Only For Love (A Novella)

Only For Love - Chapter Seven

"Lady Clara!" 

The whispered voice pulled Clara from a sound sleep. She blinked open her eyes to find her maid, Bethany standing over her holding a candle. She sat up, "What is it, Bethany?" 

"It's Lady Eleanor. They called a doctor, but I thought you should know." 

Clara bolted from the bed. Without bothering with her robe or slippers, she ran from the room and through the hallways to her grandmothers bedroom. As she entered, she found a tired looking older man, the doctor who had visited on other occasions, sitting on the side of her grandmothers bed. The sadness in his eyes confirmed her worst fear.

"No!" She cried, rushing to the bed, the doctor moved out of the way, "No..." Grasping her grandmothers shoulders, she shook her, "No, grandmother." 

"Lady Clara." The butler, Martin, waved a hand towards the door, "the doctor will care for your grandmothers body." 

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Clara looked around the room through her blurry tear filled eyes. Looking back at her were the faces of her grandmothers maid, butler, housekeeper and other staff as well as the doctor. All strangers she had only met, she found no comfort or patience in their expressions. 

"How..." Swallowing back a sob, Clara asked, "How long has she been gone?" 

The staff looked towards the doctor, who cleared his throat, "I was called several hours ago. She was gone when I arrived." 

"No one woke me?" Clara demanded, "Why did you not wake me?" When they did not respond, she turned to the butler, "Please send a man to inform Lord Grossmont. He was very dear to my grandmother." 

Hesitating a moment, the butler finally nodded, and left the room. Soon, the staff filed out, leaving Clara alone with the doctor, and her grandmother, "You have my deepest condolences, Lady Clara." 

"Why did she die?" Clara asked, wiping away tears. 

The doctor sighed, "She has been ill for a very long time, though she preferred for no one to know." 

Turning watery eyes to the doctor, Clara asked, "She was ill when she came to me in America?" 

"Yes, my lady. I warned her against the journey." 

"Did the journey advance her illness? Is that why she died?" 

"No, no..." The doctor shook his head vigorously, "I believe the journey, and bringing you home with her prolonged her life. I did not expect her to survive the journey." 

Clara turned back to touch her grandmothers cheek gently, "She did not tell me." 

"I am sure she wanted her time with you to be uninhibited." 

A tap on the door heralded a man with a tall black top hat and a big black bag, "I have come to prepare the body." He informed them. 

Though she felt she needed more time to say goodbye, Clara left the bedroom. In the hallway, Bethany met her with her robe and slippers, "Has Lord Grossmont been sent for?" 

"Yes, my lady." 

"I will await him in the library." She rushed down the stairs, and into the library where a fire had already been laid in the hearth. Wandering the library for a few minutes, she quickly felt stifled and threw open the doors to the patio garden. 

As she stood in the doorway breathing deeply of the cool night air, the library door opened, and Richard entered, "Lady Clara." 

Clara wiped her eyes, and turned to him. Not surprised that not even a hair was out of place in his immaculate dress, "Did they tell you?" She asked.