was completely disoriented. Which way to Mayfair?
"Hell and damnation," she cursed, and this time she didn't feel a single pang of guilt over her foul language. Clutching onto a nearby tree trunk for support, she struggled to her feet, but vertigo quickly claimed her, and she tumbled back to the ground. Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks and mixing with the relentless rain. Aware that she had no other option, Belle began to crawl. And then, silently begging forgiveness for all of those times she'd finagled her way out of going to church, she began to pray.
"Oh, please God, please God, just let me get home. Just let me get home before I freeze. Before I pass out again, because my head hurts me so. Oh, please, I promise I'll start paying attention to the sermons. I won't stare at the stained glass windows. I won't curse, and I'll mind my parents, and I'll even try to forgive John, although I think You know how hard that will be for me."
Belle's impassioned litany continued as she inched her way through the trees, guided now by instinct, for the sun had completely set. The rain had grown icy cold, and her clothing stuck mercilessly to her, wrapping her in a freezing embrace. Her shivering grew more pronounced, and her teeth began to clatter loudly. Her prayers intensified, and she stopped asking God to get her home and started asking Him just to let her live.
Her hands grew shriveled and prune-like from the wet mud of the path. Then she heard a sharp tear. Her dress had gotten caught on a thorny bush which had spilled out onto the path. She struggled to free herself, but her strength was nearly gone.
Wincing against the pounding pain in her head, she summoned what little power she had left and tore her dress from the thorns.
She had just barely resumed her slow crawl when a bolt of lightning lit up the sky. Terror consumed her, and she wildly wondered how close the bolt had struck. A clap of thunder quickly followed, and Belle jumped in fright, landing on her rear.
She sat in the middle of the muddy path for a few seconds, trying to regain control of her shivering body. With a shaky motion, she pushed away a few locks of hair which were plastered to her face and tried to tuck them behind her ears. But the rain and the wind were merciless, and her hair was soon back in her eyes. She was so God-awful tired. So cold, so weak. Lightning tore through the dark sky again, but this time it lit up the figure of a horse and rider coming up on the path behind her.
Could it be?
Belle caught her breath and forgot all of her anger toward the man riding toward her. "John!" she screamed, praying he could hear her over the shrieking winds because if he couldn't, she'd soon be trampled under Thor's hooves.
John's heart stopped beating when he heard her cry out, and when it resumed, his pulse raced double-time. He could just barely make out her form in the path about ten yards ahead of him. Her hair was so fair it captured what little moonlight hung in the darkness and glowed like a halo. He quickly crossed the distance between them and slid off his horse.
"John?" Belle quavered, barely able to believe that he was right there in front of her.
"Shhh, my love, I'm here now." He knelt down in the mud and cradled her face in his hands. "Where does it hurt?"
"I'm so cold."
"I know, love. I'm going to get you home." John's relief at finding her quickly turned to fear when he lifted her into his arms and felt her violent shivers. Dear God, she had been out in this freezing rain for at least an hour, and her heavy riding habit was now soaked.
"I was-I was trying to cr-crawl home," Belle managed to get out. "I'm so cold."
"I know, I know," he crooned. Hell, why had she been crawling? But John didn't have time to ponder these questions. Belle's lips were turning a dangerous shade of blue, and he knew that he had to get her warmed up immediately. "Can you sit in the saddle, love?" he asked, seating her atop the horse.
"I don't know. I'm so cold."
Belle started to slide out of the saddle as John was mounting and he had to push her back up. "Just hang on to Thor's neck until I'm up there with you. I promise I'll hold you steady the whole way home."
Teeth clattering, Belle nodded, holding on to the stallion with all her might. In no time, John was seated behind her, his strong arm wrapped fiercely around her waist. Belle sagged into him and closed her eyes. "I c-can't st-stop shivering," she said weakly, feeling like a child who had to explain herself. "I'm so cold."
"I know you are, love."
Mary and the groom rode into sight. "Follow me back," John yelled. He didn't have time to fill them in on the details of Belle's condition. He kicked Thor into a full gallop, and they crashed through the trees.
Nestled firmly against John's torso, Belle slowly let go of the fierce will which had been propelling her before. She felt her mind slipping away from her body, and truth be told, she was so damned tired and cold and sore that she was glad to let it go. She went numb, strangely content now that her aches and pains were receding. "I'm not so cold anymore," she murmured in an eerie voice.