Page 44 of To Tempt a Scandalous Lord
“Bowers. I teach history here.”
“How are the children? Her Grace of Ashwood indicated several had taken ill with some unknown ague.”
“They are—” Mr. Bowers hesitated, and she could feel the concern wafting off of him in waves. “There are several who are nearing death’s door. The physician does not know what ails them.”
Alicia clenched her eyes shut and attempted to corral her fears behind gates made of resoluteness. If the physician was unable to determine the ailment, perhaps she had been mistaken in her suspicions. “If you would be so kind as to tell where I might find his lordship, I will see how I can be of service.”
Mr. Bowers stumbled to a halt, but it took several steps for Alicia to realize he no longer walked at her side. Pivoting, she frowned when she spied him staring at her, his expression ashen.
“If I may be so bold to say, it might be best for you to leave, your ladyship. Death waits inside, and I’m certain the marquess would not want his new wife subjected to his touch.”
“I appreciate your concern, Mr. Bowers.” Alicia managed a weak smile. “But my wedding vows said I would take Inverray in sickness and in health, and I am prepared for the unpleasantness I may encounter.”
The man worried his lip for a moment and finally nodded. “Very well. His lordship is in a chamber on the third floor. His room is separate from the sick children, but very near it, so the nurses can administer aid to all those afflicted.”
“Thank you.” She pressed her lips together as she calmed her fears. “Now please ask Cook to have several pots of water boiling and lots of soap on hand. We’re desperately going to need them.”
Steeling her spine, Alicia made her way up the stairs to the third floor.
Several maids bustled to and fro down the hall, disappearing into one room and reappearing with heaps of bedding and other cloths piled high in their hands. They offered Alicia quick, polite curtseys and then hurried away.
She cautiously approached the first door and peered in. The house manager, Mrs. Simpson, sat between two small cots, her gray hair pulled up in a haphazard knot and a soiled apron covering her form. Her shirtsleeves were rolled past her elbows as she coaxed little Edith MacLean to drink some water. The poor child could barely lift her head, so Mrs. Simpson assisted her.
The older woman started when Alicia halted by her side. “Your ladyship, whatever are you doing here?”
“I am here to help, of course.” Alicia touched the woman on the shoulder. “When is the last time you slept?”
“Ummm…” Mrs. Simpson’s brows drew together. “I can’t recall.”
“That’s what I thought.” Alicia slipped her own apron over her shoulders and tied the sash around her waist. “Now that I’m here, I want you to give your sullied clothes to the maids and instruct them to wash the items, as well as all the soiled bedding, in the hottest water they can stand. Then, I want you to clean your hands with plenty of soap and hot water. This illness is passed through bodily fluid, and if we don’t want it to spread beyond those currently afflicted, everyone needs to be mindful of heeding these precautions.”
“Do you know what ails them? The physician believed it a stomach malady.”
Alicia bit her lip. “If I am not mistaken, it’s cholera.”
The woman’s gasp made the MacLean sisters stir in their beds. Mrs. Simpson pressed a hand to her chest and when the girls finally settled again, she turned wide eyes on Alicia. “Cholera? But are you sure?”
Alicia recited a list of symptoms, and the older woman confirmed the patients had suffered some or all of them. The confirmation both relieved and frightened her. And although she was afraid to ask, Alicia forced the question from her lips.
“Am I to assume the marquess is stricken as well?”
The older woman’s shoulders drooped. “He began to experience symptoms last night. He did not want you to know.”
The revelation still hurt. “Well, I’m here now, and we’ll do what we can to get him and these children healthy and hale once again.”
“Do you think it’s possible? I’ve been preparing myself for what seemed like the inevitable,” Mrs. Simpson choked out, her watery gaze trained on the two frail forms within the beds.
“If we can keep them hydrated, of course we can,” Alicia declared with more confidence than she felt.
“But, my lady, I haven’t been able to rouse them enough to drink any water.” Mrs. Simpson’s voice pitched high in panic.
“Then I will give it a try while you rest.” Alicia looped her arm around the woman and escorted her to the door. “Now wash up, thoroughly, and get some rest. I will do my best to care for the children and my quarrelsome husband.”
A small smile curved Mrs. Simpson’s lips. “I told him to leave before he grew ill, but he refused. He tended to the sisters personally, until he couldn’t any longer.”
Her stubborn and foolhardy husband had a heart of gold, especially when it came to the children. Imagine what he would do to protect their offspring, whenever they came.
Alicia bit the inside of her cheek. It would do no good to break down now when there was so much to do. She also wanted Mrs. Simpson to feel confident enough in the care she would provide that she would be able to rest.
