Don't Look Back

Chapter 47

"Oh Sidney," Eliza turned and wiped at her eye. "I was worried. I have been waiting for a while."

He clenched his jaw in rage at seeing her before him just now. If Sir Edward knew of a rumor that speculated Flora was not his, all their work to protect her was ruined. All his efforts were in vain.

The woman's tears looked genuine but he did not care for whom they shed. Probably for herself.

Voice remained halted as he took in her form within the refuge of this address he kept for himself when in London. Flora often stayed with Eliza when in the city. It was more practical for the nurse when she had been much younger. Plus it was a nicer home.

"You are bleeding." Eliza looked down at his hand which dripped. Her hand swept to her stomach in obvious physical effect as if the sight of blood turned her stomach.

He looked down at his injury that he barely felt and then back up before going silently to his washstand to clean out the slashed cuts on his knuckles.

As he did he unplugged a bottle of wine and drank the bitter contents. Just enough to calm himself which was three heavy gulps. Wine calmed him.

"What happened?" she pressed. Her blue eyes wide, and pleading. It did not sway him as he could see plainly it was a ruse.

He turned his back to her and cleansed his hand with water. Careful to be sure all the glass was picked out. before going to his whiskey and poured it on the wound. Going to a cloth he silently ripped it with one hand and his teeth showing her his ferality and rage in the act. The technique was effective as he hurried for blood and water was now running down his arm.

"Here, let me." Eliza offered as she seemed to study his face intently. It put a chill down his spine.

Sidney shook his head and growled. "You will not touch me." he roared but felt a little out of sorts and shook his head. "You...." he could not speak for the anger he held against her.

Her face had held for but a moment sorrow but now she blinked and smiled. "Ever the prideful one." her brief laugh grated his nerves.

He lifted his hand to backhand her but then stopped himself. "No..." He was no abuser. Much like he stopped himself the night he had his hands around her neck he stopped now.

"No what?" she asked. "It is all over town now. Not only my love with Lord Sellac but your little Miss Heywood's as well. Perhaps she too is with child?" she patted her belly.

Sidney felt that hesitancy snap inside of him. "You have dragged an innocent woman's name into the mud. And I told you, I will not claim another child." he bellowed.

Eliza laughed as she twirled away from him.

"I hear you are going to attempt to divorce me." she looked out the window and then back at him as he drank another from the bottle again. It anchored him, the contents calmed where her words enflamed his ire.

"I will extricate myself from you," he vowed. "You have been a vile creature. I was so very fortunate Mr. Campion caught your attention when we were younger. What a fool I was to think I the unlucky one."

She raised her brows. "You think so? Perhaps you could be unluckier still..." she turned. "If I were to counter sue... and annul our marriage."

He shook his head. "No..." he growled again. "You will not be able to annul because I will not let you make a legal bastard out of your daughter. Even if she is, or even a rumored one, I will not allow you to do that over money. I will lie in court if I must, for Flora. No...It will be divorce or death."

Her eyes looked upon him regretfully as he took another drink. "Perhaps it will," she answered him and picked up her purse from the table and smiled. "Goodbye, Sidney."

There was a strange finality to her voice and he took another drink as he tasted the bitterness again and frowned as he looked at the bottle now in question. She moved out the door and it closed and he put the bottle down in confusion.

It was foggy in his vision now and he sniffed the bottle.

He felt a dark bolt of fear go through him and he went to the door shakily. His heartfelt strange in his chest, and sweat had broken across his brow.

"Mrs. Fielding, a physician!" he strained now. "I have been poisoned."

The landlady gasped and ran up the stairwell to him. "Heavens Mr. Parker, you have no time for that."

Getting up she went to find something long and came back with a shoehorn.

"Now, open your mouth, Mr. Parker," she commanded as he lay struggling to find his equilibrium which seemed to cease to function as she shoved the tool brutally down his throat till he gagged.

Soon he was choking and then vomiting all over the floor and his sight went dark.

Sweat poured off of him and he was still gasping after the heavy purging.

"She tried to kill me." he gasped.

The woman nodded. "She still might. I must get some charcoal in you." she patted him.

He looked around but still could not see.

"She tried to warn me you were not feeling well and to check on you in a while. She feigned concern." Mrs. Fielding said with worry.

Laying his head back he laughed.

"What is so funny?" the woman asked, her voice laced with surprise. "You almost died, sir."

They were both on the floor, her kneeling and he lay where he very nearly expired. He still felt the trace amount of poison's effect in his system and the laughter took over.

"I am no longer in conflict," he answered. "The woman is mad."

Mrs. Fielding put her hand sensually on his chest. "She must be to do such things to a man like you." she leaned over his vomit. "But you may be a little mad yourself right now for you do not know what she poisoned you with. Come now, let us get you inside."

Taking her hand off him he tried to weakly move.

"Thank you, Mrs. Fielding. I do believe you saved my life this night." he struggled to sit up.

Her blush was deep. "You would have done the same for me."

Smiling he accepted her hand to help him up.

"The poison was in the wine," he said trying to point to the bottle, but he pointed in the wrong direction.

"I should send for a physician still," she said. "You sit and rest while I have my servant go fetch one." she said patting his arm. "and don't drink anything in this room. I will fetch you new things, and you can pay me back later."

He nodded his thanks. "Please, do not speak of this yet to anyone but the physician." he implored still not able to see. Everything was cloudy.

"I mean..." his mind raced. "If she wants me dead...perhaps it would be good to play this out," he whispered. "See what she does."

The woman looked confused and then intrigued.

"Do you want me to perhaps go and tell her you have dropped dead?" she said excitedly.

Thinking on it he nodded. "I think it might be interesting to see what she does. It would have been murder."

The woman positively vibrated with excitement to be at the center of the scandal.

"Sounds diverting." she leaned into him.

"But I will need you to post a letter in the morning to Sanditon." he directed her. "That is if I can manage to write one," he said blinking.

"Still can't see?" she asked.

He nodded. "Hopefully just the short-term effects of the poison she used. I want to thank you for saving me."

She smiled conspiratorially as she leaned in once more flirtatiously but he could not see. "Anything Mr. Parker."

Hustling out she went to fetch a doctor.