Chapter 10
"No!", Kate Stewart exclaimed in the early morning, her voice so loud and shrill it made Clara flinch. "No, this cannot be right! You must be wrong, Doctor Brimely!"
Doctor Brimely was the family's doctor and her Aunt had consulted him last night immediately after her cousin Lydia had faded. "I am afraid I am not, Lady Stewart", he murmered inside his grey beard. "All evidence is given. Your daughter is pregnant".
Lydia was still in bed, her back leant against the wooden head board. Clara sat next to her cousin and held her hand. Lydia's skin was still alarmingly pale. Her blonde locks were messed up and her eyes appeared even smaller than they were usually. Clara couldn't believe it. How could Lydia be pregnant? Her sweet, little Lydia...
Aunt Kate was in shock which she was underlining by her furious denial. "You must be wrong, doctor! My Lydia has never been with anybody!", she said, her voice a bit lower this time. Doctor Brimely took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He was in his late fifties, his hair was getting thinner each day and Clara doubted that he could see properly even with his glasses on. "I have never been with anybody!", Lydia repeated after her mother, as if to reinforce the argument. Clara believed her. Lydia was a very private and shy person. She would never have...
"I am sorry, Lady Stewart", Doctor Brimely looked back at Aunt Kate. "But the evidence is giving me no doubt. I will come to see your daughter again in a few weeks. Until then she should rest."
He packed his suitcase and stood. "I am truly sorry, Lady Stewart. Miss Lydia. Miss Oswald". He nodded and the maid escorted him out. As soon as the door was closed, Kate let out a sigh and turned to her daughter. Clara could see the fear in her cousin's eyes and squeezed her hand. Kate let herself sit down on the other side of the bed, next to her daughter. "Listen, dear", she began. "When you were back in London...", she hesitated. But both Clara and Lydia knew what she was about to say. "With...with Mister Smith...", she stopped herself once more and Clara froze. - Mister Smith?
Lydia turned her head towards the window, her eyes staring into nothing. "Darling", Kate tried to reach for her hand but Lydia pulled away. "Leave me alone", she whispered while her eyes were filling with tears. Clara swallowed. She would have loved to hug her cousin tightly, to tell her that everything was going to be fine but she could not. "Lydia-", she said nonetheless but the blonde woman repeated: "Leave me alone!", her voice shaking. Kate nodded at her niece. Lydia was pretty much in shock herself and clearly needed to rest. Both women stood up and left Lydia's bedroom.
Outside the door, Kate reached for Clara's arm. "Clara, dear", she said and the young woman could not remember a time when her Aunt had been closer to tears. Kate did never cry. "Has your cousin mentioned anything or anyone to you?". The very question seemed to choke her but she needed to know. Clara swallowed hard and searched her memory for her cousin's words. She shook her head. The only man Lydia had ever mentioned was the Doctor whom she had met in London a few weeks ago. But Lydia had only said so much of meeting him. Nothing more. And Clara could not honstely imagine her cousin to do anything...inapproriate. Her Aunt nodded. "Well, however this happened, we have to make sure that not one word of this leaves this house", she eyed her niece keenly. "Am I understood?".
"Of course", Clara replied and couldn't help but frown. She was not a child anymore. She knew full well what this would mean for her family.
It was after breakfast when Mister Holmes announced his immediate departure. Clara would not meet his eyes. The whole affair of the passed night was making her feel uncomfortable. Even though none of the other guests had had any idea whom she had been talking about, there was a great chance that Mister Holmes had heard it himself. "I'm never going to marry a man like him!"
Even though it was true and she still meant it, Clara wished that she could take it back. Why was she always mouthing off? And Holmes, being a genuis of course knew who she had been referring to. Kate apologized for last night's discomfort but Mister Holmes seemed to be a "forgiving nature", as her Aunt later pointed out and it took Clara much effort not to laugh at that. This man was anything but a forgiving nature, she had learnt that much within the first days of his visit.
When they said goodbye and she curtsied in front of him, Holmes looked her up and down once more before his eyes bore into hers for one last time. His eyes were of an icy blue that made her almost shiver. They could see through her. Read her mind. "Miss Oswald", he nodded.
"Mister Holmes".
When the carriage disappeared behind the bend of the road both women walked back inside. "A shame really", her Aunt started again and Clara rolled her eyes briefly, making sure Kate did not see it. "He definitely would have been a good match, you know".