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Chapter 4 - The Chaste Bedfellow
Edward felt as if he were swimming or at least floating peacefully in some millpond somewhere. He could feel the surface of the water just above him and if he were to make just a little effort, he was sure that he could break through the barrier from water into sunlight. Although, on reflection, he wasn't actually sure that he wanted to as there seemed to be no compelling reason to make that effort. He was quite comfortable where he was. Where exactly was he though? He tried to push the thought from his mind as quickly as it had arrived but it was too late.
Where was he? All he knew was that he felt safe and warm and…not alone! The more he concentrated the more he was sure that there was someone with him, lying next to him. As he lay there he could now feel something or someone pressed against him, a slight pressure on his chest and a tickling sensation at his chin. Tentatively he tried to move a limb but the effort seemed to be beyond him. Admitting defeat he tried to open an eye instead; his eyelids fluttered with the effort but gradually, after blinking several times his vision steadied and he could focus on the scene before him.
Hanbury Court, he was in Hanbury Court! He couldn't remember coming here but he recognised the room of course; he knew every room at Hanbury. Something had happened he was sure of it – if only he could remember what. He grimaced slightly as his body began to gradually awaken, the injuries he had sustained prodding his memory as nothing else could. The railway…an explosion and then…nothing. Well, he had obviously been hurt in some way but at least he appeared to be alive, judging by the pain he was now feeling. He began to flex his fingers and was surprised to feel another hand on top of his! This really was quite peculiar and he adjusted his gaze and looked down to see a hand resting lightly upon his own and then long, lovely hair which was spread over his chest and tickling his chin.
It could only be one woman of that he was sure, but as to the reason she was there he had not a single idea. He lay quietly for a moment longer, unwilling to disturb his sleeping beauty and simply enjoying, for a fleeting moment, the sensation of her hand touching his, her body lying next to his, no matter how chaste the circumstances. However, he was only permitted to enjoy the long-forgotten sensations for a brief time as he heard mutterings and movement from outside the room. Quickly realising that he must somehow alert Miss Galindo and yet not embarrass her by acknowledging her presence on his bed, he closed his eyes and groaned quietly while he moved his hand out of her grasp.
It was enough, as Laurentia started awake and sat bolt upright, wiping the sleep from her eyes. All too quickly she heard the voices outside the bedroom door as she slid off the bed and with her back to him, rapidly began to coil her hair and put in it back in place. He smiled at the intimate picture she made, her long arms sweeping up to her head, expertly pinning her hair, before he closed his eyes again as she turned around to face him. There was a knock on the door and a maid entered.
"Brought you some breakfast ma'am," she said putting a try down, "Oh and Doctor Harrison sent word that he'd be here before ten."
"Thank you…?"
"Betsy ma'am," she said and bobbed before leaving.
She gave a sigh of relief as the door closed behind the young maid. It was indeed fortunate that she had woken before someone had entered the room; for herself she could not give two figs but she would not have Mr Carter's reputation sullied – injured though he was, there would still have been gossip had she been discovered lying upon his bed. She made her way to his bedside now, anxious to discover his current condition and was relieved to find that he seemed quiet and at ease. Touching her hand once more to his brow she found his temperature to be quite normal.
"Thank God," she muttered.
She was just about to move away when his eyes opened. It seemed so long since she had seen his eyes that the colour seemed quite shocking; they seemed to be the deepest shade of blue she had ever seen and yet she could have sworn they had seemed grey only a few days ago.
"Mr Carter?"
"Miss Galindo," he whispered his voice croaking as he struggled to sit up.
"You probably shouldn't move too much," she scolded, but moved to help him.
He was grateful but felt slightly uncomfortable by her renewed close proximity as she supported him until he was finally upright and propped up by pillows. He gestured towards the jug of water but was shocked to find that his hand trembled so much that he could not hold the glass steady. Once again she was there to steady his own hand as he drank deeply.
"Thank you," he said finally finding his voice.
Sitting down on the bed next to him she asked, "How do you feel?"
"I'm not quite sure, " he admitted, "confused, a little tired," and then he remembered, "my leg…"
"Your leg is fine Mr Carter I assure you. Dr Harrison has done an excellent job in repairing the damage. He will be here shortly and no doubt will be able to explain what has happened in medical terms."
"And you…have been here…constantly?"
She blushed slightly although for the life of her, she couldn't actually understand why – she wasn't normally the 'blushing' sort of woman.
"Yes, it seemed the right thing to do."
He nodded, "Of course."
"You'll forgive me if I ask Mr Carter but, is there anyone, any family or friend perhaps that you would like to attend you?
He frowned, "No there's no-one, at least not close by. Why do you ask?"
"You were a little delirious last night...quite feverish in fact and you called for Mary."
"Oh," he said and sank a little further into the pillow closing his eyes for a moment.
"I believe it to be entirely natural Mr Carter – to call for someone...dear to you."
"My late wife," he explained.
She placed a sympathetic hand on his arm but as she made to move away and he caught her arm gently.
"Yes Mr Carter?"
"Thank you," he said with feeling, watching as she began to adjust the quilts around him and then moved towards the door, "Miss Galindo?
She turned and smiled, "Yes?"
"I think…that is…I would like it very much if you called me Edward."
"Edward?" For a woman who wasn't accustomed to blushing, she seemed to be doing an awful lot of it today.
"Yes," he said quietly, "in the circumstances I think it…appropriate…at least in private. And if I may call you Laurentia?
She made a most unladylike expression, "No."
His heart sank, "No?"
"I see that I will have to make a small confession…Edward," she said trying out the name tentatively, "You see, I actually don't like my name very much. It's much too...
"Regal?" he supplied.
"Well, I was going to say stuffy," she said, "but regal will do. 'Laurentia Ann Galindo' – can you imagine? Anyway, my closest friends...my family called me Lauren, so if you like..."
"Lauren"
The sound of her familiar name uttered so softly by him, caused her to catch her breath and stop the nervous chattering she had succumbed to. But only for a moment.
"Yes, well," she stuttered, "I must go and see about getting you something to eat...and the doctor will be here soon and..."
"Thank you, Lauren," he said closing his eyes and lying back contentedly against the pillow.
She left the bedroom and quietly closed the door behind her leaving him to rest. Briefly she leaned back against the door and let her mind wander. 'Edward', she tested the name once more, a smiled playing around her lips. He was 'Mr Carter' no longer, now he was 'Edward'. She hugged that happy thought to her breast before striding off towards her own room.
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Martha crept into Jem's workshop at midday hoping to surprise her new husband with a visit and some food. He had been very mysterious in the past couple of days, working late and the like. When asked all he would say was that he had a special job to complete. Jem was always in demand in the village, that she knew; he could turn his hand to any kind of skill although carpentry was his speciality. He had been especially busy since the accident at the railway site, what with those coffins to be made. Martha sighed; she was so proud of him and she realised she was a lucky girl to have landed him; tall and handsome and so good with his hands!
She saw him then tucked away in the corner; she couldn't tell exactly what he was working on – it looked like some sort of chair but none that she had ever seen before. She crept up behind him and put her hands over her eyes.
"What the 'eck?" he said grabbing her hands. Jem had been so engrossed in his work that he hadn't realised anyone had come into the workshop
Martha kissed him on the cheek, "Surprised?"
"Nearly frightened the bloody life outta me woman."
"No need to get yer tackle fur in a twist!"
Jem blushed, "Honestly Martha, I don't know where you pick up these things."
She wrapped her hands around his waist and smiled, "Oh I've learned a whole lot of things since we got married."
He laughed, "Ay, reckon we both have at that."
She gave him a squeeze before disentangling herself and examining Jem's handiwork.
"So, what's this then?"
"Nothing really, just something I'm trying to do for Mr Carter."
"Oh, well it's a shame what happened to his leg and all but I still don't understand."
"Well, I was speaking to Miss Mary and she said that he probably wouldn't be able to get around and about like he used to, well not for a while so I thought this might help."
"You're a good man Jem Hearn."
He shrugged his shoulders, "Mr Carter's always done alright by me; gives me plenty of work on the estate. Least I could do really."
"There's still not many who would do the same thing," she said, "now get yourself over here."
"Why? You got some of that pie left over from yesterday?" he said as he engulfed Martha in a bear-hug.
"Something even better," she giggled.
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"Well Mr Carter, you certainly are most improved since I saw you last night," Dr Harrison said as he proceeded to examine Edward.
"You were here last night?"
"Indeed, although you might be forgiven for not remembering as you were quite ill." Frank nodded to himself; strong heartbeat and pulse, temperature almost normal and the leg itself whole with no signs of infection. Most satisfactory indeed.
"I am deeply indebted to you Dr Harrison."
"Not at all. Dr Marshland and I merely reset the bones and repaired any injuries. And I have to admit that I was worried that the fever you developed might undo all the good work to repair your leg. Miss Galindo is an excellent nurse it seems."
Edward nodded thoughtfully, "You advised her?"
"Only in the essentials of fever management but it she seemed to have some prior knowledge. I merely reiterated the importance of breaking the fever by keeping the temperature high and constant, and obviously it worked."
"It did indeed," he said finally understating Lauren's presence on his bed this morning.
"You have eaten this morning Mr Carter?"
"A little…some breakfast."
"Well, you must try to eat normally. The correct diet will be essential in promoting a speedy recovery and to help knit the bones together once more." He turned as the door opened.
"Ah Miss Galindo. Mr Carter and I were just discussing your excellent nursing skills."
"I simply acted on your instruction Dr Harrison," she said as she looked from one man to the other. She wasn't sure but she thought she saw a slight twinkle in Edward's eye.
"In any case, " Dr Harrison continued, "it would seem that the danger from fever is past, although there is still some way to go before full recovery."
"The leg will be…useful again?" Edward asked with some trepidation.
"That rather depends on you Mr Carter. If you follow my instructions I am sure that your leg will be as it was before the accident. If however you try to do too much too soon, you could be left with a permanent disability. I will call regularly of course but you must be patient Mr Carter."
"And for the moment?" Lauren asked.
"For the moment I prescribe bed-rest, lots of nourishing foods, beef teas and especially milk or cream. I would also prescribe the use of comfrey to help knit the bones and arnica to help with the bruising. Sleep when your body tells you to and if need to, use laudanum for the pain."
"And when can I get out of bed?"
"Not for some time I'm afraid. We must give the bones time to start healing before putting any pressure on the break; a couple of weeks perhaps."
"Weeks?" Edward said.
"You may be able to get out and sit in a chair before then but nothing more strenuous I'm afraid."
Edward was shocked. He realised that he should be grateful that he was alive but the prospect of spending so much time in bed was not one that he relished.
"But the estate won't run itself!"
"I will help as much as I can Mr Carter," she said moving closer, "we will manage this together."
"Very well," said Dr Harrison, "I will leave you and return tomorrow, but please call me if anything should change."
"Dr Harrison, I believe Lady Ludlow would like to see you before you leave; the footman outside will show you the way."
She smiled to herself as Dr Harrison seemed to lose his usual composure; he then pulled his jacket down smartly as left the room to be escorted to Lady Ludlow, his expression perhaps resembling a Christian before going into the lion's den.
"Do you think he'll survive Lady Ludlow's interrogation?" Edward said.
"I think he might be pleasantly surprised. She was all praise this morning when I told her of your recovery. She has been very concerned about you."
Edward watched as she sat down in the chair next to the bed. He noticed that she had changed her dress and her hair was smoothly coiffed – unlike this morning. The remembrance of it brought a smile to his face. But still, his overriding concern was for the estate; he could not simply lie here doing nothing.
He sighed, "Well her concern may falter when she finds out that I am to be bed-ridden for weeks."
"And I have said that I will help. You have trained me very well Mr Car….Edward, "she said, still unaccustomed to using his name.
"You have done so much already; you cannot possibly be expected to run the estate office!"
"I do not mean to run it alone and I am sure we can manage between us. As long as you remain well, I can come here and bring any queries that there may be and you can give your instructions."
"But…"
"You heard the doctor Edward? I am confident we can manage and besides I have an idea."
"Oh?"
"I will of course, require some assistance in the estate office until you return to full health and I think there is a young man who has been trained in such matters."
"Harry?" He thought for a moment. Naturally it would make perfect sense but alas, he was not entirely confident that her ladyship would think so, even in these circumstances.
"And Lady Ludlow? You know her thoughts on this matter?"
She nodded, "Yes, but I believe that if I explain everything then she must see that this is the best solution. I will talk to her later today." She noticed that his eyelids were beginning to droop. "Now you really must get some rest…you look a little tired."
"I'm fine," he protested as she adjusted the pillows behind him.
"Nonsense, remember the doctor's orders?"
In truth he did feel a certain weariness which seemed remarkable as apparently he had done nothing but sleep for the past two days. He was simply reluctant to put an end to this conversation. He closed his eyes and began to drift away, the pain in his leg acceding to the wishes of his mind.
"You'll come back?" he mumbled sleepily.
"Of course."
She watched as he fell asleep, the residual pain and tension leaving his face as he did so. When she was quite sure he was asleep she leaned forward and brushed a stray lock of hair from his brow. He looked younger, boyish even in his sleep and she began to wonder why he had never married again. His name certainly never attracted gossip in Cranford which was highly unusual. She frowned as her finger gently brushed his cheek, scraping against the stubble she found there. Well that would have to go before her Ladyship paid another visit – Lady Ludlow abhorred stubble in any form!
……..to be continued