Seeing her mother lying in bed, quite still, a sheen of sweat upon her face, made her feel ill herself.
“Mrs Rhodes, please will you bring my sisters to me?”
The housekeeper silently curtseyed and left the room to do as instructed.
Cecelia crept to her mother's bedside and sat upon its edge. Reaching for her mother's hand, she shivered. Though slick with sweat, her hand was hot to the touch, almost too hot to hold.
“Mama, can you hear me?” Cecelia asked, feeling like a little girl as she prayed inwardly her mother would be alright.
No response came save for a murmur, her mother's face screwing up as if she were in deep pain.
Biting the inside of her cheek, Cecelia squeezed her mother's hand.
“It's going to be alright,” she assured her mother. “Doctor Danham is on his way.”
At least, she prayed he was.
When the door opened again, Cecelia glanced around to find Mrs Rhodes and Mary.
Her sister was dressed in her night things. Her dressing gown looked as if it had been tied in a hurry. She adjusted her shoulder nervously as she looked at their mother.
“How is she?” Mary asked, approaching the bed hesitantly.
“It's okay, come,” Cecelia insisted, offering her hand. She glanced at Mrs Rhodes and asked, “Where is Catherine?”
“She was sleeping, My Lady,” Mrs Rhodes said, her head bowed, “I can wake her if you wish me to.”
Cecelia shook her head. At least one of them should get some rest. If anything serious were to happen, they would need their strength.
“I shall go downstairs and see if there is any news on the doctor then,” Mrs Rhodes said gently, and Cecelia gave her a grateful nod.
Once the housekeeper was gone, Mary started to speak, “Is … is she going to … like Daddy?”
Cecelia knew what she was trying to say, and it broke her heart, bringing tears to her eyes.
Yet, she would not allow them to fall.
“No,” she said firmly. “We must not even think it.”
Mary pursed her lips, and Cecelia drew her onto the bed, guiding her sister's hand to their mother's.
“We must stay with her and let her know we are here.”
Mary nodded, and Cecelia moved to give her sister more space on the bed.
Taking a seat in the armchair opposite, she watched the two of them, praying all would be alright.
***
The night passed by in a blur with Doctor Danham checking their mother several times, retiring to a guest room to rest in between checks.
Cecelia and Mary remained with their mother always, holding onto hope as the doctor explained that if she made it through the night, all would likely be well.
She and Mary took it in turns to dab their mother's forehead with a damp cloth, helping her to drink by dabbing it upon her lips just as the doctor instructed.
And as the first light of dawn came filtering through a gap in the drapes, Cecelia held onto hope.
The doctor arrived once more to check on their mother, and Cecelia felt reassured as her mother finally opened her eyes.
