Lament for a lost lover

Carleton had reminded them that the man must have been suffering for a few days and therefore they could all be infected. The reason why the plague was spreading was because people were not careful enough in isolating themselves when they came within range of it. One would have to wait several weeks to be sure that one was free from infection, and this is what he suggested they do. They could not communicate, for how did they know in what ways the disease could be carried? They would go to a hunting lodge on the edge of the Eversleigh estate. There were no servants there. It was only a small place and rarely used. If they all went there for a few weeks and they were unaffiicted, then they could, with a good conscience, join their families. “Was there no way you could have let us know?” I demanded. “Carleton was insistent that it was the only way,” said Uncle Toby. “He took charge of us.”

“I can well believe that,” I said.

“Carleton was right,” insisted Lord Eversleigh. “It was better for you to suffer a little anxiety for a while than to have this dreadful thing brought into the house. Think of the boys.”

“Children are particularly susceptible,” said Carleton and that suppressed my complaints.

Sir Geoffrey Gillingham stayed on with us. He was gentle and charming and in a way reminded me of Edwin. He had lost a young wife three years before in childbed and there was something rather sad about him.

I found I could talk to him about Edwin and how happy we had been. I felt he understood. He had a great admiration for Carleton. “He is the sort of man who would take over in an emergency. I must say that when we realized we were in close proximity with the plague and had actually eaten food which the man had touched, we really thought we were all doomed. It was Carleton who said it was not necessarily so but that we must regard ourselves as potential victims and hide ourselves away.”

“He is a very forceful character, I know,” I said.

“It’s a pity there are not more like him.”

“Perhaps,” I said. “But I suppose wars are made by forceful characters.”

“And sometimes prevented by them.”

Sir Geoffrey was quickly very popular with the family. Lady Eversleigh said he must not think of returning to London. He had had news that both the servant and his wife had died of the plague and that, as they had died in his house, it would be unwise for him to return to it just yet. The children liked him-rather to my surprize, for they were usually fascinated by more colourful people-great romancers like Uncle Toby, for instance. Edwin particularly liked him, and Sir Geoffrey used to ride out with my son, and since he was there to look after him, I allowed Edwin to venture out beyond the field. I had a confident feeling that no harm could come to him while he was with Sir Geoffrey.

Carleton said: “You should be grateful to me. Look what a pleasant friend I have found for you.”

I flushed slightly and that annoyed me, because I was finding that Carleton’s remarks often discountenanced me. He knew this and revelled in it. “Don’t get too friendly, will you?” he said and moved off. It was an irritating habit of his that he would make some remark like that and before I had time to challenge it be gone.

It was he who told me that the theatres had been closed. I thought at once of Harriet and so did he. She was, of course, the reason he mentioned it. He came close to me-he had made a habit of doing that and it angered me-and he gripped my arm tightly. “Don’t worry about that woman,” he said. “She will always find some way out of a difficult situation, no matter where and when.”

“Like you,” I replied.

“Yes, there is a similarity. I’ll wager that whatever happens to anyone else, she’ll come through safely.”

But I was not sure of that and I worried about her.

That was an eventful time. While the plague was raging in the cities, England was at war with the Dutch and there was great rejoicing over a victory at sea off Harwich when the King’s brother, the Duke of York, became the hero of the day, having blown up Admiral Opdam, all his crew and fourteen of his ships, and capturing eighteen more.

In London there was a thanksgiving service to commemorate the victory and immediately afterwards a fast was ordered because of the plague for the first Wednesday in every month. Money was raised to help young children who had lost their parents, to set up centres where the infected could be cared for and to make every effort to stop the spread of the scourge. All those who could retire to the country were advised to do so, and the holding of fairs or any such gatherings where disease could spread was prohibited.