"How is Lavender this morning, Ivy? Much change?" Lord Meldrum asked over the breakfast table as a tired looking Ivy was relegated to the porridge tureen, neither Alf nor James wanting her shaky hands anywhere near the hot coffee.
"Her fever broke around four, M'Lord…she was resting comfortably when I came down to start laying for breakfast," Ivy replied, apologising when she was unable to stifle the yawn that came over her from being up at all hours since the grand dame had been struck down with a severe cold that had turned nasty the previous day.
"The doctor's due to come in around ten, once he's checked on Lavender's state, I'll ask him for a powder for you as well, Ivy…you're to take the rest of the day for yourself, we mustn't have you falling prey to the same dreaded thing," Lord Meldrum insisted, Ivy offering a tired smile in response.
"Thank you for offering, M'Lord…but I don't think Lady Lavender will settle properly with Mr Twelvetrees or Mr Stokes…"
"I'll have one of the girls sit with her this afternoon, just so that you can get a few hours…Please, Ivy, I insist."
"Very well, M'Lord…" Ivy bobbed her acceptance, hearing twin sighs of relief from James and Alf that neither would be called upon to sit with the frail Lavender, James offering her a tiny smile of thanks and Alf discretely patting her shoulder in passing.
"Thanks to the efforts of your staff, Lady Southwick's out of danger," the doctor assured Lord Meldrum and Cissy as he finished examining Lady Lavender, Lord Meldrum having been called back inside the bedroom once Lavender's nightclothes had been pulled back into place by Ivy. The quintet all wearing a piece of thin gauze wrapped around their mouth and jaws. "If you're spending more than a few minutes with Lady Southwick, keep up with the masks but anyone just popping in with a tray can leave it off now that the danger has passed. I expect she'll sleep on and off for a few more days, she'll be very weak so I'd ask your cook to prepare some clear soups or bone broth, something that she can sip at whenever she's awake enough to take nourishment." Turning to Ivy, the doctor tsked lightly as he peered at Ivy's wan features, noting the dark circles under her eyes and pale cheeks. "As for you, young miss, I want you in bed with a cup of whatever cook can be persuaded to whip up within the hour…" the doctor held up his hand to stay any protest. "You've worked wonders for Lady Southwick, but let me handle things from here…and know this, my girl, if you ever decide to switch your polishing cloths for bedpans, I'd be more than happy to write a letter of recommendation."
"Thank you, doctor, but I really didn't do anything special…" Ivy murmured, glancing over to the bed and reaching out tuck Lavender's hand back under the bedclothes, the small unconscious gesture not going unnoticed by the others in the room.
"Meldrum, I'll have someone sent around to sit with Lady Southwick by this afternoon…" the tone of the doctor's voice indicated that he was almost ready to leave, so Ivy brought over a bowl of warm water and had a towel waiting for the doctor to wash off his hands, earning her another warm nod of approval.
"Thank you, doctor," Lord Meldrum replied, crossing over to ring the bell summoning James or Stokes to see the doctor out.
"Again, I hardly had to do anything thanks to Miss…?"
"Ivy, sir…Ivy Teasdale."
"Miss Teasdale here…I'll send along a few pamphlets and a book or two that might interest you…now, I have morning surgery to attend to…good day."
"Ah, James, see the good doctor out, would you?" Lord Meldrum asked as he opened the door and found James about to raise his hand to knock. "What time should we expect the nurse, doctor?"
"Some time after luncheon, I should expect…I'll see which of our fine ladies is available to start today…" Offering a final nod of farewell, the doctor followed James along the landing and down the stairs, turning to speak with the footman at the door. "Fine housemaid you have there, I've advised Lord Meldrum to send her straight to her bed…it's a miracle she's still on her feet after seeing Lady Southwick through the past few days…do ensure that she does just that, hmm?"
"Of course, doctor…" James agreed solemnly, and the doctor tilted his head slightly before nodding.
"I see that you will…well, good day…"
"Good day…"
"She came right up the front steps and rang the bell, bold as brass…" Henry informed Alf and Mrs Lipton over a cup of tea late that afternoon, just as a tired looking Ivy came down the back stairs.
"Ivy, you should still be abed!" Mrs Lipton fussed, walking over and rubbing a hand over Ivy's shoulder, and peering into the younger woman's wan face. "I'll make you up a nice comforting dish of creamed rice so that you can get some rest with something warm in your tummy."
"I think I'm just too tired to be able to get off properly," Ivy explained, covering a yawn behind her hand, "is Lady Lavender alright? Is Miss Cissy or one of the others sitting with her?"
"Nah, that doctor had one of his ladies sent 'round," Henry said, jerking his thumb over at the butler, "I was jest tellin' Mr Stokes how she came to the front door…"
"Well, I don't suppose she's classed as a real servant, is she?" Ivy mused, propping up her heavy head on her hand, Mrs Lipton letting the fact that Ivy's elbow was on the table slide…just until Ivy was herself again. "Nurses have to go through all sorts of training these days, they even have their own colleges now, you know."
"I ain't so sure she's a proper nurse," Henry added, "when I walked her into Lady Lav's, she started tutting at the open curtains, she slammed the window shut and had me bring down extra blankets as well."
"I'm sure she knows what she's doing, Henry," Ivy replied, although her tone indicated that she had doubts. "I bet she knows more than the few bits my mum showed me from her days in the VAD."
"Well, that doctor fought you did a good job, didn't he? So you musta dun somfin' right…"
Upstairs, Cissy was having a conversation along the same lines with her father in his study, "then she drew the curtains and now granny's suffocating under a heaping pile of blankets! The woman didn't even wash her hands or put on a mask, daddy!"
"Cissy, dearest, the doctor himself arranged for her attendance," Lord Meldrum placated, "I'm sure he wouldn't have sent just anyone around…look, I'll have James pop up and check on her, he's a sensible chap…"
"You do that, and I'll ring around…Hortense's husband is a surgeon, he's bound to know…"
"Cissy…" sighing heavily, Lord Meldrum watched as Cissy flounced out of the room, before crossing over to pull the bell to summon James. Issuing a set of instructions to the footman, Lord Meldrum went back to his desk, strumming his fingers in thought before pulling out a stack of notepaper from his drawer and turning his attention to his days work.