Part 5 (1/2)
Lady Juliane went to his side, laying a cool hand on his forehead as he twisted beneath the covers. This action caused him to stiffen and remain still, drawing a frown from Juliane.
”Was Lord Tretain in good health before the accident?” she asked Mallatt.
”Yes, my lady. A bit done in perhaps...”
She looked to him for further information. He stood, s.h.i.+fting his weight, undecided as to what to tell.
”How does his lords.h.i.+p spend his time?”
”Travelling,” answered Mallatt truthfully. ”He ... we, just returned from the continent.”
This answer caused Lady Juliane to blanch slightly, but before Mallatt could pursue the cause behind
this, the earl's stirrings snared their attention once more.
”What is wrong with him, Mama?” inquired Andre, who had been watching and listening spellbound to the scene before him. It was enough that he was sharing the bed with the gentleman. Life had certainly
become more interesting since Tante-Mama-had taken them.
”A fever. Andre-from being in the snow too long, I suppose. You must lie there quietly.” Turning to Mallatt she ordered, ”Dampen this cloth and return it to me.”
Taking the wet cloth, she laid it firmly across Lord Tretain's brow, holding it in place as he tossed his
head. ”Did you discern any change in the head wound?” she threw at Mallatt.
”No, my lady. You had it bound well.”
”I care not for his look-we may be in for a bout with a fever. It will be best for us to spell one another.
I will attend him first. Andre, how are you feeling? Are you well enough to be up and about?”
The bright curls bobbed eagerly in answer. ”Can I remain with you, Mama?”
”No, go with Mallatt-he will see to you-certainly you must be famished. Let us have no Banbury
behaviour and ... we must play out a little scheme.” She came and sat down beside Andre on the bed. So
much had happened to him, how many more games would he play willingly?
Taking his hands, she continued. ”The kind people here have made a mistake about all of us and as we were too frozen to speak much, we could not correct them. It will be easier now for us to continue to let them believe what they first thought-do you understand that?”
Andre did not understand what Mama was talking about but readily agreed.
Andre let out a giggle. ”They think Monsieur Mallatt is mon pere?”
”No, no,” corrected Juliane with a dull blush as Mallatt maintained a stolid silence. ”They believe Lord Tretain is your papa-my husband.”
She blushed even more at the bout of giggling this induced.
”But, Mama, Papa would never allow me in his private rooms, and never on his bed.”
”Yes, I know that,” answered Juliane, puzzled why Andre would be so adamant on that point. Surely he was allowed to see his father other than in the nursery and upon a horse? No time for those considerations now. ”You must remember that this is a game-if any of the people here speak of Lord Tretain, you must answer them as if he were your father. Can you pretend this for me?”
Andre beamed. Another game! Life was much more interesting with Tante than it had been at home, where he was banned from all life but what was found in the nursery and an occasional outing in the saddle. Who would think he would have a new mama and papa in so short a time. Perhaps Mama wouldn't have to worry over a home for them after all. He had overheard the anxious questioning of Cora one night on that subject-not that he had meant to.
”Be a good lad for Mallatt and stay out of Meg's and the others' way. You must be very grown up for me.” She tousled his curls and handed him to Mallatt. ”His clothing is in the room across the hall.”
The orders fell awkwardly on Mallatt's ears. He was, after all, a gentleman's gentleman, and although he had performed numerous nefarious duties in his service with Lord Tretain, acting as nursemaid was not one of them. He looked dubiously from Andre to Lady Juliane and back to a beaming Andre, who was all ready for this marvellous adventure. With a slight tremor he went to the door in obedience. Sure as the snow outside was white, he was headed for Bedlam. Glancing back at Lady Juliane, his eyes caught hers. She saw the concern as they moved to the p.r.o.ne figure of Lord Tretain.
”Do not fear,” she said. ”He seems strong enough and I have nursed many men through worse-relieve me in a few hours.”
”Yes, my lady.” With a slight bow, he and the lad were gone.
Juliane pulled the lone chair in the room to the bedside. After freshening the cloth on his lords.h.i.+p's brow and stoking the fire, she sat down facing him.
He has a strong jaw, she thought as she watched him. What a large man he would be if he were not so lean. She had noticed earlier that an extra coverlet had been pulled down the lower half of the bed and tucked under his feet, which hung over the foot of the bed. Ah, yes, tall but much too thin. Muscle to him, but not enough weight-certainly not the look of a man who wastes his life travelling, more of the look of the soldier to him. Reflecting on his age, she puzzled more. The grey of his hair belied the youth she saw in his face, especially in that smile of early morn.
Rising to tuck in a hand that had strayed from beneath the covers, she was surprised. It was manicured in proper fas.h.i.+on but tanned and calloused as few hands of the Quality could ever be. Strange, very strange. Mallatt had said they had just returned from the continent. Could it have been France? She had had the vaguest sense of being followed and observed ever since leaving Rouen; this is what had prompted her to take the children-out of the country on her own. Also Cora had had the greatest fear of the baron returning-almost as if he would be very disappointed to find any of his family alive. Juliane considered herself intelligent, not short of common sense, and was at first dismayed at her fears. She had decided before leaving France, however, that she would travel as a family until she reached her uncle's estate and could get some sound advice. But the vaguest of fears had hounded her. When Mallatt had said they had just returned from the continent, her first thought was that he and Lord Adrian had been following them.
This she dismissed out of hand, but she would rely on her intuition and keep her own counsel until she found the lay of Thedford lands.
As the minutes pa.s.sed, she had less and less time for reflection, as his lords.h.i.+p became increasingly restless and the fever increased steadily.
It took both she and Mallatt to spoon down a small amount of the broth that Meg insisted was the way to health. Deciding they had managed to get as much into him as was possible, she left Lord Tretain in Mallatt's care and went downstairs to see how Leora fared.
Meg was tending to the babe as Lady Juliane entered, carrying the remainder of the broth.
”He would take only a little,” answered Juliane to Meg's unspoken question. ”I will try again in a short while. How is Leora?”
”Worse, I fear, m'lady. Her breathin' be harder. We can only do our best and leave the rest in G.o.d's hands,” she offered as consolation.
”Where is Andre?” asked Juliane, her eyes sweeping the kitchen.
”No need to worry for him. My boys bundled him up good'n proper 'n took him out with them.” Juliane started.