Finding Another Mother - CH 8

Chapter 8: FIVE MONTHS LATER

Five months had gone by since these couples were married. The Darcys were staying at their townhome in London and the Bingleys were residing at their London residence. The Hursts were away at their estate. It came about that one of Mr. Bingley’s business interests needed to have some materials delivered from London to the main factory. The factory was about a one-hour drive just outside of London. Charles determined to deliver it himself as it was a short drive and a beautiful day. He asked Mr. Darcy to accompany him, and Mr. Darcy accepted. He decided to take an open dray wagon as it was a better fit for the materials. It was a bright sunny day when the two gentlemen set off and they had much to talk about in the hour it took to drop off the items at the factory.

On the way back home, the sun disappeared and the temperature dropped dramatically. Since it started out as a nice day, the gentlemen had forgone taking their great coats with them and only had on their lighter weight tailcoats. Soon it began to rain. A huge cloud burst open and dumped a large amount of rain on them and on the road. It became difficult to navigate the dray wagon and the road became very muddy. They were between towns, and no one was around to help them, when they suddenly felt the wagon list to one side. The wheels on the right side of the dray wagon were stuck in the mud. After an additional hour of pouring rain, they were finally able to dig and pull the wheels out of the mud and get their wagon back on the road. However, when they did arrive back in London they were soaked to the bone.

They landed first at Darcy’s home. He had his carriage man take over the reins of the dray wagon and had a footman drive Bingley the few blocks home in a dry carriage with blankets and rugs to warm him. Jane took over the situation at the Darcy townhouse. She ordered two footmen to assist Mr. Darcy up the stairs. She also had a roaring fire made in his room and a hot bath prepared. The doctor was promptly sent for and when he arrived, he advised that Mr. Darcy stay in bed and be kept warm and to make sure he was taking in plenty of fluids.

When Mr. Bingley arrived home, he was soaking wet and shivering. Charlotte asked his valet to bring down his robe and had Charles take off his clothes downstairs. The valet and a footman helped Charles up to his room. Charlotte had a blazing fire prepared and hot bricks were placed in his bed to warm him up. The doctor also visited Mr. Bingley and gave much the same advice that had been given at the Darcy household.

Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley were finally dry but they both succumbed to a fever and sleep. Georgiana would sit with Jane at Fitzwilliam’s bedside. She was deeply concerned about her brother’s health. However, when Jane spoke soothingly to her and reassured her that Fitzwilliam was strong and would most assuredly make a recovery she felt more at ease. Jane really helped Georgiana to feel calm.

However, Jane was anything but calm herself, as she was very worried about her husband. He was delirious with fever, and she rarely left his side. She began to think of what her life would be like without Fitzwilliam. Her conclusion was that he was necessary for her existence, and she felt a pull at her heart at the thought of being without him. All the effort that Jane had consciously put in to fencing her heart off from loving Fitzwilliam came to no avail. It began to dawn on her that she loved, yes, absolutely loved him. Jane thought, “It has been coming on so gradually that I hardly know when it began,” but she knew that she was deeply in love with her husband. She asked the maid to sit with him for awhile and to alert her if there was a change in his condition. She crept into her adjourning room and removed the choker that Fitzwilliam had given her from its box. It was a ruby encrusted heart hanging from a black velvet ribbon. She carefully tied it around her neck. This heart was a tangible symbol of his love and she wanted him to see her wearing it if he woke up. No, when he awoke, she corrected herself. She eased herself back into the chair by his bed, dismissed the maid and continued on with her bedside vigil.

Charlotte was having a similar time with Charles. He was feverish and tossing around in bed. Charlotte had dressed in a hurry in order to be with Charles. She had forgone dressing in the more stylish way that Caroline had promoted but opted for a simple brown dress that she brought from Hertfordshire and her hair was in a tight knot on the top of her head. She entered Charles’ room and sat in a chair beside his bed trying to coax a few drops of liquid into him. She thought of how her life had changed since Charles had entered into it. She surprised herself with how much she relied on him. He was the only person with whom she felt comfortable sharing her real self. She could not imagine her life without him, nor did she want to. He was everything that was dear to her. She loved Charles. Yes, genuinely, and totally, Charlotte loved her husband! She made up her mind that she would do everything in her power to make his recovery possible and his life the happiest. A tear rolled down her cheek. Charlotte, who never considered love important was hopelessly and completely in love and the thought that Charles might not survive terrified her.