“I am so sorry,” Ellen said. “I did not know.”
“This isn’t your bad,” Reese said. “This rests fully on your brother.”
Ellen gave a sick little nod and turned her horse around.
“We have work to do, Lulu.” Reese strode forward.
***
By the time they returned to Kellworth, it took what little energy both Reese and Lulu had left to dismount in front of the manor. Reese had an itch on her cheek that had been bothering her for an hour, but she’d been afraid to put her hands anywhere near her face.
“Oh, you have returned,” Ellen cried, rushing down the stairs.
“Don’t touch us.” Reese stepped back and raised her hands to ward off the girl. “We’re full of germs. We need to wash first. I won’t have you getting sick like your tenants.”
Her ladyship stopped, her complexion pale. “I will have baths drawn.”
“Is there somewhere out here where we can wash in privacy?” Reese clenched her fist and tucked it at her side to keep from scratching her cheek. “I don’t imagine carbolic acid has been invented yet. Or iodine?” When Ellen looked confused, Reese sighed. “I want your harshest soap, and these dresses and our underthings should be boiled.”
“But that will ruin your gowns,” Ellen said with a gasp.
“Better that than your servants catching what we were exposed to today.” Reese gave Ellen a stern look. “I mean it. Trust me on this.”
“I believe you.” She began giving instructions, and the servants jumped into action to comply. The housekeeper waved to Reese and Lulu to follow her and took them to a small outbuilding next to the servants’ entrance, apparently a place for them to clean up when they’d been outside in bad weather.
Reese couldn’t wait to get cleaned up. Her patience had almost reached its breaking point before she was finally able to scratch her cheek. She sighed in relief, and Lulu gave a dark but sympathetic chuckle before rubbing her mouth.
“I confess you put the fear of God in me about them germ things, miss,” the maid said. “As soon as you said not to touch my face with my hands or I would become ill too, my face started itching like to drive me to Bedlam.”
Reese scratched her cheek again. “Don’t get me thinking about it.” She shuddered. “We have to come up with a way to protect ourselves until we can get that place cleaned up.”
“I have sent a message to Aunt Nellie for help.” The little maid held up Reese’s dressing gown. “I have asked for her seamstresses to help with the clothing. They will not be the best fitting but from what we saw today, anything new will bless those people’s lives. And—” Lulu lowered her voice. “I have requested some of herspecialillness tonic.”
“Even more special than what she gave us on our first day?” Reese whispered.
“Aye, and something only to be used sparingly.”
“Good. Turn around, and I’ll button you up.” Lulu frowned but didn’t argue.
By the time she returned to her room, Reese’s hands felt dry enough to crack. The harsh soap had done its job though. Between that and the several layers of skin she had scrubbed off, she figured she had done all she could.
She would have to see how much of that soap they had here that she could take with them tomorrow. The workers from Nellie’s and from Kellworth must be protected. Reese knew she was probably overreacting. It wasn’t like the people in the village had smallpox or anything like that, but she wasn’t going to risk it.
Ellen tapped on the door, entered, and handed over an expensive-looking bottle of lotion.
“Use this on your hands and face.” She sat on the dressing table chair. “It will soften your skin.”
“Thank you.” Reese opened the bottle and took a sniff. Roses. She spread some on her hands. It stung at first but her skin soaked it in.
“I am so ashamed,” Ellen whispered, her head bowed and her hands clenched in her lap. “On my word, I had no idea those people were living like that. You must want to have nothing more to do with me after this.”
“Whywouldyou think they were living like that?” Reese asked. “You probably assumed your brother was a good landlord.”
“Yes.” Ellen looked up. “I have known that the cottiers were the least productive of my brother’s tenants. That is why they are only given small parcels to work. I thought they chose to live there because they did not wish to work hard.”
“I’m not sure they all chose that, Ellen,” Reese said. “I understand that some people are just lazy, but what kind of training do your brother’s tenants receive?”
“Training? I do not understand.”
