with me soon. The countess would not want you to tarry long by yourselves. Even though you are studying to be a doctor, Lord Ravensmoore, you are very much a man.” She curtsied, gave him a brilliant smile, and quickly disappeared around the hedge.
An awkward silence fell as Madeline found herself suddenly alone with this man.
“May I join you?” Ravensmoore asked. “I want to know how you are feeling. I must return to the hospital this evening and cannot remain much longer.”
Madeline looked up at his towering frame, uncomfortable with her confusing emotions. Her mouth went dry when her eyes met his. She forced out the words, “Of course.”
“Are you well?” Ravensmoore sat next to her. “Is the pain tolerable?”
“It has been but a day, sir.” A mere inch separated them. Madeline could feel his closeness. His warmth wrapped about her like a protective cloak. “However, when I awoke this morning, it ached. I am most tired of wearing this cumbersome sling.”
“I suggest a more relaxed position of the arm. It appears too tight. May I?”
“If you think it will help.” Madeline’s heart fluttered when Ravensmoore stood and moved behind her. “Do be careful.”
“I’ll be most gentle.”
His fingers slid against the nape of her neck as he untied the knot of the sling. Gooseflesh covered her skin once again. Were these the hands of a butcher? She shivered, but not because she disliked his touch—the opposite.
“Let’s reposition your arm and start over.”
Surprised at his gentle touch and care for her feelings, a seed of guilt began to sprout as he secured the sling more comfortably about her neck. She had treated him so poorly and thought even worse of him. Could she have misjudged the gentleman? And if she had, could she have misjudged Vale as well?
“There now. How does that feel?”
She sighed with relief. “Better, thank you.”
“Let’s see how you fare over the next few minutes.” Ravensmoore came from behind her and held out his hand. “Would you do me the honor of a short walk?”
Madeline hesitated. “I really should return to the house,” she said, making excuses to escape him. The man had the dual effect of attracting her and driving her away at the same time.
His open hand awaited her answer. “Doctor’s orders,” he said, smiling.
Madeline accepted his hand. “You mean an almost doctor’s orders, don’t you?” His grasp, warm and gentle, comforted her. She felt oddly safe as he helped her to her feet.
“I’ll be a doctor by summer’s end, dear lady. Will you feel more comfortable with my position after that?” He placed his hand in the small of her back and turned her onto the path away from the house.
“Impossible, sir. You will be the only nobleman I know who is a physician. The spirit of my father forever stands between us as a reminder of what you did or didn’t do.” She quickened her pace.
“But—”
“Please.” She stopped and glared at him. “I don’t wish to be cruel. You have been kind, but I will never feel comfortable around doctors, you most of all. And Dr. Langford left you by my father’s side to attend another. He also is responsible for my father’s death. But you were the last one present with my father.”
“I understand.”
“I don’t think you can. My fondest wish is to live a normal life far from death, disease—”
“And doctors.”
“Yes, and doctors.”
“I believe that is the feeling of most people, Lady Madeline.”
“The last few years have brought nothing but pain.” Grateful for the dimness of the evening light, she wondered why she had shared her personal thoughts with him.
“To live is to experience pain. Illness and death come to all of us.”
“You, sir, have chosen to surround yourself with illness and have inflicted pain on others to satisfy your curiosity as you learn. And to what purpose?”
Ravensmoore stopped. “Inflicted pain on others? I imagine you are speaking of your
An awkward silence fell as Madeline found herself suddenly alone with this man.
“May I join you?” Ravensmoore asked. “I want to know how you are feeling. I must return to the hospital this evening and cannot remain much longer.”
Madeline looked up at his towering frame, uncomfortable with her confusing emotions. Her mouth went dry when her eyes met his. She forced out the words, “Of course.”
“Are you well?” Ravensmoore sat next to her. “Is the pain tolerable?”
“It has been but a day, sir.” A mere inch separated them. Madeline could feel his closeness. His warmth wrapped about her like a protective cloak. “However, when I awoke this morning, it ached. I am most tired of wearing this cumbersome sling.”
“I suggest a more relaxed position of the arm. It appears too tight. May I?”
“If you think it will help.” Madeline’s heart fluttered when Ravensmoore stood and moved behind her. “Do be careful.”
“I’ll be most gentle.”
His fingers slid against the nape of her neck as he untied the knot of the sling. Gooseflesh covered her skin once again. Were these the hands of a butcher? She shivered, but not because she disliked his touch—the opposite.
“Let’s reposition your arm and start over.”
Surprised at his gentle touch and care for her feelings, a seed of guilt began to sprout as he secured the sling more comfortably about her neck. She had treated him so poorly and thought even worse of him. Could she have misjudged the gentleman? And if she had, could she have misjudged Vale as well?
“There now. How does that feel?”
She sighed with relief. “Better, thank you.”
“Let’s see how you fare over the next few minutes.” Ravensmoore came from behind her and held out his hand. “Would you do me the honor of a short walk?”
Madeline hesitated. “I really should return to the house,” she said, making excuses to escape him. The man had the dual effect of attracting her and driving her away at the same time.
His open hand awaited her answer. “Doctor’s orders,” he said, smiling.
Madeline accepted his hand. “You mean an almost doctor’s orders, don’t you?” His grasp, warm and gentle, comforted her. She felt oddly safe as he helped her to her feet.
“I’ll be a doctor by summer’s end, dear lady. Will you feel more comfortable with my position after that?” He placed his hand in the small of her back and turned her onto the path away from the house.
“Impossible, sir. You will be the only nobleman I know who is a physician. The spirit of my father forever stands between us as a reminder of what you did or didn’t do.” She quickened her pace.
“But—”
“Please.” She stopped and glared at him. “I don’t wish to be cruel. You have been kind, but I will never feel comfortable around doctors, you most of all. And Dr. Langford left you by my father’s side to attend another. He also is responsible for my father’s death. But you were the last one present with my father.”
“I understand.”
“I don’t think you can. My fondest wish is to live a normal life far from death, disease—”
“And doctors.”
“Yes, and doctors.”
“I believe that is the feeling of most people, Lady Madeline.”
“The last few years have brought nothing but pain.” Grateful for the dimness of the evening light, she wondered why she had shared her personal thoughts with him.
“To live is to experience pain. Illness and death come to all of us.”
“You, sir, have chosen to surround yourself with illness and have inflicted pain on others to satisfy your curiosity as you learn. And to what purpose?”
Ravensmoore stopped. “Inflicted pain on others? I imagine you are speaking of your
Similar Books
