Mistaken Premise : A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Cherith Boardman

Author:Cherith Boardman [Boardman, Cherith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-02-15T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Fichead ‘s a dhá

He who has health, has hope;

and he who has hope, has everything.

Thomas Carlyle, Scottish philosopher

Wednesday, May 20, 1812, continued

Soloway House

The cerulean sky framed in the window on the opposite side of the sitting-room called to Lizzy. Neither the book on the agricultural advancements of Lord Townshend and Misters Tull and Bakewell, nor a treatise on proper dress and comportment by “A Lady of Distinction”[xcix] interested her. She had spent much of the day with Uncle Malcom in the study, learning about his investments in India, until he left an hour ago to discuss Parliamentary priorities in the new government, which had yet to form. Jane was still out with Captain Chesley, enjoying the picturesque May morning.

John, her uncle’s footman who had joined her retinue following Mr Perceval’s assassination, requested that Mistress Lizzy not to play either the piano-forte or her violin until the others returned from their outing. Her personal and household accounts were balanced; her correspondents were a letter in her debt; and she had no unanswered invitations. Lizzy liked the intricacies of lace-making, but she had never had time to devote to the skill and was always unhappy with the end product. Today, her thread tangled earlier than usual.

Nervous energy filled Lizzy as she awaited the Soloway coach, though she could not fathom why. At length, she marched through the house, burning off her jitters. Poor John followed her as she sped along the halls of the first floor, trailed her around the ground floor, raced after her as she made her way through the top of the house, and each floor as she made her way back down, only to repeat this circuit several more times. Lizzy was in the attics, ensuring the servants’ rooms were in good repair, when she saw the coach behind the house. Instead of pulling into the mews, it stopped nearest the kitchen entrance, where Her Grace hopped out, rushing to the door, as Jamie and a groomsman eased a bandaged Duncan inside. Still in the carriage, Robert’s leg was splinted and covered with a bloody bandage.

Livingston and an army of manservants spilt from the kitchen door; one ran to the stables to mount a horse (fetching the doctor, no doubt), another aided Duncan inside, and the rest prepared to extricate Robert from the coach in the least painful method possible. Ere they could, Lizzy ran pell-mell for the kitchen, terrified for the man who had guarded her since she was but five.

Mrs McHone, the housekeeper, shooed Mistress Lizzy away, sending her to tend Duncan’s head. Her Grace assisted the housekeeper as they cut away Robert’s pant leg and cleaned the wound before Dr Barnes’ arrival. Whilst she bandaged Duncan’s wound, Lizzy sought an explanation from the more loquacious of her trusted guards, but the footman bade her wait for Morris – a sentiment seconded by Her Grace.

Dr Barnes arrived within a half-hour; a familiar figure at His Grace’s residence, he had sent the Soloway House footman to fetch a surgeon upon hearing of Robert’s injury.

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