Chapter Five
Lingering over the yarn skeins in the shop, Julia glanced from one basket to another, trying to determine which hue would best suit her cousin. Virginia’s golden hair and fair complexion meant that bold colors would be best. Anything too light would only make her appear washed out. Her eyes kept going back to the greens and blues.
Knitting had always been one of Julia’s favorite pastimes, as it kept her hands busy while her mind could wander, and the end result was something she could share with others to brighten their day.
Her latest project would be a shawl for Virginia. Something lovely she could wear at home, even receiving callers. Her eyes skimmed over the baskets of neatly organized colors, and for a brief moment her gaze lingered on the black and gray yarn.
She shuddered and pulled her coat a little tighter. There would be more than enough of those dismal colors in her cousin’s future. Something bright and cheerful would do for now.
With that in mind, Julia at last chose the green, remembering all the blues in Virginia’s sitting room. The green would stand out more and keep her lovely cousin from fading into the background. But the blue was too lovely to leave behind. She picked it up as well.
After she made her purchase, she stepped outside and looked up at the clouds. They promised to drop rain before long, but Julia had one more stop to make. The boys had done an excellent job on their lessons and keeping their nursery tidy. Julia promised them a treat as a result. As Mrs. Rainey, the cook, was already set to give biscuits out when Edward went several days without putting his thumb in his mouth, Julia thought she better find something different for today’s reward.
She went to the apothecary. Most carried small sweets as well as medicines. Purchasing a tin of comfits to keep on her person would be wise in a house with little boys. The sugar-glazed nuts or dried fruit could go a long way to cheer them. At present, she wasn’t worried about spoiling them, either. Doling out treats to them would do a great deal of good and very little harm.
The apothecary the household staff directed her to was well set up in a large, clean establishment on a market street. There were other patrons inside, men and women both, some receiving instruction from the apothecary, others being helped by an assistant in a well-starched white apron.
Julia waited at the counter in front of the shelves of colorful sweets, sorted into glass containers.
“May I help you, madam?” the young man asked when he came from another customer.
She chose a variety of several sugary drops, all wrapped in papers. Empty tins were stacked next to the comfit containers, also for sale. Julia asked that the sweets be put directly into one of the little boxes.
It did not take long to make her purchase, but as she turned with her brown-paper parcel, a boom of thunder sounded overhead.
Others in the shop gasped, one woman rushed to the exit and opened her umbrella before bursting outside, making Julia realize she had nothing to protect her from the rain.
A figure on the other side of the room moved, taking a step in her direction, and she glanced that direction to see Nathaniel.
Warmth flooded her body, only to immediately be replaced by cold regret. Would his presence never stop affecting her?
When did he enter the shop? He certainly hadn’t been among its patrons when she walked in. What was he even doing here?
He’s a doctor, you ninny. Of course he frequents apothecaries, she reminded herself, pasting on a polite smile. She watched his approach, hoping she did not look as uneasy as she felt. “Doctor Hastings.”
“Miss Devon.” He bowed. She curtsied. “Out running errands?” he asked, his face devoid of emotion or true interest.
“Yes. I came to find some treats for my little cousins.” She held up the package to prove her purpose. She wished he didn’t appear so severe. While he could not care for her as he once had, it would be nice if he could be friendlier. But then, the fault was likely hers for pretending they’d never met. That set the pattern for their behavior as distant acquaintances, at best.
Julia remembered the way his clear blue eyes lit up when he laughed, when she’d known him in London. The remembrance made her heart ache. Things could have been different between them.
“Do you have a carriage or a chair waiting to return you home?” he asked, nodding towards the window and the downpour of rain.
“I’m afraid not. As scandalous as it is to admit, I walked here on my own, when the sun was out.” She didn’t lower her eyes at the admission, which she would have done in the past, but met his with as cheery a smile as she could. “And I’ve forgotten my umbrella.”
To her surprise, his lips twitched, as if he would return the expression, but he cleared his throat and looked down at his arm, where an umbrella hung. “I have mine. If you would like to borrow it, I may pick it up later this afternoon when I call upon Lord Heatherton.”
The chivalrous gesture startled her, especially given his cool treatment of before. But, of course, he had been shocked when he saw her at the baron’s house. He’d had time, since then, to get used to the idea of her.
“I cannot deprive you of your cover, sir,” she said, folding her hands over her package and bringing it to her stomach. “I will wait out the rain. It cannot last long.”
He raised his eyes again, meeting hers from beneath his fair lashes. “It can. And it likely will. Bath winters are often soggy affairs. Please, take my umbrella. Or let me hire a carriage for you. I insist.”
“Thank you. In that case, the umbrella will do.” She held her hand out, her eyes meeting his squarely. She must not let him see, under any circumstances, how she felt in his presence.
They both wore gloves, his black and leather, hers wool. When his fingers grazed hers, putting the umbrella’s handle into her hand, she should not have felt the warmth from his touch. But she did. And it unnerved her.
She and Nathaniel could never be. Not after what her father did. Not after what she said to him, at their last meeting in Hyde Park. At the time, she’d meant to spare him, spare them both, from greater pain.
She closed her fingers over the handle and stepped back. “Thank you, Doctor Hastings. I will take care you get it back.”
He tipped his hat to her, then opened the apothecary’s door, allowing her to step out and open the umbrella. As she walked by him, she inhaled the scent of pine trees and soap. His scent.
She hastened away from the shop, down the no-longer busy walks, going as fast as she could without giving rise to comment, trying to outrun her emotions.
Every drop of rain that fell onto the umbrella laughed at her, each one a reminder of his unexpected kindness which meant nothing, could never again mean anything to her.
Nathaniel had always been a gentleman. His behavior was above reproach. His generosity and compassion she well knew. On more than one of their meetings in London, she had watched him aid complete strangers. It was in his nature to help others, and the work of a physician suited him well.
Knowing he had achieved his goal, becoming a doctor in a town as affluent and busy as Bath, spoke highly of him. Virginia and Lord Heatherton both had nothing but praise for his work and care. Julia knew he must be proud of his accomplishments.
Nathaniel Hastings, a second son of a minor baron, had known from his childhood that he must earn his living. He’d told her that candidly, days before he walked away forever. He had always planned to be a physician. He wanted to help people, see to their needs. She’d admired his noble thoughts.
Now, Julia knew better. He wasn’t being noble, he wasn’t trying to impress her with his future plans. Nathaniel had been in earnest, telling her of the life he would have, making certain she understood, before he asked for permission to court her formally.
What a disaster that had been. He’d gone to her home without telling her of his intentions. If only she could have warned him about her father, or broken with him gently, before his feelings were exposed in the cruelest of circumstances.
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But she could not change the past. It still hurt to think on those lovely days with him, when he had likely moved on with his life.
It occurred to her, when she was but steps from the house, that she did not even know if he had married.
“What does it matter?” she whispered out loud. “It can mean nothing to me. I only hope he is happy.” That decided, she entered the house, taking care that Thurston keep the umbrella safe until Doctor Hastings could come and claim it.
If Nathaniel could see through his dream of becoming a physician, Julia thought she might achieve her desired independence as well. Perhaps it was time she give more thought to her future. It was time for her to move on, as he had, from the past.
∞ ∞ ∞
Nathaniel’s unexpected meeting with Julia Devon stayed with him throughout the day. Every time he stepped out into the rain, he couldn’t help but remember his umbrella in her hand and the grateful expression that curved her lips upward. Her sincere thanks surprised him. Over the years, he’d dismantled his good opinion of her, diligently and carefully, convincing himself that Julia must be every bit as cold and prejudicial as her father.
In one smile, she nearly undid all his hard work.
“You are trapped in some cage of the mind, I think,” Lady Huntington told him, her tone more speculative than offended at his inattention. “And here I’ve been telling you the most diverting story about the Countess of Whitten.”
He chuckled and offered a slight bow. “My apologies, my lady. I’ve been lost in thought, it’s true. Dare I ask you to repeat the tale?”
“I will not,” she answered tartly, folding her hands in her lap. She tilted her chin up and glared down her nose at him with mock severity. “But you may tell me yours. I can usually count on you to be a perfect guest in my home, and you always find me amusing, so I must know what has caused this deep study of yours.”
Nathaniel couldn’t help but chuckle, though he cleared his throat and tried to assume a more professional countenance. “It is nothing of interest to you, my lady. Merely some personal matters that I should not carry with me when calling on my patients. How are you feeling today? I was given to understand from your note that you are not your usual self.”
“Indeed, I am not.” Her eyes gleamed at him, her lips pursed, but she finally shrugged and launched into a list of symptoms he could only treat with a few sympathetic words and an admonition to rest more.
“You keep very late hours, my lady. Perhaps you ought to stay in on occasion, or else take more frequent afternoon naps.”
“I find naps to be a complete waste of time,” she countered, reaching for her cup of tea and sipping delicately. “But I may decide not to attend as many evening events. Most women my age do not. Though I detest the very idea of weeding through my invitations.”
“I am certain you do. But I can assure you, Lady Huntington, that you have more energy than many people I know who are half your age.”
Her gray eyes sparkled and her lips quirked upward. “Do you think so? In your professional opinion?”
“Undoubtedly. There are many unable to keep up with your social schedule.” He spoke the words truthfully enough. The old woman delighted him, and he could tell she thrived in keeping busy. “But if you want to remain in good health, there are a few concessions you should make. Taking only one night off in a week may go a long way to improving your health. I would also recommend you take some exercise in the sunshine when it comes out. A little of its nourishing light could set you up as nicely as a turn in the pump room.”
She leaned forward slightly and narrowed her eyes at him. “Doctor Hastings, a man in your profession should never slight the waters of this ancient town. But as you have proven to be an excellent physician thus far, I will do exactly as you say.”
“Thank you, Lady Huntington.” He had to resist smiling again, pleased with her praise as much as he was diverted by it. “Is there anything else you wish to discuss?”
“Yes.” She sat fully upright and rang a small bell. A maid entered the room, holding a tray with a slip of paper upon it. “I need your help with something outside of your usual services, I’m afraid.”
“Oh?” Nathaniel took the card when the maid offered it, but he waited until she curtsied and left to study it more carefully. “This is an invitation to the Whitten concert.”
“Indeed, it is. Issued to myself and my great-niece, who is something of an artist when it comes to the pianoforte. She has been asked to play. Lady Whitten is one of my dearest friends, but I cannot abide her husband, sons, or her taste in decoration.” Lady Huntington sniffed, her haughty expression returning. “Yet I cannot deny my great-niece an opportunity to exhibit her skills to such an audience. Especially when she is stuck in Bath this season. The girl ought to be in London.”
Nathaniel heard warning bells chime in his ears, but he knew he must ask the question anyway. “What would you like me to do, my lady?”
“I would like you to escort her, and her companion of course, to the event. I will take that as my night at home resting, as you suggested.”
How she was able to turn his advice against him with such swiftness, he had no idea. The woman had a sharp mind to match her quick wit.
“Are you sure, my lady?” he asked, turning the invitation over in his hands. Not many such cards came to him. While physicians could move among the more genteel members of society, it was rare anyone wanted him to attend important events. Unless they needed to fill in a seat at their table.
Nathaniel was too young to mingle in a society where the ladies closer to his age were meant to be finding wealthy husbands. As a second son, he had known this fact for many years, and it no longer bothered him.
“I am always certain of my choices, young man.” She smoothed out her skirts and fiddled with the rings on her fingers. “And you needn’t worry I’m trying to match-make. I know full well that my great-niece would not suit you. Her artistic frame of mind comes with a flighty nature. But I have told Lady Whitten a great deal about you and how I have come to depend upon your care. I think, should you attend this event as Felicity’s escort, you may find yourself with more patrons.”
Understanding her motives, Nathaniel studied the invitation in his hands once more, his fondness for her growing.
“Lady Huntington, thank you. I am honored by your attention.”
She waved her hand carelessly, cutting off any further words of thanks he might attempt. “Tush. You are a fine man and an excellent doctor. I have no doubt that your patronage will increase in years to come, as others learn of you. And though I am loathe to share your attention, I want to make certain you remain in Bath for the foreseeable future.”
Though her interference wasn’t necessary, Nathaniel appreciated the gesture, and stood to bow over her hand. The woman was an absolute gem. “Thank you, my lady. Should I call upon your great-niece here? Miss Felicity?”
“Yes, that will do nicely. I will see you three evenings hence.” She bowed her head in a stately manner and he took his leave, tucking the invitation in his coat.
When he exited her home, ready to go on to Lord Heatherton’s, he noted with some relief that the rain had stopped. Which made a strange sort of sense, given that he would be able to obtain his umbrella at the very next house on his rounds.
Nathaniel went up the steps and raised his hand to knock, only to pause when he heard shrieks coming from inside. It sounded as though one of the children was having a fit of hysterics. Fearing an injury had occurred, Nathaniel shoved open the door and rushed inside, hurrying to the foot of the staircase. He stopped, trying to ascertain where the noise was coming from.
“Watch out,” a woman’s voice shouted above him, and he looked up in time to see a little boy hurtling down the banister at a break-neck speed. Nathaniel reflexively dropped his bag and raised both arms in time to catch Phillip, the older of the two boys. The weight of the child sent him staggering backwards several steps, but he kept his feet on
the ground and the boy in his arms.
“Good catch, Doctor,” the boy said in a tone of congratulations. The little scamp was grinning ear-to-ear and panting as though he’d run a foot race.
“Phillip.” The voice that had called out a warning, Julia’s voice, brought Nathaniel’s eyes back up to the stairs. “I told you we could play only if we remained quiet.”
Julia fairly flew down the steps. He bit back a call of warning, thinking that her haste could only result in an accident, but she stopped a few steps from the bottom and stared at him.
“Doctor Hastings,” she said, dropping a quick curtsy. “I’m dreadfully sorry.”
Phillip wriggled and Nathaniel hastily set the boy on his feet.
“No harm done. Though I have seen a broken arm a time or two from boys sliding down rails.” He fixed Phillip with a stern glance. “And that noise likely worried your father.”
A maid appeared at the top of the stairs. “Pardon me, Miss Devon, but His Lordship wanted me to check on everybody. We heard the most frightful noise.”
Nathaniel put a gentle hand on Phillip’s shoulder. “There, you see? Fun is all well and good, but not if it disturbs your father. You go on up and apologize.”
The boy’s lip protruded, but he nodded. “Yes, Doctor Hastings. Sorry.” Then he darted up the steps.
Julia watched him go and sighed. “Honestly, I’ve tried to keep him entertained, but the boys need more exercise. I apologize again, Doctor Hastings, for the spectacle.” She glanced back at Nathaniel, her eyes more sorrowful than the situation merited.
He leaned down to pick up his bag, trying to avoid further eye contact with her. Her eyes, as warm and brown as ever, stirred too many memories in his heart.
“No harm done, Miss Devon. Young boys have as much energy as yearling colts, but half the opportunity to exercise it. The rain makes it difficult to get them outside, I am certain.”
“Indeed. And the park is completely out of the question too.” Julia sighed and reached up to tuck one of her dark curls behind her ear. “A house really is no place for playing highway robbers. Shall I show you up now, Doctor?”
The Gentleman Physician: A Regency Romance (Branches of Love Book 2) Page 5