"What did the doctor say?" Jasper asks as he takes in the still figure of his sleeping wife.

"That if she woke to call him," Thomas answers from the doorway.

"And she woke?"

"Momentarily," Charlotte says, her hand encased by her husbands, "I think fever still has hold of her."

"What are her chances?" Jasper asks as he takes in her dull skin, cracked lips and thin face.

"Well..." Charlotte begins

"Realistically." He interrupts. Charlotte closes her mouth and Thomas speaks instead.

"She has a day to shake the fever, if not then they aren't good."

Jasper nods and takes his coat off, he drapes it over the chair and sits down.

"Both of you get some sleep." He says as he unties his shoes, "You need it."

Charlotte tries to protest but Thomas stops her, he whispers in her ear.

"He needs time with her."

Charlotte concedes and they leave the bedroom and shut the door. Benjamin meets them at the top of the stairs carrying a tray of tea and food.

"He's inside with her," Thomas says, answering his questioning look.

"I'll take him this and then I am going back to Ryddan manor," Benjamin says. "I don't know if his mother knows he's here."

"No one knows anything," Charlotte whispers frantically, "Why is he here? How did he know she was here? There's not a carriage outside, just a single horse."

"I think those are questions for when we are all more rested," Benjamin says calmly.

"But...?" Charlotte starts, her forehead scrunched up.

"In the morning," Thomas promises, kissing her cheek, his wife sighs in defeat and he takes her to their room with a small goodnight to Benjamin.

Jasper looks up from Eliza's white face as Benjamin opens the door and places his tray on the table.

"In case you're hungry," Benjamin explains. Jasper doesn't say anything, he just nods and turns back to Eliza.

"Goodnight Jasper," Benjamin says as he leaves the room with a concerned backward look.

Jasper sits by his wife's side for hours, he doesn't sleep or speak. He watches every twitch she makes and every moan she voices. A few doors along and Charlotte hasn't slept a wink, she tosses and turns, her stomach feels heavy and she can't get Jasper's arrival out of her mind. Thomas's breathes steadily next to her, she turns on her side to face him, his eyes are tightly shut and he doesn't wake when she slips out of bed. Charlotte creeps along the corridor to where Eliza lies, she slips inside. Jasper looks up as she takes his empty chair, through the night he climbed into bed with his wife and now her head lies on his lap as he sits up against the back wall.

"Hello," Charlotte says softly. "How are you feeling?"

"I am fine." He replies shortly. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"I couldn't sleep." She says, she bristles at his harsh tone. He narrows his eyes on her but doesn't argue. She feels her questions burning in her chest but she remains silent. Jasper eventually voices his annoyance at her presence.

"Why are you here?"

"I have a few questions." She admits

"They couldn't wait till morning?" His voice is cutting and angry.

"No." She snaps.

"Then, by all means, ask away." His tone suggests otherwise.

Charlotte takes a short breath, "Why are you here? How did you know she was here? And why is there blood on your sleeve?"

Jasper doesn't try to hide the blood splatter on his cuff as her eyes fall on it.

"That is what you wish to know?" He asks, "If I answer then you'll leave me alone?"

"Yes," Charlotte vows. Jasper cracks his neck and looks directly at her.

"I am here because she is my wife and she is sick, I knew she was here because Lady Elizabeth told me and the blood is none of your business."

Charlotte frowns. "That's not an answer."

"It's the only one your getting."

"I am not leaving until you tell me." She insists, she crosses her arms and leans back in the chair.

Jasper glares at her dark expression, he seems to be weighing up his choices. Charlotte can hear her heart thumping in the silence.

"I got into a fight." He finally admits.

"But you don't look hurt." She says, leaning forward to study his face.

"It was a one-sided fight."

Charlotte looks him in the eye trying to decide if he is telling the truth.

"Right, well thank you for answering my questions," She says as she stands.

"I have a question for you," Jasper announces before she can take a step.

"Yes?" She says rigidly.

"Why did you care so much about the blood on my shirt?" He asks, "It could be anything."

"I thought you might have tuberculosis as well." She says, "It's a miracle you don't,"

"This no miracle," He spits

"What do you mean?"

Jasper turns his icy gaze to her confused face.

"It should be me lying in this bed not Eliza."

"I don't understand."

"I am not a good person Charlotte, I grew up with disdain and hatred in my heart, I never once did anything for anyone else, I looked down upon people and they saw it as an excuse to win my respect. I left my own mother and sister on their own because I was not strong enough to deal with my wretched father's death." He looks down at Eliza. "And yet she is sick, she the kindest and most intelligent woman, who not only has dealt with the death of her twin sister and father but the abandonment of her mother and yet she has continued to be kind and lovingly even to a man like me, a bad person."

Charlotte listens to every word and sits back down in her chair.

"So tell me, how is this a miracle?" He finishes bitterly, she frowns.

"I do not know the details of your past and neither do I want to. You had a bad father and that may have affected some of your life but the man that Eliza knows isn't like that and you shouldn't be punished for being a person that makes mistakes." Her voice speeds up as she becomes more determined. "I agree that Eliza is an amazing person but I know that she was spoiled and snobby when she was a child and I know that she is too blunt and too rash. She makes mistakes too, she does things that she shouldn't, she planned to hurt Dominic, what kind of person...?"

"Don't you dare say another word about her!" Jasper growls but Charlotte just smiles.

"What kind of person loves someone enough to defend them?" She says triumphantly. "A good person, someone like you."

"What kind of person rides through the rain and wind to find their wife even though they are in conflict? Someone like you."

Jasper considers her words, he can't deny that he walked into her trap of words and yet somewhere in her reasoning what she said seems logical.

"I only came because of this." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a page torn from a book, "I didn't know she was sick."

Charlotte takes it from him and smoothes it out.

Dear Jasper

To remind you that I may be headstrong but I am irrevocably in love with you.

Eliza xx

She smiles and gives the note back.

"You didn't have to come." She says, "You could have found it and not come."

Jasper folds the paper and places it in the pocket over his heart.

"I am going back to bed." Charlotte says after a moment, "Goodnight Jasper."

She has opened the door when his voice stops her.

"Charlotte?"

She turns around, "Yes?"

"Thank you." He looks vulnerable for a moment. She smiles for a second, she nods and shuts the door with a click.