After she had delivered several breaths, Mr. Seton gasped and began to cough. His color was now pink and healthy. His lips were no longer blue. Charlotte began to weep. Both women were shivering.
Darcy wrapped a blanket around Elizabeth’s shoulders, and Abby wrapped another around Charlotte. Darcy and Richard bent near Mr. Seton.
“Seton, can you stand?”
The man said yes.
“We are going to bring your carriage closer, and then we will help you in.”
The man shook his head. Darcy turned to Elizabeth. “Perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Seton should come home with us, so she can have assistance during the night if needed.”
Elizabeth turned to her friend. “What think you, Charlotte? Do you go to your home or to ours?”
Charlotte said, “Mr. Darcy, I accept your hospitality. If Mr. Seton takes a turn for the worse, I will not know how to help him.”
Mr. Darcy nodded. “It is well. I will ask the housekeeper to direct the physician to the house I have leased. Once your husband is in bed, we will send the carriage back to collect clothing for both of you.”
That afternoon, Charlotte tapped on Elizabeth’s bedchamber door.
“Come in.”
Charlotte stood in the doorway. “Do you have a few minutes to talk, Lizzy?”
Elizabeth was sitting on a fainting couch, wrapped in a blanket. “Yes, come sit with me. How is Mr. Seton?”
Charlotte sat down. “He is asleep now, but he has no fever and has no complaint of pain. The physician said he will probably be back on his feet tomorrow because you and I pulled him out very quickly. He does not believe he got any water in his lungs. He referred to this incident as a dry drowning. The cold water may have caused his airway to constrict, making him unable to breathe.”
Charlotte placed her hand over Elizabeth’s. “Lizzy, how did you know what to do?”
Elizabeth began to cry. “When Alexander drowned, he stopped breathing. Do you remember how blue his lips were?”
Charlotte nodded.
“I remember reading about a physician who breathed for a coal miner, and he saved the man’s life. I breathed for Alexander, and I breathed again and again until he started breathing for himself.”
Charlotte was stunned. “You saved Alexander’s life, and then he abandoned you.”
Elizabeth wiped her eyes. “I wanted very much to be part of your family. You were all close, and you all loved each other. Your mother had more affection for me than my own mother did. You remember. My mother has never liked me. Alexander and I loved each other, and I loved you and your mother. I never would have believed that a day would come when Alexander would go his way and I another, or that I would be married to someone else, but that is exactly what happened.”
Charlotte was silent for what seemed a long time, and then she said, “You must hate our entire family.”
Elizabeth looked into her friend’s eyes. “No, I feel no hate for any of you. What I learned is that people change, and so does love. It does not last forever, so I will enjoy it while I have it in my life. I was blessed with Alexander’s love for many years, and now I am blessed with Mr. Darcy’s love. Charlotte, I will enjoy his love as long as I have it and be grateful, and if it is ever taken away, at least I will have known that I was loved, and I will remember.”
Charlotte embraced her friend. “Lizzy, I cannot thank you enough for helping me find my husband, and now for helping me save his life.”
The two friends held each other for a long time, and when they parted, their bonds of affection were stronger than ever before.
Chapter 90: A Wedding at Windermere
Anne did not own a gown she thought fit to wear to her own wedding. In the end, she accepted a day gown Anise lent her. It was pale peach, chosen by Stevens from among the gowns both Abby and Anise had offered.
“This gown suits the warm tones of your gold hair, Miss Anne,” Stevens said. “You will look beautiful standing at the altar with your handsome man if you wear this color. It brings life to your complexion.”
Anne eyed the maid. “Very well, I will wear it. With such a recommendation, I dare not demur. I would be senseless not to wish to look beautiful at my wedding for my man.” She smiled at the maid.
Elizabeth leaned in. “Anne, please, I do not wish to offend, but your hair must be addressed. Pulling it back and fixing pins into it to keep it from your face will not do on your wedding day. Stevens will help you into your gown and will also arrange your hair.”
Stevens grinned. “Miss Anne, since we have little time before you leave for the chapel, let me see how the gown fits. I have time to make a few alterations.”
