Page 91 of Leap of Faith
“She recognized me, sir! She seemed to have all of her wits about her. She drank a glass of barley water, then went back to sleep.”
“It is sooner than I would have wished, but this is a good sign indeed. Lord Westwood mentioned she has had some bleeding from her wound. I will examine her now to make certain there is no infection.”
“Will she have to be sedated again?”
“I will not know for certain until I examine her, but I suspect she will sleep a great deal and need something to ease the pain, but not the heavy sedation as before.”
The doctor went into the room where Hope was sitting with Joy, and Faith began to sag with relief. “Thank God!” Westwood’s warm arm wrapped around her, and she placed her head on his shoulder, too near to be resisted. It was too easy to let herself depend on him, but she knew that when they went back to Town, things would not be the same.
Reluctantly, she left his arms and went back to Joy.
* * *
Dominic left Faithwith her sister after the doctor had left. Dr. Harvey had been encouraged by Joy’s progress, but said she would be under strict physical restrictions until they were sure the swelling in the brain was gone. Dominic knew as soon as the little imp was feeling better there would be no holding her down, but they would deal with that problem when it arose.
For now, he had other things on his mind, but he needed to greet Rotham first.
He was in one of the salons with Freddy, Dominic’s grandmother, and his two aunts, charming them with well-practiced ease.
Cackling with laughter, his grandmother flirtatiously rapped Rotham on the knuckles, as if she were five decades younger.
Dominic smiled as he entered the green and gold room as he thought of it. Freddy was sitting on a sofa in between Aunt Flora and Aunt Rosemary, showing them the kitten.
“Dominic,” his grandmother greeted when she finally looked up and saw him.
“I have been in here five minutes. It took you as long as that to take your eyes from Rotham,” he teased.
“I may be old, but I am not dead,” she answered with a mischievous grin.
“How is Miss Joy faring?” Freddy asked.
“She has woken and recognized her sisters. Dr. Harvey is optimistic about her full recovery.”
“That is very good news,” Aunt Flora said.
“Keeping her in bed to recover will be the challenge, I predict,” Rotham remarked as he rose to his feet. “I must be returning. I promised my mother I would be back in time for her dinner party.”
“Are you taking Miss Hope back to Town?” Dominic asked.
“That was the intention, although she might have decided to stay.”
That was not the case. Hope was satisfied by having seen Joy awake and was willing to return to London. Freddy decided he would return with them.
Dominic saw them off and was about to go upstairs to see how Faith went on when his grandmother stopped him.
“A word, if you please, Westwood.” She beckoned to him.
“Is it not time for your repose?” He was prevaricating, and they both knew it. She was going to ask him questions he did not want to answer to her before he’d answer them to himself. At least consciously.
“I will not wilt if my nap is delayed by a few minutes!”
He could not help but smile at her. “Would you care to go into the garden?”
“You know I would,” she snapped. He took her chair and rolled it out through the door with the ramp built just for such occasions.
He wheeled her down the path towards the rose garden, which she’d planted as a new bride there at Taywards. It was still her favourite place. They stopped near a bench, and he sat down on it next to her chair.
“What do you mean to do now?” she asked without preamble.
