A Season for Honour

Chapter 12

Octavia had left Evesham late that evening feeling emotionally drained. Throughout the past week, while she had been staying at Evesham, there had been many times when Octavia had thought that her friend was going to slip away from this world. She had felt helpless as she had watched Katie burn with a fever and drift in and out of consciousness muttering incoherently. She was so far removed from the vivacious woman, who only a few weeks ago, was looking forward to bringing a new life into the world. Fortunately, Katie was strong, and even in her darkest hour, when death hovered above her, and everyone thought she would succumb to its call, she clung tenaciously to life.

That afternoon, Dr Roberts had examined Katie. He had told her and Freddie, with the confidence of an experienced physician, that his patient no longer required constant round the clock nursing. He had also looked at Octavia and had told her firmly that she looked burnt to the socket and he ordered her to go home and get some rest. She had not wanted to leave Katie, but Freddie had insisted that she should take the doctor's advice and go back to Northleigh.

Later that evening, after she had helped settle Katie down for the night and she was satisfied that her friend would pass the night comfortably, Freddie sent for his carriage to take her home. The snow that had fallen last week on the day that Katie had started labour had begun to thaw and the road between Evesham and Northleigh was clear. However, even though Freddie's carriage was comfortable, it was bitterly cold. Octavia was grateful for the hot brick under her feet and the woollen blanket that she had covering her lap, but she soon felt chilled to the bone. Before she reached Northleigh, she had lost sensation in her fingers, and they were tingling like they were full of pins and needles. It was an odd sensation that Octavia found most unsettling.

When she had arrived back at Northleigh, she dismissed Andrews as soon as he had taken her cloak. She knew, from the advanced hour, that all the servants would have gone to bed some time ago, and there was no point waking them up just for her benefit.

She was just about to go upstairs to get ready for bed when she saw a light under the library door, and she knew that it must be Captain Fallbrook preparing Charles' lessons for the following day. She hesitated as she rested her hand lightly on the bannister and her right foot on the bottom run of the stairs. The sensible thing to do would be to creep up and get ready for bed. She was, after all, completely exhausted and needed to rest. But, she suddenly felt very alone, and the thought of being by herself frightened her.

She was nervous as she put her hand out to open the library door and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. It had been two weeks since they had exchanged any more than a few polite words regarding Charles, but the memory of his kiss had rarely strayed from her mind. When she had opened the door and had walked into the library, she saw Captain Fallbrook sprawled out in one of the leather chairs, looking dishevelled. Octavia thought that he looked even more handsome than she remembered as he lounged in the chair with his jacket and cravat discarded on the floor.

'Octavia, Lady Kendall. Are you well?' he said as he opened his eyes and looked at her in surprise.

Octavia was disappointed that he had corrected himself and no longer used her given name. She longed for the familiarity that she had shared with him in the gallery. She wanted him to call her Octavia and hold her in his arms. As she stood by the door, she felt a little light headed and put her hand out to the handle to steady herself.

She was aware of him taking her hands and holding them tenderly. They were warm compared to her icy fingers, and she became aware of how cold she had become during the journey to Northleigh. He guided her over to a large chair that was in front of the fire, and she was grateful for the comfort of the cushions. Once she was seated, he picked up his jacket from the floor and put it around her. She wrapped the fine dark blue wool jacket around her shoulders and looked over to him, as he relit the fire that had almost died away.