Among Sisters
Chapter fifteen
The moment Juliet came to, she knew that something awful had happened.
At first, what precisely that was remained a blur.
Then, however, as the seconds ticked by, the fog in her mind began to clear and she remembered being out at the pavilion with Christopher.
She remembered her lie. She remembered a heartbreakingly painful expression coming to Christopher’s face.
She remembered…that he had leaned in to kiss her. And what had she done?
An agonizing groan left her lips as Juliet turned to bury her face in her pillows.
“Look! She’s waking up,” came Louisa’s voice from across the room.
Instantly, more voices erupted around her, and she felt the mattress dip here and there as her sisters surged forward and sat down on the sides of her bed.
“Juliet, dear?” It was her mother’s soft voice, concern mingling with relief as she spoke. “Are you all right?” A gentle hand brushed over the back of her head and then down her arm.
Juliet wished she could remain where she was, her face buried in the pillows, and not return to the world outside. It was too mortifying! And yet she knew she had no choice.
Slowly, Juliet turned to face her family, offering them a tentative smile as they helped her to sit up, stuffing pillows behind her back to make her more comfortable.
“You’re all here,” she remarked, looking from one sister to the next, remembering that they had not been at Whickerton Grove this morning. Indeed, she had missed quite a lot.
“We are here for the autumn ball, remember?” Christina reminded her with a gentle pat on her hand. “What happened? Did you fall and hit your head?”
Juliet felt her cheeks heat up as she found herself the center of attention, seven pairs of eyes staring curiously at her.
Not only were her sisters and mother present, but she also spotted Anne, her beloved cousin, as well as Grandma Edie, sitting in an armchair by the window.
It seemed all the women of Whickerton Grove were assembled in her small chamber, making it look crowded.
“Do you not remember?” Harriet inquired before she paused and looked at her mother. “Is it possible that she truly does not remember?”
Their mother shrugged, her kind eyes sweeping over Juliet’s face as she reached out her hands to touch her cheeks. “Darling girl, do you remember where you were?”
Juliet continued to stare, unable to utter a single word. She felt completely and utterly overwhelmed, somehow removed from the goings-on in her chamber, as though she were a mere observer not meant to take part. Her eyelids felt heavy again, and when they closed, she wished for them to remain so.
“Perhaps we should send for a doctor,” Anne remarked, a questioning tone in her voice. “She looks pale, does she not?”
“Are you unwell, dear?” her mother asked, feeling her forehead. “Feverish or dizzy or—”
“Tired,” Juliet mumbled, and her eyes closed again as her head settled deeper into the pillow.
“Very tired.” Indeed, closing her eyes felt wonderful.
It somehow shut out the world around her and all those in it.
She did not want their questions. She could not bear them.
She could not even bear to think of what had happened.
Of Christopher.
At the thought of him, another groan almost slipped from her lips, but she managed to grit her teeth and force it back down. She did not want anyone to know what had happened. Had Christopher already left? How much time had passed? How long had she been unconscious?
“Then sleep, dear,” her mother whispered gently as her hands continued to brush over Juliet’s head, easing her curls away from her face. Her touch felt soothing, and Juliet sighed deeply, listening to the faint sounds of her sisters moving back to the other side of her chamber.
For a long while, the world around her remained quiet.
A distant part of Juliet’s mind wondered about her sisters not speaking for a prolonged time.
It felt unusual, odd, suspicious somehow.
Yet it also felt wonderful, allowing Juliet to relax.
She closed her eyes more tightly, determined to escape reality for as long as she could.
However, as exhaustion tugged upon her mind and she felt herself drift off, their voices drifted to her ears once more.
“I’ve had another letter from Sarah,” Christina said under her breath, deep concern in her voice as she spoke. “It seems her parents are once more determined to find her a match.” An angry growl rose from her lips. “Any match that is profitable.”
Instantly, the others voiced their outrage in whispered tones. “As much as I hate to say this,” Harriet grumbled, “we need to see her married. It is the only way to keep her safe permanently.”
“That is easier said than done,” Anne remarked with sadness in her voice. “By now, everyone everywhere knows of her parents’ circumstances. Finding her a decent match now will be almost impossible.”
“I agree,” Louisa chimed in. “Young men of good character and fortune can have their pick of young ladies. They will be unlikely to tie themselves to her parents. Unless one of them happens to fall hopelessly in love with Sarah, they will choose differently.”
“Perhaps she simply needs to widen her circle,” Leonora suggested with a hopeful tone in her voice. “There certainly is a perfect match for her out there. She simply has to find him, and sometimes it can take time.”
“But she doesn’t have time,” Christina huffed out with impatience. “You know her parents, Leo. They care very little for her happiness. All they want is an advantageous match that solves their problems. They did so with her sister, and they will do the same with Sarah.”
“So, we need to be quick about this,” Harriet concluded, her usual eagerness in her voice, as though she wished to rush out the door at this very moment and see things settled. “We need to find her a match, and we need to find one now. Rather today than tomorrow.”
“May I ask who you would suggest?” Leonora inquired in a calm and rational voice. “Can you truly think of someone we have not yet considered these past few months?”
A painful silence settled over the room, and Juliet felt her heart go out to Sarah, a young woman just like she and her sisters, a former neighbor, a good friend faced with an unbearable future.
Indeed, Juliet had always considered herself fortunate that, unlike Sarah’s parents, her own always put her well-being, her happiness first. They would never dream of forcing Juliet into a match she did not desire.
“What about Christopher?” Harriet suggested, with barely concealed excitement in her voice.
As much as her family’s mumbled voices had soothed Juliet’s mind and helped her drift off into a rather drowsy state, her youngest sister’s suggestion instantly jerked her back from the edge of slumber. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest, and she barely dared to draw breath.
“Do you believe they would be a good match?” Leonora inquired thoughtfully. “I don’t think they’ve ever spoken to one another, do you? It is unlikely with him gone these past few years.”
“Then perhaps we should introduce them, don’t you think?” Christina inquired, her voice no longer subdued but suddenly hopeful. “Christopher is a kind and decent man. We have known him all our lives, and I am certain that he would treat Sarah kindly.”
“But could he love her?” Anne put in, and the doubt in her voice eased the tension that now lingered in Juliet’s body.
Christina heaved a deep sigh. “Of course, I would want her to have a love match, the same as all of us found. She deserves no less; however, under the circumstances, I’m not certain she has the luxury to wait for one.
Her parents do not care what she wants, and they will make the decision without her.
We’ve seen it before. More than once, it was only due to a last-minute interference that she did not end up married to the wrong man. Can we truly risk that again?”
“Perhaps this is not the right place to discuss this,” their mother said gently, and Juliet could all but feel her gaze upon her as she slowly rose from the mattress.
“Juliet needs rest. If you wish to discuss this further, then perhaps you should go downstairs.” Juliet all but held her breath as she heard the sound of rustling skirts and soft footsteps, then that of the door opening.
“Go and see to things, Mother,” Leonora said softly. “I know with the autumn ball just around the corner, there are a lot of matters that require your attention. I will stay with Juliet.”
“Thank you, dear. Please send for me the moment she awakens.”
When the door closed behind Juliet’s family, she could hear their soft footfall as well as the sound of Grandma Edie’s walking cane disappearing down the hall.
As exhausted as she had felt before, now Juliet’s senses were on high alert.
She wished Leonora had gone downstairs with the others, for she needed time to…
think. Did her sisters truly intend to match Christopher with Sarah?
The thought sent a pain through Juliet’s heart she had never experienced before. It was a sense of utter hopelessness, of loss, and she could barely keep the tears at bay that pricked the backs of her eyes. Oh, if only Leonora would leave!
“I know you are awake,” came Leonora’s gentle voice a moment before she sat down on the bedside.
Drawing in a sharp breath, Juliet blinked her eyes open, her hands clenching around the blanket.
Slowly, Leonora’s face came into focus, soft dark curls framing her lovely face.
Her blue eyes shone with kindness and understanding, able to see into Juliet’s heart as others could not.
Always had it been Leonora’s talent to do so.
With a gentle smile, Leonora reached for Juliet’s hand, carefully loosened its tight grip upon the blanket before holding it safely within her own. “What happened that frightened you so?”
Knowing she could not hide from Leonora, Juliet closed her eyes and heaved a deep sigh. “He tried to kiss me,” she whispered, holding her eyes pinched shut.
“And you did not want him to?”
“I don’t know.” Indeed, why had she fainted? It had never happened to her before; why now? “You’re not laughing at me?” she tried to say lightly.
“Of course not. None of us would.” A small chuckle fell from Leonora’s lips. “Harriet and Louisa might tease you about it, but you know how they are. They don’t mean anything by it.”
Slowly opening her eyes, Juliet looked at her sister. “What am I to do?”
Leonora squeezed her hand. “What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know.”
Leonora’s eyes looked deep into hers. “You better find out before it’s too late.”