"Who is this Marianne that is so important in your life?"
"She is of little importance-simply an acquaintance."
"Do not lie to me, Colonel. You are not very good at it."
The argument continued like so in the parlor that evening.
"Look, she was a woman I once loved who gave me nothing in return."
"In return? Well, then, what could be left for me?"
He sighed. "Why are you beautiful creatures so complicated?"
"Don't flatter me, Brandon, I know better now."
She stormed toward the door. "Elinor is right again."
Sarah didn't show up for dinner that evening, and Brandon didn't let his aching hunger get to him until the meal was almost through. Mrs. Jennings and Margaret went all through the gardens looking for her upon his feverish request, and Elinor listened outside her door for the sound of crying. But nothing turned up, even when Mr. Jennings asked the servants where she'd been for the last day or so.
At last, after two or three days, everyone else gave up the search. But Brandon, always the gentleman who constantly finds himself at fault, kept looking well into the later hours. He spent the night on the porch and woke up in the pouring rain. This reminded him further of the tortured Marianne.
When the servants finally dragged him inside he wasn't feeling well. In fact, it appeared to be the same fever that had gripped his ex-bride's last life. The ladies worried about his chambers as he lay in bed for a week or so, and even Mr. Jennings quickly lost his spirits as the days continued to pass.
About a month after Brandon had fallen into fever there was heard a knock on the door very early one morning, so early that it was still dark out. When the maid answered the rapping it was revealed to be a horseless woman outside, and as she took off her bonnet to let down her blonde hair the rain began to pick up into a slow, tired drizzle.
"My! Mrs. Jennings!"
The requested came at once and put a hand to her painted mouth.
"My! Sarah, dear!-your bonnet. No wonder I do not recognize you, dear."
Sarah merely smiled and looked around expectantly.
"Oh, my dear.the Colonel." Sarah looked up, surprised. "Yes?" Her voice was filled with a certain longing at his very mention.
"He is very sick-has been for a month now, is that right, Meredith? Yes, of course, a month." She dared not reveal the cause of his illness.
"But-but he would feel much better if he saw you, sweet." Meredith, the maid, broke in suddenly. She looked nervously at her mistress.
"Yes, yes, do come upstairs." Mrs. Jennings urged.
When Sarah entered the room (to many exasperated coughs, none of which were the Colonel's, and quite a few raised eyebrows) most everyone else automatically cleared out. Mrs. Jennings closed the door and left them.
Sarah put a gentle hand on her lover's sweaty forehead and kissed it. Slowly, very slowly, his beautiful gray eyes opened and he blinked in surprise, since he couldn't do much more in his current state. "S-S-"
She put a finger to her lips. "Shh.just listen to the sound of my voice."
He quieted immediately.
"Bet you would like to know where I have been these long days."
He nodded, but wished he could do more to show the extremity of his longing.
"I have journeyed to London, and met my sisters and mother in Ireland. I understand you have a certain city home in Liverpool?"
He nodded again, a bit stronger this time.
"It is beautiful there. All my life, Brandon, I have lived in the country, and when I entered the city I was filled with an excitement to see it all."
He took this in with a weak blink of the eyes.
"Perhaps you do not miss it so, but.oh, I am so sorry. My dearest." Her smooth fingers stroked his forehead gently, and tears formed.
"Do you still want me to stay here with the Jennings?"
A smile spread over his face, the first in a month's time, and he nodded.
"I know no one else wants you and I to continue seeing each other."
The smile disappeared quicker than it had appeared.
"But you need someone to take care of you, Brandon, my friend, my-my love, and I would be honored if you'd let me be that person."
"What an odd proposal!" Mrs. Jennings squealed from the cracked door, as Elinor peeked curiously around the corner and shushed her with a hidden smile of contentment, Edward's arm around her waist.
"She's not bending down." Margaret growled at her side.
A moment later Brandon pulled something gold from his pocket beneath the covers, and presented it to her. "Now-we must-do this properly." He said.
"She is of little importance-simply an acquaintance."
"Do not lie to me, Colonel. You are not very good at it."
The argument continued like so in the parlor that evening.
"Look, she was a woman I once loved who gave me nothing in return."
"In return? Well, then, what could be left for me?"
He sighed. "Why are you beautiful creatures so complicated?"
"Don't flatter me, Brandon, I know better now."
She stormed toward the door. "Elinor is right again."
Sarah didn't show up for dinner that evening, and Brandon didn't let his aching hunger get to him until the meal was almost through. Mrs. Jennings and Margaret went all through the gardens looking for her upon his feverish request, and Elinor listened outside her door for the sound of crying. But nothing turned up, even when Mr. Jennings asked the servants where she'd been for the last day or so.
At last, after two or three days, everyone else gave up the search. But Brandon, always the gentleman who constantly finds himself at fault, kept looking well into the later hours. He spent the night on the porch and woke up in the pouring rain. This reminded him further of the tortured Marianne.
When the servants finally dragged him inside he wasn't feeling well. In fact, it appeared to be the same fever that had gripped his ex-bride's last life. The ladies worried about his chambers as he lay in bed for a week or so, and even Mr. Jennings quickly lost his spirits as the days continued to pass.
About a month after Brandon had fallen into fever there was heard a knock on the door very early one morning, so early that it was still dark out. When the maid answered the rapping it was revealed to be a horseless woman outside, and as she took off her bonnet to let down her blonde hair the rain began to pick up into a slow, tired drizzle.
"My! Mrs. Jennings!"
The requested came at once and put a hand to her painted mouth.
"My! Sarah, dear!-your bonnet. No wonder I do not recognize you, dear."
Sarah merely smiled and looked around expectantly.
"Oh, my dear.the Colonel." Sarah looked up, surprised. "Yes?" Her voice was filled with a certain longing at his very mention.
"He is very sick-has been for a month now, is that right, Meredith? Yes, of course, a month." She dared not reveal the cause of his illness.
"But-but he would feel much better if he saw you, sweet." Meredith, the maid, broke in suddenly. She looked nervously at her mistress.
"Yes, yes, do come upstairs." Mrs. Jennings urged.
When Sarah entered the room (to many exasperated coughs, none of which were the Colonel's, and quite a few raised eyebrows) most everyone else automatically cleared out. Mrs. Jennings closed the door and left them.
Sarah put a gentle hand on her lover's sweaty forehead and kissed it. Slowly, very slowly, his beautiful gray eyes opened and he blinked in surprise, since he couldn't do much more in his current state. "S-S-"
She put a finger to her lips. "Shh.just listen to the sound of my voice."
He quieted immediately.
"Bet you would like to know where I have been these long days."
He nodded, but wished he could do more to show the extremity of his longing.
"I have journeyed to London, and met my sisters and mother in Ireland. I understand you have a certain city home in Liverpool?"
He nodded again, a bit stronger this time.
"It is beautiful there. All my life, Brandon, I have lived in the country, and when I entered the city I was filled with an excitement to see it all."
He took this in with a weak blink of the eyes.
"Perhaps you do not miss it so, but.oh, I am so sorry. My dearest." Her smooth fingers stroked his forehead gently, and tears formed.
"Do you still want me to stay here with the Jennings?"
A smile spread over his face, the first in a month's time, and he nodded.
"I know no one else wants you and I to continue seeing each other."
The smile disappeared quicker than it had appeared.
"But you need someone to take care of you, Brandon, my friend, my-my love, and I would be honored if you'd let me be that person."
"What an odd proposal!" Mrs. Jennings squealed from the cracked door, as Elinor peeked curiously around the corner and shushed her with a hidden smile of contentment, Edward's arm around her waist.
"She's not bending down." Margaret growled at her side.
A moment later Brandon pulled something gold from his pocket beneath the covers, and presented it to her. "Now-we must-do this properly." He said.