Her head ached. Her whole body ached. Her throat was parched as if she hadn’t drunk anything in days. She felt like vomiting, and the room spun. A look outside the window confirmed her fear—somehow she had slept from the rest of the afternoon through the next morning. Late morning. Breakfast was brought to her in bed, which was a rare treat. Although she was sick Jessica found herself eating everything in sight. She glared at the two maids who served her, indistinguishable from each other. They were new hires of the duchess. “Where is Gwen?” “Off to visit her mother, My Lady. She returns in a fortnight.” “Hmmmph.” For all the other pains she was experiencing, Jessica had to admit that the ones in her stomach had lessened some. Not a great trade-off, but at least she felt she could walk. “You may go. I will go see Dolly.” Who, she suspected, might have less angry answers to some of her questions, and who wasn’t likely to break down and cry in the middle of her explanations.
