Medlock re-positioned her spectacles and glanced at the bell ringing being signaled from Lord Craven's chambers.
"Where the devil is Dr. Craven. Good heavens!" Medlock scurried down the halls. "Oh come quickly, John. Come quickly."
"I'm sorry, Medlock." Archie huffed, his breathing becoming more and more laboured, "I need...help..."
"Sir," Medlock panicked a bit. "Where is your brother?"
He was in too much pain to speak.
"Your wife?"
"In the garden." He managed to whisper.
"John? John! Bring that ice!" John was the butler. Medlock always asked John to help her instead of Gregory, though it was Gregory's job to assist her Master.
John poured the mountain of cubes into the bathtub.
Archie's expression exuded embarrassment but also pain then.
His legs and back seized in a stiffened state. Medlock held his legs and John lifted his upper body to carry him to the tub dressed in his linen nightshirt.
Archie gasped loudly from the shock of cold.
Gregory happened to return moments later from his time off to check on his Master. He noticed Medlock and John waiting outside the en suite bathroom's door inside Archie's chambers.
"What is going on?" Gregory inquired.
"The master's had a spell. Dr. Craven in the past has suggested ice baths to suppress the inflammation and any swelling in his muscles.
"How long has he been submerged in there?"
"I assure you, the recommended time, Mr. Leclair." Medlock seemed unconfident of her reply.
"Sir, is this wise?" Gregory entered and saw Archie shivering and cowering.
"We were just about to assist him in leaving the tub, as a matter of fact."
Lilias then entered the chambers.
"Archie?" She frowned when she saw the three servants huddled around the entry to his bathroom.
"No." She whispered. She then entered and saw Archie very pale and trembling violently.
"Was this at Dr. Craven's request?" Lilias worried. She grabbed several large towels.
"Mr. Leclair, help me." Lilias replied as she threw her arms around Archie's soaked upper body still adorned in the nightshirt. Gregory assisted. Archie tried to stand up on his own and put weight on his legs after being guided out of the tub, but he collapsed into Lilias's arms. She used all of her strength to hold him up.
Medlock gasped with her hand over her heart.
Lilias held her husband tightly to her body.
"Will you most kindly leave now?" Lilias made a gentle request at first to both John and Medlock, but they stared at her silently.
"I'm ordering you to leave this room. Go!" Lilias never had a temper like that. She almost always possessed the patience of a Saint but during Archie's recovery process, Medlock's condescending sneers were taxing.
Gregory remained as they left.
He noticed Archie needed to sit, so he placed a few towels on a chair as Lilias guided him a few steps over to it.
"It's all right, darling. Let me get you out of this wet clothing." Archie still shook from the cold.
Knowing Lilias was going to undress her husband and to prevent the awkwardness of his being the third party in the room in those moments, Gregory spoke,
"Forgive me, Milady and Milord, if you require my assistance, I'll just be outside this door."
When Gregory closed the door, Lilias tenderly removed Archie's soaked nightshirt. Because of the strong daylight being let into the space through a window, Archie cowered trying to shield his bare body from her view. She had never seen his naked form in this level of illumination.
"I'm...sorry...my...love..." he muttered.
"Archie, what ever are you apologising for, my sweet husband?" She noticed the expression of shame and embarrassment upon her husband's face in those few seconds before she drew another towel over him and that he was drawing his body in. She chafed his body as gently as possible to dry him and then embraced him as gracefully as possible-no sudden movements as such was ill-advised.
Lilias detested the concept of ice baths-seemed more a torture device to her mind.
...
HOURS LATER IN THE DINING ROOM
"I believe it is necessary, Lilias, to bring in another physician for my brother during the hours I cannot be here to monitor him. I do have patients to tend to in the village, as you know."
Lilias wanted to reply, but Rose spoke.
"What's this I hear?...Archibald's spasms and convulsions have not yet ceased? I thought they were remedied at present."
"Unlikely." Neville answered.
"Neville, just tell me what to do and I'll do it." Lilias's responded sadly.
"I've given him another dose of the sedation drug. He was not resting properly."
"What?" Lilias felt the bile in her stomach seem to flow into her gut.
"You did not consult me before dosing him with that dangerously intense substance."
"Lilias, you must trust my judgement He's my brother after all. After he rests, you may continue with the regular procedures of elevating his body to more comfortable positions and the ice treatments. Make sure his legs get the proper circulation."
"It won't be much longer and he'll have recovered, I know he will soon." Lilias reassured everyone at the table but most of all herself.
A month later hence, Lilias's prediction was becoming a possibility. Archie felt much better, was walking, and eating more.
"Darling, I'm so glad your appetite has returned. You hadn't any strength in your bones and muscles with sparse food for nourishment last week."
"You have attended to me like a guardian angel-so sweetly kind, considerate, patient, generous...I am better because of your most precious love and attentiveness. Oh, I thank God for you. If I could only be well always for you."
Lilias brushed her face romantically against the side of his with her eyes passionately shut.
They tenderly kissed.
"Darling, I'd like to walk and spend time in the garden with you, today."
"If you're sure..."
"Yes," Archie continued.
Lilias smiled at him with shining eyes.
She went up to her room to change into her tea gown and Rose was there.
"You're so stylishly beautiful, Sister." Rose complimented Lilias.
Lilias meekly smiled in gratitude.
"May I ask you quite a private and personal, bold question?"
Lilias hesitated to give her a reply but Rose spoke anyway.
"How long will it be before you perform your wifely duties again abed?"
Lilias's face turned a shade of Crimson.
"I'm sure I don't know," Lilias almost stuttered but spoke very quickly as if to avoid the obviously timid tone of her voice, "I haven't thought..."
"I've shocked you. Sweet sister, I know how much you wish to give him children. Can you tell me you are not withchild now?"
"No, I am not withchild." Lilias's voice faded in a melancholy manner.
"Presently." Rose finished with almost a contradictorally uplifting note in her voice, what she thought was the word for the look on Lilias's face.
"You know what his brother says about his fragile state of health. You two lovebirds will have to contain your affections a bit longer."
Lilias blushed. "I know you don't approve of us, Rose. Why this glimmer of...well, I don't what to call it...positivity?"
"Lily, I only wish you to be happy in your choice. No regrets?"
"I regret nothing." Lilias spoke with a serene confidence.