He stopped barely an arm’s length from her. “That man,” he said, his voice low and shaking, “is no gentleman. He has offered me a bribe, a substantial one at that, to testify against the baron’s sanity.”
Julia’s mouth dropped open of its own accord and she could only gape at him, unable to form any coherent thought.
“I told him no.” A muscle twitched in his forehead. “But that he would try, or even think I could be persuaded into such a thing—”
“He is more conniving than I realized,” she said at last. “What did he say when you refused him?” She stopped holding herself and reached out, grasping his forearms. “What will he do now?”
“He told me. He actually told me.” Nathaniel shook his head and his nostrils flared. “He will bring in his own doctor to examine the baron today, as his lordship is completely unconscious and under the influence of laudanum.”
Julia’s hands tightened and Nathaniel dropped his bag, raising his gloved hands to clasp her elbows, steadying her as her knees began to buckle.
“I have sent for Timothy, but I must go warn your cousin.” His gloved hands slid from her elbows down her arms to grasp her hands. “Come, Julia.” Then he turned and tugged her with him, but she easily changed their course to the kitchen entrance.
“Through the servants’ stair.” She did not need to explain more.
The kitchen staff must have been startled to see Julia fly through their domain again, with the doctor in tow, but Julia did not care. She kept Nathaniel’s hand in hers and looked only at the path ahead of them. She gathered her skirts with her free hand and went up the narrow stairs with no thought to decorum, and he pounded along behind her.
They came into the hall and went into the baron’s bedchamber, where Virginia had been sitting by his side. Julia barely registered the startled expression on her cousin’s face.
“You must remove Mr. Macon from the house immediately,” Julia gasped out.
Nathaniel closed the door behind them and leaned against it.
Virginia came to her feet and raised her hand to dash away tears Julia hadn’t yet noticed.
“What are you talking about? What has he done?” Virginia’s voice was soft, and she darted a look at her husband, who slept on through their boisterous entrance.
“He is sending for a physician to interview your husband and declare him unfit.” Nathaniel’s explanation came out rushed, but clear. “He determined on this course after I refused the bribe he offered me to do the deed.”
Virginia glanced from Julia to Nathaniel, her face turning white. She took a stumbling step back, her composure lost. “Why? Why is he doing this?”
“We have sent for a barrister, but the doctor may arrive first,” Nathaniel said. “Under no circumstances can he be allowed in this room. If you can eject your brother-in-law from the home, I suggest you do so.”
Virginia nodded. “The staff is loyal to me. They will not admit another physician and they will put Gerard out.” She stopped in front of Nathaniel, in the doorway, and met his eyes. “Stay with him for me, Doctor?”
“Of course.”
“Cousin Julia?”
“Yes, Ginny?” Julia came forward, ready to follow orders.
“You stay too. Protect Charles.”
Julia nodded and Nathaniel allowed Virginia to leave.
“Has this door a key?” he asked.
Julia went to the bureau near the wash stand and withdrew a long black key from the drawer, then went to the door and locked it herself. She dropped her forehead to the doorframe and let out a shaky breath.
Nathaniel’s hand on the small of her back brought her head up, realizing belatedly how close they stood, their bodies only a few hand widths apart.
“We will keep your cousin and her sons safe, Julia. I promise.”
His use of her name, the earnestness in his expression, his blue eyes dark with purpose, nearly undid her. But Julia forced herself to step away and his hand fell back to his side.
“Thank you, Doctor Hastings.” She put the shield of formality between them and moved to sit in the chair vacated by her cousin. “We are in your debt.”
The truth of the statement weighed on her. Not only had Nathaniel been a caring physician, but he had taken on the role of a loyal friend to the Macon family.
Nathaniel stayed by the door, watching her, though she did not raise her eyes to his again.
“You wanted to speak to me before.” He removed his hat, holding the brim in both hands. “What did you wish to say?”
Julia shook her head. “Nothing of importance. I meant to ask after Mr. Olivier. To find out if you’d heard anything from him since yesterday.”
“Oh.”
The disappointment held in that single word brought her eyes up again, where she saw his frown deepen. What else could he think she wished to speak of? He walked to the wash stand and dropped his hat upon it, then slid his coat off his shoulders. Julia looked down at her spencer and sighed before standing to remove it.
The baron slept on.
“Is there anything we can do to waken him?” Julia asked, keeping her voice low. “To help him come to himself?”
“It would not be a kindness.” Nathaniel’s voice held a hint of warning. “Every breath is painful. Every cough hurts him. But if we stop giving him the laudanum, if we give him other liquids to flush it from his body, we could bring him around.”
“Virginia will decide.” Julia dropped back into her chair, feeling utterly spent. She closed her eyes. “Poor Virginia. Will Mr. Olivier come?”
“The moment he gets that message. I sent a footman when I left the study.”
“But you came to me before telling Virginia.” That puzzled her enough that she opened her eyes again, turning to study him. Why had he thought of her first, instead of hurrying to the woman who most needed to act?
Nathaniel hesitated, his eyes meeting hers only briefly before his gaze darted elsewhere. “I thought she might need you.”
She supposed that made sense. But sitting in the room, alone with him except for the presence of an unconscious man, Julia wondered what good his actions did. The thought came to her that she may need to look after her reputation more carefully, as being locked up in a room with a bachelor, and only a sick patient for chaperone, could hardly do her any favors.
A dry chuckle escaped her. Who would ever know, or care, about such a strange situation? If she became a governess, no one would study her past as they would her written references. The family and staff would not spread gossip, and Nathaniel wouldn’t say a word, given that his affections were likely fixed elsewhere.
“Something amusing in all of this?” he asked, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall.
Julia winced and shook her head. This wasn’t the time or place for any mirth. “Only thinking.”
“I could use a bit of humor.”
“I am only laughing at myself, Dr. Hastings.” She folded her hands together in her lap and tried to sit straighter. “And wishing I had something to occupy myself with.”
He sighed. “I understand—”
But his words were cut short when they heard a commotion in the hall, along with raised voices.
“It seems he will not go quietly.” Nathaniel pushed away from the wall, his eyes trained on the door. “I was afraid of that.”
“My cousin has two very large footmen and a sizable groom in her employment,” Julia said, her ears tuned to the sound of scuffling feet out in the hall. “They will not give him a choice.”
Nathaniel went to the door and stood before it, arms loose at his side, as though waiting for someone to try to come through. Julia’s eyes traced his form, from his wavy blonde hair to his broad shoulders, taking in his protective stance. Her eyes dropped to the baron, frowning in his sleep, unaware of all that happened around him. His breath came in shallow gulps, his face remained pale.
“Why do these things happen?” she asked, her voice barely above a whispe
r. “He loves her, and he’s being forced to leave her.”
Nathaniel glanced over his shoulder at her, then looked back to the door. His carriage remained stiff and his hands curled into fists. “I ask myself that question every day, Miss Devon. I watch good men die, treat children barely clinging to life, and for all the training I have, I am helpless in the face of much of it.”
Julia swallowed her emotions and stared at his back, noting the tautness of his shoulders. “What answer do you make for yourself?” she asked, leaning forward. “How do you keep doing such work when it ends this way?” She did not know what she wanted the answer to be, only that she hoped for something that would soothe her mind and heart.
“I look at the good I can do,” he answered, not turning, though the sounds in the hall had ceased. “I look at the lives I have saved, the people I have helped. And I look at the families who are left behind. I do not want your cousin to think, even once, that more could’ve been done to spare her husband’s life. No one should live with that guilt.” His hands slowly opened and he turned, his movements pronounced in their rigidity.
“I only wish death was a foe I could meet on the battlefield.” He raised his eyes to hers. “And I wonder if being a soldier or a vicar would’ve been an easier route for a second son.”
Julia’s heart ached for him, for Virginia, and she could think of no answer to make. A tear slipped down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away.
“Virginia and her family would be lost without you,” she said at last, meeting his stare and putting as much sincerity as she could into each word. “You do far more than any other physician would. Thank you for that.”
He offered her a curt nod, then went to the window to stare out at the street.
Neither of them said another word until Virginia returned with the news of her brother-in-law’s removal, and Mr. Olivier arrived nearly in the same instant.
Julia escaped the room with haste. The next conversation would not need her presence. She went to see to the servants, then the boys, smoothing ruffled feathers, offering explanations, and doing whatever else she could think to do to ease Virginia’s burdens. But while she worked to bring the household back to order, her cousin met with the barrister and doctor.
And try as she might, Julia could not get the image of Nathaniel, standing before a door ready to do battle, out of her mind.
∞ ∞ ∞
“As satisfying as I’m sure it was to throw Mr. Macon out of the house, I am afraid that action will play to his favor.” Timothy’s words, delivered with a solemnness Nathaniel was not accustomed to hearing from his old friend, surprised him.
“How could I possibly let him stay?” Lady Heatherton asked, her hands clasped tightly before her. They stood in front of the baron’s bedroom door, speaking in hushed tones. Though Timothy had suggested withdrawing to the study, the baroness would not move further from her husband.
“My lady, he will have some sympathy on his side when he makes his appeal to the courts. You threw a man grieving the loss of his brother out of your home.”
“He was threatening the well-being of a lady’s family.” Nathaniel couldn’t help arguing, knowing Lady Heatherton’s action was justifiable. “What choice did he give her?”
Timothy took a deep breath and fixed Nathaniel with a stern frown.
“Doctor Hastings, you are a very intelligent man in matters of medicine. Please leave me to be the expert of the law.” He glanced to Lady Heatherton, meeting her eyes squarely. “While I personally applaud your actions, and I understand your motivation, I am telling you that what happened here today will be twisted and turned by your brother-in-law’s lawyer, until it’s all in his favor. Then they will present that version of events to the court. It will be your word against his.”
Lady Heatherton took a step backward, leaning against the door to her husband’s room, and she raised a shaking hand to her forehead. Her lips went white and Nathaniel moved on instinct, coming forward to put his arm around her waist as she began to sink to the floor.
“Steady, my lady.” He bent and put an arm beneath her knees and lifted her. “Get the door, Timothy.”
Timothy acted swiftly to obey, opening the door to the baron’s bedroom. Nathaniel hurried inside and took her to the small chaise near the window. "I have smelling salts in my bag—” He stopped, realizing his medical bag remained out in the garden where he’d dropped it to speak to Julia. He nearly cursed out loud.
“I am well enough.” Lady Heatherton tipped her head back against the arm of the chaise and closed her eyes. “Please. Forgive that spell. I am afraid I have not been sleeping well.”
“Or eating well, I would imagine.” Nathaniel forced a more pleasant expression. “You must keep up your strength, my lady.”
“I detest fainting.” She said it with whispered vehemence. “I have only ever fainted once, Doctor. Please do not think the less of me for doing so again.”
Nathaniel shook his head. “I cannot blame you.” He shot a glare over his shoulder at Timothy. “I am afraid barristers haven’t a very good bedside manner.”
Timothy, to his credit, appeared concerned. “Forgive me, my lady, I spoke too carelessly.”
“You told me the truth.” She raised a hand to her temple and began to massage the place, rubbing it with small circles. “I apologize for my momentary weakness and I thank you both for your concern. But we ought to be discussing what to do about Gerard.”
“We need to prepare our argument and take statements from the servants. I will need to do this privately, my lady, with each of them. I think it best that we allow you time to recover from this incident, and I can tell the good doctor will agree with me on that. Might I use your study to conduct the interviews?”
“Yes. Of course.” The baroness nodded. “Whatever you need, Mr. Olivier. Thank you.”
“It is my honor to serve you, Lady Heatherton.” He executed a very proper bow. “Doctor Hastings, if you would point me in the right direction?”
Nathaniel went to the door with his friend. “Thank you for giving her time to compose herself. If I can coax her to eat something, she should regain her strength.”
“I’ll send someone up with a tray.” Timothy’s wan smile gave Nathaniel pause. He knew his friend to be a good-humored soul. To see him straining for a lighter expression and failing worried him more than anything else had.
“It’s that bad?”
Timothy pressed his lips together, glancing down the hall, ensuring no servants lingered nearby. “It will be difficult to persuade the judiciary that Lady Heatherton’s actions were justified. There could have been better outcomes. I respect that you were trying to protect her interests and the privacy of your patient, but it may have been better to let the other doctor come. Then the argument would’ve been your word against another physician, instead of a family battle. We could have brought in character witnesses to you and the other man. Heard the testimonies of servants. But now the whole issue will be clouded by emotion and morality instead of medical fact and the reputation of physicians.”
Nathaniel listened attentively, his dread growing. “It all happened too fast. I thought we were in the right. He offered me a bribe.”
“And everyone in this house is under enough pressure that a little thing like that set you all off like a spark to a powder keg.” Timothy brought his hands up and mimicked an explosion, complete with the sound of air bursting from his lips. “I can’t say that I blame any of you. It was an act of protection, inspired by great emotion, but I’ll have the devil of a time cleaning the mess up.”
“I’m sorry for my part,” Nathaniel said with quiet feeling. He’d ruined everything.
“Never mind. It is done and we move forward to face a new battle.” Timothy tucked his hands behind his back. “You need to direct me to the study.”
Nathaniel gave him directions to the room before returning to check on Lady Heatherton and her husband. He kept her company until a maid arrived with a
tray of food. After he charged her to eat as much as she could, Nathaniel slipped away with his coat and hat in hand, leaving the maid to attend to her. He had a number of people he was supposed to see, but he could summon little enthusiasm for continuing his rounds.
He put the articles on as he walked down the steps, then he went through the house towards the gardens. His bag remained outside and he couldn’t leave without it.
Nathaniel entered the conservatory, but he had only made it a few steps before sudden movement drew his eye to a bench near several potted ferns.
Julia came to her feet, one hand holding a gray shawl tight around her shoulders. With wide eyes and no color in her cheeks, she looked as though she’d stepped from a painting depicting a Grecian tragedy. Nathaniel went to her, his arms coming up with the desire to offer comfort.
He came to himself, however, when he saw his medical bag clutched in her other hand.
I am the doctor, and nothing more. He did not slow in his movement, but instead of reaching to hold her as he had no right to hold her, he carefully took the bag from her hands.
“Thank you for retrieving this.”
Her free hand joined the other, grasping tightly at the ends of her wrap. “Thank you for all your help.”
Ought he to tell her of Timothy’s reproof, or let her find out on her own? He couldn’t decide. The discouragement and shame he felt for his part in worsening Lady Heatherton’s position weighed on him. He stood still, gazing into her lovely copper-brown eyes, trying to arrange the words in his thoughts so they might come out gently.
“I am afraid I may have made matters worse, sending everyone into a frenzy as I did.”
She appeared unsurprised; her shoulders dropped and she lowered her eyes. “I cannot pretend to understand matters of law, but as I have been thinking on things, I wondered if we acted in too much haste. I have been telling everyone that all is well, but there’s been this feeling in my heart that things were not right.”
“Mr. Olivier will explain it to you. He is interviewing everyone who was privy to the situation.” Nathaniel shifted his bag from one hand to the other, noticing the gentle curve of her cheek and the pale pink of her pursed lips. He wanted to linger to coax those lips into a smile again and inhale the calming scent of lilac which lingered about her. But what could he say? Matters were hardly simple between them.
The Gentleman Physician: A Regency Romance (Branches of Love Book 2) Page 13