*****
When Elizabeth woke again, light seeped around the edges of her curtains, and the fire still burned.She looked around and the same maid from the last night was still sitting in the chair, but Mr.Darcy was gone.
There was the repeated soft clicking of needles together as the maid worked on a matter of knitting, which she put down when Elizabeth stirred.“Awake again, Mrs.Benoit?”
“Awake.”She glanced back at Mr.Darcy’s seat.
“Took a while to convince him to leave.But when he felt your forehead again and decided there was no returning fever, I was able to convince the sweet master to get his needed sleep.He’s exhausted himself caring for you.Quite a fine gentleman.I had no notion since I came back to the house that he was attached.”
Elizabeth had had no notion that he was still so attached either.But she was happy that he was.
She tried to sit up with her legs hanging off the bed.And she managed to sit up, with difficulty, though she was still achy and weak.
“Now do be careful,” the maid cautioned worriedly, putting her cool hands on Elizabeth’s shoulders.“Ought to have the physician back to tell you that you can stand up before you try to.”
Elizabeth shook her head and ignored Becky to place her feet on the ground.Her head swam around and around in circles, and her stomach yet felt quite tender.“More water, please.”
She gratefully drank the water and closed her eyes after she had finished the cup.
She just concentrated on the feel of thick rug beneath her bare feet.She sat for a minute, quietly with the maid, and then putting her hands under her, Elizabeth stood.Her legs were wobbly, and the only reason she did not collapse was Becky’s help.
“You don’t want to stay in bed longer than you have to,” Becky stated.
“Never in bed.Never been bedridden.”
“Fortunate you are in that.After my child was born, I had a fever that nearly carried me off.I was sick for three weeks.”
Elizabeth took several deep breaths.The longer she stood the steadier she felt.That was a good sign.“Please help me to the chamber pot.I would rather not continue to use the bedpan.”
“I’d surely prefer you to use the pot as well.”The maid laughed.“Not my normal duties, but Mr.Darcy did not wish to hire a nurse from outside the household.And while I can leavemattersfor the maid to dispose of, Mr.Darcy put me in charge of keeping you clean and dressed.”
“No, he would not want to hire someone from out of the house.”The thought of what she had done arose again.Elizabeth refused to consider that thought.
The maid helped Elizabeth walk to one of the closet doors, through which was a tiny room with a fine painted wooden box, whose top lifted to reveal a hole underneath which sat the chamber pot.Elizabeth approved of setting the chamber pot in a closet instead of right in the bedroom itself.One of the luxuries of the wealthy.A further luxury was that there was a small iron box in the cabinet for the chamber pot where hot coals had been placed that made the wooden seat pleasantly warm when Elizabeth sat on it.
It was good to be rich.
She shivered on the seat, despite the warm air of the enclosed room, for several minutes before she relieved herself and stood, holding her hands to either wall.Her wrists with the mostly healed scars from the where the doctor bled her caught her eyes.
She had nearly died.
It would have been novelistically appropriate if she had died as a balancing retribution for killing the earl, but Elizabeth was rather decidedly happy she had not.
When she came out into the main room, a maid of all work had joined Becky.From her dress and her manner Becky was clearly of a higher order of servant than the maid who under Becky’s inspection changed all of the sheets and covers on the bed.
“Just another minute, ma’am, and you’ll feel ever so much more comfortable in an entirely clean bed.”
Elizabeth smiled her acceptance and sat down gratefully in an armchair Becky pulled out for her and let her sit in.It was the same velvet winged chair Mr.Darcy had snored in the previous night.She fancied that she could still smell a remainder of his scent.
“We’ll change your clothes too.I’ve changed your night dresses every day.Soon as Susy is done, I’ll get you fixed up proper to sleep.And cook has sent up some broth.Mr.Darcy is yet asleep, and we’ve decided to leave him to sleep till he wakes naturally.”
“Yes.”Elizabeth swallowed.“He has been very kind.”
She was suddenly terribly hungry.“Please, bring the soup.”
A hot bottle and a tray was produced, and set in front of Elizabeth on the chair, and she made an effort to eat, but she only managed half before she felt too tired and weak to continue sitting up.
Becky helped her to sit on the bed, pulled off her night shirt, expertly pulled on another one, and helped her to lie back in the bed, far more comfortable than before.She then clucked and said, “Your hair will be a right horror to manage when you are well.All sorts of tangles and snarls.Butsleepnow.Do not worry about that at allnow.I’ve managed worse in my day, I have.I’ll have your hair set well and pretty as can be, soon as you are recovered enough to sit up long enough.”
