Then everything happened at once. Their butler and a footman burst into the room just as her father’s eyes grew wide at her admission, his hand now slack within her grip and his body slumped forward, unconscious.
CHAPTER 25
Ethan was back outside working in the garden, unable to keep himself away from his only link to Alice, when a messenger rode up the drive at full tilt.
A letter arriving at such a reckless speed could not mean anything other than bad news. Handing his spade to David, he ran off toward the house.
“Oh, Ethan, good,” Priscilla said, rushing toward him as he stepped into the drawing room. “I’ve just received a message from West. It appears my uncle is now gravely ill and is not expected to last long.” Her voice quivered, but within seconds a look of determination crossed her face. “I need to get to London as quickly as possible. Please alert the staff I want to get on the road within the hour.”
“I’m coming with you.” The words flew out of Ethan’s mouth before he was even aware he’d spoken, but he knew immediately it was the course of action he must take.
Priscilla’s face softened as she looked up at him. “That’s very kind of you, Ethan. I know West asked for you to look out for me while he’s away, but I promise I can travel on my own. I’ll stop at an inn tonight, I won’t try to make it there all in one go. I know not to overtax myself or the horses.”
“No, you don’t understand,” he uttered, only half listening to her rationale, his mind only focused on one thing. “It’s not you. I . . . Alice,” he said with a swallow.
Priscilla’s eyes grew large before a brilliant smile broke across her face. “Of course. She’ll need you. Go pack and let the driver know the plans on your way.”
Just shy of ninety minutes later, Ethan found himself sitting across from Priscilla in the carriage and on the road to Town. He’d sped through writing out instructions for Johanssen and Matthias, keen that nothing should happen to Alice’s garden while he was away. After throwing clothing into a bag, he’d made sure the team was hitched and ready to go, giving instructions to the driver on where they wished to stop for the evening.
Now that the whirlwind was over, and given a moment to sit, Ethan’s mind raced through all the possibilities of what they might encounter in London.
“What do you know? What did West’s letter say?” He felt anxious and had to keep himself from bouncing his leg up and down.
“I don’t know a lot. West said that Uncle Edward had some kind of apoplectic episode and Alice sent for him and my father. I’m glad she had the wherewithal to think of West, he’ll be much more capable of handling things than my father will. But then again, Alice is adept at handling crises as well. She’s been vigilant for years, fearful of something exactly like this happening.”
Ethan swallowed around his suddenly dry throat. He was still amazed at how drastically he’d misunderstood Alice, underestimating her when they first met. She was a tower of strength, even if she had led a more sheltered life.
“And what did West say of his condition? Is Alice well?”
Priscilla peered at him critically across the small space. “He just said that he was gravely ill and to come. He didn’t provide details.”
Ethan dropped his head and wrung his hands. He’d begun bouncing his right leg at a rapid pace, too worried about Alice to calm himself and remain still any longer. Suddenly, Priscilla’s hands wrapped around his own, halting their movement.
“She’ll get through this, and having you by her side will only make her more resilient.”
He looked up and searched her eyes. “I’m not sure if she’ll welcome my presence or not. She was clear before leaving that she was returning to find a match her father would approve of. We both know I will never be that man.”
“I don’t know about that,” Priscilla responded. “It’s true that my uncle is a man set in his ways—and yes, Alice does everything in her power to keep him from feeling stress—but he’s a man who understands love.”
This was news to Ethan, and he leaned forward to hear Priscilla clearly over the noise of the road. “He and my aunt were a love match, it just about killed him when she died.”
“Alice never mentioned that to me. She explained how ill he’d been and that he almost died as well, but?—”
Priscilla nodded. “Yes, his injuries were quite severe and he’s had extensive health problems ever since. But honestly, it was his melancholy at losing Alice’s mother that we thought would be his undoing. He was desolate, almost inconsolable. It was only Alice that kept him going, and now I think she’s internalized that to a point where she believes she’s the only thing that can keep him alive.”
The details now fully in view, he could see it all unfolding in his mind, almost like a play. Young Alice taking on the responsibility of keeping her father alive, even as she grieved herself. He’d known this when she explained in the cottage, buthe hadn’t realized the severity of the situation. She’d always talked of her duty, but really it was an obligation to keep him tethered to this world so she wouldn’t be left alone. Of course, Alice would marry the man her father desired.
“She has always acquiesced to her father’s will, afraid to upset him, so he’s never had to imagine another path. He assumes she’s happy to do as he instructs, as she’s never shown him otherwise. But at the end of the day, if he sees that she loves you, I think he will simply want for his only child to be happy, like he was.”
“Yes, but Alice’s mother obviously came from a good family. She could have been an earl in her own right for goodness’ sake. Surely there were no objections to her, even if it was a love match. It’s not the same as my situation.”
Priscilla let out a peal of laughter. “You’re giving my family far too much credit. We are absolute snobs. Yes, it’s true that Aunt Agatha came from a noble family, but they were Scottish through and through. Just look at Alice’s red hair, she gets it entirely from her mother.” Ethan smiled, always happy to think about Alice’s glorious hair. “She was absolutely not seen as the best match for Uncle, but he fought for her. He does understand love, Ethan, but you’ll have to fight for Alice the same way.”
Ethan leaned back and screwed his eyes shut, trying to think. Would Alice be willing to fight for them? But even if she was, what would it say about Ethan if he chose her? Yes, she had shown herself to be a caring woman once aware of other realities; however, she was still a daughter of the aristocracy. Could he compromise everything he was trying to accomplish for his own selfish desires?
Alice sat by her father’s bed, unwilling to move. It had been two days since he’d had his fit, caused entirely by her own selfish disregard of his wishes. How could she have been so foolish?
Unwilling to let go of his hand, she felt tears trickle down her cheek, unhampered in their descent as she did not have a free finger with which to wipe them away. The doctor had come and gone more than once, and she vaguely registered the voice of her uncle murmuring to someone on the other side of the room.
