Page 31 of Finding Hope
“To my knowledge, my lord, the only guests who requested breakfast in their chambers were Lady Wilton and her daughters. I will have some fresh water and linens sent up untilDr. Cafferty arrives and tells us what else to do. I pray it’s not a contagion.”
Max nodded in absolute agreement as she returned down the hall. Was it wrong to hope it would be a reason to send the other guests away? He waited outside the door for another half an hour before the doctor arrived. If Miss Joy had anything left inside her tiny person, he would be very much surprised.
When the physician came back out to speak with Max, he was shaking his head.
“How is she?”
“If it is only sour milk, it will pass quickly. If it is something worse, like cholera or dysentery, it will be much longer. I have left a draught to help relieve the spasms, but she must continue to drink. It is the lack of fluids that deteriorates people in these situations, you know.”
Max did not know. “Is there a risk to the rest of the household?”
“Maybe so, maybe not. It is too soon for me to say. Best to be careful and keep her in her rooms.”
Immediately, Max thought of his father. Something like this would kill him quickly.
He nodded and saw the doctor out, praying it was nothing more than sour milk.
CHAPTER 8
Joy was in agonizing pain for a few hours, but the retching seemed to have stopped, and she was resting now, thank God. Miss Hillier was sitting with her so that Hope could rest and possibly join the others for the afternoon. Hope was not sure if she could be jovial after what her sister had just gone through. Poor Joy.
Hope returned to her room and went to splash her face with water, then take down her hair. A folded piece of paper on the dressing table caught her eye. Nervously, she opened it.
Your beauty daunts and ensnares affections, but are secrets concealed?
Hope dropped the paper back on the dressing table, her hands trembling. Again, the note could be admiration, but it felt like a threat. It certainly did not feel like a compliment.
She shook her head and took a deep breath. Was she overreacting? She picked it up again to examine it. The paper was of good quality, but nondescript. There was no fragrance, and the script was bold and elegant—nothing that would identifyits author as either male or female. She folded the note back the way it had been and placed it in her pocket.
Instead of resting, she redressed her hair in a simple knot, added the first note to her pocket as well and then went to find her sisters. She had to tell someone.
Hope tried to remember where the games were taking place, and she thought she had heard they would be on the south lawn. She wound her way through the wings, only having to stop to ask a servant for directions once, and passed through the doors to lush, rolling lawns stretched out before the house, surrounded by a profusion of carefully landscaped gardens. The gardens featured an array of vibrant flowers, neatly trimmed hedges, and winding pathways for leisurely strolls. Ornate fountains, charming gazebos, and serene ponds adorned with water lilies completed the scene.
There were tennis courts where a couple of the gentlemen were hitting a small ball back and forth over a net with wooden spoon-shaped rackets, to the amusement of several ladies watching.
Grace was trying her hand at archery under the direction of Lord Carew, along with Lady Agatha and Lord Rotham. Hope was determined not to be jealous or envious as she heard Lady Agatha simper at an excellent shot his lordship had made.
Continuing on, she found Patience playing lawn bowls with Lord Augustus, Lord Brosner and Lady Alice against Mr. Cunningham and his sister, as well as Lord Montford and his sister, Lady Caroline. It was looking like a heated competition. She would have been highly amused by it were she not so exhausted and worried about the letter.
“Would you care to join us, Miss Whitford?” Lord Brosner asked with a friendly smile.
“Oh, no, indeed, sir, thank you. That would spoil the pairings. I am happy to watch.”
“If you change your mind, you can share turns with me.” He picked up his wooden ball and rolled it down the green, landing very near the jack.
“Well done, my lord.” Politely, she acknowledged the expertly placed ball.
“How is Joy?” Patience asked when she finished her turn and spotted Hope.
“She is resting now. Hopefully, the worst has passed. The doctor said if it was simply the chocolate, then she will improve quickly. Miss Hillier is sitting with her now and will alert me if she becomes ill again.”
“What is wrong with Miss Joy?” Mr. Cunningham asked. He must have overheard.
Hope exchanged glances with Patience. “She has been taken ill. We believe she drank something that did not agree with her.”
“That is a lot of rotten luck for one young lady,” he said with concern.
Hope agreed. Joy had not long recovered from her accident with a horse earlier in the spring. “Pray it is over with now. She is resting,” she assured Mr. Cunningham.
