Saving Percival (The Cousins Book 3)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Christianna struggled to pull herself out of bed, her body feeling heavy with exhaustion. She made herself go to her bed each night, trusting Mrs. Sweet to care for Aunt Steit through the night. However, for the past two weeks, her sleep had been far from restful.

What if something happened in the middle of the night?

While the worst was over and Aunt Steit was making a slow recovery, there was always the possibility of a relapse. The doctor had warned that a woman of Eliza Steit's age could not be expected to have the same vigor and health that others had. Any small setback could have serious consequences.

Mrs. Sweet's acceptance into the household had been a miracle of sorts, with minimal complaints from Aunt Steit. That had been a pleasant and welcome surprise. Aunt Steit was more upset about the doctor, who insisted on coming every day to see how she went on.

Christianna knew she should be pleased with her aunt's improvement, but each day seemed gloomy.

She was missing Sir Percival, though she couldn't explain why. She ought to be angry with him. Indeed, she was furious with him! He had deceived her by leaving out important details. In fact, if he were here, no doubt he would try to tell her that it was all for the best and everything would work out just fine.

Christianna's father had departed a couple of days after Aunt Steit's collapse. His letters were becoming increasingly frequent, urging Christianna to do whatever it takes to secure an inheritance. In his eyes, now was the perfect opportunity for her to prove herself as a worthy daughter.

As the thought crossed Christianna's mind, she couldn't help but feel guilty about her last response to her father. She would be forgiven for inventing a story, wouldn't she? It was meant for the best, after all, but there were bound to be consequences.

Putting it to the back of her mind, she dressed for the day. She would relieve Mrs. Sweet at her aunt's bedside, and eat breakfast with the elderly woman. Once Porter arrived to assist Aunt Steit with her morning routine, Christianna would be left to her own devices.

The thought only added to her already heavy heart. Time hung heavy on her now. The dollhouse project had been put on hold. There were no visits from a suitor to occupy her afternoon hours. She could tend to the garden, but even pulling weeds held no interest for her anymore.

What was she to do with herself? If she didn't occupy her mind with something else, thoughts of Sir Percival would inevitably surface and that was the last thing she wanted. She didn't want to confront the complex and tangled emotions that came with thinking about the baronet.

Christianna hurried down to her aunt's bedroom. Mrs. Sweet set aside some mending as she entered. "Ah, there you are, Miss Cooper," she greeted. "I hope you had as good a night as we did."

"She did not," Aunt Steit remarked from her bed. "Can you not see the shadows under her eyes? It's clear she is pining for her baronet."

"I am not pining," Christianna insisted, feeling her cheeks grow hot. "But I can see that you had a good night's rest, Aunt. You're looking much better today."

"Bah." Her great-aunt waved a hand. "I look like an old woman in a bed."

"You look like a healthy old woman in a bed," Mrs. Sweet corrected with a laugh. "There's nothing wrong with being in bed, Miss Steit. We want you to get well and that means you must rest."

It was a conversation they'd been having more and more in the last week.

"Rest? I've had more rest than I could ever need," Aunt Steit declared. "And it is absolute nonsense. Why does that whippersnapper doctor insist on keeping me confined to this bed? Such foolishness! A body must keep moving or stop completely!"