Chapter Text
Thomas slammed the sledgehammer against the wall, pulverizing the bricks. Nothing Else seemed to exist except he and the wall. He slammed and slammed and slammed until the hole finally was big enough to fit a person through. Thick smoke blew out of the hole, one person at a time would never be quick enough.
Only men wormed themselves through the hole. They… how could they. These selfish bastards.
The hole had to get bigger. Thomas kept slamming. He did not care he might break the bones of someone who was getting through. There was no time.
The people inside realized that he was still hitting the wall and made sure to keep a bit of distance. Thomas pressed the sledgehammer in the hands of the strong man behind him. ‘Smash that wall dammit!’ he yelled. He took a deep breath and jumped through the hole inside.
Men pushed each other out of the way trying to get closer to the hole. Only men, no women were close to it. Thomas did not have to push himself towards the back, the man did the pushing for him.
It was almost impossible to find Eloise in the crowd with all the smoke. Two other men were panicky looking around too in the back. They probably got separated from their wife or children.
Thomas struggled to keep his eyes open, but then he saw a silhouette laying on the ground around a few barrels. The path towards her was covered in flames, but the ground they lay on had not ignited yet. He jumped over the burning beams and ran over the smoldering floor. The high flames around him almost scorched his skin away.
He knelt down on the wet floor. It was Eloise. He was relieved he found her, but afraid at the same time, seeing her condition. He brought his head as close to the floor as possible, took another deep breath and threw her on his shoulder.
His legs shook, begging him to give up. He clenched his jaw and kept taking step after step between the raging flames.
‘Eloise!’ One of the men yelled and ran towards them. Was he her brother? Thomas had never seen a man so grateful. The man put his shoulder under Eloise’s legs and helpt carry her towards the hole that had gotten much bigger.
Because of the water, the middle of the building was not set in flames yet, but the corners were not spared. Women screamed as the flames swallowed them. Thomas looked away. There was nothing he could do for them.
A giant beam crashed down from the ceiling right behind them. They were so close, only about ten other women had to get through the hole. Thomas helped push the remaining women up and stepped through the hole. He kept walking and walking away from the hole, the smoke was still way too thick here. A few steps further he put Eloise down and collapsed next to her with her brother. Breath, breath, breath.
When Thomas had regained some of his breath he inspected Eloise. She had not regained consciousness , but she was breathing. His stomach turned upside down when he saw blood running next to her right eye.
‘We have to get her to a doctor!’ He looked around. ‘I have to find my wife. Can you please take care of her? Just bring her to the Bridgertons! I will…’ Bridgertons? That made a lot of sense.
‘Go find your wife dammit! I will take care of her!’ Thomas interrupted him.
Anthony nodded and ran off.
Thomas took a deep breath and grunted as he put Eloise on his shoulder. Her head wound did not seem deep, so bandages should do the job.
He walked to the main street where carriages had lined themselves up to transport the wounded. Thomas put Eloise in the closest one. ‘To the Bridgertons!’ he yelled and shut the door.
Eloise’s eyes twitched.
‘Eloise?’ Thomas bowed over her.
Her eyes opened a little. A wave of relief traveled through him.
‘Stay still, you are safe. You are with me, Thomas. You’re going home.’ He spoke softly, but his voice still trembled a little from the shock. ‘Everything will be fine.’ Thomas carefully folded his hands around her right hand.
The staff already stood in front of the house. Thomas put his arms under Eloise and lifted her up. When the carriage stopped he kicked open the door and ran towards the staff.
‘The doctor is inside!’ one woman yelled.
Thomas put Eloise down on one of the beds that had temporarily been placed in the entrance hall. If there were more wounded, the doctor could quickly go from bed to bed.
The doctor dipped cloth in the cold water and put them on Eloise’s wounds. ‘Thank you for bringing her to me.’
Thomas was almost too afraid to ask it, but he had to. ‘She will be fine, right?’
The doctor inspected the wounds. ‘Probably, it does not look too bad.’
Does not look too bad? Probably? ‘What do you mean?’
‘It completely depends on how her wounds will heal. If they are all going to swell… but the chance is very small. You must not worry.’
‘How small?’ Thomas immediately said.
‘Very small. Now could you please leave the room, I have more than enough to do.’ The doctor turned to the kitchen. ‘Sarah! Come here I need your help for the stitching!’
‘On my way!’ she yelled.
Thomas still stood in the room. He did not want to lose sight of her. The doctor turned around. ‘Sir, I understand you are very worried, but her life is not in danger. Can you please leave. Sarah will update you if her condition worsens.’
Thomas clenched his jaw and paced outside the entrance hall, his mind whirling with worry and exhaustion. He felt the weight of the night's events pressing down on him, every breath a reminder of the smoke-filled air and the chaos he'd left behind. Eloise's family would soon be here, and he couldn't begin to imagine their reaction.
It wasn't long before the rumble of carriages announced the arrival of the Bridgertons. The family poured out, faces etched with worry and fear. Lady Bridgerton had some burns, but she still ran inside to her daughter.
‘Lady Bridgerton, you must not…’ said one of the servants.
‘Oh please I am fine!’ she yelled and entered her house. The others did not seem to be in danger, though most of them kept coughing.
‘Doctor! Eloise…’ Lady Bridgerton's voice broke.
‘She will be fine, my lady,’ the doctor reassured. ‘Her wounds are not severe. She just needs rest and proper care.’
Lady Bridgerton exhaled shakily and caressed Eloise’s cheek. She inspected her for a while and tried to calm Eloise down.
Ten minutes later she turned to Thomas, her eyes filled with gratitude. ‘Thank you, sir. You saved my daughter's life. What is your name?’
Thomas, exhausted and still processing everything, simply nodded. ‘It’s Thomas, my lady,’ he replied softly, his gaze drifting back to Eloise.
Lady Bridgerton stepped closer, her eyes searching his. ‘Please, won't you stay with us for a while? We owe you more than words can express.’
Thomas exhaled deeply. Thank god he could. How was he otherwise supposed to know how she was doing? ‘I suppose I could.’
‘You must. It is the least we can do,’ she said firmly.
Thomas was shown to a guest room. He sank onto the bed, his body weary but his mind still racing. At the same time he looked around in disbelief. This house was massive and the things that stood in his room were worth more than a hundred times the amount of money he would earn in his entire life. For the first time he was not jealous, but happy that if someone was allowed to be this rich, it at least was Eloise’s family. The Bridgertons were also not what he had expected. Even Though he had met Eloise, he still thought the rich had to be ignorant monsters and to a certain extent he thought they were. But they were also kind and caring. Especially Lady Bridgerton, the woman was filled with nothing but love and strength.
After Thomas had rested for a bit, someone knocked on the door and Lady Bridgerton entered, her face kind but serious. ‘Eloise is doing better, I thought I would tell you since you seemed very concerned about her.’ The way she pronounced “very” gave away that she suspected something.
Thomas sat up, meeting her gaze. ‘I am glad to hear it. How are your wounds Lady Bridgerton?’
Lady Bridgerton smiled gently. ‘Very polite I see, but it is nothing you should be concerned about. We were the lucky ones.’
Thomas nodded and gazed into the distance, trying not to focus on all the horrible things he had seen.
‘She also asked for you. Apparently she was able to recall your name.’ Thomas stood up and ran to the door, but came to a halt when Lady Bridgerton scraped her throat. ‘Did you two already know each other?’
Shit, that’s what she meant with “apparently”. ‘Uh, no I told her in the carriage. She was not unconscious so she must have picked it up then.’
Lady Bridgerton nodded. 'Interesting. Well, go see her. She is worried about you.’
Thomas raced out the door. It’s not like he had a choice of coming here, but Lady Bridgerton seemed a little too good with people for his taste.