Just ten minutes later, Wilkes was passing Nanny's suite on his way to throw some necessities into a suitcase for his trip overseas. He hesitated for a moment, then carried on to his own room first. Upon his return, he set his case down by the door of the suite and knocked. Eloise answered immediately, but Nanny gently and implacably moved the child out of the way, stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind herself to give them both some privacy.
"Bad news, Sir Wilkes?" she asked softly, gazing at him from shimmering blue eyes.
He noted in passing that her lips were full and trembling, which made him want to kiss her again. Instead, he managed to stammer, "My sister ... my brother-in-law had a stroke... this afternoon... she needs me... they don't expect him to live much longer... I have to go to them..."
Nanny placed her hands on the sides of his face and spoke so softly he barely heard the words. "Willy, I'm so, so, so sorry. Yes, you must go..."
"Nanny, I ..." he began, but choked and couldn't continue.
Without saying another word, Nanny smiled and traced his bottom lip with her index finger. Then she drew closer and pressed her lips to his, lingering there, moist, gentle and giving without restraint. He moved his mouth over hers, their mouths blending in a desperate need to satisfy an unquenchable emotional thirst, their yearning spiraled into mindless hunger for what they had too long denied and they kissed each other with a passion that rocked them both with its intensity. She pressed closer to him and moaned, leaving no doubt in his mind that she shared his passion equally. Then, as if they both knew that this was not the time nor the place to fulfill their desires, they slowly parted.
"I wish you could come with me ..." he murmured.
Her body longed for this man, as it had since she had first met him. When Nanny drew away, her smile returned, albeit more wobbly. "If only things were different..." she sighed, stepped away from him.
"I'll be back ... as soon as possible..." he said huskily. "I'll... I'll be in touch... I promise I will write to you..."
"If I don't hear from you, I will understand," Nanny said softly, still disbelieving that he could feel as strongly as he appeared to. Surely, once he returned to England and his family, he would forget the less-than-spectacular nanny he had kissed one evening in New York City!
The elevator bell dinged as the lift arrived to take Wilkes down to the lobby and to the taxi that was waiting to whisk him off to the airport. With a final bow, a quiet "Merry Christmas, Nanny," and a long look, Wilkes turned and was gone.
"Merry Christmas ... Willy," Nanny whispered, wondering if she would ever see him again.
O o O o O o
During the long flight overseas, Wilkes thought about Nanny, and finally decided that he simply MUST write her a letter which she would get by the end of the week. The stewardess brought him some plain white paper, an envelope and a pen, and he began to write, telling Nanny of his love for her, and asking that she reply by letter as soon as possible, preferably to say 'yes' she would be his lady, but at any rate to reply even if it was to say merely 'perhaps'...
He added on the bottom of the letter that if he heard nothing from her, he would assume that she was not interested in him in that way and he would not bother her again. Then he bought a stamp for the letter at the nearest post office on his way from the airport and handed the important letter to the postal clerk, paying for it to go airmail after ascertaining that it should be in New York City within the week, and a response back to England within another week.
After Wilkes left the post office counter, a woman with several large and some smaller packages came into the building. She fumbled with the packages, dropping a number of them on the floor as well as the counter. The postal clerk dropped the letter she was holding in order to help the woman. In the commotion with the parcels, the letter was pushed closer and closer to the edge of the filing cabinet used as the counter for the mail. Finally, unnoticed, Wilkes' letter to Nanny slipped down between the filing cabinet and the wall.
O o O o O o
Since Sir Wilkes had promised to write, Nanny began checking with Miss Thompson for new mail after about three days ... but after two weeks was too embarrassed to ask any more. Again she felt as if her heart was broken, and again she swallowed her pain and struggled to go on as she had before. It was as she had suspected – her 'charm' was nothing in comparison to what he doubtless could find in England. She HAD resolved on Christmas Day not to be so shy around Wilkes when he returned... after all, she was no blushing young virgin and he obviously liked her a great deal if his kisses on Christmas Eve were any indication!! However, he never wrote, never telephoned... at last, by the middle of January, Nanny was forced to assume that he was no longer interested in her. Accordingly, she tried hard to forget him... Yet even when she was supposed to be helping clean Eloise's room, Nanny would sit on the bed, her chin on her hand, and dream about Wilkes.
January trudged by, and a weary February was drawing to a close when Eloise came down with a particularly virulent strain of the flu. When called, the doctor recommended that she stay secluded in the suite with Nanny nursing her, as moving her to a hospital could possibly endanger her further. Eloise's fever rose sharply and she became delirious. Nanny was terribly worried, although the doctor continued saying that children have a remarkable resilience to illnesses. Eloise was still critically ill when Nanny heard via Bill that Sir Wilkes was back at the Plaza, but Nanny had no time to even think about him let alone contact him.
The day after he returned to New York City, Wilkes debated long and hard before penning a short get well card to Eloise. Having heard nothing from Nanny over the weeks he was away, he had come to the conclusion that she had no interest in him romantically... or at least, no interest in MARRYING him. It had cost him a lot in lost sleep and the stress of worrying before he had been able to force himself to return to the United States. He was embarrassed that he had been so eager with Nanny and had so completely mis-read her response.
When he had diffidently inquired about Eloise at the front desk upon his return, Wilkes had been shocked to hear about the child's illness. Putting his own headache and extreme tiredness down to jetlag and the continued misery of having been spurned by the woman he loved, Wilkes finally wrote a quick message on a card and put it in the mail tray on the front desk when he returned from the office that first day.
To his surprise, the following morning he had an envelope waiting for him downstairs. Nanny had replied, saying that Eloise was still much too ill to look at her cards, but thanking him for it and assuring him that the child would be happy to see it when she was on the mend. She had said nothing about how she was feeling herself, nor anything personal about Wilkes. He rubbed his temples, then shrugged and sat down to write a return note. This time he asked Nanny to keep him informed as to Eloise's progress and added that if there was anything at all he could do for either one of them, she had only to ask.
That evening, as he staggered back into the Plaza, trying to see through a now-blinding headache, Wilkes accepted the note from Nanny that Miss Thompson handed him, but he was feeling much too ill to even read it. He made it to his own suite and collapsed on the bed.
O o O o O o
While sweeping the floor in the post office in England, the clerk was surprised to find the corner of an envelope sticking out from between the filing cabinet and the wall. She worked away at it and finally retrieved the letter that should have been mailed two months previously. At long last, Wilkes' letter to Nanny was sent on its way to New York City.
O o O o O o
A few nights later, a bleary-eyed Nanny answered the door and found Bill there with another pitcher of juice for Eloise.
"How is she?" Bill asked, moving over to the table, setting the pitcher down and glancing into the little girl's room.
"Better, I think, William," Nanny sighed. "She has slept most of the day, and her temperature is down. The doctor said the best thing now is for her to sleep, sleep, sleep! I think that applies to BOTH of us," and she smiled weakly.
Bill put his arm around her. "You're looking after Eloise beautifully, and you deserve a rest if anyone does! I thought you said her mother was coming back?"
Nanny gratefully leaned against him, just for a short time. "Not for a couple more days. She was hoping to see some people... and once the doctor said Eloise was out of danger, well, it didn't seem necessary to drag her back early..."
Squeezing her shoulders, Bill said, "Well, Nanny, I know it's a real imposition... but, well, you may have heard that almost everyone in the Plaza is now sick with the same virus Eloise had. We're really short-staffed. I was wondering if you could possibly run over tonight to check on Sir Wilkes – he's had no one to do that for him. I took him some juice this morning, but he needs some more... and I promised Miss Thompson I'd check in on Mrs. Thornton ... and some of the guests on the eighth floor who are ill... I know it's an imposition, but I thought that, well, you probably haven't seen him since his return, and you are good friends..."
Nanny felt frozen ... Sir Wilkes was sick? Oh my Lord! Could this be why she hadn't received an answer to her note of two days ago? And Bill thought she was FRIENDS with him? Oh, my stars, stars, stars.... At last she forced herself to say, "Of course I can take him the juice. Shall I check on Mrs. Thornton too?"
"Would you?" Bill looked grateful. He took two more pitchers of juice off his cart. "Thank you SO much, Nanny! I expect both are sleeping... just put the pitcher on the table by their bed and leave the empty one outside their door. Thank you ever so much!"
"Aoww ..." Nanny nodded and, holding one pitcher, followed him to the door. "I'll just run this in to Mrs. Thornton first... I don't need a key, do I?"
"No. We're leaving the doors open -- makes it easier for the three of us left running this place to get around! Thanks again, Nanny! You're absolutely wonderful!" and he kissed her cheek before pushing his cart rapidly in the direction of the elevator.
Nanny checked the sleeping Eloise then carried one pitcher over to Mrs. Thornton's suite. She knocked on the door softly and opened it... and was met by a growling but otherwise non-threatening Mona who allowed her to creep into the bedroom and replace the empty pitcher by the bed with the full one without awakening the sleeping Mrs. Thornton. When she got back to her own suite, Nanny took a deep breath. Well, one down. That was easy enough. Now if only Sir Wilkes was asleep as well...
Tightening the sash of her robe, and only wondering briefly if she should dress before heading down the hallway, Nanny looked in on Eloise once more, lightly kissing the small girl's flushed cheek as she automatically tested the temperature of her skin. Yes, Eloise's fever was definitely receding! Then Nanny let herself out of her apartment with the full pitcher of juice and resolutely walked down the hallway. She hesitated for a moment, then tapped lightly on the door of Sir Wilkes' suite before turning the knob and pushing it open. She had taken only about three steps into the suite before hearing a crash from the bedroom and a groan.
Hastily depositing the pitcher of juice on the nearest flat surface, Nanny rushed for the bedroom, then stopped abruptly upon seeing Sir Wilkes trying to crawl to his feet from the floor where he had fallen just outside the doorway. Nanny's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as she took in the expanse of bare skin... he was only wearing the bottoms of his pyjamas. She stood immobile as tingling ran over her entire body, then unconsciously she licked her lips. He looked mighty fine... Then Sir Wilkes groaned again, his head hanging down as if the effort of being on his hands and knees was too much.
Nanny snapped out of her trance and approached him timidly. "Sir Wilkes?" she almost whispered. "Sir Wilkes, you should be in bed!"
Another moan escaped his lips. She bent down and her hands went out to him, then she pulled back. She couldn't help him up! That would mean touching his naked torso! His face and neck were a fiery red, and she recognized the signs of fever in the sheen of moisture on his face and the glittering of his eyes when he lifted his head with great effort to look at her. His hand reached out imploringly. "Help.... me..." His voice was hoarse and raspy. "Thirsty... hot..."
This was no time to be squeamish! Nanny gritted her teeth, put her hands underneath his arms, and began to pull him up. He tried to help her as best he could, but it took all Nanny's strength to get him partway up, and even then she staggered backwards under his weight.
Her hands slid across the hot, dry skin of his back as she steadied him, then, without conscious thought, her lips brushed his cheek. "You'll be all right, Willy..." she crooned soothingly.
He automatically turned his face in the direction of her voice, and his lips met hers. For a brief moment their lips met and clung, then he murmured "Nanny..." against her lips. His hands pulled her even closer to his body and Wilkes deepened the kiss, taking her mouth without hiding his need and desire. Nanny's eyes closed and her hands clutched him tightly as her mouth opened beneath his hungry and passionate embrace. Her body clamoured for more, and she moved with him as he stumbled over to the sofa with her still locked in his arms.
Unable to remain upright when Wilkes began to slump, his weight bearing her down, Nanny fell onto the sofa beneath him, her dressing gown and nighty slipping off one shoulder in the process. His body pressed into hers, and she became very, very, very aware of his arousal. "Oh my LORD!" she gasped, pushing futilely at him even as a moan of delight escaped her lips. It was at that inauspicious moment that she became aware of Bill standing transfixed in the doorway.
"William, for Lord's sake, don't just stand there! Come and help me!" she cried, wondering how long he had been standing there. Oh my Lord, he hadn't seen the kiss, had he?
Bill hurried over, trying to hide his grin of amusement. "Looked like you were doing just fine there, Nanny!"
"Sir Wilkes just got out of bed, and I need to get him back in..." Nanny began babbling, then she stopped and blushed, stammering, "th-that... that sounded rawther... I didn't mean..."
"Don't WORRY, Nanny!" Bill finally took pity on her. "I know! I asked you to come here, just a few minutes ago, remember?" Together they managed to get a now-insensible Wilkes to his feet and almost dragged him into the bedroom to lie on the bed. "I just came back to check because one of the guests downstairs is really hot and his wife is giving him a sponge bath and swears that will bring down his temperature. Do you think you could do that for Sir Wilkes?"
"Aoww, I ..." Nanny's instinct was to refuse, but the heat from the sick man was unmistakable, and he was clearly uncomfortable as he moaned faintly.
"Please, Nanny? I'll go check on Eloise for you, then I'll try to get in touch with the doctor and ask him to come back to have another look at Sir Wilkes. But if we could just get him cooler..."
"Oh, for sure, sure, sure. Yes, William, I'll do it..."
"Thanks, Nanny!" Again Bill hugged her, and was out the door in a flash.
Nanny sighed, then went into the bathroom and rummaged for a moment, finding a clean washcloth and towel and a basin. She ran cool water into the basin, and carried it back into the bedroom. Then she retrieved the pitcher of juice she had brought, and poured a bit into a glass. "A drink, Sir Wilkes?" she asked, putting the straw she found on his bedside table to his lips and with her free hand behind his head, helping him lift his head just a bit.
Without opening his eyes, he managed to get a few sips down, then whispered, "Thank you. You're an angel..."
"Oh my stars, stars, stars, I wish I WAS..." Nanny muttered, soaking the washcloth and wringing it out well. She put the cool cloth on his forehead and held it there for a moment. Feeling the heat of his skin through the washcloth, she bit her lip and put it back in the water. He was burning up!
She ran the cloth over his neck and shoulders, then over his broad chest and down to his waist, telling herself not to be so prudish, for Lord's sake! Over and over she put the cooling cloth on him, only to have it warmed considerably by the heat pouring out of him. He began to toss and turn more, and she was having trouble restraining him when she put the cold cloth on him.
"Sir Wilkes, PLEASE!" she said at last when he petulantly pushed her hand away again.
His eyes opened, but he seemed to look through her, not at her. "Who are you?"
"I'm Nanny ..."
"No ... no, not Nanny!" He sounded disgusted at the thought.
Nanny was mortified ... he must really hate her! Then she realized he was talking like a child... and thought with a sigh that ALL men acted like children when they were sick. She crooned soothingly again, pushing his hands away gently as she continued to wipe the cooling cloth over his skin.
Suddenly he sat up and stared right at her, his eyes feverishly bright. "You love me, don't you? Even though you're seeing me like this?"
"Lie down, Sir Wilkes ..."
"You love me, right?" he persisted.
"Lie down ..."
"No!" However he was starting to shiver uncontrollably, and his incredulous gaze seemed to go right through her. "Nanny? You're really NANNY?"
"Lie down ..." she repeated, and tried to push him down to pull the sheet up over him. Perhaps the cool cloth had helped a bit if he now knew her! She rolled her eyes at her wishful thinking, and said again, "You MUST lie down, Sir Wilkes..."
"Lie with me, Nanny. I want you." He sounded petulant again.
"Sir Wilkes!"
"If you won't lie down beside me, I'm going to keep sitting up, and I'll catch my death of cold, and THEN you'll be sorry!" was his childish retort.
Desperate now, Nanny agreed and lay down beside him, her arm over him as he huddled under the covers, trembling violently. His eyes closed and gradually his shivering lessened, and he slept. She knew she should get up because William would be back all too soon, and she could just imagine what he would think, finding her lying asleep on Sir Wilkes' bed after he had seen her kissing him earlier! But she was SO tired...
Next thing she knew, she was blinking up at the strange face of a man bending over her, concern all over his kindly face. "Your husband is very sick, ma'am. I'm afraid he should be in the hospital, but with this contagious a case, he really is better off here. Will you be able to nurse him?"
"My 'usband? Willy?" she mumbled, still in a daze. She was lying on her back with a hot, heavy weight over her waist and another over her legs.
"Yes. I'm declaring this suite under quarantine, but if you wish, I will TRY to find a nurse willing to come and relieve you of some of your duties. I understand it's thanks to you that your husband's temperature is slightly lower than it was earlier this evening. Your husband is SIR Wilkes, I believe? So you are a Lady. Well, my Lady, you must have that healing touch... haven't I seen you before in the little girl's suite down the hall? That's no doubt why Sir Wilkes is sick! You simply cannot go back and forth between patients, you know!" Now the doctor sounded faintly disapproving. Shrugging, however, he added, "Well, they do say that love is the best medicine of all! So you'll just have to stay put in this suite now. I've got the quarantine sign here, and..."
Nanny shot up in bed. "Oh, my LORD! QUARANTINE? I can't stay here!" The weights fell away, and now she realized that Sir Wilkes had had an arm and one leg over her. He was lying still, eyes closed, breathing heavily... thank goodness HE wasn't aware that she had been beside him!
"I'm afraid you can't leave. Not now." The doctor looked puzzled, and not quite as benevolent as he had before. "I don't understand..."
"Sir Wilkes is not my 'usband, for Lord's sake!" Nanny scrambled to her feet. "I've got to get back to..."
"I'm sorry." The doctor put his hand on her arm as if afraid she would run away. "You have been in close contact with Sir Wilkes... you simply cannot leave now. You're here in this suite until the quarantine is lifted."
"Oh my sainted Aunt Fanny....! But Eloise... I must go back to our suite..."
"Nanny," Bill spoke from the doorway. "I'll call Rachel. She'll be glad to come over and stay with Eloise until her mother can get home. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that if you came in here, you couldn't go back to Eloise without infecting her again."
"Oh my Lord ..."
"Lily's off sick, but I'll find some extra sheets, Nanny," Bill offered next, "so you can make up a bed on the sofa for yourself. Then I'll come tomorrow and help you change the bed for Sir Wilkes..."
"William, if you don't take care of yourself, YOU are going to be sick, too, for Lord's sake!" Nanny said severely.
He smiled tiredly. "There's isn't anyone else to do it," he said briefly. "I'll be right back, Nanny. And once again, I DO apologize."
"Aowww ..." Nanny waved him out the door, then fixed the doctor with another glare. "'ow long did you say I have to stay here?"
"Until Sir Wilkes' temperature is down and stays down for 24 hours. By then, he should no longer be contagious, and we should know whether or not YOU are going to get it."
Nanny sighed and accepted the inevitable. "Very well. I expect I shall be fine, since I managed to nurse Eloise until now without getting sick..."
"Excellent!" Before Nanny could say any more, the doctor had picked up his black bag and hurried out the door.
Nanny looked glumly at the oblivious man on the bed, then sighed again. It wasn't HIS fault, poor man, that they were in this predicament! If ONLY she hadn't fallen asleep in his bed! Then she blushed hotly, turned and hurried out of his bedroom when she realized that the REAL wish that had crossed her mind was that they had not been sleeping while lying together!
Bill was back shortly with the extra sheets, and helped Nanny make up a bed on the sofa. He told Nanny that Rachel was already with Eloise, since her father was on the mend himself and no longer needed constant care. They checked on Sir Wilkes one more time, and Nanny decided she had to sponge him down again. Promising to bring clean sheets and another pitcher of juice tomorrow morning, as well as Nanny's hot coffee and breakfast, Bill let himself out of the suite. Nanny picked up the basin of cool water and the cloth and proceeded to bathe Sir Wilkes' head, neck and torso once more.
When she had finished and just as she was about to turn away, his hand grasped hers, startling her into a yelp. "Sir Wilkes!"
His eyes, still glittering with fever but exhibiting some intelligence now, bore into hers. He struggled to speak, but his voice was very hoarse. "You're NOT... sleeping on... the sofa? Too short... You must... sleep here..."
"Here's some juice, Sir Wilkes... you should have some more, for sure, sure, sure..." She evaded the question as she put the straw to his lips.
He drank a bit then turned his head away with some effort. "Thank you... Nanny... for..."
"There, there, there, no need to say anything, Sir Wilkes. We all must do what we must do..."
"But you ... already nursed Eloise... I'm sorry..." Then he tried to smile. "Maybe I... should thank... the doctor..."
Nanny straightened up, her face flushing again. Without saying another word, she carried the basin to the bathroom and dumped it, then splashed her own face with cold water from the tap. By the time she ventured out again, Sir Wilkes had fallen into a restless sleep. Gingerly pulling the sheet up around his neck, Nanny's fingers lingered near his warm cheek before she finally tore herself away and tried to get comfortable on the sofa.
O o O o O o