Elizabeth neatly folded the sheet that she had slept under. She still wore the clothes that she had arrived in, and after how little she had eaten the previous night she felt ravenously hungry. She was sweaty, she was sure she stunk, and she desperately needed a proper chance to change and freshen up. Her shoulder hurt from how much she had carried the children yesterday. The small trunk that contained all their worldly goods was still being stored at the inn yard where she paid for it to be guarded. She had not felt right last night sending out to have it brought here.
She rubbed at her eyes and studied Mr. Darcy.
Peaceful and young.
With his eyes closed and several days of growth on his chin he was not so imposing as when awake. The pallor from his fever was not prominent enough to detract from the gentleman’s fine features.
So. She would be Mr. Darcy’s nurse.
A new pile of dishes had already accumulated overnight, from the broth, her own plate of cheese and apples, and the bowl of vinegar that she had soaked the bandages in.
Hopefully she would see a hot red wound with a pointed abscess forming when she opened up the bandages.
Yesterday at this hour she was hurrying George along and straining under the weight of both Emily and a carpetbag full of items and a few favorite toys as they walked to the postal station. Her friend had lent a servant to take the trunk, happy to see the end of Elizabeth’s stay.
Elizabeth stared blankly at Mr. Darcy. The slow rise and fall of his breath was hypnotic.
A hurrying child’s footsteps, and George hurled the door wide open and burst into the room. He flung himself towards her. “Mama! Mama! Mama!”
“I am here,” Elizabeth replied in a low voice. “Do not wake up Mr. Darcy.”
“Oh!” George looked at the gentleman. He said to Elizabeth, “Shhhhhhh! We must be quiet.”
“Too late for that,” the gentleman said. He sounded much more cheerful than Elizabeth anticipated.
Mr. Darcy opened his eyes and gingerly turned on his side. He smiled at them.
“Good morning, Mr. Darcy.” Elizabeth replied. “I do apologize. This iswhyone does not keep the children around while contracted as a nurse.”
“Had we not established,” Mr. Darcy replied with a smile, “that you are to be here nursing me as a friend? In that case the delightful pitter patter of children’s feet, and the dulcet tones of their morning shouts—I see you are smiling, but I assure you, your son’s shouts are dulcet—are part of what is to be expected.”
Elizabeth could not repress her smile. “You certainly wish to convince me to give you not only a dry biscuit, but also a crust of bread.”
Mr. Darcy pressed his hand hard against his mouth as he struggled to not giggle. After a passage of time he said, “Please, I beg you, do not torture me by making me laugh. The wound, you understand.”
“You are surprisingly cheerful for a gunshot man in the morning.”
She liked that he insisted that she remain here as a friend. Even though the notion made no sense at all.
George jumped up and down and he walked right up to Mr. Darcy’s face to stare at the bandages. “Are you better? Are you better? Mr. Darcy, are you better?”
“Not notably,” he replied. “My wound feels quite awful. Perhaps worse, even.”
“Oh.” The little boy frowned at that.
“It is advantageous,” Darcy replied seriously. “It will make a better story for your friends if I take months to recover.”
George brightened. “They would not believe my father really pinked you if you just were up and walking. Much better. Did you see how big the wound was on his back? It is huuuuuge.”
Elizabeth tiredly rubbed her face. “I shall go set water to boil for coffee—I saw that the supply ofthatessential is ample. Do you wish some?”
“Should not that maid prepare it?” Darcy asked. “Is not her name Sally?”
“I kept her up quite late scrubbing the kitchen, tossing out the rubbish, and then she set up the beds for your sister and my children. And when she wakes I’ll send her out for the fresh bread and eggs that we shall all devour in front of you as I or your sister spoons you that lovely broth, to ensure you take the lesson of not fighting duels in the future to heart.”
“No, no, no. That is beyond cruelty.”
Elizabeth laughed. “You shall need to hire more servants if you wish things to be managed invisibly.”
