First Season

Chapter 11

So I have until Wednesday to complete this book which is a bigger challenge than I had thought but I will definitely try my best.

Please vote and comment!

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Several days passed and Lavinia was ordered to stay in her room the whole time and rest as much as possible. Charles would join her for dinner and ensured that she had everything she needed, but he would not let her out. Her almost fainting at the ball had been widely circulated but they had dampened the rumours of fever and had passed it off as tiredness after a busy few days of a debutantes' first season.

Lavinia was growing mad at being stuck in her room with nothing to do. She was perfectly fine and even the bruise on her cheek was barely visible. The doctor had visited and removed the stitches he had put in her head and declared her fit to walk around, but Charles would not hear of it. Instead, she spent her days playing cards with Anne and having small naps more out of boredom than tiredness.

The second day of unwilling bed rest, Anne opened Lavinia's door with a large grin on her face as she tried to conceal a package behind her back. Lavinia's interest was peaked at this uncharacteristic mischievousness in her maid.

"What is that Anne?" she questioned. "What are you hiding and why are you so happy about it?" Lavinia crawled along to the foot of her bed to get close enough to see what she had.

"Oh, nothing, m'lady," Anne replied as nonchalantly as she could, but the grin remained. "Perhaps just a little something from an admirer..." she hinted her eyebrows raised.

Lavinia's mind was racing. Had Colin ignored Caleb's threats and contacted her anyway? But she had told Anne everything that had happened with Colin the night after the ball so why would she be happy?

"Who?" Lavinia replied, honestly confused.

"Lord Caleb Alder perhaps," Anne gave in. She produced the parcel from behind her back and sat it down on the bed in front of Lavinia before stepping away to avoid her arm that had flown to cover her mouth in surprise. What could Caleb have possibly sent her this time? Was the dress not more than enough? The parcel was wrapped in plain brown paper and it was tied together with string. Under the string was a note which Lavinia pulled out and read out loud to Anne.

Dear Lady Lavinia,

I have heard from your brother that you are confined to your room and are not to be disturbed, so I send you something to keep away the boredom and monotony of a single room and to open up your imagination.

I look forward to hearing your opinions.

Forever yours,

C

Still rather confused at his evasive clue, Lavinia proceeded to tear open the parcel. Three books fell out onto her lap. The top one she recognised instantly, the leather bound pages and the gold embossed front declared it to be 'Sense and Sensibility', written by 'A Lady'. The other two she had never heard of before, but she would read anything Caleb recommended.

Sitting back on her pillows and taking the tea Anne had poured for her, Lavinia picked up where she had left off and read all day.

***

After three days, Charles finally allowed her out of her room and she had her meals with her Aunt in the dining room and after three more days she had finally convinced Charles that she was fully recovered and fit to continue her season properly. He was still cautious, though, of her being out alone and so he accompanied her everywhere she went and tried to make her avoid Judith as he was still angry at her part in his sister getting hurt.