Chapter 8

“You look the healthiest I have seen you look in over a month,” Sarah critically told Cecilia as she removed her breakfast tray from Cecilia’s lap.

“Two days ago, I would have celebrated that observation,” Cecilia said with a wry smile.

“I remember how pale you looked and the circles under your eyes. Perhaps…” Her words trailed off. She set the tray on the table beside the bed and went to the small coal stove. She swiped her fingertips in the hearth where the stove sat. Bits of coal and ash dust colored her fingertips. She wiped the heaviest off on the underside of her apron then crossed back to the bed.

Cecilia nodded appreciatively and tilted her face toward her maid.

Sarah lightly wiped the gray residue on her fingers below Cecilia’s eyes and a little on her eyelids. Using a handkerchief, she gently blended the gray in. “Too dark would be suspect,” she said to Cecilia. “You want just a bit of a wan look.”

“It is too bad we don’t have any rice powder for my complexion,” Cecilia murmured as she stayed still beneath Sarah’s ministrations.

“Yes, but I think this will do. You are supposedly over being sick, just slow to recover, right?”

“I have been slow to recover,” Cecilia agreed. She turned her head away a moment to cough.

“As sick as you were, the staff thinks you are doing well since you rose from your sick bed. And you do still have that cough,” Sarah pointed out.

“That is the only thing, and Dr. Patterson said that is what lingers with everyone who’s come down with this wretched illness.”

“That is the reminder you are not totally well yet and to take it easy. Let me fetch the hand mirror so you may see what I’ve done.” She brought back the mirror and handed it to Cecilia.

Cecilia looked at her face from one angle and then another. She smiled at what she saw, then quickly dropped the smile. “It looks convincing, I think, so long as I don’t smile. Smiling destroys the image.”

“Well, as you are supposed to be sick still, you wouldn’t be smiling.”

“True…Maybe a small weak smile for effect.”

Sarah laughed. “Yes.”

“Please get me my clothes out. I should like to visit Mr. Stackpoole.”

Sarah had crossed the room to fetch clean linens when someone knocked on the door.

Cecilia waved at Sarah to answer.

“One moment,” Sarah called out. She set the linens on the bed and crossed to the door. She pressed on the latch and pulled open the door a few inches. When she saw who stood on the other side, she opened it all the way.

“Who is it?” Cecilia asked.

“Miss Hammond, ma’am.”

“Have her come in. I am anxious for news of Mr. Stackpoole,” Cecilia said. She grabbed her robe from beside the bed and slipped it on.

“Beg pardon, my lady,” Miss Hammond said as she entered.

“Nonsense. Please come in. Tell me of Mr. Stackpoole.”

Miss Hammond shook her head. “Not well, madam. He was better last night when I left, but when I arrived, I found him very sick again. Like it came back around again, just as ’afore.”

Cecilia frowned. “That is worrisome. Is he in danger of dying?”

“That I can’t be saying, I’ve never seen the like of this. It be almost like he’s poisoned, but he don’t die. I told Mrs. Price he is not to have anything to eat or drink save water, and that sparingly, to keep his mouth wet. She didn’t like that none as she believes her tisane is the best for what ails a body.”

“Had he had anything to eat earlier today?”

“Mrs. Price had a tray taken to him his morning as he was so much better last night. I don”t know all he ate or drank. Didn’t appear to be much to eat.

“He said he took only a few bites, then pushed it away as it made his stomach queasy like. He did drink the tisane Mrs. Price made for him, and I thought that good…Pardon, madam, you don’t look so good yourself this morning. You feeling queasy?”

“No, I’m just still tired after my illness and James and the staff having to take care of me,” Cecilia said distractedly as she thought about Mr. Stackpoole.

A heavy pounding on the door startled the women.

“Miss Hammond, be you here?” They heard from the other side of the door. It was Mrs. Price. “We have need of you. Please.”

Sarah opened the door. Mrs. Price peered around her to see Miss Hammond then pushed past her to hurry toward Miss Hammond.

“It’s Susan Divers. She has taken sick just like that Mr. Stackpoole. Maybe worse.”

“Susan!” exclaimed Sarah from by the door. “We just spoke this morning. Her voice was a little hoarse, and she said her throat felt scratchy, but she didn’t appear terribly unwell.”

Mrs. Price turned toward Sarah. “And she wasn’t that sick. We both thought a cup of my tisane would make everything fine. And she was one moment, and the next not!” She turned back to Miss Hammond. “Can you come to see her, please?”

“Yes, immediately. This is all highly curious. Your pardon, my lady,” Miss Hammond said, turning to curtsy to Cecilia and then following Mrs. Price out of the room.

“Help me get dressed,” Cecilia said as she slipped off her robe. “I should see if I can help.”

“You can’t do that!” Sarah protested.

“Why ever not?”

“It wouldn’t be in keeping with your sickliness.”

“Blast. You are correct. I have painted myself into a corner. Bother.”

Sarah laughed. “Yes, ma’am, but you wouldn’t want to risk the babe either, not after you just recovering from being unwell for so long yourself,” she said as she helped Cecilia remove her nightgown.

Cecelia made a face and nodded. “Perhaps I can sit quietly in the taproom and eavesdrop on conversations. I’d wager all will be talking about the illness and most particularly speculating on its cause.”

Sarah gathered up Cecilia’s dress to help her into it. “Aren’t many here this early in the morning.”

“True, there wouldn’t be. Then where might be a good place to hear the local gossip?” she wondered. “Maybe a slow constitutional walk to the linen drapers?”

“That be a good idea,” Sarah said, securing the fastenings at the back of the dress. “Always good gossip at the drapers.”

“Well, let’s get me put together and see if we need any more ash for my weak persona.” She picked up her silver-backed hand mirror from where she’d laid it on the bed and studied her complexion. “Suitably weak looking, now it only needs the resolution to maintain the ruse.”

“Yes, ma’am”