She was startled into wakefulness when she heard someone call her name. She jumped at once to her feet. It had to be Maggie. How long had her cousin been calling her?
The maid from earlier was sitting on a chair, keeping watch.
“Where is Maggie?” said Elizabeth, anxiously. “Oh, I did not mean to sleep! I promised Maggie I would be there if she needed me.”
“There is no need to worry. The little dear is tucked into bed and is fast asleep.”
“But she called for me.”
The maid shook her head. “I did not hear anything. I will go and check, if you like.”
Elizabeth looked towards the clock on the mantlepiece. It was almost two o’clock. “I will come with you. We need to return home in any case.”
“I’ll take you to her, but are you certain you are both well enough to leave?”
Elizabeth was indeed reluctant to leave the warmth of the fireside, but she needed to see her cousin and see for herself that she was doing well. She felt much better now. The terrible chill that was threatening to overwhelm her was gone and she was ready to face the world.
The maid stopped outside the door and gestured for her to go in. Mrs. Durrell was sitting by Maggie’s bedside. She smiled when Elizabeth came in and gestured for her to come closer. Maggie looked very small and vulnerable in the big bed, and Elizabeth’s heart twisted, remembering her shock when she heard the scream then saw Maggie struggling in the water.
Elizabeth hurried to Maggie and touched her forehead to see if she had a fever. It was perfectly ordinary.
“She is none the worse for her ordeal,” said the housekeeper. “She is worn out, poor thing, but otherwise, she seems perfectly healthy so far. Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t heal.”
“Thank goodness,” said Elizabeth. “I owe you a debt of gratitude for taking care of her. Thank you. And of course, I am very grateful to Mr. Darcy, who acted so quickly.”
“Mr. Darcy is everything a gentleman should be,” said Mrs. Durrell, gravely.
Elizabeth did not want to take up more of Mrs. Durrell’s time. Surely the housekeeper had many tasks to attend to? They ought to be leaving. Still, Elizabeth did not have the heart to wake up Maggie just yet.
“If you do not mind, I will let her sleep a little while longer, but I can watch over her, if you have other things to do.”
“Thank you, ma’am. Yes, that would be good. I do have several matters that require my attention.”
The housekeeper smiled at Maggie then tiptoed out of the bedchamber. Meanwhile, Elizabeth sat by the fireside and spread her hair over the back of the chair to encourage it to dry faster.
Then, once again, she succumbed to fatigue.
Now that he was dry and considerably warmer, Darcy climbed into bed and drew the cover around him. But no sooner had he done so than he grew restless, and was not long before he threw off the covers and rose to his feet. He could not feel at ease and go to sleep until he was certain that the little girl had suffered no harm.
He rang for his valet, who helped him dress and informed him that Mrs. Durrell was watching over her in Miss Darcy’s room.
“Would you like me to go and make inquiries, sir?”
Darcy did not want to hear the news second hand. It was better to go to the source. “I will do so myself.”
It was a short distance to his sister’s bedchamber. Darcy opened the door as quietly as possible. To his surprise, Mrs. Durrell was not there.
Instead, his gaze fell on the child’s mother, who had fallen asleep next to the fire.
Her legs were tucked under her. She looked so serene and at ease. It did not look like she was suffering from any ill effects from their ordeal, though, of course, it was too early to tell. Perhaps she was right about having a strong constitution, after all.
He recognized the gown she was wearing and smothered a smile. She looked ridiculous in Georgiana’s dress, which was far too long for her. Despite being quite a lot younger, Georgiana was taller. Both the Darcys and the Fitzwilliams tended to be tall.
He examined her face. It occurred to him that the mother must have married very young. She looked scarcely more than twenty, if he had to hazard a guess, but it was hard to judge such things. Darcy knew from married relations that it was a rite of passage for six-year-olds to have a missing tooth, so very likely, that was the child's age.
At that moment, the young mother stirred, opened her eyes, and caught sight of him.
“You may as well say it, sir. I can see it from your expression. I make a laughable figure in your sister’s clothes,” she said. “You need not pretend otherwise.”
