“Oh, Susan… Do you know what the illness is? Have you heard anything from London?”
“It’s too recent. John only left the other day. Aunt Clarissa and I have heard nothing further. At least, as of the time of my coming home.”
“Do you think the illness is serious?”
Susan shook her head. “We just don’t know.”
“I thought John didn’t know where Simon was.”
“He didn’t. But, of course, Simon knew where John was when he needed him.”
“How do you feel, about all of this? Does it bring up concerns for you?”
“Of course, I’m concerned for Simon’s health, but not about seeing him. I already did that on my trip to London. After the initial shock of seeing him again, I realized I’d completely erased any romantic attachment to him from my life.”
“But it must be worrying for the Duke.”
Susan nodded. “Yes, I know it pained him that they were not in touch.”
“Well, tea’s up,” Katherine announced, as she carried the tray to the sitting room.
Elizabeth was seated on the sofa, book in her lap, her small legs dangling over the edge.
“I like the tigers. Do they eat people?” she asked.
“Probably. But not too often,” Katherine said with a twinkle in her eye.
Elizabeth looked up at her, somewhat surprised. “You’re joking with me, aren’t you?”
“Just a little bit. How do you like your tea, sweetie?” she asked.
“Cream and honey please?”
“Honey? Hmm? I’ll need to check.”
“Sugar’s fine,” Elizabeth said, stopping her. “Miss Susan always tells me to be polite and not cause an inconvenience.”
“What a big word. You are learning fast.”
“She’s very bright,” Susan spoke up. “I have to keep expanding the lesson plan because she learns so fast. She’s already writing out her letters and soon she’ll begin to master cursive.”
“Want to see the dress?” Katherine asked after they’d drunk the first cup of tea.
“Oh, yes. Are you going to model it for us?”
“If you like. But is it bad luck?” she asked, as she stood.
“Not unless the groom sees it, I believe.”
“I’ll be right back.”
“Miss Susan, why is it bad luck for the groom to see a wedding dress?” Elizabeth asked.
Susan thought about that. “I have no idea. But you’ll find there are many things in life that are considered to be self-evident truths that have no basis in fact at all.”
Katherine returned shortly in her dress. It had a foundation of layered silk with gold trim.
“Oh, Katherine, it’s lovely. Did you make that?”
She laughed. “Oh, no. I couldn’t do anything as intricate as this. It’s far outside my abilities.”
“I like it too,” Elizabeth said. “It makes you look like an angel.”
Katherine smiled. “Now what could be better than that?”
* * *
John sat with Simon for two days, ministering to him constantly, except for brief naps. Doctor Bartholomew came once a day to evaluate Simon’s progress and let more blood.
On the second day, the doctor said, “I don’t know, Your Grace… Unless the fever breaks soon, I don’t think your brother will be able to survive. The stress on his system is becoming critical.”
“Is there anything more that you or I could do?” John asked.
The doctor shook his head. “It’s in the hands of the Lord. Pray if that helps you. Watch him. Continue with your ministrations. That’s all that can be done for now. And by all means, let me know if his fever breaks.”
“I will. Thank you, Doctor.”
As John continued to sit with Simon, he had a lot of time to think about their relationship. It had pained him so greatly when Simon had stolen from him and headed off before the wedding. It hurt him, but he knew it had also hurt Susan.
Sweet Susan. He realized how dependent he was becoming on her stable influence. He admired how good she was for Elizabeth. How supportive she was of his various projects. And how unassuming, but calming she was on him.
And it had pained him when he had heard from Susan that she had seen Simon in London but that he’d not let Susan know where he lived or how he could be contacted. It was clear he wanted nothing further to do with the family.
John got up to take the towel from Simon’s brow and soak it in fresh water, but as he picked up the towel, Simon opened his eyes and looked around.
“Simon, how are you feeling? It’s been days.”
Simon took a deep breath. “Have I been asleep?”
“Unconscious. You have scarlet fever.” John reached over and put his hand on Simon’s forehead. He was hugely relieved. It seemed the fever had broken. “Oh, Simon, you seem better. What do you need? What can I get you?”
“Water. I need water. I’m so thirsty.”
“Of course.” John dashed to the dresser where there was a pitcher of water, poured a glass and took it to Simon. “There you go, little brother. Drink up.”
Simon took the glass and gulped it down as fast as he could. “More please.”
John poured another glass.
“I must fetch the doctor. He wanted to know when the fever broke.”
“Don’t be gone long. Please.”
When John returned with the doctor, Simon has scooted into a sitting position, and the color was returning to his face.
“Well, well, look who’s sitting. Here, let me take a look at you.” The Doctor examined Simon. “Better. Better. Much better. I think the worst has passed. But you’re going to need some significant time to recuperate, young man.”
“I’ll take care of that,” John said, almost giddy with relief, and said to Simon, “I’m going to take you home.”
Chapter 21
Susan was thoroughly enjoying the rest of her trip home. She even managed to visit her old school to see how Peggy Alexander was doing as her replacement. She monitored the boy’s class and Peggy had them behaving like choir boys before an archbishop.
Susan and Elizabeth took walks. Susan had intimate chats with both her mother and her father. And she even visited Louisa in her new home. The whole trip was most satisfying.
On the third day, the carriage from Haverford arrived, as scheduled, and the two of them returned in near silence, as they were both tired and contemplative of their visit.
When they arrived at Haverford, it was just before Elizabeth’s mealtime, and Susan took Elizabeth straight to her room to wash up and get ready to go down to the breakfast room for her supper.
After taking Elizabeth to her meal, Susan went to find Clarissa. She was not in her room so Susan went looking for her, finding her in the pantry with the cook.
“There you are,” Susan said.
“You’re back. How nice. It’s been lonely with the two of you gone and John up in London.”
“He’s not back?”
“Not yet.”
“But has there been any news of Simon?”
Clarissa took Susan by the arm and led her from the pantry and into the main sitting room where they sat by the fire. She looked concerned.
“Not a word, my dear. And it worries me. It’s unlike John not to send word right away. Even if Simon were seriously ill, he would write a short note to let us know what was going on.”
Susan was thoughtful. “Elizabeth’s never met her Uncle Simon, has she?”
“No. She was born after he left.”
“So we needn’t feel she will be too upset if he should not make it?”
“I don’t think so,” Clarissa said. “But you might want to tell her what’s going on. She’s going to have questions about where her father is.”
“Yes. I’ll take care of that.”
Clarissa reached over and took Susan’s hand. “And how are you dealing with all of this?”
“I’m concerned, but fine.”
* * *
It was still dark outside the rented carriage. They had been traveling for several hours. Simon was sleeping fitfully as John kept a watchful eye on him. Simon was bundled up like a newborn baby—which in a sense he was—or at least reborn.
John watched as the dawn began to break. He was exhausted from his long vigil with Simon, but he felt a lightness of heart as he realized he was once again reunited with his estranged brother. He had no idea what Simon might want to do after his recovery, but he held out hopes that he might be able to entice Simon to stay and become an active participant in the running of Haverford.
John realized he’d not been wise in his previous relationship with Simon. He had, in fact, been thoughtless when their father died, and he’d inherited the titles, responsibilities, and inheritance of the Duke. He had totally disregarded Simon’s plight as the second son—with no title or living. Now it was time to address that slight and redress it.
The carriage pulled up to the entrance of Haverford House. Only a few of the staff were stirring, and most of those would be in the kitchen preparing breakfasts, or restoring the fires throughout the house after they had gone to embers during the night.
The front door was locked so John knocked. A grumpy looking Standish finally appeared and brightened up when he saw it was the Duke.
“Your Grace, we didn’t know you were arriving—so early.”
“I’m sorry, Standish, it was a last minute decision. I have Simon in the carriage and my horse is tied to the back. Will you please tell the groom to care for the horse? And I need assistance in getting my brother up to his rooms.”
“Of course. Just one moment—I will fetch help.”
John went back to the carriage and prepared Simon to be moved.
“We’re here,” John said, shaking the sleeping Simon.
“Oh, we’re home?”
“Yes. And you’ll be soon again in your own bed.”
“How nice.”
Standish came with two footmen, not properly dressed yet, but ready to help. They assisted Simon out of the carriage and into a chair they’d brought, and which they now lifted to carry him up to his room.
“Have someone sit with him in case he needs anything,” John called out to Standish.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Now John was utterly exhausted. He’d been running in an emergency mode for the last several days, and now, that his immediate care was no longer needed, he crashed.
* * *
Neither Susan nor Clarissa had any idea that John had returned with Simon when they went down to breakfast later that same morning.
As soon as they had seated themselves after serving their plates from the covered dishes at the sideboard, Standish came in and whispered to Aunt Clarissa. She seemed surprised, and, after he left, she said to Susan, “John has returned with Simon. It seems he has been seriously ill and John has brought him home to recover.”
“Did he say what the illness was?”
“No. But there was an extreme fever. And he says John is resting now. Apparently, they left early in the morning and arrived just after dawn.”
“Poor Simon, I hope he’ll recover quickly,” Susan said.
Clarissa replied, “I’ll look on him later this morning. I feel certain they are both exhausted and will need a good long sleep.”
“Today’s the day the Franklin twins are coming to play with Elizabeth. I hope they won’t create any disturbance to disrupt their sleep.”
Clarissa laughed. “In a house this size? I doubt they will disturb anyone. The brothers’ rooms are in a totally different wing.”
“I’ll need to prepare Elizabeth to meet her uncle.”
“There’s no rush. I think Simon will need some time to recuperate. I’ve seen what a severe fever can do to a body.”
Susan chuckled, “And I need to prepare myself as well. Simon and I did not part on the best of terms when we met in London.”
“Illness has a way of humbling one. You might find him greatly changed.”
Susan smiled. “I wonder whatever became of Miss Leticia Cresswell of Bristol. I assume she was not still with Simon when John arrived.”
“Standish didn’t say.”
“From what I could observe of Miss Leticia, my guess is that she would have fled at the first sign of any inconvenience.”
“What time are the twins arriving?” Clarissa asked.
“Ten…well they are being called for at ten. I’m guessing it will be ten-thirty or eleven before the children start playing.”
“And what will the instruction part of this playtime be?”
“I thought it would be instrumental to have Elizabeth give the lesson in basic sums. Nothing like teaching, to solidify what she herself has learned.”
“That sounds most wise.”
* * *
John felt amazingly refreshed when he awoke later that afternoon. But he was famished and, after bathing and dressing, he went to the kitchen in search of food.
“Why didn’t you ring for me, Your Grace,” Standish asked as he found the Duke in the larder.
“I couldn’t wait. Just wanted to poke around and see what I could find for myself.”
“I’ll call cook, shall I?”
“No. This cheese, this meat pie, and that bread will be just fine.”
“Let me,” Standish insisted, taking the food from John and preparing him a plate.
John sat at the kitchen table and began to eat. This upset Standish, who felt decorum was being flouted as the Duke should not be eating where the food was prepared.
“Your Grace, if you like I can set a place for you in the breakfast room, at a table by the fire in the sitting room.”
John waved his hand. “I’m just fine, thank you.”
Resigned, Standish shrugged and stood by in case the Duke needed anything more.
“Have you checked in with Simon,” John asked.
“He’s still sleeping. And I have someone with him.”
“Let me know as soon as he awakes.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
John finished his snack and stood. “I’m going for a ride. I’ve been sitting for too long, and I need to be out in the open.”
“Very good.”
John stopped and turned back. “And Miss Susan… Wasn’t today the day the twins were coming to play with Elizabeth?”
“Yes, they came earlier this morning.”
“Are they still here?”
“No, they have returned home.”
“Good, then would you please find Miss Susan and see if she would like to go riding with me? Tell her I shall be in the stable.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
* * *
Susan scampered to find her riding costume. John had summoned her, and she jumped at the chance to ride with him. She dug into the armoire, found the riding dress, changed, and ran to the stable.
“John, thank you for asking me to ride with you.”
“Ah, good, you’ve come. Let me find you the perfect horse.”
John disappeared and reappeared shortly with a groom leading a horse.
“Buttercup will delight you. She’s gentle and responsive. Do you gallop?”
“Of course. I even jump.”
“Excellent. I feel like a good workout. Can you manage?”
“I’ll keep up,” Susan insisted.
* * *
They mounted and set out across the fields. The sun was declining behind the western line of trees and the sky was alight with a wash of subtle winter colors.
They rode to the far crest where John liked to stop, dismount and study his lands—with Haverford House in the far distance.
As they stood and observed the scene before them, a herd of deer emerged from the edge of the far woods.
“How is Simon doing?” Susan asked.
John turned to look at her. “It was touch and go. Scarlet fever. But the crisis
has passed. However, he will have a long recovery.”
Diaries of a Heartbroken Duchess: A Historical Regency Romance Collection Page 21
