Moorcroft - the Possession: Book One of the Moorcroft Trilogy (14 page)

Between them they carried him to his room. Mr Howard had already ordered that a fire be made in his bedroom and the bed clothes pulled back. Charles undressed his friend and put him to bed. “Now, behave yourself. No getting out of bed, just rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Richard lifted his hand. “Thanks Charles for not having a go at me, I was stupid to go out. Tell Eddie to look after Lady. Take care of Vicky for me and tell mother to stop fussing, I’m feeling much better now. I just have this blinding headache.”

“The doctor left some tablets, I’ll get your mother to get them for you. I’ll leave you now, see you in the morning.”

Charlotte moved from the shadows and stood looking down at Richard. A tear rolled across her cheek. She couldn’t bear to lose her Frederick again, he must get well. She stepped back from the bed as the door opened. In walked the ladies of the house. Sarah kissed his hand and said goodnight. Vicky sat by his bedside tears running uncontrolled down her face.

Emily took a glass of water and encouraged her son to drink. “Here, I have some tablets for you; they will help with the pain.” She gently raised his head and helped him to take the tablets. She put her hand on Victoria’s shoulder. “Come my dear, let’s leave him to rest. Don’t worry I’ll watch over him tonight. You get some sleep, things will seem better tomorrow.”

Emily sat by Richard’s bedside. The tablets had put him in a deep sleep. She looked down on the pale face and prayed he would be okay. She lifted the book and began to read but the unshed tears misted her vision. Soon she slept unaware that another woman was keeping a close eye on her resting son.

In his restless sleep Richard remembered the dark skies of the night. The horse had reared and he could feel himself floating through the air, then everything became blurred. He opened his eyes and saw his mother asleep by his bed and the outline of a woman, a stranger. He couldn’t make out her face but she had such a gentle soothing voice.

“Sleep my darling, rest and I will take care of you. Remember Frederick how much I love you.”

He frowned, this woman was mistaken, she thought he was someone else. He tried to move but the pain engulfed him and sleep once more took over.

The next morning Richard felt much better and wanted to get up but his mother had insisted that he stay in bed another day. Charles helped him to the bathroom and Richard mentioned the dark haired nurse that had sat with him through the night. Charles was puzzled, no nurse had been employed, and surely Emily had sat with him. Thinking Richard may have been delirious he thought no more about it. Sarah and Victoria visited his bedside several times over the day. He was always pleased to see Vicky’s smiling face.

In the study John was arguing with his wife. “That horse must be put down. Surely you can see that Emily, the damn thing almost cost us the life of our son.”

“John, you are just being silly, it was the storm that frightened the horse, nothing else. The horses have always been Richard’s pride and joy he would never forgive you if you go ahead with this insane idea, think on that.”

John grunted his agreement and sat down. At last he had seen sense. “I know, I know, it’s just I had such a fright last night. I thought we had lost him.”

“I know how you feel my love, but he is fine this morning almost back to normal, grumbling over having to stay in bed. Another day of peace and quiet will do him the power of good.”

John had enough worries at the moment, he was remembering his torrid conversation with his broker, it was too late to act, the damage had been done and his shares were practically worthless.

“I’m afraid I have to go into town this morning, I’m sure Charles can deal with any problems that may arise.”

He noticed the questioning look on his wife’s face. “No need to look like that I just said I would meet David in the club, he wants to talk to me about something. I shouldn’t be long.”

Emily smiled remembering David and his wife being at Richard’s christening. “You must ask him and Alice if they would like to come over for drinks one night, it’s such a long time since we’ve seen them.”

He couldn’t meet his wife’s eyes; she always knew when he was lying. “Yes, yes I’ll do that. Now I really must go.”

Feeling guilty he left the study, she must never find out about his money problems or that it was the bank manager he was about to meet.

####

The next day Richard was eager to get back to work and was whistling in the bathroom when Charles arrived to help him. Emily thought otherwise. He stood in front of her in his dressing gown.

“I think you should give it another day or two Richard. The doctor was quite worried about you, said you had to be kept quiet.”

“Mother I’m alright. Talk to her Charles.” He turned quickly and immediately felt dizzy. He reached for the chair.

Charles helped him to his seat. “Richard I think you should listen to your mother, I can manage the estate business for a day or two and if I have any problems there is always your father to ask.”

“Huh. If you have any problems you come to me, father has his mind on other things these days.”

Emily came forward. “So that’s settled, another day resting, good. I’ll get Mary to make you some breakfast and bring it up to your room.”

Charles looked down on Richard. “You okay?” He looked pale and depressed.

“It’s just a bump on the head, but I feel so weak. I just want to get back to normal.”

“Another couple of days and you’ll be as right as rain. Can I get you anything?”

“Just the papers if father’s finished with them.”

“I’ll send them up with Mary.”

Richard left the chair and slowly moved to the window. It was dull and cloudy a bit like he felt. There was a knock at the door. “Come in.”

It was Mary with a tray. She placed it on the small side table. He sat down and looked at it.

“Your mother says you are to eat it all and to take these two tablets.” She placed them on the tray.

He looked up at her and scowled.

Mary nodded. “Her words, not mine.”

He smiled at her and she crossed to the bed.

Straightening the bed covers she looked over at him noticing the gauze dressing on the side of his head. “We’re all glad to see you up and about. You gave us all quite a scare.” She walked to his side. She picked up the tablets and placed them in his hand. “Don’t forget to take these and eat all your breakfast.” As she left the room she could hear him shout.

“You sound like my mother.” The woman smiled.

In the dining room the conversation was subdued. Charles had already left to see one of the tenant farmers. Emily watched as John moved his food around his plate, he had hardly eaten anything. She had tried to speak to him about his trip to town the day before but he was reluctant to talk. She must find out what was wrong with him, whatever problems he had they had to be sorted out between them, his health was suffering.

“You girls are very quiet this morning.”

Sarah looked at her mother. “Victoria thinks we should postpone the party.”

“Ah, so that’s it. Perhaps we should wait another fortnight, make sure Richard is well enough.”

Victoria looked at her, concern showing on her face. “Will two weeks be enough?”

“The doctor is calling this morning; we’ll ask what he thinks.”

Victoria wiped her mouth and pushed back her chair. “I think I’ll go up and see how he is.”

Emily smiled and nodded.

Scraping her chair back noisily Sarah jumped up still eating a slice of toast. She threw her napkin down on the table. “I’ll come with you.”

Emily shook her head and then looked at her husband. “Aren’t you going to eat your breakfast, you’ve hardly touched it?”

He put down his knife and fork and had a drink of his coffee. “I’m not hungry.”

“Henry’s calling this morning to check on Richard, why don’t you have a word with him, perhaps he could give you a tonic, you seem run down.”

He pushed back his chair and smiled down at his wife. “I’m fine, Emily, stop worrying.”

Alone Emily pushed away her plate and sighed. She stood and walked over to the window and looked down on the rose bed, they needed dead heading. She looked up at the sky the weather was bleak, it looked like rain, she would do it tomorrow. She thought about her family. Richard was headstrong, always had been, but Victoria seemed to have calmed him down a little. They were good together. She didn’t think Victoria had such a loving time at home, her parents were always travelling to one place or another and Victoria spent most of her time at her Aunts, so she tried to compensate and treated her like a second daughter. Sarah was her pride and joy, still a little girl in John’s eyes, and acted like it sometimes but the way she looked at Charles told her differently. Now Charles, he had such a soothing way with him, kept his troubles to himself, that’s if he had any. He was always on hand to sort out the families problems and was arbitrator between Richard and his father. She was sure that he would tame Sarah once they were married. No, her children weren’t her biggest worries; John was the one with problems, if only he would talk to her instead of bottling it all up. There was a knock on the door and Mary entered to clear away the dishes.

“Was Richard okay with his breakfast, Mary?”

“I told him to eat up just as you said Mrs Gardener and I put the tablets in his hand and told him he had to make sure he took them. Miss Victoria said she would bring his tray down so I don’t know how much he ate.”

“Thank you Mary.”

In the hall she wondered if she should talk to John. No, she would talk to Charles first see if he had any understanding of John’s problems.

Upstairs Richard was scraping his last piece of toast round his plate wiping up the last of the egg yoke when Victoria and Sarah rushed in.

Victoria kissed him on his cheek. “Glad to see you haven’t lost your appetite, you had us all worried.” She pulled up a stool and sat beside him.

“You should know by now, I always bounce back.”

They heard gravel on the drive and Sarah ran to the window. “It’s the doc come to see you.”

Richard groaned. “Not the quack, I’m sick of being poked and prodded.”

Victoria laughed. “Don’t be such a baby; remember we can’t have our party until you are well so be good.”

Richard looked up. “What’s that?”

Sarah moved over to the fire and took the chair opposite. “Mother says we have to wait until you are well enough before we can have the party.”

“Nonsense, I’m fine.” He spotted the tablets by his plate and quickly popped them in his mouth. “Another couple of days and I’ll be getting on everyone’s nerves again.”

There was a knock at the door. Victoria squeezed Richard’s hand. “We’ll leave you in the capable hands of Doctor Davenport. Now behave yourself.” She kissed his cheek and picked up the tray, and nodded for Sarah to follow her, she let the doctor in and they left the room.

Henry Davenport walked over to Richard and put his case on the table. “Glad to see you’re feeling well enough to sit in the chair. Let’s have a look at you.” He took a small torch from his case and looked into Richard’s eyes. “Any blurred vision, dizziness, headaches?”

Richard looked up at the doctor. “There’s nothing wrong with my eyesight and of course I have a bloody headache, I’ve just had a blow to the head.”

Ignoring Richard’s mood he waved his hand in his face. “How many fingers, no double vision?”

“There are three fingers and only after three or four whiskies.”

Henry smiled. “I see your accident hasn’t improved your manners.”

Richard laughed. “Sorry doc, I just want to get out of this chair and get on with my life. I have an estate to run and a party to go to.”

Henry reached over to remove his dressing. “I know what you mean, from being a small boy you always had ants in your pants. Now let’s look at the wound. Hmm, it’s healing well.” He took a small bottle from his bag and sprayed the wound, Richard flinched. “Sorry about that, just something to keep it clean, now I’ll put a new dressing on.”

“When can I get out of here, doc?”

“If it was up to your mother, it would be a couple of weeks.”

“What?”

Henry smiled. “Keep taking the tablets for the headaches, take things slow Richard. Tomorrow if you feel up to it you can go downstairs, but no going outside, no partying and definitely no driving or riding, and don’t get this dressing wet. Do you understand?”

“I hear you loud and clear, doc. Can you just explain that to mother?”

As Henry walked down the stairs the drawing room door opened and Emily crossed the hall. “How is he Henry?”

He could see the worried look on her face. “He’s fine Emily, wanting to get back to work.”

“Not yet surely?”

“I’ve told him he can come downstairs tomorrow, but no work and no party. Make sure he takes the tablets for his headaches and try to keep him calm. I know that’s easier said than done with Richard.”

“Thank you, Henry. Would you like a coffee before you leave?”

In the drawing room Henry could see that something was troubling her. “Are you feeling okay Emily, you’re looking tired?”

She placed her cup carefully in the saucer and sighed. “I’m just worried about John. He’s not eating properly and he’s losing weight. I’ve told him he should see you, but he insists he’s alright.”

“Would you like me to have a word with him?”

“Oh would you Henry, but he must never know I put you up to it. He’ll be in the study, he’s always there these days.”

Henry tapped on the study door and walked in. “Hello John. Just thought I’d pop in and say hello and give you an update on Richard before I left. How are things with you?”

John went to get up but fell back in the chair.

“No need to get up John.”

Henry sat in the chair opposite his old friend and looked into the drawn and worried face. Emily was right, he had lost a lot of weight and from the looks of him he wasn’t sleeping too well either.