by Robert Thier
Oh.
Ears turning red, I started unbuttoning Ella’s dress. ‘Turn your back!’ I grumbled.
‘I’ve seen ladies in the nude before, Miss. It’s part of my job.’
‘Well, this lady damn well isn’t! Turn your back. And as for you,’ I shot at the maid who was still standing in the doorway, ‘be so kind as to close the door, will you?’
‘Oh. Of course, Miss. I’ll be outside if you need anything.’
‘Thank you.’
I looked at the doctor, my eyes determined. Sighing, he turned around.
‘Hands over your eyes. Now!’
‘Miss Linton, I really don’t think—’
‘Hands over your eyes, or I’m fetching the big fellow with the beard and sabre!’
Instantly, the doctor put his hand over his eyes. The moment I was sure he could see nothing, I started to open Ella’s dress. It wasn’t as if I didn’t believe him when he said he was a professional. It was simply that I knew my little sister. And I knew the silly, lovable little goose would die of shame if she knew some stranger had seen her like this.
‘And I’m not going to go to all this trouble saving your life just to have you keel over dead afterwards,’ I told the unconscious Ella sternly. ‘Do you hear? You’re going to survive! Survive, dammit!’
All I got in response was silence. And not the comforting kind I was used to.
Quicker than I’d ever managed to do it with my own, I unlaced and removed her corset. After I buttoned her dress back up, I tapped the doctor on the shoulder.
‘She’s ready. You can turn around.’
Instantly, he went to work. From a corner of the room, I watched as he pulled various instruments from his bag and started to examine Ella. He listened at her chest with some strange kind of tube, lifted one eyelid to shine a candle in her eyes and did various other things that, in my opinion, had about as much medical value as wiggling your toes. But it must have told him something, because, he rose with a contented sigh and nodded.[49]
‘I don’t think the fall was caused directly by her illness or did any lasting damage. She probably just fainted from exhaustion because of a lack of sleep and that infernal corset. Those things should be outlawed!’
‘I’m with you on that. But let’s postpone the political rally till tomorrow, shall we? Right now, I want to know what is wrong with my little sister. Please.’
The doctor’s face darkened. ‘I have my suspicions. But I need to talk with the patient first. To ask her a few questions. Could you ask the maid to bring us some smelling salts?’
‘Coming, Miss!’ came a voice from outside the door, followed by receding footsteps.
How nice.
The helpful eavesdropper was back two minutes later, face flushed and a little lilac bottle clutched in her hand. Taking it, I handed to the doctor who stepped up beside Ella’s bed and bent over her.
‘Would you come here, Miss? Stand like this. I think it’s best if she sees a familiar face when she wakes up. I wouldn’t want to alarm her.’
‘Of course.’
Quickly, I took up a position at the head of the bed. The doctor uncorked the little bottle, and immediately, a strong scent pervaded her room. He waved the bottle under Ella’s nose, and she twitched, letting out a pitiful little moan.
‘What…how…’
Her eyes fluttered open—and widened, when she caught sight of the strange man leaning over her.
‘Who are you? What are you doing here? I—?’
Feebly, she tried to pull away. I grasped her shoulder, holding her in place and leant over her.
‘Shh. Everything is all right, Ella. This is Doctor Ross. I called him to have a look at you. When we came up we found you lying on the floor.’
‘On the floor…? I don’t remember…’
‘You were unconscious.’
I saw the flicker of fear in her eyes, and pulled her against me. ‘It’s going to be all right, Ella. Everything is going to be all right. Doctor Ross will take care of you.’
She hesitated—then nodded. Gently, I let go and let her sink back onto the pillow.
‘Emanuel Ross, MD.’ Doctor Ross made a curt bow. ‘May I ask your name, Miss?’
‘E-Ella. Ella Linton.’
‘A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Linton, even in these disagreeable circumstances. Do you feel well enough to answer a couple of questions? There are some things about your condition I must know before I can make my diagnosis.’
Again, that flicker of fear flashed in Ella’s eyes. She clearly wasn’t too eager to find out what was wrong with her. But while she had always been a little timid, a coward she was not. Raising her chin, she nodded. ‘Go ahead, doctor. Ask all you need.’
The nosy side of me – the one that took up ninety per cent of the available surface – wanted to join the maid outside the door and listen. It wasn’t as if this would be the first time I listened in on my little sister. But somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Not here. Not now. Not when she might have to bare things that she wouldn’t want anyone, not even me, to know about. So I left the room and shooed the maid away with orders to prepare a good, hot, strong broth for Ella. Let the doctor do his doctoring. I’d help in any other way I could.
Anxiously, I paced up and down in front of the door. From inside, I heard nothing but low murmurs. Again and again, I was tempted to press my ear against the door and find out what the heck was happening—but I resisted. Somehow. Miraculously. The wait dragged on endlessly. I felt as if I had already worn grooves into floor from all my marching up and down—and yet, it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes since I left them alone. It felt like ages.
What’s taking them so long? What’s bloody happening in there? What’s wrong with her?
Finally, the murmurs stopped. A moment later, the door opened and the doctor stepped out, a serious expression on his face.
‘And?’ I demanded. ‘What is it?’
‘Under normal circumstances,’ the doctor told me, ‘my Hippocratic oath would forbid me from sharing that information with you. But since you are the main caregiver and have a hulking giant with a big sabre at your command who would cut my head off if you told him to, I think I will make an exception in this case.’
Well, well. What a wise man.
‘I’m not a hundred percent certain yet what your sister’s sickness is. It may just be a stomach bug. The symptoms would fit. It could all be over soon.’
His words didn’t make me feel any better. His face was still as grim as death.
‘Could?’ I demanded, picking up on the key word. ‘What do you mean, could? What else could it be?’
The doctor hesitated.
Please don’t let him say it! Please!
‘What else? Tell me!’
His face hard, he met my eyes. ‘Cholera.’
The word nearly knocked my legs out from under me.
‘Y-you’re not serious.’
‘I’m afraid I am. But at the present moment, it is only a possibility. I might be wrong in my suspicions.’
‘Might?’ Disregarding every rule of proper manners Aunt Brank had ever drilled into my head, I grabbed him by the lapels. ‘What do you mean, might? How likely is it? Tell me!’
He didn’t answer. Gently freeing himself from my hold, he pulled a card out of his tailcoat pocket and handed it to me.
‘Call me if she begins to exhibit symptoms of diarrhoea.’
I grabbed the card.
‘And then? What should I do then?’
He looked at me with so much kindness in his old eyes that it was almost too hard to bear. ‘Pray.’
And with that, he turned and strode down the corridor.
*~*~**~*~*
I didn’t take the doctor’s suggestion. Ella was the praying type. I, on the other hand, had always taken a more practical approach. So, instead of appealing to the almighty, I force-fed my little sister chicken soup and held her head while she threw most of it
up again. I made her drink warm tea and washed the sweat from her face with damp linens. The hours dragged on and on.
A knock came from the door.
‘Yes?’
Karim stuck his turban through the door. His head followed a moment later.
‘The kitchen staff tells me they’re about to serve lunch. Do you wish to come down and—’
‘No.’
‘I would watch over her while you ate and—’
‘No.’
Karim looked distinctly uncomfortable. ‘I, um…was instructed to ensure that you ate and rested sufficiently.’
‘I see. And did the person who instructed you perchance wear a ten-year-old mint-condition tailcoat?’
‘They did.’
I considered for a moment—then smiled. ‘But he also instructed you to follow all my orders, didn’t he?’
‘Yes…?’
‘Very well then. I order you to disregard his orders. All of them. Past, present and future.’
This left the poor man looking distinctly discombobulated. If I hadn’t been so hellishly scared for Ella, the constipated expression on his face might have made me laugh. When he looked as if steam was about to come from under his turban, I finally took pity on him.
‘If you have one of the maids bring me something up, will that satisfy our mutual acquaintance? I just…’ I glanced over at Ella. ‘I can’t leave her. Not now.’
Mine and Karim’s eyes met and there was a rare moment of understanding between the two of us. He nodded.
‘Family comes first. I shall have them bring something up immediately.’
Ten minutes later, I had a lavish meal in front of me, that had probably taken ten people to prepare and would take another ten to eat. A faint smile played around the corner of my mouth. The hotel manager apparently was taking his instructions to take care of me very seriously. Not surprising, considering from whom those instructions had come.
You’re not alone Lilly. He’s here. He cares.
The thought was almost enough to give me hope. Plus – so far, Ella hadn’t shown a single symptom of diarrhoea. Her vomiting had even gone down a little, and she’d been able to eat some more broth. If things just stayed like that, if nothing went wrong—
‘Lill!’
My head snapped up, away from the food. Ella had a panicked expression on her face and was trying to get out of bed. Just the effort to stand made her tremble.
‘What are you doing? Lie back down!’
‘I can’t! I’ve got to—’
Her eyes strayed towards the toilette. Eyes in which fear shone bright.
No. No, please no.
‘I…I…oh!’
Ella convulsed. A moment later, a dark stain began to spread across her bed.
A Beautiful Bowl of Carrots
Ella spent the next half hour on the toilet, while I spent the time inconspicuously carrying a soiled mattress out of a busy hotel in the middle of the busiest season. Oh, the joys of a holiday in the country!
Next, I went to have a little chat with the hotel manager. A maid was kind enough to point me in the direction of his office. Following her instructions, I soon stood before mahogany double doors with a golden door knocker. I raised my hand and knocked.
‘Come in,’ came a man’s voice from beyond.
I pushed open the door and entered an opulent room full of plush leather armchairs, bookshelves filled with old books, and paintings in golden frames. A year or two ago, such opulent surroundings might have intimidated me. Now, I knew what real wealth and power looked like. Striding past all the pretentious opulence, I planted myself in front of the manager’s desk and gazed down at him.
‘We have things to discuss.’
‘Ah.’ He swallowed nervously. ‘Miss Linton. Your sister’s ailment…it is serious, then?’
‘Yes.’
‘Oh. I, um…should I…well…’
It was almost amusing, watching him squirm while he tried to think of a diplomatic way to ask whether we had to be put under quarantine. Under normal circumstances, I had no doubt Ella and I would already be out in the street, far away from any other hotel guests we might infect—never mind he didn’t even know yet what sickness we were dealing with, and whether it was contagious. Fear was contagious, and fear would have been enough.
Except, in this case, there was something more frightening than some unnamed sickness.
‘I spoke to Mr Ambrose last night,’ I told him.
The manager’s face lost quite a bit of colour.
‘Y-you did?’
‘Yes. He told me how adequate your services in support of me and my family have been thus far.’
The manager managed a tremulous little smile.
‘Adequate. How wonderful.’
‘He also said he would be…displeased were you to waver in your helpful attitude.’
‘I see.’ The manager cleared his throat. ‘Um, Miss Linton?’
‘Yes?’
‘May I ask what kind of sickness your sister has contracted?’
I gave him a long, hard look.
‘Helpful, remember? Not nosy.’
‘Yes, Miss! Certainly, Miss.’
‘Let’s just say that for the time being, it would be best if your personal did not enter the top floor of the hotel. Tell them that my sister is recuperating from a nervous breakdown and must under no circumstances be disturbed.’
‘Yes, Miss.’
‘Have the staff leave meals in front of the door and knock. From time to time, I might send down lists of items I need. I expect deliveries to be made promptly and completely. Do we understand each other?’
Defeated, he inclined his head.
‘Yes, Miss.’
‘The first item I require is a fresh mattress.’
‘A…mattress, Miss?’
‘Yes.
‘Of course, Miss. Straight away, Miss.’
My heart pounding, I turned and marched out of the room. Only when I was outside, I sank against the wall, trembling.
It had worked! He’d actually let us stay. Through sheer determination and a pinch of Rikkard Ambrose, it had worked! Slowly, a grim smile spread across my face.
I think I’m going to like being powerful.
Then the smile withered as I remembered that all the money or connections in the world would not make a jot of difference to Ella. Yes, I could get her the best doctors, the best care—but ultimately, her life lay in the hands of fate.
Straightening, I made my way back towards Ella’s room. It was time I checked on her. I probably shouldn’t have left her alone in the first place. But I had to have that talk with the manager.
Please don’t let her have passed out again. Please.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I opened the door to Ella’s room and found her lying on the chaise lounge, paler and more exhausted than before, but undeniably conscious. Her eyes met mine.
‘Could I have something to drink?’ she croaked, her eyes flitting to the bathroom door. ‘I feel rather…dried up and empty.’
For some reason, I found it hard to answer. So I just nodded, filled a glass with water and handed it to her with shaking hands.
‘Thank you.’
‘Y-you’re welcome.’
I waited in silence as she drank. She didn’t manage more than a couple of gulps before handing the glass black to me. Our eyes strayed once again towards the privy door.
‘You know what this means?’ I nodded towards the door, unable to say it aloud. ‘The doctor told you?’
Ella glanced away. ‘Yes.’
I stepped forwards to take her in my arms—but quickly, she threw her hands up. ‘No! Don’t touch me! Don’t come any closer! It’s bad enough that you’re in here with me. I won’t allow you to risk any more infection.’
One of my eyebrows rose. ‘Try and stop me. You’re not exactly in prime wrestling condition right now. I’m going to take care of you, whether you like it or not.’
‘You…
you’re impossible! Why do you always have to be so stubborn?’
I grinned at her. ‘It’s one of my most endearing qualities.’
She opened her mouth, probably to tell me how ‘endearing’ she found my endearing qualities, but was cut off by a knock at the door.
‘Hello?’ came an all-too-familiar voice from outside. The little colour that had still been in Ella’s face drained away like juice from a leaky bowl. ‘May I come in?’
I opened my mouth and was about to say ‘Yes, Edmund, go ahead’, when Ella clapped her hand across my mouth.
‘Nng? Whh arr yo toshng mmm?’ I protested.
‘Shut up shut up shut up!’ she hissed.
‘Yo rr tching mmee. Wot abot rsk ff infexnn?’
‘To heck with infection!’ she hissed. ‘Please don’t let him in! Don’t let him see me like this.’
‘Wot mm I saposssd to tll hm?’
‘Anything! Anything except the truth that I’m lying here, unable to control the need to—!’ She blushed like a virginal volcano before its very first explosion and cut off. ‘Just lie! Lie like the dickens! You’re good at that.’
My, my. It seemed my little sister was taking a walk on the wild side. And all while she was lying in bed unable to stand or control her digestive organs. Impressive.
Gently removing her hand from my mouth, I rose.
Another knock came from the door. ‘Miss Linton? Ella? May I enter?’
Ella sent me a last pleading look.
Rising to my feet, I strode to the door—then tore it open, slipped out and slammed it shut again before Edmund could get a peek inside. Dear me. I would never have thought that years of practise slamming doors in my suitors’ faces would come in this handy.
‘Miss Linton! Thank God!’
Poor Edmund was a sorry sight. To judge by the rings under his eyes, he hadn’t slept all night, but it was the look in his eyes that was most disturbing. There had always been an underlying certainty about Edmund from the moment he’d met my sister. He’d known who he was and where he was going. But now…?
That certainty was gone.
‘Please, Miss Linton, may I see her?’ he asked.
Damn! Damn you, Ella, for making me say no to that sad puppy-dog face!
I magicked a grin onto my face. ‘I’m afraid not right now. She’s, um….resting.’