( from the corner of his eyes, he observes miss bennet take a step closer to him and presumes it to be a silent offer to help. as inappropriate as it would be, he would not object as, following her stay at his house, they have little room for etiquette and formality. anyways, her implicit offer of aid is interpreted as a gesture of goodwill towards an invalid. no different than alms for the poor.
however, he is mistaken in her movement and intention as miss bennet acknowledges his request and scurries away. just as she passes through the threshold, he remembers the urgent message that he must relay to squire howarth regarding the care of dustros and his horse. but miss bennet disappears and a housemaid, a young woman with brown curly hair, is sent in her place.
atticus asks for the servant's name and she responds that it's sarah. with a military officer's effectiveness, he tells sarah that he has four tasks for her: the first is to remove his boots. the second is to adjust the pillows against the headboard so atticus can rest in an upright position. from his previous rib injury, he has found that sitting in an upright position is more comfortable and allows for easier breathing than lying flat on his back. sarah's third task is to fetch a footman or page to act as a messenger and contact squire howarth. as atticus didn't know whether the squire was still at the fair or back at his farm, it would take a great deal of time and effort to locate him. the messenger's reward for completing this task would be a shilling. as would sarah's if she completed these three tasks, along with the fourth and final task: ask mr. bennet if he could be so kind as to lend his valet at four-thirty to aid atticus in dressing for dinner. as atticus could scarcely lift his arms to his chest, it would be difficult for him to dress or, indeed, perform any hygiene ritual. for now, he would be at the mercy of others.
sarah completes the first two at once, pulling off his boots and setting them at the foot of his bed then arranging the pillows just so for him. she also helps him shift entirely onto the bed and the pillows. then she leaves and returns half an hour later to inform him that she spoke to the footman and mr. bennet. both agreed to atticus's requests. after he pays her a shilling, she gives him a glass of water and then leaves.
for the next four hours, atticus alternates between looking out the window and trying to drift off to sleep. the rib injury makes it difficult to find comfort and breathe. still, he passes the time by composing passages and observations about autumn in meryton in his head. later, he will translate his thoughts to paper and place them in his commonplace book. finally, at four-thirty precisely, mr. bennet's valet arrives. his name is mr. brooke and he asks atticus from what area of cornwall he hails. atticus's dialect is refined and indistinct enough that he goes undetected as cornish. still, it's noticeable in the way he sometimes rolls his "r's." atticus lies and says he's from exeter, a town thirty miles east of where he indeed hails. mr. brooke accepts the answer, mentions that he's from padstow on the coast, and helps atticus stand up.
they discover mr. bennet weighs half a stone more than atticus and stands a couple of inches shorter. thus, mr. bennet's trousers are loose and short on him, but the looseness problem is solved by a belt (though not fixed too lightly). what atticus lacks in girth, he makes up in shoulder width hence the white linen shirt is baggy in the stomach area and snug in the shoulders — not too much that he couldn't raise his arms but enough that he declines to fasten the buttons up to his chin. he forgoes a waistcoat as the piece could restrict his breathing. the valet tugs a pair of socks on atticus to cover the noticeable gap between the end of the trousers at his calves and his ankles. mr. bennet was also kind enough to gift him a pair of worn slippers as it's impossible for atticus to wear his boots.
just as he's finishing dressing, a footman knocks and tells atticus that he delivered the message to squire howarth. the squire agreed to keep his dog until atticus could fetch him, but would bring by his horse in the next day or two. atticus thanks the footman and pays him his shilling as well. he only has fifteen shillings remaining on him. he would be remiss if he did not tip the staff at the end of his stay at longbourn, despite it being convalescence in nature.
mr. brooke deems atticus proper enough to leave his room and the bell to signal for dinner rings. its tinkle is clear even at the back of the house. while not needing assistance during the journey from the sitting room to his room, atticus finds he does need some assistance now, at least until he reaches the foyer and regains the energy to shuffle into the dining room on his own. it's not surprising that only mr. and miss bennet sit at the dining table and not mrs. bennet, who won't show head nor hair until he and his smell was scrubbed from longbourn. )
I apologise for my tardiness. ( he grimaces as he moves behind mr. bennet's place at the head of the table to sit to his left. ) And my appearance.
( atticus would not be out of place in a caricature published in the observer depicting dandies in their outlandish outfits. )
no subject
however, he is mistaken in her movement and intention as miss bennet acknowledges his request and scurries away. just as she passes through the threshold, he remembers the urgent message that he must relay to squire howarth regarding the care of dustros and his horse. but miss bennet disappears and a housemaid, a young woman with brown curly hair, is sent in her place.
atticus asks for the servant's name and she responds that it's sarah. with a military officer's effectiveness, he tells sarah that he has four tasks for her: the first is to remove his boots. the second is to adjust the pillows against the headboard so atticus can rest in an upright position. from his previous rib injury, he has found that sitting in an upright position is more comfortable and allows for easier breathing than lying flat on his back. sarah's third task is to fetch a footman or page to act as a messenger and contact squire howarth. as atticus didn't know whether the squire was still at the fair or back at his farm, it would take a great deal of time and effort to locate him. the messenger's reward for completing this task would be a shilling. as would sarah's if she completed these three tasks, along with the fourth and final task: ask mr. bennet if he could be so kind as to lend his valet at four-thirty to aid atticus in dressing for dinner. as atticus could scarcely lift his arms to his chest, it would be difficult for him to dress or, indeed, perform any hygiene ritual. for now, he would be at the mercy of others.
sarah completes the first two at once, pulling off his boots and setting them at the foot of his bed then arranging the pillows just so for him. she also helps him shift entirely onto the bed and the pillows. then she leaves and returns half an hour later to inform him that she spoke to the footman and mr. bennet. both agreed to atticus's requests. after he pays her a shilling, she gives him a glass of water and then leaves.
for the next four hours, atticus alternates between looking out the window and trying to drift off to sleep. the rib injury makes it difficult to find comfort and breathe. still, he passes the time by composing passages and observations about autumn in meryton in his head. later, he will translate his thoughts to paper and place them in his commonplace book. finally, at four-thirty precisely, mr. bennet's valet arrives. his name is mr. brooke and he asks atticus from what area of cornwall he hails. atticus's dialect is refined and indistinct enough that he goes undetected as cornish. still, it's noticeable in the way he sometimes rolls his "r's." atticus lies and says he's from exeter, a town thirty miles east of where he indeed hails. mr. brooke accepts the answer, mentions that he's from padstow on the coast, and helps atticus stand up.
they discover mr. bennet weighs half a stone more than atticus and stands a couple of inches shorter. thus, mr. bennet's trousers are loose and short on him, but the looseness problem is solved by a belt (though not fixed too lightly). what atticus lacks in girth, he makes up in shoulder width hence the white linen shirt is baggy in the stomach area and snug in the shoulders — not too much that he couldn't raise his arms but enough that he declines to fasten the buttons up to his chin. he forgoes a waistcoat as the piece could restrict his breathing. the valet tugs a pair of socks on atticus to cover the noticeable gap between the end of the trousers at his calves and his ankles. mr. bennet was also kind enough to gift him a pair of worn slippers as it's impossible for atticus to wear his boots.
just as he's finishing dressing, a footman knocks and tells atticus that he delivered the message to squire howarth. the squire agreed to keep his dog until atticus could fetch him, but would bring by his horse in the next day or two. atticus thanks the footman and pays him his shilling as well. he only has fifteen shillings remaining on him. he would be remiss if he did not tip the staff at the end of his stay at longbourn, despite it being convalescence in nature.
mr. brooke deems atticus proper enough to leave his room and the bell to signal for dinner rings. its tinkle is clear even at the back of the house. while not needing assistance during the journey from the sitting room to his room, atticus finds he does need some assistance now, at least until he reaches the foyer and regains the energy to shuffle into the dining room on his own. it's not surprising that only mr. and miss bennet sit at the dining table and not mrs. bennet, who won't show head nor hair until he and his smell was scrubbed from longbourn. )
I apologise for my tardiness. ( he grimaces as he moves behind mr. bennet's place at the head of the table to sit to his left. ) And my appearance.
( atticus would not be out of place in a caricature published in the observer depicting dandies in their outlandish outfits. )