Chapter 2.11 #4
“Well, well, I did nothing but my duty. Now, if you have room to spare, I would rather stay overnight in the house. And if Mrs Darcy would be so kind as to order me something to eat…”
Slowly, both Elizabeth and Darcy remembered their duties as hosts and behaved accordingly.
Elizabeth made certain the doctor was properly accommodated while Darcy sent Miles to settle everything for the next day’s funeral of the lost child.
Sadness and concerns for future developments still burdened their minds, but they struggled to accomplish their responsibilities while praying for the night to pass and the next day to bring some alleviation and new hopes for Maud.
Sleep had fallen upon most of the household when dawn broke—the exception being the master, who found not a single moment of rest.
∞∞∞
Two more days passed, and their prayers seemed to have been answered.
Maud was still unconscious most of the time as the doctor kept her under laudanum, but she was no longer bleeding, and her fever was diminished.
One of the maids stayed with her all the time, and Doctor Harris checked on the patient twice a day, declaring he grew increasingly optimistic about the outcome.
Life in the house slowly returned to its usual routine.
Elizabeth decided to postpone the dinner she intended to host for her relatives but did not have time for the announcement.
Therefore, she proposed that she, Darcy, and Georgiana should pay brief calls to the Fitzwilliams, the Gardiners, and the Bingleys to inform them of the change in plans.
Only then did she realise that she had been so caught up in the painful events of the last three days that she completely forgot about her newly wedded sister, who had just started her happy life in Town.
To their pleasant surprise, they found the Gardiners also visiting Mr and Mrs Bingley.
This fortunate coincidence was the perfect opportunity to spend more than an hour in the warm comfort of their extended family, and it was a chance for Elizabeth to witness once again the felicity and the glow on her sister’s face.
At least in that regard, she had no reason for concern.
Afterwards, they stopped at the Matlocks’ residence, where they only planned to stay for a cup of tea.
Lady Matlock was delighted to see them, and she immediately invited Elizabeth and Georgiana to the drawing room while Darcy, the earl, and the colonel retired to the library for a drink.
“You still look pale and tired, my dear,” Lady Matlock addressed Elizabeth. “I hope you are not unwell.”
“I thank you for your concern, but I am quite well. I confess I was a little tired, but hopefully things will improve soon.”
“So, what happened with that maid?” Lady Matlock inquired to start the conversation.
“She is recovering…at least we pray that she will recover. We cannot be certain yet, but we have hopes. Sadly, she gave birth to a dead child…a boy. It was heartbreaking.”
“Oh, we should not speak such things in front of Georgiana. She is too young for this. If I knew such things would occur, I would have kept her with us a little longer. She has had her share of distress and illness and danger in the last months,” Lady Matlock said, slightly reproachful.
The girl intervened animatedly.
“Do not worry for me, Aunt. I am happy I was home and I could offer Elizabeth a little help and comfort, although not much. I am ashamed to admit how weak I am. And when I think that poor Maud is almost my age, and she had to go through so many things…it is good that she will be safe from now on due to Elizabeth’s care. ”
“Maud? Who is Maud?” Lady Matlock asked with limited interest, paying more attention to her cup of tea.”
Elizabeth smiled politely.
“Maud is the maid we were speaking about. Forgive me; I did not mention her name before.”
“I see…this is quite strange as it is not a common name.”
“That is true, I suppose; I did not think of that,” Elizabeth admitted politely.
“Well, I hardly think of the servants’ names.
But my daughter-in-law also has a maid called Maud, and she used to complain all the time about how low-class people possess particular names but have no desire to work hard for their pay.
But then again, Beatrice always complains about something, so I rarely give any importance to her whining. The coincidence is amusing though.”
“Whose whining? And what coincidence?” the earl asked as the three gentlemen joined the ladies.
“I was just telling Elizabeth how strange it is that both she and Beatrice have a servant called Maud. If only my son’s wife possessed further resemblance to you, I would be very happy, my dear.”
“It is a rather strange coincidence but I confess I find little reason for amusement, considering the tragic events we had to handle lately. In our case, we speak of a young woman left to die in the freezing weather, whose child was just buried without even seeing the light of this world,” Darcy replied with a severity that turned all eyes toward him.
Lady Matlock paled and attempted to reply, but her words were interrupted by Colonel Fitzwilliam dropping his glass on the floor.