He must love you still.
The thought came to Elizabeth, and while a female modesty suggested such thoughts should always be discouraged, rationality interposed between modesty and her mind: A man did not sit by the bedside of a woman in such a way unless he cared very deeply for her.
Elizabeth was glad of it.She did not yet know what to make of her sentiments towards Darcy, and her life was so strange.That she had murdered her employer the earl should make it impossible for her to ever marry anyone, let alone Mr.Darcy.
They could never marry.
The impossibility did not change anything.She was happy, deeply and desperately happy to believe he still loved her.
There was breathing on the other side, and Elizabeth rolled her head over to look.There was a woman wearing the clothes that marked her as a fine lady’s maid.No doubt Darcy had always kept one of his servants present in the room with them when he was in her room to maintain a frail semblance of propriety.
Elizabeth grinned.
The woman stirred and stood.She placed her hand on Elizabeth’s forehead.
“Water,” Elizabeth whispered hoarsely.But though her throat was dry and rough, it did not feel painful and inflamed the way she remembered from the past days.
The woman smiled at her and poured water from a pitcher by the bedside into her cup, very quietly.Elizabeth took the cup in her shaking hands, but needed the maid’s aid to hold it steady so that she could drink slowly.
Elizabeth then closed her eyes.
She felt quite terrible still.Much worse than she could ever remember feeling.Achy and weak.But she also felt surprisingly clean.“How long?”Elizabeth whispered without opening her eyes again.
“Three days, ma’am, since the evening you came to us.”The maid spoke very quietly, clearly hoping like Elizabeth to not wake Mr.Darcy from his snores.“Do you feel better?”
“Horrendous.Like I’d been tied to the ground with stakes and left to bake for a long summer day.”Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked at the maid, whose profile was barely visible in the light.“But I no longer have any delirium that I can detect in my mind.”
“I am very glad.The physician said the critical point would be yesterday.There was a fear you would die once or twice, Mrs.Benoit.”
Elizabeth quirked a smile.She whispered, “So that is my name now?”
“I had a suspicion it may not be your true name.The maid who let you into the house swore until Mrs.North properly talked to her that youhadintroduced yourself as a Miss Bennet,” the maid replied with a quirk of her lips that made Elizabeth suspect she had a fine sense of humor.“But it seems a simple mistake to make as the two sound similar.And as you and the master are old friends,hewould certainly know about your marriage.”
“Oh yes… my marriage.Poor Mr.Benoit, he never cut a memorable figure.”
The maid snorted with humor.
At the sound Mr.Darcy started and woke up.His eyes gleamed at her in the dim reddish glow.“Elizabeth, I mean Miss Bennet.I mean Mrs.Benoit.”Darcy looked at the servant.
“Mrs.Benoit,” the maid replied with a smile in her voice, “says she is much improved.”
Elizabeth smiled at Darcy, though her lips felt cracked and painful.“I think the fever is gone.”
He quickly touched her forehead and then pulled back.“I worried.”
She smiled at him.“I know.You have saved my life.”
“Nothing, nothing.”
Elizabeth’s eyes were starting to blink closed.“I am yet very sleepy,” she yawned.“And rather sick.But I am not likely to die in the night.Mr.Darcy, you should go to your own bed and sleep properly.”
He did not move.Elizabeth opened her eyes again and saw a mulish look on his face.She smiled sleepily at him.“I am sure that…” Elizabeth glanced to the other side of the bed, “What is your name?”
“Becky, ma’am.”
“I am certain Becky can ensure I do not die in the night and am provided water and the like.You must sleep properly, though.I’ll be easier if I know you are caring for yourself now that I am well.”Elizabeth felt her aches returning, and she then closed her eyes, waiting with her ears to see if Darcy would leave the room.
But she fell back to sleep before she could decide if he’d left.
