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“I am as right as rain,” came Felicity’s seemingly cheerful response. “I’m terribly sorry to have to leave you to your own devices, though, Gracie. I do hope you don’t mind entertaining yourself for the day. Until we know fully what we’re dealing with, I wouldn’t want to leave the children on their own, nor do I want to risk the rest of the household.”
“Do not trouble yourself about the rest of us. We shall manage just fine, I’m sure.” Grace turned to offer an encouraging smile to the hovering footman. “Can we bring you anything?”
“No, no, Grace, do not you trouble yourself. The servants are taking great care of us. I just hope you can manage on your own for a while.”
“I shall be perfectly fine, I promise.” She paused for a beat before adding, “I will check back with you later.”
“That sounds fine, but you really ought to stay away from the nursery to be sure you don’t catch whatever this might be.”
“I will wait until Easton has been visited by the doctor. Then we can decide what ought to be done.”
Grace was fairly certain her sister was already elsewhere in her thoughts, as she merely murmured in the affirmative, her voice fading as she likely moved away from the door. She certainly didn’t blame Felicity. Grace wouldn’t have even started the conversation with her sister except that she had felt compelled to check on the situation.
As she descended back to the main floor, Grace worried that others might have been exposed to whatever was ailing poor Easton. Rathnelly had left but might perhaps be ill. Lord Sterling had been there all the previous evening. She wondered if she ought to send word to either gentleman. Putting the thought from her mind for the moment, she resolved to address the issue, if it was needed, after the doctor had been by.
It took very little time for Grace to check in with both the butler and housekeeper to ascertain whether there was anything she needed to take care of. It hadn’t even been a few hours since Felicity had closed herself in with the children and the household servants, after their initial panicked reaction, were carrying on as normal. It seemed to Grace that her sister had established a good routine with the servants, and everyone would be able to carry on with their usual activities. It left her with little to do, and she tried not to agonize over matters as she debated what to do with herself as they awaited the doctor.
What could possibly be taking the man so long?
Despite her best intentions, Grace couldn’t keep herself from worrying, but a quick glance at the clock told her that very little time had passed. She needed to find something to keep herself occupied. Even though it was far from her favourite activity, Grace found her needlework and determined to accomplish something useful.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, but was really less than an hour, the doctor arrived.
It seemed to Gracie as though the entire household were holding their collective breath, awaiting the doctor’s verdict on little Easton’s heath. Finally, after what felt like another eternity, but was most likely only about fifteen minutes, the doctor emerged from the nursery suite declaring an outbreak of the measles. Involuntarily, Grace stepped back from the doctor. She couldn’t remember if she’d had the childhood disease herself and certainly had no wish to contract it now. It was a serious illness and could even be deadly. Felicity had been right to remain sequestered with the children. She only hoped it hadn’t spread to anyone else in the household. She would have to have a footman ride out to warn Lord Sterling and contact the duke. They ought to be warned to watch for symptoms and perhaps reduce their contact with others, just in case. It might not be common practice to be so cautious, but it seemed to be common sense to Gracie.
For the rest of the day, Grace moved through the large house in a bit of a daze, dealing with any household management questions the servants had and overseeing a steady provision of supplies to the nursery wing. According to Felicity, the children were keeping themselves well occupied and so far, only Easton was ill. The doctor had warned, though, that it was likely all three would contract the illness within days.
Sure enough, they were all varying degrees of sick by the next morning. Grace was relieved to hear that Felicity was still well. That led them to believe that perhaps she and Grace had survived the illness when they were younger. But Felicity still wouldn’t leave the children and wouldn’t allow Grace to join them.
“It’s not worth the risk, Gracie dear, surely you realize that. And you shouldn’t return home to Glendale either in case you’re ill and don’t realize. It wouldn’t do to bring the illness to little Augustus.”
With a sigh, Grace acknowledged the wisdom of Felicity’s words, but she was more bored than she’d ever thought possible. She had never had so little to do before. If she were at Glendale, there would be all manner of things for her to do but here, and under the circumstances, she couldn’t very well ride out and visit Rathnelly’s tenants or any of the surrounding gentry.
Before long though, Gracie wished she could be bored again.
It all started with the basket.
In later, less fraught, moments, Grace would acknowledge that the basket really had nothing to do with it and it all had, of course, begun long before she was even aware. But for her, it certainly felt like the basket had started it all.
Within a very short time of Gracie sending word to Lord Sterling about Easton’s illness, a carriage arrived from Oakwood delivering a large basket of treats. While she was certain it was his servants who had done the work, it was kind of the earl to think to arrange it.
Clearly, you’re being affected by your boredom, Grace thought to herself with an inward eyeroll,if you’re becoming so charitable toward the man from such a gesture. Undeterred by her internal sarcasm, Gracie quickly dashed off a note of thanks to Lord Sterling before she took the basket up to the nursery wing for the children to enjoy, stealing a biscuit or two for herself before she left the lot with the footman to pass along to Felicity and her patients.
When she returned to the first floor, it was to find that the servants appeared, once again, to be in a quandary. Grace was instantly concerned when they all turned to her with anxious, expectant gazes.
“What has happened?” She hoped her exasperation wasn’t evident. Rathnelly usually seemed like a seamlessly run household, so she was surprised to find the servants so overcome.
But then the butler held out the note.
Grace stared at it without comprehension.
BE ON GUARD
Her gaze flickered between the seemingly innocuous paper and the butler’s worried expression.
“I’m afraid I require an explanation,” Gracie finally said.
“This was on the kitchen door,” the butler said.
“With a knife,” one of the footmen added with a touch of glee before the butler’s glare caused him to subside into silence.
The butler sighed. “This is actually the third note this week, my lady. The first two were easily dismissed. This one, too, doesn’t seem so very threatening, except for the big knife that was with it. But altogether with the others, we’re regretting that we never said anything to His Grace. And now, we don’t know what to do.”
Grace blinked away her inertia. She hadn’t a clue what to do either. Felicity would probably enjoy the mystery, but under the circumstances, Grace didn’t think she ought to tell her anything until she knew a little more. Perhaps, she ought to send for another family member. But with the threat of measles and all her family with young children, she couldn’t take that risk. Her thoughts immediately shifted to Lord Sterling. A part of her didn’t want to involve him while another tantalized her with the thought of his comforting presence.
If anything, it would certainly alleviate her boredom.
