Chapter 7
At dinner that evening Elizabeth's family were all looking at her and asking how she was feeling. Elizabeth did not know what to make of it. She also did not know what to answer. Yes, she had a headache most of the time and yes, she was tired and yes, she had lost her memory. But other than that it wasn't so bad, was it?
After the meal her aunt and Jane asked how she had liked the warehouse that afternoon. Elizabeth explained what she had seen and how some items had stirred some memories inside. She thought back about the fruits and her mouth nearly watered.
Her family seemed to get more and more confused. The things she told she remembered, did not match at all with what they knew of their niece and sister.
Mrs Gardiner then remembered her resolve of last night to call a physician. She had forgotten all about it! Tomorrow she should call him!
Elizabeth felt restless. Her aunt and sister were doing some embroidery, and her uncle was reading the newspaper. Elizabeth stood in front of the window. It was dark outside and the rain fell as it had fallen most of the day. She closed her eyes and felt swaying on her feet. There was shouting all around her, she could almost feel herself getting drenched by the rain…
"Elizabeth?" her thoughts were interrupted. She turned back to the people in the room.
"Would you like to read for us?" It was her aunt's voice.
She nodded, sat down near them and opened the book next to her chair.
Suddenly she was interrupted by Mr Gardiner.
"Madeline, what name did you mention again last night that Elizabeth had used in her dreams?"
Mrs Gardiner thought for a moment. "It was something like Lord B…, Lord Becket?"
Elizabeth's head shot up.
"Yes, that is the one. He is mentioned here in the newspaper. It says here his ship sank during a battle some four months ago. Apparently they only just now heard about it."
Mrs Gardiner's mouth stood open and she stared at Elizabeth. "You said he was dead, that he sunk with his ship! How did you know?"
Elizabeth felt confused and rather unsettled when her three companions all looked at her with their mouths agape.
"Well, yes. That was what happened, I remember now." In her memory she could hear cannonball shots and the sound of splintering wood. People jumping overboard. Cheering.
The pain in her head started to suddenly become unbearable again.
"I'm sorry. I need to lie down."
Jane got up and helped her to her room, where Elizabeth soon was asleep again.
Her night was full of nightmares. All sorts of monstrous creatures appeared. Very often somewhere in the scene the handsome sailor would appear. Who was he? It was strange, for one moment she would be frightened by the creatures around her, but the next moment she would feel strangely safe when the man appeared next to her. They would fight them side by side and conquer them.
Until he sunk into the wild waves.
"Nooo," she shouted. "Don't leave me!"
She woke up from her own voice. Tears were streaming down her face.
Her aunt and Jane were staring at her, full of compassion.
She still felt frightened. Then she noticed that in her sleep, the chest had been pushed towards the other side of her bed. Quickly she pulled it towards herself and embraced it. Her breathing slowed. The chest calmed her down somehow.
"Are you alright?" Her aunt asked.
She sat next to her on the bed and gently patted her arm.
"There, there. It was just a dream!"
But Elizabeth wasn't so sure about that.
Jane asked: "Do you want to talk about it?"
Elizabeth shivered. "I can't! It was too frightening!"
Mrs Gardiner kept stroking her arm until Elizabeth had calmed down enough and felt she could sleep again.
Next morning, even before breakfast, Mrs Gardiner sent someone to fetch a physician. While she did not think it very urgent, it was necessary.
Then she went to see her niece, who was still asleep, holding tightly onto the chest. Mrs Gardiner was as curious as Jane, but as Lizzy had not been able to tell what was inside, she could not satisfy her curiosity.
Elizabeth began to stir and then sat up.
"Good morning dear. How did you sleep?"
Elizabeth looked confused at first but then greeted her back.
"Are you ready to get up or would you like to stay in bed? I can have your breakfast brought here for you."
Her niece shook her head. "No, I can come downstairs."
When she got out of bed, she was swaying on her feet, but soon steadied herself. Aunt Gardiner helped her to get dressed and they went downstairs.
Before they reached the breakfast room however, Mrs Gardiner saw her niece sway again and suddenly looking very pale. Before she could do anything, Elizabeth was sick all over the floor.
"I… am… sorry aunt," she managed to say after she had finished. She sank down on the floor and leaned back against the wall, all strength gone.
Her aunt quickly called some servants and the area was cleaned, and so was Miss Elizabeth.
For at least ten minutes she sat there, eyes closed. "Do you think…? Should you not go back to bed?" her aunt asked.
She only shook her head. "I will be fine in a moment."
Jane appeared downstairs and found them.
"Oh no, aunt. Did she do it again? I wonder what could cause this to happen. We really should call a doctor."
Mrs Gardiner nodded. "I have summoned one half an hour ago. I expect him to arrive sometime during the morning."
"Good," Jane answered, while she sat next to her sister.
"How are you feeling Lizzy?" she asked gently.
"A bit… wobbly," was the answer.
A glass of water was brought and Jane helped her drink it.
When she felt well enough again, they helped her to her feet and then all went to breakfast.
It was strange that so shortly after being sick, she still had such an appetite. It was as if Elizabeth needed to make up for the time she apparently had not had enough to eat.
Soon after breakfast the doctor arrived. They walked upstairs so he could examine Elizabeth in her room.
He took the time, looked closely at the scar on her forehead, asked her questions as well as her aunt and sister. They told about her having been sick now twice and about the headaches she continually had.
After he was finished, the doctor spoke: "I agree with you about the malnutrition. She should have a variety of foods, and and you should make the portions not too large, for that could be dangerous. Other than the scar of a quite recent injury on the forehead – which probably is the cause of the memory loss – I can see no other injuries. I am fairly sure that in time the headache will go away and hopefully the memory will also come back, although I cannot say this for sure.
Oh, and there is one more thing I must tell: I do not know if you are aware, but Miss Elizabeth is with child."
It was very quiet for a moment as everyone was trying to let this news sink in.
"With child?" Mrs Gardiner gasped at last.
"Yes. I cannot say exactly how long, because of the rest of her condition, but I am guessing she has been for around four months now."
The room fell deadly quiet after this. The women did not know what to say.
At last the doctor said: "Ahem. This is all I can tell at this moment. Enough sleep, not too much noise, and good food must help to get her better. If anything changes, do let me know. If you will excuse me now, I have another appointment to go to."
"Yes, yes. Of course," Mrs Gardiner said. "I will see you out." The doctor greeted them all and followed Mrs Gardiner out.
"Oh Lizzy," Jane exclaimed. She could not understand this news. How was it possible that her sister was with child? She counted back in her head, and found it must have happened around Christmas. Did something happen after she herself had left with her aunt and uncle for London? She realised how long it was since she had seen her sister. They had written to each other of course – so often that it had almost felt as if they were still near each other. But it was not the same as living in the same house. Lizzy could have kept quiet about certain things in her letters. Mr Darcy had said that when he saw her last in Kent, she looked healthy. But as far as Jane knew, before they had met again in Kent, Mr Darcy had not seen Lizzy for some months either, not since the Netherfield Ball, to be precise.
This memory made Jane sad. Through all the commotion about Lizzy, she had almost forgotten about Mr Bingley and about her heartbreak.
She pushed her thoughts away and turned her attention back to her sister, who was lying still on her bed with her eyes closed.
"Lizzy? How are you feeling? Are you shocked?"
Elizabeth opened her eyes.
"Yes, I must say it is a shock. I cannot remember what happened to me, where I was four months ago. I do not know what to think." She sighed deeply and closed her eyes again. "My head aches. I want to sleep again."
Jane nodded. "Well, I shall leave you then, Lizzy. Sleep well!"
Quietly she left the room and went downstairs.
She found her aunt leaning against the wall near the front door.
"Aunt? Are you alright?" Her aunt was roused and came towards her. She embraced Jane.
"I am just so absolutely shocked. I do not know what to think! The more I hear, the less I understand."
Then she said: "I must tell your uncle! This cannot wait!"
She called a servant and asked him to send someone to the warehouse to ask Mr Gardiner to come home.
Now Jane became alarmed too: "My parents! We ought to let them know what happened. Although, I would be afraid to tell them about the pregnancy. How my mother would wail that Lizzy ruined us all! Poor Lizzy."
Her aunt replied. "I believe you are right. But I don't think we should tell them too much. The doctor has told that Lizzy should rest. And I can just imagine that your mother would descent upon us, upsetting the whole house with her lamentations. This would not be helpful to Lizzy's recovery."
Jane nodded. "As much as I wished I could tell you that you are wrong, I know that is how it would be. I think it's best that we send a short note to them, telling that Lizzy arrived here earlier than we anticipated and that she is not very well, but that we are taking care of her and that we will let them know if there is more to tell."
"Yes, let us do that. I think it would be best if Lizzy herself would tell them that she is with child. But after she has recovered some more."
After that agreement, both ladies went into the drawing room and Jane sat down to write a note to her family.
Mr Gardiner arrived and they told him the news.
He was quiet for a long time. At last he said: "Whatever has happened to Lizzy, we will take care of her. Even if it happened through a fault of hers, she deserves our love, and so does the child."
Mrs Gardiner smiled at him. "I agree with you, husband. She must feel safe in our house."
They were suddenly interrupted as the butler threw open the door into the drawing room. He looked positively shocked!
"What is the matter, James? You look as if you have seen a ghost!"
The man could only nod and then pointed towards the hall, not able to speak a word.
Curiously they all followed him into the hall.
Three gasps were heard when they saw the person who had just stepped through the door.
A.N. Now, who would that be, arriving at their front door? To be continued... ;-)
P.S. I don't know if I will be able to post 2 chapters tomorrow, as 1 of them still needs to be written (and I won't have much time tomorrow). But we'll see.
