“She slept through the night, or what was left of it.”
“I’m going to see her. She might need your help later to change.”
“I’ll fetch clean clothes for her.” Mrs. Wilson left.
He went up the stairs at a fast pace but slowed down along the hallway. He should ask Mrs. Wilson to go first, but he needed to see Esther and make sure she was safe. And the matter with her was personal after her wild behaviour.
Before knocking on the door to her bedroom, he listened. A faint noise, like someone coughing and groaning, reached him.
He knocked. “Esther? May I come in?”
No sound.
He inched the door inwards. “Esther?”
She was sitting in the bed with the quilt pulled up to her nose. Her eyes were two large moons the colour of the sky.
“You’re awake.” He walked closer, waiting for her to say something. “I guess you don’t feel too well.”
She didn’t nod or shake her head. As he crossed the room, she followed him with her terrified gaze.
“You’re worrying me.” He leant closer and stared at her.
She didn’t have the wild look from last night, and thank goodness she wasn’t laughing, but she was far from normal.
He slowly lowered the quilt to free her face. “How do you feel?”
She swallowed a few times. “A bit…peculiar.”
“Nausea, headache, soreness?”
“A bit of everything.”
He showed her the bottle the physician had left in the cabinet under the nightstand. “Dr. Jones left this for you.” He uncorked it. “He said it would make you feel better.”
She accepted the bottle with a trembling hand and took a sip. “This is your house, I assume.”
He frowned, not understanding why she was asking. “Yes. You came here last night.” And he was still shocked by her behaviour. “Twice.”
She frowned as well and took another sip.
“I know you’re tired, but where is it?” he asked. “I need it back. What have you done with it?”
She remained petrified. “Where is it what?”
“Please.” He closed his eyes for a moment. She was still playing, then. “I’m tired. I spent a good part of the night searching Brighton. Just tell me what you did with it.”
“I…” She gazed under the quilt.
“It’s not on you. I would know, trust me. The second time you came here, you were half naked.” That had been shocking as well, but not as shocking as her hugging him, dancing with him, and showing him her bloomers.
She blushed a fierce red. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t completely remember what happened last night.”
“Loss of memory. How convenient.” He tried to keep his voice calm, but it was a chore after everything she’d done to him. “We played this game for a while. Now tell me where my épée is?”
She opened her mouth and closed it, gazing around. “I don’t know what an épée is.”
“My foil, my fencing sword. You took it last night and vanished with it.”
