POVERTY'S PRIDE

CHAPTER TEN (Part Three)

                                         CHAPTER TEN (Part Three)

‘Girl! Wake up!’

Strong fingers were gripping her shoulder shaking her roughly.

‘Wake up! You must fetch the doctor now.’

Half conscious Rosalind struggled to sit up. Mrs Phipps was standing over her with a lighted candle.

‘What is it?’

‘My patient as come to and he’s in terrible pain,’ Mrs Phipps said urgently. ‘He needs laudanum or some such. Fetch the doctor girl.’

Rosalind struggled awkwardly into her clothes.

‘Hurry!’

Pulling her shawl around her shoulders she left the cottage. She wondered briefly whether the prowler was still around, but she had no time to be afraid. She hurried through the woods hearing only the cries of night creatures and reached the house very soon. Going to the back she knocked loudly on the door. It was some minutes before the door was opened by Linda Bream holding a candle.

‘Rosalind!’ For some reason Linda looked terrified. ‘Are you all right? Is there danger?’

‘I’ve come for the doctor,’ Rosalind said urgently pushing her way into the dark passage that led to the kitchen. ‘Mr Jonathan is awake and needs help.’

‘Rosalind, be careful,’ Linda said in a low voice. ‘You shouldn’t be abroad at night. You’re in danger – anything could happen...’

‘What is the meaning of this?’ Mrs Gilbert’s harsh voice boomed out. ‘Linda! Return to your room immediately.’

The maid stared at Rosalind for a moment with terror in her eyes.

‘At once!’ Mrs Gilbert bellowed. ‘And give me that candle.’

Handing the candle over Linda whirled and fled and the housekeeper turned her gaze on Rosalind.

‘What are you doing here? You’ve no business to be at Cliff House at this hour.’

‘The nurse sent me for the doctor,’ Rosalind snapped. ‘Mr Jonathan has need of him. There’s no time to lose.’

Mrs Gilbert’s eyes snapped a warning look. ‘I’ll rouse the doctor. You wait here, understand?’

She turned away taking the only light with her. Rosalind stood in the utter darkness of the passage for only a moment and then walked boldly into the kitchen where a gas mantled burned low. 

The doctor came down eventually looking dishevelled obviously having dressed hastily. His eyes were bleary as he stared at Rosalind.

‘What’s the matter?’ he asked.

‘Speak up, girl!’ Mrs Gilbert interjected unnecessarily. ‘You have the affront to keep the doctor waiting.’

Rosalind glared at her briefly before speaking. 

‘Mr Jonathan is awake, sir, and in terrible pain,’ she told him. ‘The nurse says to bring laudanum.’

The doctor ran his fingers through his hair. ‘I have none,’ he exclaimed. He stared around him for a moment as though perplexed and then he looked at her.

‘I’ll go to the cottage to see what I can do,’ he said. ‘In the meantime you must go to the village, arouse the apothecary and bring the laudanum to me.’

Rosalind stared. ‘Wouldn’t it be faster if someone went on horseback?’

‘There’s no one,’ Mrs Gilbert said quickly. ‘The Master and Mr Cedric are away, the grooms with them. Are you refusing to go?’

‘Of course not!’ Rosalind said.

The doctor lifted a hand. ‘Wait! Mr Brice Thomas was at dinner this evening,’ he said. ‘I understand he is spending the night also. Perhaps I could ask him...’

‘Certainly not!’ Mrs Gilbert’s face was red with indignation. ‘What? Ask a guest of Mr Thomas’ high social standing to run an errand? I think not, Doctor!’

‘I’ll go to the village immediately,’ Rosalind said. ‘I’ll take the short cut along the cliff path.’

The doctor looked startled. ‘It may be dangerous at night.’

‘It’s a brilliant night,’ Rosalind said. ‘Plenty of moonlight. I’ll be all right, sir.’

‘Good,’ the doctor said. ‘Be as quick as you can, girl,’ he went on. ‘Mr Jonathan is at his end. We must make his passing as gentle as possible.’

With another glance at Mrs Gilbert’s hostile expression Rosalind hurry away. She had not been to the village since that awful Sunday and would never go, but this was different. It was night and no one would see her except the apothecary.

A bright full moon was riding high in a cloudless night sky as she sent off along the cliff path. The way was well lit so she had no fear of missing her footing. Her one thought was to hurry and bring relief for the suffering of Jonathan Trevellian.

Rosalind thumped hard on the cottage door where the apothecary lived. It seemed an age before her pounding was answered by an elderly man in a nightshirt and with a shawl around his stooped shoulders.

     ‘What is it? What is it?’ He was angry at being woken.

     ‘Dr McCloud sent me,’ Rosalind said hastily. ‘He needs laudanum urgently for a patient in great pain.’

     ‘Dr McCloud, you say?’ He held the lamp higher and stared at her. She saw his expression change immediately as he recognised her. ‘I know you!’

     ‘Please you must hurry,’ Rosalind pleaded. ‘The laudanum is needed desperately.’

     ‘Is this some trick to entrap me with your wicked wiles, girl?’

     Worried as she was Rosalind was infuriated at this and forgot herself.

‘You stupid old fool!’ she blurted out loudly not caring if she was overheard by neighbouring cottagers. ‘Give me the laudanum now or Sir Leopold will here of this. You’re depriving his dying son of relief.’