Page 6 of Sleepless in Saunton
As Barclay observed the introductions, he wondered what more surprises lay in store for him on this unanticipated jaunt to the country.
CHAPTER2
Emma and Jane spent their final hours together while Perry and Richard were somewhere in the manor acquainting themselves with their new brother. Finally, Jane bid her sister and Perry a tearful farewell, before watching their carriages depart for Shepton Abbey. It was late afternoon, and the manor cast long shadows across the drive as the carriages disappeared around a corner.
Turning back to the house, Jane addressed the earl’s wife. “Sophia, I think I shall retire to my room to eat dinner. I did not sleep, and I rose early to spend these last hours with Emma.”
The countess walked over to clasp her hands with concern. “Of course, Jane. There is no pressing need to attend dinner this evening. Our guests are still arriving, so I believe it will be an informal gathering and you can meet Mr. Thompson and his family in the morning. Should we send for the physician?”
Jane shook her head. “It is nothing that a nap will not set right.”
Sophia’s stormy blue eyes displayed her worry. “Please do not hesitate to have us summon him.”
Jane smiled in acknowledgment before departing for the family wing. Soon she was undressed and attired in her nightclothes, settling her weary head to the pillow.
Some hours later, she awoke. Night had fallen, and the room was dark. Rising from the bed, she lit a beeswax candle before walking over to the dressing table. She uncapped her dental elixirto pour into a glass before adding water from a pitcher. Then she raised it to her lips to take a mouthful, which she swished around before leaning over to spit it into an empty pitcher.
“What are you doing?”
Jane jumped in fright, spilling several drops of the watered-down elixir over the table, but managing to hold on to the remainder of the contents. Her hand came up to clutch her chest, where her heart beat like that of a panicked rabbit while she gasped for breath. Turning around, she saw a tiny form in the corner of her room. The figure stood up to move into the light, and Jane saw the little girl from earlier, her silver-blonde hair shining like rays of moonlight in the dimly lit room.
“Hallo?”
The girl’s cherubic face broke into a smile. “Hallo.”
“Are you lost?”
Her little face grew thoughtful. “No, but I am a little bored. I am not accustomed to traveling anymore, and I believe I should have brought more books with me.”
Jane fumbled mentally. She was familiar with dealing with children, and this girl appeared to be about the same age as her youngest sister, little Maddie, but she was groggy from her nap and not sure how the child had come to be in her room.
“What were you doing?” The girl pointed a slender finger at the bottle of elixir and the water glass standing on the table. “Why did you spit that out? Did it not taste good?”
Jane gathered her wits about her. “It is a dental elixir that the countess’s French maid prepared for me. It is not intended for drinking.”
“What is it for?”
“It cleans the mouth. I had sensitive gums recently, so Miss Toussaint made the elixir for me. You swirl it around in your mouth, then spit it out.”
“Curious.” The waif wandered closer to inspect the glass, diminutive compared to the height of the dressing table. “What is in it?”
“Pyrethrum, some rosemary essence, nutmeg, a little bergamot, and some very strong brandy. Which is why I water it down before I use it.”
“What is pyrethrum?”
“It is a daisy.”
The girl reached out and took up the glass, raising it to her nose to sniff it. “It smells good and foul at the same time.”
Jane grinned. “Indeed.”
The girl tilted her head back, her deep blue gaze so intense that Jane unintentionally stepped back. “May I try it? My gums have been bothering me.” She stretched her mouth open to reveal pearly white teeth. The front two were missing to give her a gap-toothed smile.
Jane found herself rather charmed by the child. She gave a nod. “If you promise not to swallow any?”
Raising the glass to her mouth, the girl took a mouthful to swirl it around for several seconds exactly as Jane had done, then turned to spit it into the empty pitcher. She straightened back up, smacking her lips. “It does taste foul!”
Laughing, Jane took the glass from her. “How are your gums?”
