Page 9 of A Maid's Fateful Courtship
Chapter 7
Josephine went about her business, knowing that Ethan was in good hands and being well cared for by Doreen. All the time, he was on her mind. The short time she had spent with him had been wonderful. She wished she had not tried to rush it all away so quickly. They should have lingered longer on their walk, and then things might have turned out better.
Ensuring all the fresh-cut flowers were resting in water, she started to make her way to the dining room. Doreen often turned to her bed early, as she suffered from terrible aches and pains. For this reason, it had become her duty to check that the maids assisted the stewards in the serving of dinner.
Doreen had given her more and more responsibilities over the last year. She had even confided in her that she had saved enough money to stop working altogether. When that happened, it was her wish that Josephine would take her place.
The old woman had been the estate's housekeeper for as long as Josephine could remember. She was respected by all who resided at Sarandale Manor. Josephine had thought she was the only one who knew how much Doreen struggled with her work in recent years. But she suspected that the marquess had been aware of the situation, too. That was why he had assigned her to aid Doreen.
In the first year, Josephine had hated it. Yet Doreen had been patient with her. After the brothers had left for their Grand Tour, Josephine had been lonely. If not for Doreen, she did not know how she would have endured those first few months. Now, she loved her role at the manor. But as time moved on, her concerns for the elderly housekeeper grew daily.
Doreen had further confided in her that she planned to live with her sister in Brighton, though she had promised not to leave until she felt Josephine was ready. That day was fast approaching, and Josephine knew it. Her place as the estate’s housekeeper was secure, and that would be her lot in life.
Josephine accepted that she must learn to put aside the strange feelings she had for Ethan. Her role in life was set, and it was not by a lord's side. But even now, she found herself peeking through the dining room door to steal a glance at him.
She had heard from the general maid’s gossip that he had insisted they stop fussing him. The white vinegar had more than done its job at stemming the poison, and he had sent them all away.
Yet as she peeked through the open doorway, even from a distance she could see that he looked pale. For this reason, she searched for a legitimate excuse to enter the dining room. Nancy, one of the maids, was carrying a silver dish of potatoes that had been delayed.
Josephine stopped her, took the dish from the maid’s hands, and entered the dining room. Heading towards the huge, dark-mahogany sideboard, where the dishes were laid out for the stewards to serve, she made sure to pass by Ethan’s chair.
What she noticed shocked her a little. A thin layer of sweat wet his brow and it seemed clear to her that he was not well. Why had no one else noticed? The family was busy chattering; it was their first dinner together for many years. Plus, it did not help that Ethan said nothing, as his obstinacy had always meant that he hid his troubles.
“Thomas’ sister, Matilda has grown into a fine woman,” Lady Cynthia remarked. “I hear that she is a very talented artist. Perhaps, she may consider doing a miniature portrait for each of us.”
“Ethan, you should meet with her again,” his father joined in. “As heir to our family estate, you should be considering marriage now, surely?”
“There’ll be plenty of time for that later,” Ethan replied, seemingly brushing the remark off. “I am sure my lovely Aunt Geraldine will no doubt be seeking matches for me.”
The marquess looked down the table at his wife’s sister with a raised brow, then glanced back at his eldest son who sat by his side.
“Take your time, Geraldine, as we have many estate issues to discuss first. The last thing he needs right now, is the distraction of a fair maiden. What say you, Ethan?” the marquess asked his eldest son.
It appeared as if Ethan had not been following the flow of conversation. Upon hearing his name, he glanced up, with a look of confusion, as if he was unable to focus.
“Are you unwell, Ethan?” the marquess asked. “Do not worry, you can have at least a week to settle back in. I will not overload you with estate duties immediately. But mark my words, the time has come for you to take over responsibilities at last, and shoulder my burdens.”
At that point, Josephine looked over at Ethan. What she noticed made her want to call out for everyone to stop talking.Can they not see he is unwell?Yet she dared not interrupt the family dinner for she knew her place. Perhaps she was imagining his condition, but, as a precaution, she would remain in the dining room until the dinner was over.
Although it was unusual for her to help with the serving of dishes, no one seemed to notice. If they did, they said nothing. She passed a silver plate with a silver domed lid to one of the stewards whilst catching glimpses of Ethan. If only she could go over and ask him outright if he was well.
Picking up a stacked pile of used soup bowls, she walked over to the door to hand them to one of the kitchen maids. As her back was turned to the dining room, an almighty clatter rang out behind her. Quickly, she turned around, fearing the worse. All she could focus on was Ethan laying prone on the floor, his chair fallen over and now empty.
Chapter 8
Pandemonium erupted around the table as Josephine felt rooted to the spot. Everyone around her rushed to Ethan’s aid as he lay on the floor, motionless. Josephine could not see his face as servants and family members alike all crowded around his prone body.
She walked a few steps closer and could see that his chair lay on its back where it had landed. Approaching, she picked up the chair, it felt like a small gesture that might help.
“My brother must be inflicted by exhaustion from all the travelling we have undergone,” Cedric said as he cradled Ethan’s head on his knee.
Josephine was not fond of Cedric but watching him nurse Ethan as he did showed how much he cared for his older brother.
Moving forward, she got a better view of Ethan. His skin was pale, and his brow was damp with fever.
“I want everyone to move away from my boy,” the marquess called out. “Give him some air, will you?”
Upon hearing this, Josephine turned into the supervisor she had been trained to be. She instructed all the fussing maids to leave the room immediately. She had no say over the stewards because they were under the direction of Ronald, the butler, so she looked around for him.
