onto the pillows, and the pounding in Araminta’s head prevented her from resisting. Araminta’s arms ached from the effort of having pushed herself up.
The woman wrung out the washcloth and placed it on Araminta’s forehead. The gentle coolness made Minta release an involuntary sigh as her headache fractionally subsided.
“There, now isn’t that better? We were so worried last night, dear, that you would not wake up. Head injuries are always tricky, and you have had a fever, too. No doubt, it comes from going out in the rain like that. It took all my medicine to break the fever, you know. You were quite delirious for over two days. But now, I daresay, your headache will pass and you will be right as rain in no time. Though I suppose you’ve had enough of rain. What were you thinking, out by yourself in such a storm? It was lucky his lordship found you when he did.”
Confused flashes of dream and memory crowded Araminta’s thoughts as the woman spoke, and she felt overwhelmed by what she heard. Lordship? Who could the woman be talking about?
Forcing herself to focus, she tried to speak, but found that her mouth was parched and her throat was raspy.
“Ah!” the woman exclaimed, getting up again and moving to the table, this time to pick up a porcelain jug and a glass, pouring some water in it and bringing it over to the girl. “I’ll wager you’ll be wanting some water.”
With the woman’s help, Araminta gingerly lifted her head and drank some of the water. The liquid felt heavenly on her parched tongue. She was sure it was the best thing she had ever tasted. Somewhat recovered now, she attempted to voice her questions again.
“Where am I? How came I to be here? How long have I been here? Who are you?” she asked weakly, ignoring the stabbing pain in her head.
The woman tutted disapprovingly. “Easy, child. You will upset yourself. Now, you just lie back on those pillows, my girl.” She waited patiently for Araminta to obey before continuing.
“Well then. You are currently at Dillwood Park. His lordship is renting the house for the summer, and he found you outside, in the middle of a raging storm, when he returned here three days ago. It is lucky that he was passing when he did, because otherwise goodness knows how long you might have been out in that storm. I am Mrs Dorothy Becker, his lordship’s housekeeper, and I have been tending you since.”
“Three days,” Araminta echoed, horror creeping into her voice unbidden. Harriet must be out of her mind with worry!
“Yes. I cannot say how you came to be there, and perhaps you will enlighten us on that point. When his lordship brought you in, you were unconscious, and I feared that the exposure to the cold rain would make you ill besides. It is lucky you were brought to me when you were, because you developed a fever that first night. His lordship sent to the village for Dr Fredrikson, who came and saw you, and said that there was nothing to be done but bind your wounds and try to break the fever.”
Araminta tried to understand what she had been told. So, she was definitely at Dillwood Park. But the Joscelins were not there. It seemed that someone else had taken lease of the place. Araminta wondered how that had come to pass, and who that person was . She would have to thank him — if what the housekeeper said was true, this man had surely saved her life.
The housekeeper was watching her expectantly, and Araminta guessed she was waiting for an explanation.
“My name is Miss Araminta Barrington, daughter of the sixth Viscount Fanshawe,” she informed the older woman.
Mrs Becker nodded kindly at her. “Yes, my dear, his lordship said as much when he brought you in.”
“He… he did?” Araminta’s head spun in confusion. She remembered nothing of the accident, and could certainly not remember telling her rescuer her name. She wondered how the man would have known her name otherwise. A sense of warmth and security, of strong arms
The woman wrung out the washcloth and placed it on Araminta’s forehead. The gentle coolness made Minta release an involuntary sigh as her headache fractionally subsided.
“There, now isn’t that better? We were so worried last night, dear, that you would not wake up. Head injuries are always tricky, and you have had a fever, too. No doubt, it comes from going out in the rain like that. It took all my medicine to break the fever, you know. You were quite delirious for over two days. But now, I daresay, your headache will pass and you will be right as rain in no time. Though I suppose you’ve had enough of rain. What were you thinking, out by yourself in such a storm? It was lucky his lordship found you when he did.”
Confused flashes of dream and memory crowded Araminta’s thoughts as the woman spoke, and she felt overwhelmed by what she heard. Lordship? Who could the woman be talking about?
Forcing herself to focus, she tried to speak, but found that her mouth was parched and her throat was raspy.
“Ah!” the woman exclaimed, getting up again and moving to the table, this time to pick up a porcelain jug and a glass, pouring some water in it and bringing it over to the girl. “I’ll wager you’ll be wanting some water.”
With the woman’s help, Araminta gingerly lifted her head and drank some of the water. The liquid felt heavenly on her parched tongue. She was sure it was the best thing she had ever tasted. Somewhat recovered now, she attempted to voice her questions again.
“Where am I? How came I to be here? How long have I been here? Who are you?” she asked weakly, ignoring the stabbing pain in her head.
The woman tutted disapprovingly. “Easy, child. You will upset yourself. Now, you just lie back on those pillows, my girl.” She waited patiently for Araminta to obey before continuing.
“Well then. You are currently at Dillwood Park. His lordship is renting the house for the summer, and he found you outside, in the middle of a raging storm, when he returned here three days ago. It is lucky that he was passing when he did, because otherwise goodness knows how long you might have been out in that storm. I am Mrs Dorothy Becker, his lordship’s housekeeper, and I have been tending you since.”
“Three days,” Araminta echoed, horror creeping into her voice unbidden. Harriet must be out of her mind with worry!
“Yes. I cannot say how you came to be there, and perhaps you will enlighten us on that point. When his lordship brought you in, you were unconscious, and I feared that the exposure to the cold rain would make you ill besides. It is lucky you were brought to me when you were, because you developed a fever that first night. His lordship sent to the village for Dr Fredrikson, who came and saw you, and said that there was nothing to be done but bind your wounds and try to break the fever.”
Araminta tried to understand what she had been told. So, she was definitely at Dillwood Park. But the Joscelins were not there. It seemed that someone else had taken lease of the place. Araminta wondered how that had come to pass, and who that person was . She would have to thank him — if what the housekeeper said was true, this man had surely saved her life.
The housekeeper was watching her expectantly, and Araminta guessed she was waiting for an explanation.
“My name is Miss Araminta Barrington, daughter of the sixth Viscount Fanshawe,” she informed the older woman.
Mrs Becker nodded kindly at her. “Yes, my dear, his lordship said as much when he brought you in.”
“He… he did?” Araminta’s head spun in confusion. She remembered nothing of the accident, and could certainly not remember telling her rescuer her name. She wondered how the man would have known her name otherwise. A sense of warmth and security, of strong arms
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