Page 3 of The Duke and the Enigmatic Governess
“Good. We know this wasn’t an accident. She should be moved, but listening to her breathing, I fear she is near the end. It may just be best to keep her comfortable.”
The woman looked toward the footman who stood near the horses. “Can you get more blankets?” she asked.
The footman turned to the coach and returned with more blankets.
“They’re only horse blankets, miss,” he muttered.
“Never mind, she needs to be warm,” replied the woman.
“Can you put one around the shoulders of that little girl? She is shivering and in a state of shock.”
“Yes, miss. Mr. Barton has a daughter about that age, I’m sure he’ll look after the poor mite.”
Jude felt as though he almost knew this woman as they worked together through this crisis, their movements, and thoughts almost synchronized.
“Do you know who she is?” he asked the young woman.
“No, I’m staying in the inn, waiting for the stagecoach north in the morning. I was looking out of the window when I saw what happened. I believe she may have been staying at the inn, probably waiting for the same coach, but I didn’t speak with them. For some reason, I thought she was French. The little girl seemed excited to be at the inn and I remember her dancing around the parlor during dinner.”
“The constable is coming,” said Barton, lifting the child into his arms.
“It might be best if she sees her mama,” said the woman. “It’s traumatic, but she will need to understand what has happened and say goodbye.”
“Here, my child. Your mama is very ill. I think she is going to another place, and you must say goodbye,” she said to the child.
“Mama, Mama,” whispered the child “Ne m'abandonnez pas.”She began to cry, great wracking sobs, which wrenched Jude’s heart.
“She’s asking her mama not to leave her,” the woman in white whispered.
Hearing a shout, Jude looked up, relieved to see the constable arrive. The constable crouched beside him and shook his head. “I think she’s gone,” he said.
He stood surveying the scene. Jude shared the sequence of events briefly and looked in the direction of the little girl, who was nestled in the arms of the woman in white.
“So, it wasn’t a carriage accident?” checked the constable.
“No, she collapsed just before she reached the carriage,” explained Jude. “Barton, my driver, was closest.”
“It might be a fever then,” said the constable, with concern. “You say she was staying at the Bell, over there?”
“It seems so.”
“And this young woman, in the robe? Is she connected in some way?” asked the constable.
“It seems not. She saw events unfold from her window of her bedchamber.”
“I’ll have a word… Ah, there’s Dr. Chiltern. Too late though, I doubt anything could have been done to save this poor lady.”
Dr. Chiltern nodded a greeting at the group as he arrived and bent to check there were no signs of life.
“She’s dead.” He confirmed to the constable. “They can take her directly to the mortuary. They will do what’s necessary there,” the doctor continued.
“Now let’s go and speak to Mr. Compton at the inn. We need to find somewhere for this child to stay tonight,” said the constable.
The woman in white looked toward them and spoke up. “She can stay with me tonight, I have a room at the inn,” she said, in a gentle, but firm tone.
The young woman’s robe had fallen open, revealing just a white nightgown underneath. Jude held out his arms to take the child.“Very well, a plan. I’ll carry her,” he said, averting his gaze from the delicate white cotton nightdress that framed her shape.
“You, er... this is a little awkward, but needs to be said, you may need to look to your attire, miss,” he added. “I don’t think the footmen and the constable are used to seeing ladies of quality in their nightclothes.”
