cheers. No, it could not be Papa, they would not be cheering for Papa. So who was it? Who was it being welcomed so noisily below?
An unbidden image floated before her of a tall, dark man with a bride on his arm. Jacina's head thrashed to and fro on the pillow as if to chase the image from her. She did not want to think about it. Her head was too hot to think. Thoughts hurt her brain. Better to sleep. Just sleep.
Jacina did not know how long she slept. When she woke again, she woke because a hand was on her brow and a face was bending over her.
"Mercy me, mercy me," someone was saying.
The room was bright. It had the feeling of early afternoon.
Jacina felt a cool flannel pressed to her forehead. Slowly the figure above her swam into focus and she recognised Sarah.
"Sarah – I tried – the Earl did not believe me – not believe me – "
"Hush now, my lovely. Hush now. You are not at all well."
Jacina felt Sarah lift her head and urge a beaker to her lips. Jacina took a few sips of a bitter liquid and then sank back upon the pillows.
Sarah asked Nancy to light a fire in the hearth. Then she got Jacina out of her dress – muddied at the hem from her nocturnal slide into the ditch – and into a clean night-gown.
Jacina was barely aware of all this.
Sarah lay Jacina down and tucked the counterpane around her. She then drew a chair up beside the bed and settled down to keep watch.
Sometimes Jacina slept. Sometimes she started up with a cry or spoke incoherent thoughts.
Afternoon faded into dusk. Still Sarah sat on. A frown creased her forehead, as she listened to Jacina's ramblings. Finally she seemed to come to some decision. When Jacina drifted into an uneasy sleep, Sarah tiptoed quietly from the room.
A misty moon rose at the window.
Jacina's eyes opened. She saw the moon and wondered if it was a lamp placed on the sill. There was another lamp shining by the bedside. All seemed a shadow, nothing was real. She turned her head on the pillow as the door was pushed gently open to the sound of someone speaking.
"Where have you brought me, Sarah? Are we in the nursery? No, we can't be, we did not climb that high."
It was the Earl's voice.
Jacina heard it dimly. She recognised it as a voice that had caused her pain. She closed her eyes. She wanted to drift away again into a quiet, dark repose.
Sarah answered the Earl. "That's right, we are not in the nursery, Master Hugo. Be patient and you shall know all."
The Earl's tone was bemused. " I came as you bid, but you must remember the ball begins in less than an hour. I have much to do. What game are you playing with your old charge?"
"It is no game," said Sarah grimly. "Come forward, sir. Give me your hand." Gently but firmly, Sarah guided the hand of the Earl and laid it on Jacina's hot brow.
The Earl gave a start. "What's this?"
"Your handiwork, Master Hugo."
"What do you mean? Who lies here?"
"Jacina," said Sarah quietly.
"Jacina!" cried the Earl, pulling away his hand.
His voice was so close now, so loud, that it shattered Jacina's numbed sensibilities. She knew in an instant who was there beside her.
"My – Lord – " she mumured.
The Earl gave a groan and staggered back.
"She is sick, Master Hugo," said Sarah. "Sick with despair. She came to me last night with what she had seen. She didn't know what to do, poor creature. T'was I who told her to go to you. I, who've had my own suspicions about Felice Delisle. Why should I, your old Nanny, wish you harm? I believed and continue to believe Jacina. She has the truest heart of any I know. And you – a clumsy brute, though it do hurt me to say it and though the saying of it should lose me the roof over my head – you have broke that heart cruelly."
The Earl gave another groan and covered his face with his hand.
Jacina tried to raise herself in the bed. "My – Lord – I did not want – to hurt you. I did not – "
The Earl felt for her hand.
"Be calm, now, Jacina. Be calm. I was angry with
An unbidden image floated before her of a tall, dark man with a bride on his arm. Jacina's head thrashed to and fro on the pillow as if to chase the image from her. She did not want to think about it. Her head was too hot to think. Thoughts hurt her brain. Better to sleep. Just sleep.
Jacina did not know how long she slept. When she woke again, she woke because a hand was on her brow and a face was bending over her.
"Mercy me, mercy me," someone was saying.
The room was bright. It had the feeling of early afternoon.
Jacina felt a cool flannel pressed to her forehead. Slowly the figure above her swam into focus and she recognised Sarah.
"Sarah – I tried – the Earl did not believe me – not believe me – "
"Hush now, my lovely. Hush now. You are not at all well."
Jacina felt Sarah lift her head and urge a beaker to her lips. Jacina took a few sips of a bitter liquid and then sank back upon the pillows.
Sarah asked Nancy to light a fire in the hearth. Then she got Jacina out of her dress – muddied at the hem from her nocturnal slide into the ditch – and into a clean night-gown.
Jacina was barely aware of all this.
Sarah lay Jacina down and tucked the counterpane around her. She then drew a chair up beside the bed and settled down to keep watch.
Sometimes Jacina slept. Sometimes she started up with a cry or spoke incoherent thoughts.
Afternoon faded into dusk. Still Sarah sat on. A frown creased her forehead, as she listened to Jacina's ramblings. Finally she seemed to come to some decision. When Jacina drifted into an uneasy sleep, Sarah tiptoed quietly from the room.
A misty moon rose at the window.
Jacina's eyes opened. She saw the moon and wondered if it was a lamp placed on the sill. There was another lamp shining by the bedside. All seemed a shadow, nothing was real. She turned her head on the pillow as the door was pushed gently open to the sound of someone speaking.
"Where have you brought me, Sarah? Are we in the nursery? No, we can't be, we did not climb that high."
It was the Earl's voice.
Jacina heard it dimly. She recognised it as a voice that had caused her pain. She closed her eyes. She wanted to drift away again into a quiet, dark repose.
Sarah answered the Earl. "That's right, we are not in the nursery, Master Hugo. Be patient and you shall know all."
The Earl's tone was bemused. " I came as you bid, but you must remember the ball begins in less than an hour. I have much to do. What game are you playing with your old charge?"
"It is no game," said Sarah grimly. "Come forward, sir. Give me your hand." Gently but firmly, Sarah guided the hand of the Earl and laid it on Jacina's hot brow.
The Earl gave a start. "What's this?"
"Your handiwork, Master Hugo."
"What do you mean? Who lies here?"
"Jacina," said Sarah quietly.
"Jacina!" cried the Earl, pulling away his hand.
His voice was so close now, so loud, that it shattered Jacina's numbed sensibilities. She knew in an instant who was there beside her.
"My – Lord – " she mumured.
The Earl gave a groan and staggered back.
"She is sick, Master Hugo," said Sarah. "Sick with despair. She came to me last night with what she had seen. She didn't know what to do, poor creature. T'was I who told her to go to you. I, who've had my own suspicions about Felice Delisle. Why should I, your old Nanny, wish you harm? I believed and continue to believe Jacina. She has the truest heart of any I know. And you – a clumsy brute, though it do hurt me to say it and though the saying of it should lose me the roof over my head – you have broke that heart cruelly."
The Earl gave another groan and covered his face with his hand.
Jacina tried to raise herself in the bed. "My – Lord – I did not want – to hurt you. I did not – "
The Earl felt for her hand.
"Be calm, now, Jacina. Be calm. I was angry with
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