Helping Elizabeth (EDITING)

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Getting along with the fact that William was to leave after lunch gave Elizabeth an unbearable headache and along came the distant feeling of heartache too. Elizabeth closed her eyes as she stirred in her bed and stared out of the window with blurry eyes, it hurt so badly. Slowly she slipped out of bed as she threw the warm covers away and walked towards the hearth and sat down crossed legged before it. A loud sigh escaped her lips as she focused on the blazing fire. They somehow reminded her of the weak state she was in, and she hated it.

“Hold it in.” she mumbled when her eyes stung, but she totally lost control when the first fat tear slipped down her flushed cheeks. “He promised you to send a missive as soon as he arrives.” She whispered between her low whimpers and sobs. She stared at her folded hands on her lap in hopes to forget about Williams’s departure but it made her situation worse when her eyes landed on the ring resting on her finger.

Her engagement ring.

She was quick to burst into uncontrollable sobs, she tried to stop when she reminded herself that she would be seeing William during the morning, just a couple of hours from then, and a couple of hours later he would leave!

“Heavens above!” she exclaimed when her sobs where now out of hand and her petite body was shaking violently, she was in a really dire state, and she had no one to blame but herself, for she had been working herself up from the night before and her present state was due to her constant thinking and the dark thoughts that escorted them. “Help me.” Her constant prayers were muttered between her sobs. After a couple of moments she started shivering violently, she edged closer to the hearth and stretched her hands in front of the blazing fire to get them warmed up.

After staring at the blazing fire for a long time Elizabeth uncrossed her legs and lied down on her side, still facing the fire, and before she knew it she was fast asleep all warmed up.

***

Kate, Elizabeth’s lady maid, knocked on the door before slipping inside the bedchamber her eyes quickly landing on the empty bed, she felt a wave of fear engulf her when she failed to spot her mistress in the chamber but her fear quickly vanished when she spotted Elizabeth lying on the floor before the hearth. She quietly walked to the bed and made it before calling the butler to get a tub with hot water inside for Elizabeth.

When she was done preparing the necessary things for the morning she rushed to her mistress, knelt down and lightly shook her awake. She had trouble doing that, for her mistress was sound asleep and wasn’t near waking up any time soon. Kate sighed and walked to the heavy curtains and pushed them apart, with that done the light was streaming inside the room lightening it up in and instant. “Lady Elizabeth.” She called out as she walked back to her sleeping mistress. “Lady Elizabeth, it’s time to wake up. You don’t want to miss breakfast, do you now?” she asked she shook her again. “His grace is going to leave today, should I remind you if this? It’s going to be the last time he eats breakfast with you. At least until the next time you meet him.” At the mention of William Elizabeth’s eyes fluttered open and she was wide awake in an instant. She sat up in her spot, stretched her arms above her and pushed herself to her feet with Kate’s assistant.