Page 24 of Tamed By a Passionate Lady
I never even spoke to him,she thought, her heart wrenching again.We did not say one word to each other, and I may never hear him speak again.
Chapter 9
Adaline stood impassively as Tillie dressed her, frowning deeply. She was barely aware of the maid at all.
“Ma’am?” said the maid, gazing at her closely. “You are ready, now.”
“Oh,” she said, jumping a little, out of her reverie. “Thank you, Tillie. I was miles away…”
“I can see that,” said Tillie, her eyes full of pity. “You were away with the fairies, to be sure.” She paused. “Do not worry so. I am sure the master will be as right as rain in no time.”
Adaline smiled faintly, but she didn’t answer. What was there to say? And besides, she didn’t believe a word of it. Tillie was only trying to make her feel better; she was sure that no one at Birkenhead Lodge thought that James Townshend was going to make a speedy recovery.
It had been two days since the sailors had brought him back here. Two days, during which he had not opened his eyes once.
She had stayed by his bedside for the first day, barely leaving the room, holding his hand. She had watched that handsome face, so pale, in repose, wondering what was going on. Was her husband still there, or had he already left them in his mind?
She had sent for another doctor, who resided in Hemsworth, a local seaside village, about ten miles away from Birkenhead Lodge. Dr. William Brown had attended them before on a few occasions, and he was a charming, thoroughly skilled physician. He had been sombre when he had first seen James.
“He fell from the cliff?” he asked, as he sat down, on the edge of the sick bed, gazing at the unconscious man. “He is very lucky to be alive, if that is the case. Do you know what happened?”
Adaline had shaken her head helplessly. “He was spotted lying on rocks, by a ship that was sailing along the coast.” She paused. “If they had not stopped to assist, I fear that he would be dead now. But no one saw what happened. He was walking alone.”
Dr. Brown had nodded. “He must have lost his footing, standing too close to the edge, I suspect.” He frowned. “But Mr. Townshend knows that area like the back of his hand. He must know that those cliffs can be treacherous, if you stand too close to the edge. He has lived in this area long enough by now…”
Adaline shook her head helplessly. “I simply do not know. Perhaps he was distracted by the sight of the ship, sailing so close along the coastline, and stepped to the edge for a closer look.”
Adaline thought about it now as she gazed at Tillie, her face clouding with concern. Itwasunlike James to venture too close to the edge of the cliffs. He had often warned her about doing so when she ventured out on her lone walks.
She took a deep breath. What did it matter, now, how he had come to be lying on those rocks? It didn’t change a thing.
There was a soft knock on the door and Isabel entered, her face uncharacteristically flushed.
The high colour suited her, thought Adaline. A welcome change from her usual ghostly pale visage.
“I am sorry to disturb you, Adaline,” said the younger woman, a little breathlessly. “But I thought you should know that Dr. Brown has arrived a little early. I showed him to the sick room myself. I hope you do not mind?”
Adaline gazed at her, noticing that her pale blue eyes were glittering as well. Was the young woman coming down with a fever? Adaline studied her carefully. But she looked well enough; in fact, she seemed in better spirits and far haler than she had since she had come to Birkenhead Lodge.
“That is fine, Isabel,” she said. “Can you tell him that I will be along shortly? I suppose he will want to be alone with James to examine him first, anyway.”
Isabel nodded, her smile almost radiant, before quickly closing the door.
Adaline sighed, her heart aching. She had hoped that whoever was knocking on the door might inform her that James was awake at long last. But no. He was obviously exactly the same as when she had left him, late last night, before retiring to bed. There hadn’t been any change in his condition overnight.
Her eyes filled with sudden tears. This was unbearable, and yet she had to bear it. Shemustbear it, for the sake of her husband.
***
She was just going down the hallway, towards the sick room, when she stopped short. Reuben Montgomery was standing there, at the top of the staircase, staring straight at her.
She took a deep breath, continuing on at a slower pace, approaching him.
“Adaline,” he said, as soon as she was near him. “You are on your way to the sick room, I suppose, for your morning vigil?” He sounded rather flat, and he was frowning in a distracted way.
“Yes, I am,” she said, gazing at him. The familiar repugnance she felt at being in his proximity washed over her, but she pushed it away. She had to be civil to him, especially at a time like this.
“You are a devoted nurse,” he said, in that same flat tone. “I hope that James appreciates your devotion, if he ever wakes up from his concussion.”
