Page 69 of The Quiet Wife
***
The girls were so terribly ill over the next few days, with high fevers, coughs, and sneezes. Elinor said her whole body ached so much it made her cry. Putting them together had seemed like a good idea, but they were tired, ill, and fractious, which sometimes made things difficult when they were all irritable at once.
Frances, Anna, and Lizzie worked with Nanny Jenks, and between the four of them, they kept the girls as comfortable as possible. Made sure they drank teas made from herbs, lacing them with honey, so they didn’t taste too bad. They spooned broth into their reluctant mouths, milk… anything that they could persuade them to.
Nights were dreadful, as all the girls woke regularly. Coughing, too hot, nightmares that wouldn’t go away… Frances was beside herself with worry. Had it not been for the soothing presence of Anna Whistler, she might have lost her mind. Anna, she realised eventually, was looking after her just as much as the children and she was indebted to her for it.
She’d dozed off beside Elinor when the door opened quietly to admit Anna. She tiptoed in, finger to lips, with a smile. Frances sat up and stretched. She hadn’t even changed into a nightgown; she was still in her clothes.
“Nanny has asked your maid to draw you a bath. Why don’t you freshen up and get some rest? Nanny and I will take over, and you have my word that we will come and get you if they worsen.”
Frances rubbed her face with her hands and gazed over at her babies. They were all sleeping. Elinor more fitful than the older two but sleeping, nonetheless.
“I will. I won’t be long, though. Have you eaten?”
Anna nodded. “We have and there is some breakfast in the dining room. You should try to eat something.”
Frances nodded, but doubted she could keep anything down. She was too frantic with worry. Anna hugged her and shooed her away.
She walked along the corridor towards her own room and caught sight of herself in the looking glass. She was an absolute fright.
She rounded the corner and leaped a mile when she bumped into Jemie. Of course, he would appear when she looked so awful.
“How are things this morning?” he asked, as though it was perfectly normal for her to be wandering the corridors in yesterday’s clothes, unwashed, with her hair hanging in strands. Frederick would have had the vapours.
“They are sleeping, so your darling mother arranged for the maid to draw me a bath and sent me to rest.”
“Good. Have you eaten?”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure I could manage anything. I just need to sleep for an hour.”
They watched each other for an awkward moment, during which Frances had the strongest wish for him to take her in his arms again. He didn’t. He just reached out and squeezed her hand for a moment.
“Try to rest,” he urged her.
She nodded as he stood aside to let her pass. She hurried on, glancing over her shoulder to see him walk away before opening her bedroom door.
“Your bath shouldn’t be too long, ma’am. Just sorting out the water,” her maid said, bustling about.
Frances smiled and sank into the chair by the window. Frederick wanted to update the plumbing for the house so that they had more running hot water.The Tudor design didn’t lend itself to modern conveniences, and seemingly, the owner of the house had some limits when it came to Frederick’s improvements.
A tap at the door came, and the maid opened it to find Albert, the footman, holding a tray. He came in and placed it on the table where she sat.
On it was a pot of tea, some toast, and a dish of scrambled eggs.
“Mr Whistler suggested you might be hungry?” the young man bowed his head.
Frances smiled gratefully. “That’s most kind. Please give him, and cook, my thanks.”
They both disappeared, leaving her with the breakfast she never imagined she could eat, but she managed some.
***
The worry continued. They worked as a team to make sure the girls had all the care they needed. In the early hours of the morning, they all fell asleep, so Frances curled up beside Fannie and slept too.
It was early morning when she awoke.
She lay a hand on Florence’s brow. She was too warm, but the fiery fever that had consumed her for several days seemed to be subsiding. Fannie was the same.
