Page 12 of A Maid's Fateful Courtship
She was surprised to see the mass of dark, wiry hairs where once there had only been a few. She had to force herself to look away at times, as her mind reeled with a mixture of illicit thoughts.
For most of the time, she nursed Ethan as a patient, trying to put aside her personal feelings for him. Though when he was peaceful, she would gaze at his face, only to be astonished at how grown up he was now. Gone were the soft features of boyhood.
She would need to arrange for Russel to shave him over the days to come. His brows were bushier, his jawline firmer, and his arms filled with a muscle that had not been there before. He had left as a young man and returned as a mature one.
Josephine slept in the chair by his side, leaving the room only to cleanse and eat, which she did at speed. She ate very little, for her stomach churned anxiously for Ethan. Worry niggled at her mind whilst he tossed and turned in his fever. When the fever finally broke and the swelling on his arm reduced, only then did she feel she could relax once again.
“Can you manage a little hazel tea?” she asked Ethan as his eyes opened for the first time. “Doctor’s orders.”
“Josephine?” he questioned. “What happened?”
For two days after the fever had broken, Josephine served her lord’s every need. She chatted with him, brought him food, and read a book to him between his sleeping hours. Each day he was more lucid, and each day their conversation grew. They discussed fond childhood memories and Josephine relished his company. As family visited, Josephine would take a back seat, only to return by his side as soon as they disappeared.
Josephine made sure that when Ethan awoke, the first thing he would see would her smile. It was as if they were both young once again. She wondered if he too noticed the changes in her.
Gone were the girlish locks of childhood, only to be replaced with thicker curls of womanhood. As a girl she had been full of cheeky confidence. But now, her cheeks flushed whenever she felt abashed at something he said, and she hoped he did not notice.
There was a new depth to their relationship—one she had never known could happen. She was feeling emotions for him that she had never felt for anyone before and did not understand what exactly was happening.
On the third day, Russel dressed him in light clothing so that Josephine could take him to stretch his legs in the gardens. They sat upon a well-manicured lawn and enjoyed a small picnic that Lettie brought out to them.
Josephine asked Lettie to join them as she could see she was yearning to do so. Secretly, she would have preferred to have him all to herself, but she knew it would do Ethan good to begin socialising.
On the fourth night, Josephine settled him into his bed after Russel had helped him dress into his nightclothes. She got up to leave when he asked her where she was going.
“You are ready, my lord, to return to your normal self,” she said, half curtsying.
“No, no, Josephine, stay,” he pleaded. “We have had such fun reminiscing. Why would you wish to leave me?”
“The time has come for you to return to your duties, Lord,” she replied in a formal voice.
“Why are you calling me that?” he asked. “To you, I will always be Ethan. I will have none of these formalities when we are alone together.”
Josephine was taken by surprise. It was clear to her that Ethan did not realise she was a part of the manor’s household staff, and no longer his playmate.
“I too must return to my duties, Lord Ethan,” she told him, finding it difficult to use the expected formalities of their new relationship within the household. She must remember decorum and call him Lord, curtsy before him, and speak only when spoken to. How difficult this was going to be, but she knew she had to do it.
“What duties? Now I come to think of it, why are you wearing such a practical, dull dress? What happened to all the florals you loved to wear?”
“You will find that things have changed over the years, Lord Ethan.” she said, hoping that calling him lord would explain her new position in his life. “I am training to be the housekeeper and it is an honoured role that I willingly accepted. Now, my lord, if you can excuse me, Doreen will need to rest for she has been overburdened in my absence.”
“Is Doreen ill?” Ethan asked, “I remember her well. She was always a strict but very pleasant woman. I would hate for anything to happen to her.”
“No, my lord. In her older years, she tires easily. It is important that I relieve her of the household duties as soon as I can,” Josephine explained, wishing she could stay by his side forever.
“Of course, I never wished for her to struggle,” Ethan said, puzzled at all the unexpected changes. “Please send her my regards. I had not realised the situation.”
Josephine could read the bafflement on Ethan’s face as he tried to adjust to the changes at Sarandale Manor.
“And Josephine!” he called her back. “I have enjoyed our time together. Thank you for nursing me back to health. I will avoid the bees in the future.”
Josephine said nothing but smiled and curtsied before she stepped through the door. She left behind a confused lord, who she knew was struggling to comprehend that his childhood friend was now a servant of the house.
Chapter 10
Josephine hated to leave Ethan’s room, for she knew it was the end of their short time together. Being accepted as his nursemaid had allowed her to enjoy his company and they had laughed together over old memories. It had been a magical moment as she watched him grow stronger with each day.
But now, he was almost back to full strength. She could not deny him his freedom and it was time to separate herself from him. They must go about their lives, and all she could do was watch him from a distance.
