While it was believed Wickham had gone on to London, William was not entirely convinced of such and urged his wife to be careful, never leaving the house unattended, lest thereprobate find his way back to Rosings Park. In his note to Lady Catherine, he emphasised his concern and asked that she have guards stationed about the estate for Elizabeth’s and Anna’s protection in the event Wickham should come there.
Since it was getting late, William secured rooms for himself and his remaining men, insisting they have a good meal and a proper night’s rest. Consumed with worry, he, on the other hand, did not indulge in that luxury. Having eaten very little of the tray which was sent up, he faithfully sat in the chair beside his sister’s bed, holding her hand and speaking to her in hushed tones. Even though she was unconscious, he proceeded to tell Georgiana about Elizabeth and how happy they all would be once she recovered enough for him to take her home.
It was not until the wee hours of the morning that Georgiana began to stir. “William,” her voice was soft and somewhat slurred. “I knew you would come for me.” Tears formed in her eyes as she reached out for him. “My head aches.”
“Try not to move, Georgie,” William soothed. “All will be well, my dear girl, but you must lie still for now. You suffered quite a blow to the head. The cut you sustained required stitches, and while it is no longer bleeding, it is best if you do not aggravate your injury with movement.” He pushed aside some stray locks from her forehead and kissed her as he always did when she was not feeling well. “I am so sorry that I was not able to come sooner. You need not have suffered.”
“Did you get my letters?”
“No, sweetheart. Only your express, and I thank God for that.”
“Mrs. Younge and Mr. Wickham were so….” Her voice trailed off as she began to cry.
“Shush, shush. Do not think of them now. We will talk more in the morning. I have much to tell you, but it can wait. What is important is that I am here now and you are safe.”
“Yes, William.” She closed her eyes and began to drift back to sleep.
Even though she was very weak, now that Georgiana had finally awakened, William felt more reassured of her recovery. After kissing her forehead again, he summoned her maid, Rebecca. Wearily going to his own room, he doubted he would sleep much before first light.
Later the Next Day
Georgiana’s Room
William had hoped that Georgiana would be awake again by the time he came in to visit her, but she did not stir until mid-day, when the apothecary called. The injured side of her head was a bit swollen and discoloured and her headache and slightly blurred vision left her somewhat nauseated. William knew they could not travel while she was in this state, which only compounded his anxiety. The apothecary, on the other hand, seemed to think she would feel better after another night’s rest and could possibly travel on Friday, provided they did not rush their journey.
By Friday morning, Georgiana’s symptoms had abated enough to allow her to take a light meal and move about her room without feeling fatigued or dizzy. When entering her room to see how she was, William was greatly pleased by her progress. It was then he told her about the circumstances of his rushed wedding and apologised profusely for not being more attentive to her wellbeing during her stay at Ramsgate. Georgiana would not fault him for anything, especially since Mrs. Younge had obviously confiscated their correspondence. As they continued to talk, Georgiana sensed that William was worried for Elizabeth and Anna. Because of her injuries, travel might be slow, but sheinsisted that she was well enough to leave that very day. Two hours later, all was readied and they were on their way.
Rosings Park
Early Evening
Elizabeth’s Room
Anna could not be more contented looking through Elizabeth’s toiletries and personal items while she sat by the vanity allowing her new mother to brush her long wavy hair. Since Wednesday morning the little girl had been the recipient of Elizabeth’s undivided attention. They had tea parties, drew pictures, sang songs, played the pianoforte, and read books together. William said he had been teaching Anna to read, and Elizabeth was delighted to learn how well her new daughter could sound out her words. Anna had a wonderful imagination and the two of them made up a story about a little bird after finding an empty nest near the pond where they had their picnic.
“Mama, you have such pretty things, just like Aunt Georgie.”
“Why thank you, Anna. Look here! I also wanted to show you this little memory box which has a few treasures I thought we might share together. Shall we look inside?”
“Yes, please.”
Anna watched with curiosity as Elizabeth took the carved lid off of the wooden box. “My Uncle Gardiner gave me this box when I was a little older than you. He said it came from India. You will enjoy meeting him and Aunt Maddie, and they have four children for you to play with.
“Four?”
“Yes four: Margaret, Grace, Edward, and Matthew. They are our cousins, and I know you will love them.”
Picking up a small piece of jewellery, Elizabeth continued, “This little brooch with the hand painted daisies belonged to my Grandmamma Elizabeth. Here, let me pin it on your dress and you can see how nice it looks in the mirror.”
“Mama, it is beautiful, and I love daisies.”
“I think it would look very pretty if you wore it on your spencer when we go out with Papa. If you remember, we saw some wild daisies growing near the pond.”
“I remember.”
“When Papa comes home, we should ask him to take us there so we can pick some for your room and Aunt Georgie’s, too. We could also pick some lavender from the herb garden. Lavender has the most wonderful smell and will look very pretty with the daises.”
“I like lavender. Nurse always keeps some in my drawers and in my closet.”
