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Beyond the fever, it appeared that Elizabeth’s cough had worsened, prompting Mrs. Reynolds to utilise a draught she had concocted that was administered with warm herbal tea. Though Elizabeth had resisted, the housekeeper succeeded in coaxing her to take a few spoonfuls of the potion almost every hour, along with some water. Pleased with the results thus far, the apothecary had recommended the housekeeper maintain that regimen until he could ascertain later whether something else might work better.

Despite being bone weary from a lack of sleep during his journey to Derbyshire and, of course, having barely rested whilst holding Elizabeth in his arms the night before, William refused all of Mrs. Reynolds’ entreaties to retire. He was adamant that he could not until he had spoken with Mr. Wilburn and had met again with the apothecary after his second examination of Elizabeth. Principally, the only means he had of staying awake was to keep moving, so he paced the sitting room next to Elizabeth’s bedroom for hours on end, asking anyone who went in or out how she was faring.

When Lydia had awakened and learnt what happened to Elizabeth, she insisted on taking a turn bathing her sister, along with Mrs. Annesley, two maids and Mrs. Reynolds. During her stint, Lydia made numerous requests for tea to bolster her energy, since the bathing was continuous and, thus, fatiguing. Still, William was grateful for the fact that Lydia always sought him out to inform him of her sister’s condition whenever she opened the door to the bedroom.

He was speaking to Lydia, who had given her shift over to Mrs. Annesley, when Mrs. Reynolds appeared in the doorway to the hall. Instantly, Lydia cried, “Oh, Mrs. Reynolds, I was just going to ring for you. Will you please ask Cook to send a tray to my room? I have not broken my fast, and I am famished.”

“I am certain Cook will be glad to oblige you,” the elderly servant replied. “And let me say that you have been a great benefit in helping us care for Miss Bennet.”

A sober look crossed Lydia’s face. “Lizzy has shown her love for me in so many ways that I cannot ever repay her; however, I will do whatever I can to show I love her, too.”

The housekeeper locked eyes with William. “Miss Bennet’s caring character seems to inspire others to love her.” Then, she changed the subject. “Mr. Wilburn is here to see you, sir.”

“Thank you. Please show him to the front drawing room and inform him I shall be there shortly.”

A drawing room

“How is Miss Bennet faring?” the former constable asked as soon as William entered the room.

“When last he examined her, Drummond seemed satisfied with her present state,” William replied as he motioned for the man to sit down. “He is to re-examine her in another hour or so to see if the treatment is working. Though it appears her fever is lower, I am not convinced her cough has improved. I aim to question him about other remedies for that when next we speak.”

They ended up sitting in facing chairs, and as he sat down Mr. Wilburn smiled. “I am not surprised, if I may say so. You were never one to agree with anything just to be neighbourly.” At William’s scowl, he quickly continued, “Not that that is a bad thing. I have seen too many men overlook seemingly insignificant details to their detriment.”

Wishing to change the conversation, William coughed as though to clear his throat. “Mr. Drummond said he believes Drago will live. Do you concur?”

“Far be it from me to contradict Mr. Drummond. I have seen men I thought would live suddenly take a turn for the worse and die. Conversely, some I felt certain would die managed to live.”

“Can I count on you to keep him jailed until such a time as he recovers enough to be transported to London for trial?”

“Of course, though I may need to hire someone to keep his wounds tended if Mr. Drummond stays busy with other patients. I am not much of a nurse.”

“I have a groom that once assisted a medic aboard a ship. He is quite useful when it comes to caring for wounds. I shall send him to your office with his bag of remedies, if you think he will be a help.”

“I am certain he will be more helpful to Drago than I. Moreover, there are two jail cells, each with a small bed. Another, larger bed is in the room where I sleep if it becomes necessary for me to stay the night. Your man is welcome to take that bed instead of travelling between Pemberley and Lambton each day.”

“I am certain he will appreciate that. Also, I am counting on you to take Lord Addison into custody the instant he arrives in Lambton. I can promise that my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, whom General Lassiter placed in charge of investigating the murder of Lord Morgan, will be grateful for your support. He has had that man on a list of suspects for some time, and the letters we discovered in George Wickham’s satchel prove him culpable.”

“I should be happy to arrest Lord Addison, and I am thankful for your assistance in that quarter. With Constable Stone still bedridden, he has no help to spare, and it would take some time for me to hire trustworthy assistance.”

“I have six men ready to act on a moment’s notice regarding Lord Addison. At all hours, two will be occupying an apartment at the inn for immediate help, and a young groom is available to fetch the rest in a matter of minutes. Of course, I shall come when they do.”

“That is good to know.” Mr. Wilburn stood as if to leave.

“I shall be at Pemberley until Lord Addison is sighted, but please contact me if anything of note arises before that happens.”

“Of course.” With that being said, Mr. Wilburn returned to Lambton.

London

Lady Morgan’s Townhouse

Richard was enjoying a cup of tea and a buttered scone by the time his mother walked into the drawing room. He started to rise, but she motioned for him to stay seated.

Wearily she sank down onto a settee across from him and closed her eyes without even bothering to speak. Richard watched with growing anxiety until she opened her eyes and fixed them on him. It was evident by her attempt to smile that she was almost too tired to accomplish even that.

“Lady Morgan was awake several times last night with pains that came and went,” she said. “However, I agree with Mr. Graham’s opinion that she is not in full labour yet. I must say, though, that had I known how little help she had, I would have brought Margaret and Abby along,” she added, mentioning two maids. “They both have borne children and would have sense enough to know when Lady Morgan’s time has come and not panic at every little pain as Miss Catherine does.”

“I am certain Lady Morgan appreciates your presence, Mother. She was quite at a loss for whom to call since her mother and aunt can be of no help.”