So he had looked at his grandmother and nodded. ‘Very well,’ he had said. ‘I’ll go.’
But when he had set out from London that day he hadn’t expected to be sharing the house with a mysterious stranger, let alone a young woman! Where had she come from? The road to his grandmother’s house was an unfrequented lane; their nearest neighbours were four miles away, and the Portsmouth Road was several miles to the west. And how had she come by that ugly bruise on her head? The rope burns on her wrists?
He turned to look at her and saw that her eyes were open. ‘You’re still here.’ Her voice was a thread of sound. He came over to the bed and sat down.
‘Are you warm?’
She frowned. ‘Too warm. Water? Please?’
Mrs Culver had left a pitcher on the chest by the bed. He poured a little water into the glass beside it, raised her slightly and held it to her lips. But she had taken no more than a sip when her eyes closed.
‘Who are you?’ he asked softly.
He thought that she hadn’t heard him, but then, ‘I’m An…’ she began. She stopped and a small frown wrinkled her brow. After a moment she tried again. ‘I’m An…’ There was another pause, longer this time. ‘I know who you are,’ she said at last. ‘You said I was safe here.’ He nodded and she gave a small sigh. ‘I’m An…’
‘Anne who?’
Her head moved restlessly on the pillow. ‘I don’t…’
‘It doesn’t matter.’ He put his hand reassuringly over hers. ‘You can tell me later. And you are safe here, I promise.’
‘I know. Your name is James Aldhurst. This is your grandmother’s house.’ Her eyes opened. ‘Where is she?’
‘She isn’t here. She’s in London.’
She closed her eyes again and seemed to fall asleep. Thankfully, he tucked the covers round her and relaxed. After a while one of the maids came in to see if he needed anything. She offered to sit with the girl for a while too, but James refused. The frantic appeal in the girl’s eyes, the way she had clung to him, had touched him, and he intended to be there when she woke again.
The girl slept quietly for an hour or two, but after a while began to mutter and turn her head restlessly on the pillow again. James had to replace the covers as she tried to push them from her, but she protested, ‘No, don’t! I’m too…hot. Too hot. Thirsty…’ When he lifted her again and gave her a sip of water his heart sank as he realised that she was burning with heat. She was muttering incoherently, but he caught the word London several times. Then she opened her eyes and said quite clearly, ‘I must go to London! Now!’
‘You can’t go anywhere at the moment. You’ve hurt your head. You must rest.’
She resisted his efforts to put her back on the pillow and cried, ‘But there isn’t time, I tell you. You mustn’t stop me. Let me go, let me go!’ Eyes bright with fever and cheeks flushed with two spots of brilliant colour, she pushed his hand away with unexpected force and struggled to sit up. When he put an arm out to hold her back she grew even more agitated and shouted, ‘You can’t stop me! I won’t let you keep me here!’ Thrusting the covers back, she scrambled to get out of the bed, but before her foot even touched the ground she gave a cry and if James had not caught her she would have fallen to the floor. He could feel the heat of her body through the fine linen of the nightgown. She was burning up with fever.
James put her back in the bed as quickly and as gently as he could and covered her up. Then he went to the door and shouted for a servant to send for Mrs Culver, who came hurrying into the bedroom in a surprisingly short time. ‘I hadn’t gone to bed—I thought something like this would happen,’ she said briskly. ‘Now, Master James, I’d like you to hold the young woman while I give her a sip of the draught Dr Liston sent. That’s the way.’
The girl stirred as he raised her, but made no protest as Mrs Culver administered the sedative and James laid her back against the pillows. She was quiet again. Mrs Culver straightened the covers, and said firmly, ‘And now I want you to leave her with me till morning, my lord. This is a sick woman and she needs proper nursing.
She’ll be well looked after, never fear. One of the maids will join me in a minute. If she wakes and asks for you, I’ll send for you. Meanwhile, you’d do better to have some rest yourself.’
James went to his room reassured. Years before, whenever he and John had been sick, they had only ever wanted Cully to nurse them. She was the best possible person to look after his mysterious and unexpected protégée.
To his surprise James slept for a few hours, but woke soon after dawn. He had not been disturbed during the night, and hoped this was a good sign, but he nevertheless threw on his dressing robe and hurried along to the green bedroom. The maid was fast asleep in a chair on the other side of the room, but Mrs Culver was leaning over the bed, bathing her patient’s face.
‘How is she, Cully?’ he asked as he came softly into the room.
‘She hasn’t stirred all night, and seems to be breathing quite naturally. The fever has gone down.’
‘That’s good news! You must be tired. Let me take over.’
‘I never need much sleep, Master James. And I think…’ She paused as the maid stirred and woke up. Then, with a critical look at James’s state of undress, she raised her voice and said, ‘I think I can say the patient is doing well, my lord. It’s kind of you to be concerned. I’m sure it would be quite in order for you to visit her later in the day—after breakfast, perhaps?’ She turned to the maid. ‘Rose, go to the kitchen and tell cook to have his lordship’s breakfast ready in half an hour. And if Mrs Gage is in the kitchen, ask her to come up here.’ The girl turned to go. ‘And, Rose! Remember to hold your tongue about this young woman!’ Rose nodded and left.
Ater she had gone Mrs Culver said severely, ‘My lord, I have to say that coming along here at this hour before you are properly dressed was very unwise. The sudden arrival of this young woman has given the servants enough to talk about already. It won’t do to give them any more.’
James brushed this aside and asked, ‘Why do you wish to see Mrs Gage?’
‘She’s a good nurse and knows how to keep a still tongue in her head. If you agreed, she could sit with the young woman during the day.’
‘Surely I could do that!’
Mrs Culver said in an exasperated tone, ‘What have I just been saying? You mustn’t do it, Master James! But there! I might as well talk to a five-bar gate! You haven’t changed, and I don’t suppose you will. You’re just the same as you always were, forever rescuing something or other.’ She cast a look at the girl on the bed and said, ‘But this isn’t cat or a dog or a bird or one of those wild animals you took under your wing! It’s a grown woman, and you have to be more circumspect. People will gossip if you seem to be taking her into your care! She will have to go elsewhere as soon as she can be moved. To the parish, if necessary.’
‘No, Cully! I refuse to leave her to the mercy of the parish.’
Frowning, Mrs Culver looked at him sharply and said, ‘Just what is this person to you, my lord?’
James looked at the sleeping figure. ‘I had never seen her before last night, if that is what you mean. I don’t know who or what she is, or where she comes from. But you’re wrong if you think she is some kind of vagrant, Cully. She’s a lady, I’ll swear. And she’s in some sort of trouble—or even danger. Until she can tell us more about herself she will have my—our protection.’
Mrs Culver was still not convinced, but said resignedly, ‘I hope your grandmother never hears about this, Master James.