The Baron's New Wife: Regency Romance (4 page)

“I don’t believe so.” Anna wasn’t sure if the Baron would be joining them but decided it best not to give the boys hope in case their father remained absent. She looked at the boys from across the table and saw that they were both disappointed and their little faces dropped down. This infuriated Anna; it was fine for the Baron to ignore her but she felt it cruel and irresponsible for the Baron to ignore his own children. The boys desperately wanted their father’s attention and he instead bestowed it upon his mistress.

The butler entered and started to serve the evening meal without the Baron. They sat quiet with stone faces and silently ate their meals. Anna noticed that Harry was hardly touching his food and was simply pushing it around the plate with his folk. She assumed he was disappointed with the Baron’s absence but decided to enquire as to make conversation.

“Harry, please do not play with your food. It is for eating.”

He raised his head which was resting on his hand, “I’m not hungry.” His little chubby face was very pale and had no color at all. Anna thought she saw beads of sweat on his forehead. “I don’t feel well.”

Anna became concerned with his wellbeing and walked over to his chair. She put her hand on his forehead and immediately felt the heat radiating from his wet skin.

“Oh my Harry, you are very hot. How long have you been feeling like this?”

His watery eyes glared back at her, “I don’t know. Maybe from this morning.”

Unusually, Anna picked him straight up from his chair and immediately felt that the sweat had dampened his back. She called for the maid and they quickly rushed Harry up to his bedchamber and placed him in bed. Wash basins filled with cold water were brought in quickly and Anna soaked wet cloths to put on his head. She instructed the maid to make the Baron aware that Harry was ill and that they would need to call for his physician.

Within moments the Baron was at the door and hurrying to Harry’s bedside. “Have his clothes and sheets been changed?”

“Yes, everything has been replaced with fresh linens.” Anna answered his question and noticed the panic in the Baron’s face.

“Has he been washed with cold water?”

“Yes I washed him and we have been soaking his forehead with cold cloths.”

“Has our physician been called?”

“Yes. He was sent for just as the maid notified you.” Anna stood at the side of the bed. She thought that the Baron’s questions were slightly senseless as she would undoubtedly do all she could to care for Harry and see him well. The Baron hugged Harry and held him close whispering sweet words into his ear. This was the first time Anna had seen him show any sort of affection for the boy and she was taken back by how freely the Baron fussed over the sick child.

An hour went by and eventually the physician arrived and checked over Harry. “This is very quick. You say he has been like this since the morning?”

“He said he felt unwell since the morning, but he has only been in bed and sweating profusely the past hour.” Anna answered as the Baron would not have been aware of Harry’s state having been held up in the study all day.

“Hmmm. The fever has taken over him very quickly, it is concerning.” The physician took of his spectacles and leaned in to Anna, “He is very young to have such a strong fever. Keep him cool and dry. See he has chicken broth as regularly as he will take it but apart from that there is very little we can do. This may last a number of days and if he loses consciousness you must send for me immediately.” Anna listened to every word and nodded back fully understanding the graveness of the situation.

The hours passed and Harry remained in the same sweaty state with the Baron by his side. With each passing hour Anna noticed that the Baron became more and more irritable and jumpy. He noticed every twitch or noise that Harry made and fussed over anything that Anna tried to do. Eventually he moved away from the bed and just paced around the room.

“I can’t bear this, there must be more that can be done?” The Baron spoke out but didn’t direct his question at any particular person.

“We have been given clear instructions and we are following them. He has not lost consciousness and for that we should be grateful.” Anna tried to calm him with her reassuring words. “Pacing will not help him and you will only make yourself anxious. Come, we could pray for him together.”

The Baron stopped in his track and gave Anna a look like she had just said the most ludicrous suggestion. “Pray! You think praying is going to do him any good. It didn’t help when his mother died, did it!”

Anna now saw the true root of his desperation. The Baron had experienced losing a loved one to sickness before and the dread of it happening again was driving him to despair. She heard light steps behind her and saw Henry leaning against the entrance.

“Is Harry going to be alright?” Henry looked like a completely different child from the boy Anna had first met those few months earlier. His body was slumped in and he was clearly shy and scared to ask if Harry would come through the fever.

The Baron walked over to him and knelt down on one knee, “You brother is going to be fine.”

“But he looks so ill…he might…” sobs came from the boy and he couldn’t continue his sentence. The Baron embraced him and picked him up into his arms as if he was as light as a feather. He carried him over to the chair beside Harry’s bed and held him on his lap.

“Now your brother is very hot, so we are going to take this wet cloth and put it on his forehead to cool him.” Together they rung out the excess water in the basin and delicately put the cloth on Harrys head. “See, you can help us and together we will make him better.” The soothing voice of his father calmed Henry and together they lay back in the chair and enjoyed each other’s embrace.

Harry stayed in the fever with Anna by his bedside the whole time. She emptied and refilled the basins; washed out the linens and tried to feed Harry the broth as advised. The Baron had taken Henry to his bed chamber and they both fell asleep after many hours caring for Harry. In the early hours of the morning, as Anna rested her head on the side of Harry’s bed, she noticed that his breathing had changed. She lifted his hand to see if he was sleeping and tried to wake him but he made no movement. Quickly she checked to see that he was still breathing, which he was but he would not wake from his sleep.

Fear rushed through her and she screamed out for the maid. “Quickly go fetch the physician back. Tell him he has lost consciousness and must come.” Footsteps stomped throughout the house as the servants hurried and suddenly the Baron was back in the room.

“I fell asleep. I shouldn’t have left him.” He raced over to Harry and tried to wake him.

“You were tired as was I. It is not your fault, we could not prevent this.” Anna gently placed one hand on his shoulder as he held Harry. “The physician will shortly be here and he will wake him, you will see.”

The Baron took her hand and held it resting on his shoulder. Tears started to stream down his face, “I can’t do this again. I will not lose another one.” Anna’s heart broke at the sorry state of the Baron and all her hurt and anger melted away at his words. He looked like a little child desperately clinging to any hope, any rock that would steady his feet and keep him from sinking. The fear which tormented him was apparent on his face and he did little to try and calm himself. For the Baron it was inevitable that Harry would not survive and his mind was already taking him to the darkest of places.

Anna could not give up hope. Her youth and lack of any dealings with death, meant that she could see the possibility of Harry returning to full health and she tried to remain strong for all around his bedside. She continued to wash and feed Harry, and when the physician finally arrived she remained present to assist and take on new instructions.

The doctor cleared the room of all unnecessary persons and advised the Baron to sit at a distance while he worked on Harry. He brought out various instruments from his bag and spent a considerable amount of time toiling over Harry. Anna tried to help when she could by handing over apparatus and ensuring the water was ice cold but the full weight of bringing Harry back fell on the physician’s shoulders.

The Baron sat near the doorway and rocked his chair back and forth repeating the same words, “No, no, no. Not again. Please not again.” He placed his head in his hands and pulled at his hair. He looked and sounded like he had gone mad and Anna was surprised that the doctor had not ordered the Baron out of the room as his ramblings were increasingly distracting.

When the physician had done all that he could, he packed away his instruments and signaled for Anna to leave the room with him. “I have done what I can. Keep him cool, just as you have been doing. If he does not wake by the end of the day, I fear he may not make it into another.”

Anna stilled her nerves from reacting as she wanted to take on all the instructions. “But the Baron he…”

“Let him remain.” The doctor was blunt and interrupted Anna, “He has been through this before and heaven knows he regrets not being present last time. Leave him be.”

“Yes.” Anna agreed, not fully understanding the physicians meaning and returned to the room. As she entered she saw the Baron knelt down at Harry’s bedside with his hands joined in prayer, “Please, I know that I have not spent time with my boy but please don’t take him away. If you hear me, I am sorry but please don’t do this.”

Chapter 7

Both the Baron and Anna sat at Harry’s side closely listening to his breathing and for any changes. Anna kept his forehead cool and the Baron continued to pray under his breath so that Anna would not hear his pleading. The hours passed excruciatingly slow aware that Henry, Mr. Fields and all the servants waited eagerly outside the bedchamber for any news.

The previous long day and night had exhausted everyone in the household; Anna and the Baron struggled to keep their eyes open as they continued their vigil. Suddenly the Baron lifted his head from the bedside and stared up at Harry with hope, “I felt his hand move.”

Anna stepped forward and looked at Harry unconscious in the bed but could see no signs of movement.

“I swear I felt his hand move.” Now the Baron looked at Anna as though she was able to magically awaken Harry. Then just as she leaned in Harry’s hand moved once again. They both held their breath and watched as his little eyelids started to flicker.

Two pale glassy eyes scanned the room to get their bearing and then his sweet voice broke the silence, “Daddy.”

“Oh Harry, you’re awake! You’re awake!” Overjoyed, the Baron whisked the little boy up into his arms and clung to him. Harry was still frail and weak from his sickness but they both lingered in the hug for a few moments until the Baron realized that he should return the boy to the bed. Anna rushed over and put both hands around his sweet face and kissed the top of his forehead.

“We have been so worried about you, little bird. Are you hungry?” Harry smiled up at her, relishing all the attention he was receiving and shook his head.

“No, I’m thirsty.”

“Of course you are. Let me get something for you.” Anna raced out of the room and into the hallway were she announced the news that Harry had finally come back to them. All the faces smiled, hugged each other and applauded the great news. Anna asked the maid to bring up some food and water, and when she returned to the room Henry had taken his place back in his father’s lap talking to Harry. The three of them looked so cheerful and content in each other’s company, Anna couldn’t help but watch the close bond between them. The Baron stroked Harry’s golden hair while also holding on to Henry and the boys joked and teased each other gently as Harry lay in bed.

Anna stood in the doorway and although she was extremely relieved to see Harry awake; she also had a moment of clarity while she watched them. It occurred to her that she would never be a part of their bond, they were blood related and she would never be fully accepted as a member of their family. The Baron had shown no interest in her since the beginning of their marriage, Henry hardly spoke to her and eventually Harry would grow up and have no reason for her also. She was a wife to a man that didn’t want to be a husband and a mother to boys that weren’t really hers and wouldn’t eventually want her. She could feel the emotion rising within her and tears started to gather. Anna tried her best to hold back the waterworks but her body was too tired to be strong one last time, so she gave in.