After settling Ginelle in bed, Lieutenant Cummings stepped aside as two maids moved forward to see to their young mistress.

            Stefan turned to the housekeeper who stood in the corner, silent and pale. Gathering her composure, the older woman motioned him into the hall.

            “I thank you Lieutenant, for coming all this way to inform us of this unfortunate news.” Stefan had rarely seen moments of weakness in this tenacious woman but he could see the tears brimming in her dark eyes while her hands trembled in gripping the front of her apron.

            He dropped his head and cleared his throat, “Your heartache is as grave as mine, mademoiselle. You do not know how difficult it was for me to come here but if it is any consolation, Ashford is my second home, Dorian was many things to me.”

            Lucile reached out and smiled despite her suffering and squeezed the young Lieutenant’s arm in a comforting gesture. “Ashford shall always be a home to you, Lieutenant.”

            Her hand dropped to her side and she cast a longing stare at the closed door.

            “Will she be alright?” Stefan asked, following the older woman’s stare.

            He noticed a distinct shudder pass through the housekeeper’s shoulders. “I do not know.” She whispered tightly, “She carries his child.”

            Stefan blanched, “You are certain?”

            Lucile nodded, “Yes, I fear for her health as well as the unborn child. Dorian’s death may very well destroy her.”

            “She loves him?” Stefan already knew the answer but somehow had to hear it from another.

            The older woman turned to peer up at him. “Her love for him is what will destroy her. There has been much sorrow at Ashford, first Lady Eloise and now Master Dorian. Ginelle is all that we have left.”

            “He would have married her.” Stefan said more to himself, realizing than that Ginelle’s reputation was ruined. She was unmarried and with child and somehow he could not bare any more travesties for Lady Ginelle. He knew Dorian had loved her and would have wanted the very best for her. Dorian had not only been his Captain, but many things, a father, brother, a mentor, everything he had lacked in is life.

            He was painfully familiar with the depth of Ginelle’s pain, having lost the woman he loved and never confessing his affections. “I shall marry her.”

            Lucile gasped her mouth parting in a distinct O. “Pardon, Lieutenant?”

            “She is unmarried, mademoiselle and carrying a man’s child. She will be the object of many taunts along with her suffering; I cannot bear to see it.”

            “You are an honorable man, Lieutenant, but I fear Lady Ginelle may not accept your offer.” Lucile fell silent, knowing full well that he was right. She could not bear to see her young mistress whom she had grown to love as her own suffer another hardship. “Would you give her time?”

            He nodded, “Of course. She is in a critical state right now.” He squeezed her shoulder before descending down the hall.

            She should be accustomed to pain by now but somehow every tragedy, every blow directed towards her heart seemed to intensify, leaving her broken and utterly drained of emotion. Her eyes fluttered open and immediately the numbness was there, sinking deep into her soul. She willed the tears to come but found she hadn’t the strength to weep.

            She could hear rustling throughout the room but focused her attention on the window, staring blankly at the empty, blue sky. She heard voices, speaking softly to her but nothing registered past the insensitive barriers. It felt better to not feel anything so she held strongly onto that obstruction.

            Hours seem to drift obscurely as vague shadows moved in a cloudy haze around her. There was nothing but a deep oblivion, dragging her further into its depths and she welcomed it for deep beneath those layers of emptiness, there were no sensations, no particular feelings of warmth and pain, just a consciousness of nothing.

            Finally when her eyes drifted closed; Ginelle was thrust into the whirlwind of pain as her mind became flooded with every imaginable emotion leaving her pillows ruffled and her nights restless.

**********

            Days turned into weeks and the Ashford household fell into a central of lifeless inhabitants. Lucile did all she could in managing the estate but her servants were dismal and saddened by the heavy loss of their master and the listless state of their mistress.

            Fear for her young mistress and her unborn child grew increasingly with each passing day. Ginelle refused to respond, let alone eat a thing until Lucile was forced to call upon the mid-wife. The woman did all she could in convincing Ginelle to eat but she remained passive and showed little signs of cooperating.

            She feared that Ginelle would waste away in her bed, refusing food and potentially harming the unborn child and eventually resorted to drastic measures. She called upon the mid-wife and from there they forcefully fed her. Her efforts in struggle lasted only a minute until finally she resisted no longer and finished her meal but as soon as the tray was taken away, she retreated to her usual state of remoteness.

            This continued for days until Lucile sought the only woman who in hopes could possibly reach her young mistress and pull her from the depths of depression.

            It didn’t take long for Lady Ellison to arrive at Ashford and Lucile greeted the Duchess immediately, filling in minor details for Ellison was well informed of the travesty that had befallen Ashford.

            “Has she spoken since?” the Duchess asked, her lovely face etched with utmost concern.

            Lucile shook her head, “No your grace, she has not uttered a word and I fear for her health and the state of her child.”

            Ellison gathered her skirts and followed the housekeeper upstairs and down the hall. When she opened the door, Ellison was immediately struck by the gloom of the room and a lingering sadness and gasped despite her collectedness.

            Her green eyes immediately settled on the crumpled frame lying motionless in the bed and her heart sank to a degree of horror. “Have this room brightened immediately.” She ordered her harmonic tone taking on a serious note of measure.

            Lucile wasted no time, crossing the room she shoved open the heavy drapes and the evening light chased away loitering shadows.

            “Have your cook prepare some broth and a hearty loaf of bread, and some ginger tea.”

            “Right away, your grace.” Lucile hastened from the room and Ellison moved about, straightening things and rousing the diminishing fire beneath the hearth.

            She turned towards the bed and her heart sank deeply. She crossed the room and settled beside Ginelle, and gently stirred her awake.

            The moment her eyes fluttered wide, Ellison saw the weight of her pain. “You must get up, Ginelle.” She said earnestly, “This has gone on long enough. You need to get up.”

            She remained unmoving, her eyes staring vacantly at the wall.

            “I refuse to sit idly by and allow this nonsense to continue. Think of your child, Ginelle.”

            A small light flickered in her brown eyes and Ellison knew she had sparked a flare of life. “You’re stronger than this.” She said determinedly.

            Slowly, those brown eyes met Ellison’s green stare and the weight of all her pain came crashing down and her dear friend released a heart-wrenching cry.

            Ginelle wept for hours cradled in Ellison’s lap and her friend held her as a mother would a weeping child until she could cry no longer. Ellison dabbed the remaining tears from her face and settled next to her friend in the bed.

            “It is okay to cry, Ginelle.” Ellison said softly.

            Ginelle shook her head, sniffling as she stared across the room into the embers burning low and dim. “I’ve cried nearly a lifetime of tears.” She mumbled, “I’m tired of feeling.”

            Ellison straightened, “You don’t mean that.”

            Ginelle peered over at her, “Yes-“ she whispered, “It is all too much.”

            Suddenly, Ellison reached over and took Ginelle’s hand, pressing it flat against her rounded belly. “Do you feel that?” she said thoughtfully, “That is life growing in you, a blessing from God. How could you not want to feel that?”

            Ginelle stared down at their hands and felt a tiny motion beneath her hand. She gasped, her eyes teeming with a sudden flow of tears.

            “You can’t ignore your feelings.” Ellison said, releasing her hand, but Ginelle’s remained, her heart jumping against her breast as the little bundle in her belly filled her with an overwhelming light. “You need to feel every thing that life can offer you, the good and the bad, for the sake of your child, you need to live.”

            Silence settled heavily between them and Ellison allowed Ginelle to register her thoughts. One of the servants appeared, carrying a tray with a recap of ginger tea. Ellison nodded towards the table across the room, it wasn’t until the servant had left that Ginelle finally spoke.

            “He didn’t know I was with child.” Her voice trembled with turmoil. “Now he’ll never know.”

            Ellison reached out and lightly gripped Ginelle’s shoulder. “Your pain will go away. Once you hold your baby, all that you’re feeling will slowly diminish and though it is bittersweet, you have him in your heart. The memory of him will live through you and your baby.”

            Ginelle peered over at Ellison and for the first time in several weeks felt a small smile curve her lips. She wrapped her arms around her beloved friend and knew she had to live, for the sake of Dorian; she had to live for their child.

**********