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What good would that do? No one is listening.

Mrs. Green picked up the bowl and left. Robert had sent Daisy away, just in case the process of feeding Georgiana became too messy. He knew she had not liked it, but he was sure that was what Georgiana would have wanted.

He and his sister-in-law had shared quite a few conversations while sitting over Georgiana’s motionless frame. He felt that he was getting to know both her and Georgiana so much better. But all it did was give him a deeper understanding of what he was about to lose.

There was a knock on the door, and he turned, wondering who was about to disturb them.

“Yes?” he said impatiently.

Daisy opened the door and stuck her head in. “The physician is here.”

Robert nodded with relief. “Send him in.”

Dr. Pritchard was extremely tall and thin. With his black suit and walking cane, he was an exact likeness of the Grim Reaper.

It did nothing to soothe his frazzled nerves.

Dr. Pritchard bent over and examined Georgiana thoroughly.

“We tried to feed her some broth this afternoon. She was able to swallow a lot of it. What happens if she does not wake up soon?”

Dr. Pritchard straightened up, adjusted his pince-nez, and turned his gray rheumy gaze on Robert. “Let us not borrow trouble. You did well to spoon-feed her. We would not want her to starve. It is the new thinking that a little water mixed with sugar or honey is also beneficial, as well as being easier to ingest than broth.”

Robert nodded. “Thank you.”

The physician’s gaze turned piercing. “I know it is a difficult and worrisome time, Your Grace, but I have seen no evidence that would lead me to think your wife will not awaken soon. Sometimes, after a tremendous shock such as has been experienced by Her Grace, the body needs to shut itself down and heal.”

Robert nodded along, not really understanding what the physician was saying or believing it. “But is it not simply amatter of bruises? Could she be undergoing untold suffering while we assume she is sleeping?”

“There is nothing to indicate she is in pain. There is the obvious pallor of her skin, along with a slight clamminess, but no discernible swelling aside from the bump on her forehead and the laceration at her temple, which are all healing as expected.”

Robert pursed his lips and nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate your candor.”

He bowed his head. “It is my pleasure, Your Grace. I shall leave some stinging nettle which you can steep together with the willow bark tea and feed to her. It will help with the swelling.”

Robert nodded his agreement to follow Dr. Pritchard’s orders.

Dr. Pritchard bowed his head one more time before taking his leave. Robert was left in the room with Daisy.

“You are really worried, are you not?” she asked.

His mouth turned down. “I think we are all quite worried.”

“I suppose we are,” she said pensively as she settled into her usual chair by Georgiana’s bed.

Robert sat on the window bench, and they both watched her sleep.

Robert looked at Daisy. “You know you need not stand vigil like this. You can go about your day.”

Daisy narrowed her eyes at him. “She is my sister,” she said chidingly. “You also do not need to stand vigil. Cecile could do it in your stead. So why areyouhere?”

He smiled wryly. “Fair point.”

He leaned against the window with a sigh and stared at the passing carriages and the people simply going about their lives, all blissfully unaware that his hung in the balance.

“It is strange…” he murmured softly, “How out there, life just goes on while here…”

“Here…we do not know whether it will end,” Daisy finished.