Lord Runthorne's Dilemma: A Regency Romance by Sarah-Jane Steele

Author:Sarah-Jane Steele [Steele, Sarah-Jane]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-07-13T21:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Elizabeth was hardly aware of being carried to her room. She barely registered being undressed and wrapped in warm blankets, or the hot brick being laid at her feet and the cool flannel on her forehead. She shivered uncontrollably.

She did not know that her aunt stood guard over her with tears in her eyes, watching her battle the same fever that had weakened her before.

The same that had taken Elizabeth’s parents.

***

When Elizabeth was able to open her eyes it was dawn. What dawn she did not know but the house lay silent around her. Her aunt dozed in an armchair, her head at an uncomfortable angle. Perhaps it was that that made Aunt Edina snort and stir, because Elizabeth was sure she had made no sound herself.

“Oh, my dear, are you awake?” Hope flashed in Aunt Edina’s eyes and Elizabeth smiled a weak smile, unwilling to trust her own voice. She licked her lips with a dry tongue.

“You poor child, you must be thirsty.” Aunt Edina struggled out of her chair, twisting her neck to ease it. She lifted Elizabeth’s shoulders, helping her to drink a little water.

“Thank you.” Elizabeth was mildly surprised at how her voice cracked. She felt too weak to experience any stronger emotion.

Aunt Edina smiled and now Elizabeth noticed how deep the care lines were on her aunt’s face. “You rest now, Elizabeth. We will speak later.”

She nodded, unwilling to trust her voice again, and closed her eyes. Elizabeth drifted into a clean, healing sleep.

***

The next time she awoke, it was to Lady Delphine’s strident tone. She lay still, her eyes closed, listening.

“It pains me to say this, Edina,” Lady Delphine said, not sounding at all pained, “but that girl needs to be taken firmly in hand.”

“I do wish you would keep your voice down a little, Delphine,” Aunt Edina said, “Elizabeth needs to sleep.”

“She needs to hear what I have to say. Really, Edina, first she tries to entice Runthorne away from Aurelia, although I do not know, I am sure, how she thought she could manage that. Then she is found in a most compromising situation with Captain Fitzalan.”

“Given how ill she has been, I hardly think that anyone other than those of a malicious turn of mind would believe her to be compromised, Delphine.”

“Well, really!” Lady Delphine said. “I tell you to your head, Edina Maybourne, that if you assume you can rescue that girl from her recklessness then you are an imbecile. Who knows what mischief she and Captain Fitzalan got up to before they were found? They were alone in that maze for four or five hours. She was covered in mud and had her hair half down her back.”

“How do you know how long they were there, Delphine?” Aunt Edina said. “I find it curious that you know so much about the situation.” Elizabeth could hear the tapping of a fingernail on the night table. “You were the one to find the key to the maze, Delphine, how did that come about?”

Lady Delphine did not answer straight away.

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