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The sergeant touched Mary’s arm.
‘You’ll stay and nurse him?’
She glanced at Robbins, wondering if he would object to her presence, but she read only worry and consternation in his face.
‘It would help to have another pair of hands, Miss Endacott.’
‘So you’ll stay?’ Sergeant Hollins said again. ‘You’ve been nursing other soldiers, you’ll know what to do.’
Their confidence in her was touching. She only hoped it was not misplaced.
‘I will stay, Sergeant. Perhaps you will take Marron back to the schoolhouse, and ask my maid to pack a bag for me and send it here? Tell her to pack my grey gown; it is the most suitable for nursing.’ It was also extremely plain. Not the gown any mistress would wear. There must be no misunderstanding of her role here. Mary was bone-weary, but she summoned up a smile for the men who were crowded together near the door. ‘Thank you, gentlemen, you have been magnificent. You may be sure your colonel shall know of your efforts, when he comes round.’
She would not admit the possibility that Justin might not live, even to herself. The men looked pleased if a little uncomfortable to be addressed as gentlemen. They shuffled out and soon it was only Robbins and Mary left in the room. For a while they stood in silence, staring at Randall.
‘I will not leave him,’ said Mary. ‘Not until he is out of danger. One way or another.’
‘No, ma’am.’ Robbins coughed. ‘I believe there is a small room next door that is not in use. I will ask the landlady to prepare a bed for you.’
‘Yes, thank you.’
‘I will do it now,’ he continued. ‘And I shall bring water and a nightshirt for his lordship.’
When he had gone Mary felt very alone. The silence pressed in on her, the fears she had refused to acknowledge throughout the day now mocked her and she could not keep back her tears. She fell to her knees beside the bed.
‘Oh, Randall, don’t die,’ she whispered, clutching at the bedcovers. ‘Don’t leave me. Even if I never see you again I could not bear for you to die.’
Her words disappeared into the silence. No one responded, there was no comfort to be had from Randall’s breathing, so shallow and quiet that it was hard to believe he was still alive.
* * *
When Robbins came back Mary’s momentary weakness had passed. She was on her feet, her calm demeanour restored, and she helped Robbins to undress Randall. They worked steadily by candlelight, cutting away the tattered uniform and washing the blood and grime from his body. Mary gently cleaned and bandaged the wounds on his head and leg as Bertrand had shown her, but the ominous little hole in his chest she left for the brigade surgeon.
* * *
Lieutenant Foster arrived an hour later. He was looking pale and drawn, dark shadows beneath his eyes hinting at a lack of sleep. He frowned when he saw Mary standing by the bed.
‘Miss Endacott, is it not?’ His cold disapproving manner told Mary he knew that she was Randall’s mistress. Had been his mistress, she corrected herself. ‘I do not think we need detain you any longer. Robbins and I will look after his lordship.’
Mary bridled as his dismissive tone.
‘Since I fetched Lord Randall from the battlefield I consider I have a right to be here, Lieutenant.’
‘But this is no place for you.’
She lifted her chin and glared at him. Let him try and dislodge her!
‘If I might say so, sir...’ Robbins gave a deprecating cough ‘...Miss Endacott knows a bit about nursing, Lieutenant Foster. I could do with her assistance, having no one else here to help me.’
After a brief inward struggle the surgeon shrugged.
‘Very well. Perhaps, Miss Endacott, you will bring those candles a little closer and I will see what I can do.’
* * *
‘The wound to his head is not serious, neither is the cut to his thigh.’ The surgeon washed his hands, his examination of Lord Randall finished. ‘I have bled him and bound him up, but apart from that there is very little I can do. The earl has a musket ball lodged in his chest. It does not appear to have touched any of the vital organs, but it is very close. However, he has survived this long and there is no reason why he should not make a good recovery.’
‘You are not going to remove it?’
