Ignoring her sister, Lady Serena folded her hands in front of her and sighed theatrically for the others' benefit. "Two invalids from an outdoor entertainment. I warned you how it would be, Elsbeth.” She was outwardly calm, but anger colored her words.
“Two?” Elsbeth repeated, puzzled.
“My poor dear Millicent is right now upstairs, alone, prostrate from the heat.”
Jane glanced up, astonished. She exchanged smiles of surprised amusement with the earl.
Lady Serena saw Jane’s astonishment turning to laughter. "Millicent is a delicate, refined creature,” she said archly, implying that Jane was not. "She is devastated by the accident her fainting spell caused. Though I understand, after listening to the boys' ceaseless chatter, that the actual fault must lie with you, Sir Helmsdon. It was your toy that Lord Royce so unfortunately slipped on. Ah, well,” she continued quickly, refusing to allow Sir Helmsdon an answer, “there is no coin in consideration of what might have been. Now my poor Millicent bears two burdens: her ill health and her guilt. Not to mention the dreadful bruises I fear will show by morning. Poor child. Elsbeth, do you have some medicine that might also relieve my daughter’s suffering?”
Lady Elsbeth nodded. "When I’ve finished here,” she said shortly, not trusting herself to say more.
Lady Serena smiled. "Of course. Now, everyone out so my sister may tend to Lord Royce and afterward, dear Millicent.” She held the door open and looked pointedly at the others. All but Jane and Lord Conisbrough moved to obey. She pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow. "Do you think it wise, Elsbeth, for Jane to stay in a man’s room?” she said for all to hear.
“I require Jane’s assistance. The only problems I could foresee would be those created by malicious, unwarranted gossip. Be that as it may, Serena, what is it you expect the earl to do in his present state?”
Lady Serena spasmodically opened and closed her mouth like a landed fish. Then color rose up her neck, and her eyebrows pulled together. "There is no need to be crude, Elsbeth,” she said austerely, tossing her head in the air and leaving the room. The door closed smartly behind her.
Those left in the room were silent a moment, then burst into laughter.
“We should not laugh,” Lady Elsbeth said, taking a strip of cloth from Jane and winding it around the earl’s ankle. "Millicent may indeed be ill.”
“Elsbeth, I can assure you the only illnesses Millicent is suffering from are jealousy and embarrassment."
“You should be flattered, Miss Grantley,” said the earl, toasting her silently with his port glass.
Jane flushed. "Oh, not of me, my lord. Of my nephews. You were paying more attention to two ‘scrubby schoolroom brats’ than to her.”
The earl sighed heavily. "I knew it would somehow come around to being my fault,” he said ruefully.
“You would have done better to hit your ankle with a cricket bat,” Lord Conisbrough offered as he held up the injured member to allow Lady Elsbeth to bandage it.
“Oh, but this was so much more dramatic, I think!” Jane declared, her green eyes glinting. "I do have a complaint with you over this, Lord Royce. You have quite spoiled my plans for tomorrow’s entertainments. We were planning games and recreations for tomorrow. My brother-in-law is a great sport and game enthusiast; consequently, Penwick is furnished with all manner of equipment. Court tennis, pall mall, battledore and shuttlecock, shovelboard, archery?—”
“Enough, Miss Grantley!” Royce said, laughing. "I perceive my clumsiness was well-timed. Lady Elsbeth, how long will you have me trussed up in this manner?” he asked, waving his hand to indicate the thick bandage wrapped about his ankle.
Lady Elsbeth rinsed her hands of the salve. "Not for long, my lord. You will be surprised, come morning, to discover that the ankle will begin to bear weight, though it will be best to avoid walking and to keep it as immobile as possible. The salve will take down most of the swelling and should soothe the ankle. I must apply the salve twice a day as long as any swelling exists,then once a day for two to three days more. Now I suggest you rest. Come, Jane, we’ve left our guests to their own devices far too long.”
Jane nodded and began to move away from the bed only to feel her hand captured by a strong, masculine one. She looked around in confusion.
Royce smiled. It was a smile that reached his eyes, lighting the darkest, shadow-haunted corners. It was the roguish smile that gave truth to his nickname, the Devil’s Disciple. Jane felt a rush of liquid warmth surging through her body. Those strange prickly tingles followed it.
“Thank you,” he said softly. He grinned, then released her hand.
She nodded and turned to follow her aunt out the door, an unreasoning disappointment settling in the vicinity of her heart.
“O-o-h-h!”keened a low-voiced wail.
Jane was seated before the mirror brushing her hair. She turned her head, her eyebrows raised in patient amused inquiry, to look at Mrs. O'Rourke.
The woman had dragged the rocker into the warm morning sunlight that spilled into the room, savoring the sun’s warmth and the lulling motion of rocking. "I ken feel it in me pur joints,” she moaned. "There is wickedness afoot, there is.”
“The only wickedness lies in the port you consume,” drawled Jane. "That’s gout you’re feeling,” she continued unsympathetically, coiling her hair into a high coronet on top of her head.
“Nay, lass, it’s mortal danger yur in. I have the cursed sight, and well ye know it.”
“What I know is that you have been worse than useless to me this morning. No doubt our guests are already at breakfast. What a poor hostess that makes me! Besides, I’m famished!” She shoved the last of the pins into place, then turned her head from side to side to evaluate her handiwork. She preferred the side curls Mrs. O'Rourke typically coaxed from her hair, but the simple style she’d achieved would serve. She rose from the dressing table.
“Be warned! The clouds of darkness are gathering!” intoned Mrs. O'Rourke, increasing her rocking speed.
