Sarah excused herself and hurried back upstairs. Perhaps having seen the doctor leave, Emily and Georgiana came out of the office and caught up with her, and the three sisters entered Mamma’s room together.
“Well? What did he say?” Sarah asked. “Did he give you something for the fever?”
“I have no fever.”
“What? Emily said you were burning up. And your bedclothes were damp through this morning.”
“All true. Yet I am not ill but apparently perfectly normal.”
“Then how did he explain your symptoms?”
“I am simply in my climacteric period.”
Georgie’s face wrinkled. “What’s that?”
“I’m going through the change of life.”
“Oooh.”
“I never thought I’d be happy to receive confirmation that I am getting old, but in this case, I am relieved. For your sakes as well as mine.”
“But you’ve been overheated. And perspiring profusely.”
“Also,” Georgie added, “I hate to mention it, unusually snappish.”
“Yes, sorry. All part of it, evidently. Dr. Clarke was rather surprised I have only recently begun experiencing these symptoms. He said many women begin sooner. His theory is that the late onset of my, well, cycles, and my years of inactivity as an invalid may have delayed the inevitable change.”
“Goodness,” Emily said. “Is there nothing he can do or prescribe for your relief?”
“He said some physicians prescribe bleeding to lower the pulse and heat. But after what Prince Edward went through last year...” She shook her head. “No, I could not bear the thought. So besides a gentle laxative, he prescribed only less meat, less tea and coffee in the evenings, and less wine, which I scarcely ever take anyway. Oh, and less heating exercise.”
“How long will thisclimacteric periodlast?”
“He estimates several months to several years.”
Georgie shuddered. “Horrors.”
“As unpleasant as that sounds,” Sarah said, “I am excessively relieved you are not ill.”
“We all are,” Emily agreed.
“Yes, I thank God,” Mamma said with a sigh. “Although I may have to ask Him one day why He deemed this unpleasant business necessary. One would think pain in childbirth was enough.” She grinned, and her daughters chuckled.
Then Mamma looked at Sarah and added, “I am sorry I was a bit harsh with you earlier.”
“I understand. It seems that a loving parent sometimes uses ‘unpleasant’ things for our good.” Sarah smiled, bent to kiss her mother’s forehead, and turned to go.
Sarah lost no time in finding Callum to tell him the good news. She drew up short, however, when she found him in the parlour, frowning down at a piece of correspondence.
He looked up and rose when she entered. “How is your mother?”
“She is well,” Sarah said, not daring to explain the particulars. “Nothing to worry about, according to Dr. Clarke.”
“I am relieved to hear it.”
“You don’t look relieved. What is it?”
“A letter from my man of business.”
