Page 82 of The Cornish Inheritance

Mrs. Treloar met them in the hall. She had Doctor Rescorla with her, but whether he was on his way in or out was debatable.

“What’s this?” she said, her eyes going from Nat and Yves to Caroline and back, lingering rather too long on the parlous state of Caroline’s gown. “Where on Earth have you been to get like this?”

“Yves has been down Wheal Jenny,” Nat said. “Or rather, up it, as he began at the old adit in Penmar Cove. He fell into a flooded shaft from which we rescued him. Doctor Rescorla, can you examine him if I carry him upstairs?”

Doctor Rescorla, a bluff, prematurely balding gentleman in his thirties, nodded his agreement. “Of course, of course. He looks as though he’s had a bit of a shock to the system.”

“I had an adventure,” Yves corrected him in sleepy indignation. “I’m an explorer.”

“Nearly a dead one, by the sound of it,” the doctor said as he followed Nat up the stairs toward the nursery. Caroline made to follow, but Mrs. Treloar put a restraining hand on her arm. “What has happened to your gown, Miss Fairfield? And how did you get so dirty?”

Fury washed over Caroline. “I need to be with Yves. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll have to tell you all of that later.” She yanked her arm free and ran up the stairs after Nat and the doctor, leaving her employer standing irate in the hall. She was past caring about offending her.

Nat laid Yves down on his bed in the nursery and the little boy stirred, his eyes opening. He yawned as the doctor bent over him. “These clothes are still damp. Get him out of them immediately and send a maid for hot bricks to warm him. And some hot broth to warm him from the inside, too.”

Bridget had emerged from her room, her face a picture of shock when she saw the state they were all in. Although whether that was to do with their appearance or the fact that Yves was not dead, Caroline couldn’t be sure. It very much depended on how much Bridget knew. Probably not a lot more than her own role in this. However, it gave Caroline great pleasure to send her running to carry out the doctor’s orders. To which she added, “And fetch Patience up here.” She’d have to go to her room to change in a while and didn’t intend to leave Yves unattended and at Bridget’s mercy. Patience would have to sit with him.

Once Yves was in his nightgown, the doctor put his ear to his chest and listened to his heart for a minute, then laid his hand on his forehead. “No temperature as yet. You might be lucky, and he may not get a chill from this. I recommend sleep, which is a great healer. And no excitement for several days at least.” He looked back at Yves. “Bed rest for you, my boy. Bed rest.” With that, the doctor departed.

“I don’t want to stay in bed,” Yves complained, sleepily. “But if I have to, can I have Dash with me?”

Caroline nodded. “Of course you can. Nat will go and fetch him for you.” She glanced at Nat. “Can you do that now, do you think?”

With a sigh, Nat departed.

Bridget arrived accompanied by Patience, whom she’d made carry the hot bricks. These Caroline arranged around Yves in bed, sitting him up propped with pillows. “You may go, Bridget. Patience can sit with Yves while he eats his broth. It smells most appetizing.” And she didn’t want Bridget adding anything untoward to it. Not now Yves had just been rescued. How easy would it be for her to slip in an overdose and for it to look as though Yves had succumbed to shock from his near drowning.

With a surly look, Bridget departed, and Caroline turned to Patience. “I have to wash and find myself some clean clothes, so I want you to stay with Yves no matter what. He is not to be left alone, and above all, he is not to be left with Bridget. Don’t leave him. I won’t be long, and I’m trusting you to keep him safe for me. Mr. Treloar has to go and see his grandfather when he’s brought Dash up, so he can’t stay with him.”

Patience regarded her out of nervous, wide eyes. “Yes, Miss.”

Caroline caught her arm. “Do not leave him even if there’s a fire. Do you understand? Even if Mrs. Treloar orders you to.”

The girl’s eyes went to Nat, who’d just returned with Dash, as if for corroboration of this strange order. He nodded. “Do as Miss Fairfield says. I won’t be long, either.”

Patience nodded. “Even if the house is on fire. I’ll do that, surr.”

Caroline got up from the chair she’d sat in. “I’ll be in my room if you need me. I’ll leave the door ajar, and this one. You can shout if you have to, and I’ll come.”

Patience nodded again. “I got a loud voice.”

Caroline and Nat left the room together, and Nat continued on down the corridor leaving Caroline to go into her room. The pitcher and bowl of water from breakfast time still stood on her washstand, so she stripped off her ruined gown and petticoat, and stood in just her stays and drawers to wash herself as quickly as she could. That was better. Then she undid her hair and attempted to brush the accumulated dirt of the tunnels out of it. Not so easy. She was just braiding it when Hetty arrived.

Her face was pale and streaked with tears.

Caroline’s heart skipped a beat. Again. It was doing that a lot lately. “What is it?”

Hetty dissolved into tears. “Grandpapa has suffered another apoplexy.”

Of course. That must have been why Doctor Rescorla was in the hall. He’d been to see Sir Hugh. “Oh, my goodness.” She’d nearly emulated Nat then, and sworn. That would have surprised Hetty. “Is he all right?”

Hetty shook her head. “I don’t think so. They won’t let me in to see him. That awful Rodgers is looking after him. Mama and Mr. Trefusis went in to see him though. Mama said I was too young to go in a sick room.” She frowned. “Mr. Trefusis was with him when it happened. He called the doctor.”

A clawed hand seized Caroline’s heart. Trefusis again. Was it pure coincidence he’d been with Sir Hugh when he’d had his apoplexy? Had he done something to the old man? He must have thought Yves already dead in the mines, never suspecting that she and Nat had gone in there to save him. That had to be why he had struck.

“I’m sorry, Hetty. Let me see if I can get you in to see him. But first, can you help me with my gown?”

Hetty glanced at the crumpled, filthy heap of the old gown on the floor, seeming to see it for the first time. “Whatever happened to that one?”

Caroline shook her head. “I’ll tell you later. But I need you to stay with Patience and Yves. To keep him safe. He’s had a terrible experience.”

With Hetty’s help, she struggled into a clean gown and exchanged her filthy boots and stockings for clean ones. That was better. She could face the world now. “Will you stay with Yves while I go to find out what’s been happening?”

Hetty nodded. “I’ll stay.”

Caroline set off in the direction of Sir Hugh’s room.