Page 39 of Leave Her Wild
“How is opening the windows going to save William?” the girl demanded.
“Good,” Elizabeth thought. “At least someone other than me means to defend Mr. Darcy.” She told the girl, “I cannot imagine your brother has ever preferred a dark room and putrid air.” She touched the back of her hand to his forehead. “Too much fever.”
“William prefers the outdoors,” the girl said meekly.
“Excellent,” Elizabeth declared, attempting to keep her eyes from Mr. Darcy lying unmoving on the satin bed linens. “We will, therefore, welcome no more signs of death in this room, Mr. Thacker.”
“Yes, miss,” the butler said with a slight nod of approval.
“I will require towels and cool lavender water, changed out at least every two hours.”
Elizabeth felt the room spin as she approached his form again, for it was so wrapped in death’s grip she feared she was too late.
“Do you truly mean to save him?” the girl asked.
“I mean to make the attempt,” she said. “Mary and I could use your assistance,” Elizabeth offered, for she thought Mr. Darcy might respond well to the girl’s voice. “But you must do more than weep over him.”
The girl shifted her shoulders into a more formidable stance. “Tell me what you require of me.”
Mary remarked as she set several vials on a tray across the room. “Do not worry, Miss Darcy, Elizabeth is quite adept in telling people how things should be carried out. The fact she is rarely incorrect is part of her saving grace.”
“Lavender water, miss.” Mr. Thacker returned with two full pitchers followed by a footman carrying a stack of folded towels.
“Wonderful,” Elizabeth assured. “Place the towels on the table near the vials. Then, if you would, sir, fill the two bowls about half way full of the lavender water.” She turned down the bedding to expose the gentleman’s chest where part of it was heavily bandaged, and then she tugged the bedding loose at his feet. “Miss Darcy, if you would, take the small bowl of water and a hand towel and wipe your brother’s feet and ankles and a bit of his legs.”
“His feet?” the girl asked in dismay.
Elizabeth smiled upon the girl, for she had suspected Miss Darcy’s reaction. “We must bring down your brother’s fever. I would not ask you to wash his body as will Mary and I. That being said, cooling his feet will aid in relieving his body of thefever, will it not, Mary?” she asked, urging her sister to respond in the affirmative.
“Cold feet, warm heart,” Mary repeated as she adjusted everything so she and Elizabeth could work together as they had done in the past while tending Mr. Bennet’s tenants and, once, when tending their own father. “We want the only warm part of Mr. Darcy to be his heart. In that manner, it will be filled with love and not despair.”
Though the words were directed to Miss Darcy, Elizabeth knew them also meant for her.
“Pardon, Miss Elizabeth,” a very proper gentleman’s gentleman said from the still open door. “I am Mr. Darcy’s valet, Mr. Sheffield. I have served Mr. Darcy since he was a young sapling. I pray to be of assistance to you.”
“Do you know if and when the surgeon will return?” Elizabeth asked. “I understood he was a surgeon for the army. Must we locate another man for the future?”
Mr. Sheffield stepped further into the room. “Captain Kinsel promised to return tomorrow morning. He has alerted another surgeon, a Mr. Rheem, to assist if he is not available because of his duties to his superiors.”
“And you are aware of how to reach Mr. Rheem if a need occurs?” Elizabeth asked.
“Yes, miss.”
“Then you might assist Miss Mary and me with cooling your master’s body while Miss Darcy does the same with his feet.” Elizabeth noted the lift of Mr. Sheffield’s brows, but he took up the towel in the bowl and began to wipe his master’s body. The man had quickly understood her ploy, while Miss Darcy mimicked the valet’s actions and wiped her brother’s feet.
“Miss Elizabeth,” Mr. Thacker said from the doorway. “Your room and those of your sisters are being aired out. Yourbags have been placed inside. I will assign two maids to attend to you and your sisters.”
“You are most kind, sir. If you would ask Miss Bennet to oversee the unpacking, I would be exceedingly appreciative, sir,” Elizabeth instructed as she took a cloth to wash Mr. Darcy’s face.
Mr. Sheffield ordered, “Ask Hannah to be one of the maids to assist the lady, Thacker. She will do well by the Bennets.” Mr. Thacker nodded and disappeared again. “Hannah,” the valet explained as he wrung out the towel again, “is also from near Lambton. No offense, Miss Elizabeth, but Hannah is less likely to gossip about your ‘country’ ways of attending Mr. Darcy, nor what those in Town would consider scandalous for an unmarried woman.”
“Thank you, Mr. Sheffield, for performing so diplomatically. There will be enough gossip to go around with this affair.” Elizabeth could not say more, for Jane appeared in the doorway, but she did not cross over the portal.
“Mr. Bingley ha departed to call on Uncle Gardiner, but I do not know what to do about the church and the rector,” her sister said.
Elizabeth looked to Mr. Sheffield to impart the necessary information. “Colonel Fitzwilliam,” the valet said with a question in his tone, for the whole household knew tending Mr. Darcy should be Jane’s domain, “asked me to speak to the rector on Mr. Darcy’s behalf. There is no expectation of a wedding ceremony on Thursday. The rector has added Mr. Darcy to his prayer list.”
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