17. Chapter Seventeen

Gabriel's day had not gone at all how he was expecting. What had started out as a meeting with Darcy had somehow turned into a life-threatening adventure and a declaration of love. He had asked Mary to marry him, and she had said yes. He had had really no time to contemplate the day's outcome due to how his sister's condition had declined so rapidly.

As the evening progressed, he ended up taking turns with Mary to care for his ailing sister. While he had taken on the responsibility for things like starting the fire in the room, the girls would be staying in. Mary showed him how to best help Evaline to breathe freely. His sister had been quite happy to get more handkerchiefs, as she was constantly having to deal with sneezing. Mary had even gone as far as to dust the upstairs room, wiping everything down with damp cloths, hopefully to keep his sister from having such an adverse reaction overnight.

Evaline was feeling better, at least he presumed as much. He really did not know. She had said she was feeling better before she and Mary had gone up to bed. He was lying on the floor next to the stove and staring up at the ceiling. He knew that Mary was somewhere above him, possibly asleep, but it was possible that she was thinking of him. While he was worn from having endured the storm, it was not enough to allow him to sleep. The mere thought of her presence made it impossible for him to fall into slumber.

How had he managed to find such a woman? She was willing to take him when he offered her nothing and nowhere to live. Not only that, but she had been willing to throw herself into caring for his sister. Despite the snot on her clothes and her tired appearance, she completed the task with a smile and kind words of comfort, and he couldn"t help but adore her.

His mind was awash with thoughts of Mary and how her family might take his proposal. She seemed to think that all would be well. He knew, however, that his family would react badly if someone in his position approached them to marry his sister. The person who married his sister would be expected to bring wealth, land, and possibly a title to the union. Frankly, his family would be upset that he was marrying Mary. They wanted him to go find an heiress and more than that, they thought badly of her because of Mr. Bennet's behavior.

Of course, he thought badly of Mr. Bennet's behavior as well, but for different reasons. The man had been a poor excuse for a gentleman. Cruel to not only his tenants and servants, but his family as well. He did not deserve all that life had granted him. That did not mean, however, that his disapproval spilled over onto the rest of the family. No, he saw what they had done, what they had endured, and marveled at their strength and determination.

The weight of unanswered questions bore down on his mind, pulling him into an abyss of doubt and confusion. What was her family going to think? Where would they live? How could he support them? Mary said she had a dowery that had grown. What did that mean? How soon would they get married? He knew that technically Mary's reputation would be tarnished by their little… What could he call what had happened? Adventure, escapade, life altering experience? Whatever he called it, would it have any bearing on the speed at which they married?

Would he be able to explain things in a positive light? He knew people could be horrible about a woman"s tarnished reputation. He had seen what the dowager countess of Matlock had attempted to do to prevent Miss Catherine from marrying her son. It had not been successful, but that did not mean Miss Catherine had not been hurt by the matter. Mary had been very upset for her sister. It was disheartening for him to see her so distraught, unable to provide the comfort he yearned to give by pulling her into a comforting embrace. It was not his place then, but it soon would be. He would soon be able to offer consolation and support whenever it was needed.

He knew those thoughts would not help him sleep any better than imagining Mary in the bed sleeping above him or worrying about the possibilities of the future. The knowledge that he should relax and find solace in sleep did little to calm his busy mind or provide any relief. It was going to be a long, sleepless night.

Gabriel looked up, hearing steps approaching from the direction of the stairs. He had been up for some time and had been staring out at the pristine snow-covered wonderland on the other side of the window. Turning eagerly, he brushed at the wrinkles in his clothes. He had changed back into his own outfit but though dry, it needed a good ironing.

Mary entered the room, her clothes slightly wrinkled, but her smile radiating warmth. "Good morning, Gabriel. Did you manage to sleep well enough on the floor?"

"I slept well enough once I was able to fall asleep." Making his way to the counter, he poured a cup of tea and handed it to her, his actions smooth and coordinated. Once he was done, he breathed a sigh of relief that he had not done something daft like spill the tea on her. How did one interact with their affianced when snowed in and isolated without a true chaperone and still behave as a gentleman? Would it be untoward to kiss her good morning? He knew what he wanted to do, but he refrained. Somehow, he found himself more nervous around her now that they were engaged. He did not want her to regret her confidence in him. "How did you and Evaline sleep?"

Mary grimaced and took a long sip of her tea. "I cannot tell if she merely had a reaction to the dust or something while we were exploring or if she succumbed to being in the storm for so long. It could be some of both, actually. Either way, she is feverish this morning and coughing."

Gabriel looked at Mary with concern. He did not know how to care for his sick little sister. He clung to the hope that Mary would have a suggestion. Maybe his sister"s illness was not overly serious. "Is there anything we can do for her here?"

Shaking her head, Mary looked at him with worry in her eyes. "Frankly, I am at a loss. We do not have the supplies to care for her as we should, and I am half worried that there is simply too much dust upstairs. If that is what is bothering her, we need to get her away for it."

Taking up his cup of tea, he checked out the window. As he looked up at the sky with a discerning eye, he couldn"t help but question how much longer this clarity would remain. Though snowflakes weren"t falling, the foreboding clouds served as a reminder that the storm could reignite at nature"s whim. "It has cleared up for the moment, but I cannot be certain how long it will last. Even if it is not snowing, it is freezing out. Do you think it is wise to take Evaline out in this weather?"

Mary joined him at the window, and after sipping her tea, she held the cup close to her chest, allowing it to warm her. "I cannot say if it is wise to take her out in this weather. But I do know that I do not have what we need to care for her here. I can only hope if we bundle her up warmly enough and get to Netherfield swiftly that we may manage it and that hopefully the benefits will outweigh the risks." Taking another sip of tea, Mary seemed to draw closer to Gabriel, hovering only a hairsbreadth away.

The warmth of Mary"s body next to his provided a sense of security, and he could feel her shift and gently rest her head against his shoulder. They both looked out the window at the white snow-covered morning, feeling the warmth of each other"s presence. Gabriel had trouble thinking for a moment. Eventually logic reasserted itself and he managed, "If we are going to do it, we should go soon. I would hate to get out there and have it storm again."

Finishing her tea with one last long gulp, Mary put her teacup down. Moving to the counter where her and Evaline's clothes had been laid out to dry, Mary gathered them. "I will get her ready to go out and we will come down shortly. Have you checked on the horses? Did they weather the storm well?"

Smiling at Mary's concern, Gabriel responded, "The horses are well. Fox seemed eager to get out and stretch his legs, though both mares were perfectly content to laze about."

"I am glad they managed the night. We will have to make sure they get treated when we return to Netherfield." With a last weary smile, Mary turned to go care for his sister.

Evaline had woken up feeling groggy and sore for some reason. Blinking at the ceiling that looked unfamiliar, she remembered with time all that had occurred the day before. The little girl covered in mud, getting lost in the snow, Octavius and then Mary and Gabriel kissing.

She also recalled starting to feel unwell. What had started out as a sore throat and sniffles had progressed to a tightness in her chest and chills. She felt no better now and was, in fact, feeling worse. Looking around, she realized that Mary was no longer by her side, but she had no desire to go look for her. Despite the cheery fire in the fireplace, it was warmer beneath the covers, and she had no desire to move.

"Good morning, Evaline." Mary came into the room, her arms full of clothes.

It took more than one attempt for Evaline to croak her response. "Morning." Her throat had grown so sore. Shaking her head dizzily, she sat up, bringing the blankets with her.

"You poor dear, you are not doing well at all. I brought your clothes from yesterday up. They are dry and, in fact, warm because they had been sitting next to the stove." Coming over to the bed where Evaline lay, Mary laid out the clothes and smoothed the hair from her face. "What do you say we get you dressed in your own clothes?"

Evaline leaned into the comfort that Mary offered. "Alright, though I do not like the idea of changing. I am too cold." Evaline reached down to begin undoing her dress. "I doubt I will ever feel warm again."

Mary made quick work of helping Evaline into her warm clothes. "Yes, I think part of that is from your fever. It is colder in this room than I would like as well." Once Evaline was in her original dress, Mary moved to put a second pair of socks on her feet.

Evaline had no idea where she had found extra socks in the abandoned home, but she was grateful that she had. "Thank you, my feet feel like ice." Evaline broke off into a hacking cough that hurt somewhere deep in her chest.

Mary's eyes widened and her eyebrows drew together, but then her face calmed, and she asked, "Are you still cold? I think this dress you wore last night could fit over the one you are wearing now. We are going to try to get back to Netherfield today, so layers would be a good idea."

With a groan and a sniffle, Evaline nodded her head. "Let us put on the other dress as well. I will not be fashionable by any means, but I will be warmer." Once dressed in both layers, Evaline chose to lie down and rest her eyes while Mary changed as well.

"There is tea downstairs, and the stove makes the room much warmer. What do you say about relocating downstairs?" Mary's voice came from nearby.

Feeling too worn out from the rigors of changing her clothes, Evaline simply nodded her head and forced herself to leave the bed. Making the way down the stairs was only managed with the support of Mary and the sturdy railing. Shaking her head in frustration, Evaline fretted. If she was this weak and chilled inside, how would she ever manage to travel on horseback to Netherfield?

Gabriel saw his sister brought in supported by Mary and his concern for her grew tenfold. Her eyes were glazed slits in a flushed face. She had become much worse overnight. Mary was correct. They could not care for her here. She needed nourishing soups, medicine, and, if Mary was correct, an environment free from dust. But even if that was true, how would she handle even the fifteen or twenty minutes it would take to return to Netherfield?

Turning, he tried to school his features. He did not want Evaline to see him worried for her. Pouring fresh tea into her empty cup, he brought it to her as she slumped at the table. "You look as if you could use a nice cup of hot tea."

Watching her sip at the tea with little enthusiasm, Gabriel moved to Mary. Keeping his voice low, he commented, "She is much worse from last night."

Picking up her own cup of tea, Mary took a sip. Then gazing at Evaline slumped at the table now ignoring the warm tea after only a few sips, she frowned. "Yes. I hoped that when she got up and dressed that she would have more energy, but she seems to have been worn out by simply changing her clothes."

Watching his sister nod off to sleep with her head on the table, Gabriel allowed himself to frown. His voice still pitched low, he asked, "It is at all wise to bring her out into the cold?"

"Under normal circumstances, I would not tempt fate by bringing her out in this weather, but these are not normal circumstances. Along with medicine, she requires a dust-free room, freshly laundered bedding, piping hot broth, and soothing tea. She needs more than we can provide for her here. More than that, we are running out of tea and food for ourselves as well." Rubbing at her forehead, Mary sighed. "I suppose you could get what we need and bring it back, but we need so much that it just does not make sense to me."

"Well, I will put out the fires and we can leave as soon as may be. You are definitely correct about one thing - we finished all the food last night and there"s nothing left for us to eat." Moving to the stove Gabriel set about making sure the house would not burn down after they left.

Gabriel could not tell if his sister was asleep or just silent. With determination, he urged Fox on through the snow-covered path, the icy wind biting at his cheeks. Mary had made sure that Evaline had been dressed in several layers and then wrapped in blankets. To ward off the cold, Mary placed a snugly wrapped warm brick in her lap. Her hacking cough rung out in the still morning. It was reassuring to know that she was at least alive. He could not see much of her at all beneath the blankets, but he could feel her move as she coughed or breathed.

Though he wanted to urge his horse faster, he was afraid that going too fast, Fox might slip on the icy ground. Looking back, he noted that the pony was handling the pace well. She was surefooted and was quite willing to follow wherever she was led. Further back, Mary was atop her mare. Her appearance was quite comical, but he chose not to say anything. Wrapped in blankets as much as possible, he could barely see her eyes.

Turning a bend that would have them on the last leg to Netherfield, Gabriel noticed that there were two riders approaching. As they got closer, he saw exactly who it was. He called out, "Hello! Have you come looking for us?"

Darcy, riding his beautiful giant of a horse, nodded. "Yes, I will say that you had the ladies rather concerned. I assured them you were all safe at Longbourn and that you would have done the wise thing and stayed until at least this morning." Urging Cadmus to go faster, Darcy offered a grim smile. "It seems I was right. Though we should get you to Netherfield as fast as may be you are not at all dressed for this weather."

As they met up in a little clearing, the difference in their two groups was glaringly evident. While Gabriel, Mary, and Evaline looked like homeless waifs wrapped in blankets and shawls, Darcy and his groom dressed for warmth in coats, scarves, and hats. Unable to do anything but agree, he urged Fox forward, not wanting to stop to chat when he should be getting his sister to Netherfield. "Just so."

Brows furrowed, Darcy leaned forward in his seat, examining what he could see of Evaline. Concerned, he asked, "Is Evaline well?"

Mary finally catching up with the group spoke up. "Not at all. I would not have taken her out in this weather for anything, but we were out of food, and we had nothing to treat her with at Longbourn."

Eyes wide, Darcy turned his gaze to Mary. His lips forming a grim line, he questioned her. "Are you well, Mary? To say your sisters are concerned about your wellbeing is an understatement."

Mary shrugged beneath the many layers that draped her form. "Well enough though, I would love a hot bath and something hot and filling."

Turning, Darcy spoke to his groom, "We will all proceed to Netherfield as swiftly as we can while staying safe. John, if you are able to get to Netherfield before me, do so and let them know that we are coming and we need them to ready hot baths. In addition, please let them know Evaline is sick and will require care."

Turning his horse around, the groom nodded and knuckled his cap. "Aye sir." Digging his heals into the sides of his horse, John urged him to return to Netherfield at speed.

Watching the man take off much faster than he was willing to go, Gabriel shook his head. Though he was conscious of speed, he was less certain about going that fast on the snow. Turning to Darcy who had come abreast of him on the road, he commented, "He is a rather confident rider."

Darcy nodded and said, "It is why I brought him with me. He was once in the dragoons with my cousin. He can ride anything, in any weather. That and his horse is one of my shire horses and is very used to inclement weather. They will get back to Netherfield safely and quickly."

It was, in fact, true that John would get to Netherfield in good condition and in good time. He also conveyed the message of their needs effectively enough that when their small group arrived at the front steps of Netherfield, a veritable army was there to greet them. Gabriel was glad to see the efficiency of the house.

It took a moment for Gabriel to realize that Bingley was there, arms reaching out to take Evaline from him. Finding his voice, he said, "Thank you."

Bingley offering his well-known grin freely despite the cold, he responded, "Do not worry, we will take care of her." Bingley went up the stairs with haste, getting the sick girl out of the frosty weather. His wife followed quickly, already calling out orders to the servants inside.

Sliding off his horse with a thump, Gabriel saw that Kiernan and Elizabeth were helping Mary from her horse and bringing her inside as well. While his habit was to see to his horse, grooms were there already taking him away with the other horses.

Darcy came to his side. Reaching out, he put his hand on his shoulder. "Come get out of the cold. I am sure you will do much better with some warmth and some food."