Lady Ines Scandalous Hobby-Chapter 144 - Hundred And Forty Four

Edith nodded slowly. Her brain was moving like molasses. She processed the words "Carcel" and "room."

"Okay," Edith mumbled, closing her eyes for a second. "You want me to get the Duke into your room? I’ll go and do that now."

She pushed herself off the doorframe, turning as if to go get dressed to run an errand. She thought Ines was asking her to send a message.

Ines grabbed Edith’s shoulders. She shook her gently.

"No," Ines hissed. "The Duke IS in my room."

Edith stopped.

She stood very still.

Slowly, the words filtered through the fog of sleep.

The Duke. Is. In the room.

Edith’s eyes flew open. They went from narrow slits to wide saucers in an instant. The sleep disappeared as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice water on her.

"The Du—" Edith started to shout.

Ines’s hand flew up and clamped over Edith’s mouth.

"Shhh!" Ines warned, her eyes fierce. "No one else knows."

Edith stared at Ines over the hand covering her mouth. She nodded frantically against Ines’s palm.

Ines slowly removed her hand.

Edith took a deep breath. She looked terrified.

"But... it isn’t proper, My Lady!" Edith whispered frantically. "The Duke? In your bedroom? At this hour? If anyone finds out... the scandal! Duke Rowan... the Ton.."

"That’s why they won’t find out," Ines said firmly.

She grabbed Edith’s hand. She needed her maid to be calm. She needed an ally.

"He came to the balcony," Ines explained quickly. "He... he was hurt. He was out in the cold without a coat."

Ines looked toward the stairs leading back to the main house, then back at Edith.

"He caught a cold," Ines said, her voice trembling slightly. "A bad one. He is burning up, Edith. He collapsed on me."

Edith gasped softly. "Collapsed?"

"I dragged him to the bed," Ines said. "But I don’t know what to do. I went to the kitchen, but I just stared at the bowl. I need your help. I need you to teach me how to nurse someone back to health. I haven’t done it before."

Ines looked at Edith with pleading eyes.

"Please. I can’t let him die of a fever because I don’t know how to use a wet cloth."

Edith looked at her mistress. She saw the fear in Ines’s face. She saw the love. She realized that Ines wasn’t asking as a lady to a servant; she was asking as a woman who was terrified of losing the man she loved.

Edith straightened her shoulders. The shock faded, replaced by practical determination. Edith knew how to fix things.

"It’s okay, My Lady," Edith said soothingly. She patted Ines’s hand. "We can fix this. A fever is frightening, but we can manage it."

"You will help me?" Ines asked.

"Of course," Edith said. She stepped out into the hallway and closed her door quietly. "Let’s go to the kitchen. I will show you exactly what to do."

~ ••••• ~

The hallway was dim, lit only by the faint moonlight that spilled through the high windows. Ines walked carefully, her bare feet silent on the runner. In her hands, she held a large ceramic bowl filled with water. It was heavy. Her arms trembled slightly under the weight, the water sloshing perilously close to the rim with every step she took.

Behind her, Edith followed closely. The maid carried a stack of clean white towels, a small jar of medicinal ointment and medicine. Edith looked at Ines’s straining arms and quickened her pace.

"Let me take that, My Lady," Edith whispered, reaching out. "It is too heavy for you."

Ines shook her head. Her jaw was set in a stubborn line.

"It’s okay," Ines replied, tightening her grip on the cool ceramic. "I can do it. He is... he is my responsibility."

Edith hesitated, then nodded. She understood. This wasn’t just about carrying water. It was about Ines needing to do something, anything, to help the man who is to be her husband.

They reached the bedroom door. Ines nudged it open with her shoulder and stepped inside.

The room was warm and quiet, save for the sound of Carcel’s ragged breathing.

Ines set the bowl down on the bedside table with a soft clink. A little water splashed over the side, darkening the wood, but she didn’t care.

She turned to the bed.

Carcel lay exactly where she had left him. The heavy duvet was pulled up to his chin, but he was shivering violently beneath it. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat.

Edith moved past Ines. She placed the towels on the nightstand and leaned over the Duke. She placed the back of her hand against his forehead.

Edith frowned instantly. She pulled her hand back as if she had touched a hot kettle.

"He has a high fever, My Lady," Edith murmured. Her voice was serious. "It is very high."

Ines felt a cold knot of fear tighten in her stomach. She rushed to the side of the bed. She placed her own hand on his forehead.

The heat was shocking. It radiated off him in waves. His skin felt dry and burning.

"It wasn’t like this some minutes ago," Ines whispered, her voice rising in panic. "He was hot, yes, but now... he is really burning up."

She looked at Edith, her eyes wide and pleading. She looked like a terrified girl who didn’t know how to save the man she loved.

"What do I do?" Ines asked. "Tell me, Edith. I will do anything."

Edith took a deep breath. She went into "servant mode," efficient and calm.

"We need to cool him down," Edith instructed. "The fever is trapping the heat inside his body. We need to help the heat escape."

"How?" Ines asked.

"Remove his shirt," Edith said firmly. "All of it. The wet clothes are only making him colder and sicker. Wipe him clean with the cool water. Start with his face, then his neck, then his chest."

Ines nodded, absorbing every word.

"Then you periodically wipe him," Edith continued, miming the motion. "Do not soak the bed. Just dampen the skin so the air can cool it. And if he wakes up, even for a second, give him enough water to drink. He needs fluids."

"Remove shirt. Wipe him. Water," Ines repeated, memorizing the list.

Edith looked at the clock on the mantelpiece. It was nearly three in the morning. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Should I stay and..." Edith began, looking at the heavy lifting required.

Ines looked at Carcel’s face. She saw the vulnerability there. She saw the bruises on his hands. This was a private pain. He wouldn’t want anyone else to see him like this. And Ines wanted to be the one to care for him.

"Don’t worry," Ines said softly. "I can handle it from here."