"Ross," Verity spoke her cousin's name with the utmost sense of worry in her voice as he read a note Francis left for Verity and Elizabeth to find. It mentioned a boat and the sea. Verity explained to Ross what she feared. The sea and the wind raged.
"Where is Elizabeth?" Ross spoke with urgency in his tone.
"She'd gone off after him. Oh, Ross. I'm frightened. Terrible harm may come to one or both of them."
Ross crumpled the note in his fist, "Demelza, stay here with Verity!"
He bolted to exit Trenwith, saddled his horse, and raced to the Cornish seashore.
The cold air slapped at his back. At the sea's edge some distance ahead, he thought his eyes could make out a figure lying upon the beach. He could come to see a mass of skirts on the sand. It was a woman.
"My God," as he drew nearer, he dismounted his horse in haste.
"Elizabeth!" He bellowed. He approached her seemingly lifeless body. He could tell she swallowed water, so he first attempted to purge her of it. Success.
Her body was ice cold as she was soaked through. Evidently, she nearly drowned. She had the faintest pulse.
She was almost too weak to gasp for air and choke. "Ross," she murmured barely alert.
"Don't talk. Save your strength. We must get you warm. We've not a moment to waste. Can you stand?" The question was rhetorical as he knew she was weak.
"Hhhh" she gasped as the weight of her soaked garments pulled her back down to the sand again after she struggled to slightly stand even with Ross's assistance.
"Forgive me," Ross began as he withdrew a pocket knife and split the laces of her gown's bodice to tear her gown away to remove the unnecessary dangerous and problematic weight. He needed to set her atop his horse. Either way, her body temperature was catastrophically cold. He had removed his frock coat to wrap her in it. He managed to mount the horse after he helped her to do so. He held her as she sank into him. Ross knew she must be dangerously close to hypothermia.
"You mustn't go to sleep, do you hear?" He patted her face and slightly squeezed her jaw to rouse her.
"Elizabeth, stay with me."
They rode to his home. He carried her in his arms tenderly yet in much haste across the threshold of Nampara. Thankfully, Jud and Prudie had a raging fire already going for themselves. He found them sat near it.
"Both of you out!" Ross ordered.
They looked at him confusedly.
"Now!" He commanded.
"Yes, Master. Right away, Sir."
"And do not return to this room for the rest of the night! Do you understand?"
When Ross was sure he and Elizabeth were alone, he lay Elizabeth down upon a woolen blanket upon the floor near the hearth placing a cushion beneath her head. He made haste to undress her-to strip her of all of her remaining cold and wet garments.
Ross's eyes were full of glimmering emotion as he undressed her-a fear and sadness in them...anxious and worried, but he couldn't let all of his emotions distract him from his task and ultimately getting her warm-saving her was his focus.
"I beg of you, Elizabeth. You must forgive me for what I must do. It's the only way to give your body the warmth it needs. He chafed her with another blanket and held her near to him. He looked away. "You are ice cold. The heat of my own body is the most effective way to warm you quickly. Please. You must believe me when I say I do not do this for my own selfish pleasure. He then stripped himself of his clothing.
"Ross...what..." Elizabeth's consciousness swirled. She was so weak. He feared she was becoming more limp, exhausted, nearly lifeless and unalert. A doe-eyed expression lay upon her face and her eyes sparkled as they drew in his bare form suddenly. He covered her with a heavy blanket, and he softly turned her body towards the fire.
"Dwight can tell you of the fatal danger of hypothermia. The heat of my own body will help the temperature of yours to rise to normal again." Ross spoke to her as he felt he should explain his actions, though he knew this explanation was in vain for Elizabeth seemed slightly delirious. And, though his true purpose and intentions were entirely honourable and heroic, Ross also seemed to continue to speak to distract himself from the reality of it all. Pure adrenaline and energy were devoted to his goal.
"You are a strong woman, Elizabeth." He wanted to say self-sacrificing but thought better of it. This also was not the time to mention the past or speak sentimentally, though he had to keep her awake. It probably was not the best scene for reminiscing or telling stories, but he couldn't allow Elizabeth to fall asleep just yet.
And yet, he loved Demelza. It would break Demelza's heart should she witness this. He prayed to God that Demelza had listened to him and stayed at Trenwith. Honorable or not and though he acted purely in emergency, Demelza should not look upon Elizabeth and him in this way-bodies bare together. He could not think of the possibility of Demelza seeing this-them now. He felt Elizabeth's body become dangerously relaxed against his. Perhaps, Elizabeth had lost all strength for violently shivering. Her breathing became so light, Ross had to concentrate to feel for it.
"Just keep breathing," Ross whispered.
"Elizabeth, you mustn't close your eyes, do you hear? Stay awake." There was power in his voice then. It was not yet safe-in her state of health-to fall asleep.
"I'm so very cold." She spoke, her voice no louder than a whisper. He brought his body firmly but not harshly against hers under the blanket and wrapped his arms around her from behind her as she faced the fire. He concentrated on radiating the heat that she needed.
"You'll be warmer in a moment, all right? Hang on. Stay with me." His skin suddenly felt as if it could be set aflame with the heat of his own body should he command it to do so. He willed himself to rescue her from almost certain death.
"Keep... holding... me... please...Ross. Don't let me go." Elizabeth replied hushedly and exhausted. Ross knew not what to make of this response. It was perhaps out of delirium or perhaps... He dare not analyse it.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here..." He paused. "You will be warm and well. I promise."
He did not ponder how long she'd been lying on that beach or how she'd come to be in such a state. She seemed to have been swallowed in the sea but determined to escape the depths of death.