“What happened to the Healers?”
“There is no sign of them yet.”
“You should urge Bingley to do that. He has not stirred from her side.”
Mrs. Jenkinson looked scandalized. “A single gentleman in a single lady’s bedchamber? Lady Catherine will not stand for it.”
“He has not been left alone with her,” said Elizabeth, irritably. Who cared about such matters when Jane’s life hung in the balance?
“Go, Elizabeth. I will deal with this matter,” said Darcy.
Elizabeth hurried to her bedchamber. The maid who had showed them to their rooms had placed the three young ladies together, saying that her mistress had indicated that Mrs. Darcy was expected to chaperone the others.
Miss King was already awake, but Miss Bingley was just waking up.
“How is Miss Bennet?” asked Miss Bingley.
“Much the same.” Elizabeth wished she had a different answer.
She was shivering. Seized by a longing for a hot bath, she rang for the maid, and was told all the tubs used for bathing were in use.
“Surely you have enough tubs for multiple guests,” remarked Elizabeth.
“I will do my best to find one, Mrs. Darcy,” said the maid, with a curtsey.
“Can I at least have some warm water to wash myself for now?” said Miss King, who had just woken up. “I have had to break a layer of ice on top of the water in the jug. And if you could send someone to help us dress.”
No warm water arrived, and no maid to help them dress, either.
“Lady Catherine seems to have a problem with the servants,” remarked Miss King.
Elizabeth suspected that Lady Catherine had a problem with Elizabeth. From what little she had seen of Darcy’s aunt, she was vindictive. Clearly, her intention was to make things as uncomfortable as possible for the young lady who had stolen Anne’s betrothed. In a way, Elizabeth did not blame her. She had imposed herself, after all, and had made Lady Catherine look ungracious. She could, perhaps, have handled the situation better, but her anxiety over Jane had taken precedence over Lady Catherine’s feelings.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth had no intention of giving Lady Catherine the satisfaction of seeing that she was in the least put off by the unfriendly reception. As long as Jane was comfortable, that was all that mattered.
“Maybe she is unaccustomed to hosting unexpected guests,” said Elizabeth. “We will just have to manage.”
“If we had a fire, we could have put the jug next to it so it would at least warm up a little.,” Miss King remarked.
Unfortunately, no one had lit a fire, despite the cold.
“I suppose, since we are unwelcome guests, Lady Catherine has left us to take care of ourselves,”
“I am used to it,” said Miss King. “When I was with the Rogue mages, we often had to fend for ourselves.”
Miss King had been part of Lord Muirhead’s group, who had plotted to overthrow the King. However, at the last minute, she had refused to participate in the attack, and had joined the Royal Mages in resisting the Rogue group.
“How long were you with them?” asked Elizabeth, curious about why Miss King might have chosen to join the group. They had never talked about it.
“Four years,” Miss King replied.
“But why did you join them?” Miss Bingley sounded disapproving.
“They knew new types of magic, and they were wiling to teach me.”
The three ladies chatted to each other and helped each other dress and do up their hair.
Lady Catherine’s petty behavior had accomplished one thing. By the time the three mages emerged from their bedchamber, they were much closer.
