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Godwin stiffened. The thought of forgiving Sara was repugnant. The thought of having to hear her voice, look at her face was intolerable. He felt no pity for her circumstances—none, and he knew that was wrong, but he still hated her too much to have empathy for her.
Roderick, however, pulled on all his emotions. “Hush, lad. Your mother and I have differences that cannot be breeched. Do not fret what you cannot change. It has nothing to do with you or how very much I love you. Roderick, you are my son, you always will be. You are the child of my heart. That is what matters. I will return to Ravensbury with you because you need me and I want you to know how very much I love you.”
The lad clung to him and cried his heart out.
Captain John walked over and put a hand to both of them and together they stood in the windstorm.
Godwin looked out to sea and prayed for Heather to find her way home to him.
~ Fifteen ~
LOUISE TOSSED FITFULLY IN HER bed, lost to the fever.
Heather wiped her brow with a cool wet rag and whispered soothing words. She applied rosewater to her face and stepped aside when the doctor arrived.
However, when the doctor produced a glass bottle and produced a pair of tweezers, Heather stepped up, quite horrified. “You are not going to put those slimy creatures on her!”
The doctor sighed. He was old and tired. “Don’t be hysterical about it, miss. Leeching must be done.” He proceeded to pluck a leech from the bottle. “I understand your concerns, but rest assured, I do know what I am doing. You are not the first to object to this method and I am certain you won’t be the last, but it is tried and true.”
Heather put herself between the doctor and Louise. “No.”
“Now see here, miss. She must be bled,” the doctor insisted.
“No, neither Louise nor I believe in leeching. She has often said so, and I won’t allow it to be done to her.”
“Look, my dear, it will ease the fever, make her rest more comfortably,” he persisted.
“No, it will not. It will only drain her of her strength.” This was something Heather’s father had believed, and she did as well.
The doctor was exasper
ated. “You have not the authority to interfere…”
“Oh, but she has,” said a firm strong voice from the doorway. “Miss Martin has as much authority here at Brabant as I do.”
Heather ran to him. He was here, she thought thankfully, finally he had come. “Maurice, Louise collapsed in the garden. It appears as though she has contracted some kind of fever and the doctor wants to leech her.”
Maurice turned. “Doctor?”
“Indeed, as Miss Martin says,” he said somewhat testily. “Your sister has contracted a fever not unlike malaria. However, at this stage, I cannot be certain what it is. I am certain only of one thing, it is quite serious. We have had a few cases break out farther inland, and I have already lost two patients who have had similar symptoms.”
“Indeed, you say!” the comte snapped.
Heather could see he was seriously shocked and worried. “Maurice…you and she visited a place with a stagnant pond the other day. Could it be the water? Louise dipped her hands and handkerchief into the water when she was overheated. I recall her mentioning that to me. Could it be that?”
“If you won’t allow me to bleed her, you must keep watch, keep doing what Miss Martin has been doing with the rosewater and the soft damp rag. We can only hope the fever breaks.” He put a container on the night stand. “A little laudanum might help, but I wouldn’t depend on it. I shall look in on her tomorrow.”
“I will see you out,” the comte said as he politely led the doctor from the room.
Louise began to mumble. She opened her eyes and cried, “Blood…my husband…blood…”
Heather knew she was referring to the guillotine. Louise had confided in her about her grief, her fears, her dear husband, and her lost brother and his family.
Heather shooed the nightmare away with gentle words, and reapplied the cool rosewater. It seemed to calm Louise down and she rested quietly again. However, when the comte reappeared, he inclined his head to her and said softly, “I will see to her now.”
“Maurice, I will go down and brew her some sage tea. Papa often used it in the school whenever we had a child down with a fever.”
“Thank you, Heather,” Maurice said, and pulled up a chair to sit beside his sister.
