Miss Shaw and the Doctor

by Fenella J Miller

  “Young lady, today was to have been a time of celebration for you and your sisters; instead it will be spent at your desks. I doubt this silliness will be considered a good idea by the time you are allowed to retire.” She pointed to the door. “In silence, if you please, make your way to the schoolroom.”

  They trooped past her. The perpetrator of this incident looked away as she passed. Sarah almost relented when she heard the little ones crying, but she must punish them all. Although she was angry, she had no wish to cause dissension between the children. A nervous maid hovered outside the door, wringing her hands. Sarah pointed to the scattered objects. “Kindly get this cleaned up. Have someone from the nursery come to me in the schoolroom immediately.”

  The girl nodded, but had the good sense to make no comment.

  Far too late to remove the gifts she had made for the girls. Perhaps seeing them would make them realise how unkind they had been. The under-nursery maid arrived, a girl with an unsmiling countenance.

  “Kindly supervise the girls. They are to copy the sentences from the board. It will be done in silence. I shall not be long.” Sarah paused at the door. Every blonde head was lowered as they industriously scribbled on their slates. Even little Elizabeth was attempting to copy her name. As she turned to leave, Isobel looked up. The hate on this girl’s face shocked her. Why should this child feel so strongly about someone she had only just met?

  Somehow she stumbled to her apartment. Her vision was blurred, and if she did not lie down she would drop to the floor in a swoon.

  Betty greeted her, her outrage barely contained. “My word, what have those naughty children done now?”

  From a distance, Sarah heard her maid clucking sympathetically. She sank gratefully on to the day bed, and her world went black.

  Chapter Two

  Adam was on his way out when the housekeeper stopped him. “Sir, I beg your pardon, but there has been an incident in the schoolroom. Miss Shaw has been injured.”

  “I shall come at once. Tell me what happened.”

  “Something fell on her head. She was able to return to her room but is now unconscious.”

  His hand clenched around the handle of his medical bag. Head injuries were the worst. The seriousness of the injury was often impossible to gauge. The young woman he’d met a few hours ago had not endeared herself to him; however, he was saddened to think she had met with an accident so soon after her arrival.

  He had been to the nursery on more than one occasion to attend one of the girls when they had succumbed to various childhood ailments. Mrs. Taylor led him to the rear of the house and into a pretty parlour. His patient lay comatose on a chaise longue. At once he saw a livid bruise on her right temple.

  Dropping to his knees beside her, he checked her pulse, thanking God when he found it strong and regular. “Fetch me a basin of cold water and clean cloths.”

  Betty fetched what he needed moments later. Folding the cotton square into a pad, he immersed it in the cold water and then held it gently against the bruise.

  Miss Shaw stirred and woke up. A peculiar sensation rippled down his spine as he stared into the most amazing eyes he had ever encountered. They were the colour of amethyst, flecked with gold. She did not recognize him at first, but as her senses returned so too did her memory. Her remarkable eyes darkened, and her mouth tightened. She was not pleased to see him.

  What was this man doing in her apartment, Sarah wondered crossly, when she woke to find him beside her.

  “Dr. Moorcroft, I did not ask for your services. I received a bump on the head and felt a little faint for a few moments.” He uncoiled from his position on the floor to stand looking down at her, a strange expression on his face. “As you can see I am almost fully recovered.”

  “I believe I am best qualified to decide if you are recovered or not, Miss Shaw.” He turned to Betty. “How long was your mistress unconscious?”

  “Five minutes, no longer, sir. You wouldn’t believe what happened, those—”

  “Enough, Betty. Dr. Moorcroft does not need to delay here longer. He has been awake all night and no doubt wishes to return to his own home,” Sarah said. She had no desire for word of this escapade to go downstairs.

  “Miss Shaw, it will be a simple matter to make enquiries elsewhere. Kindly tell me how you received this injury.” His lips softened in a half smile, and her antagonism melted. He was an attractive gentleman when he wasn’t frowning.

  “Some books fell on my head, merely an accident. Now, Dr. Moorcroft, thank you for coming to my aid, but I must return to my duties.”

  His expression changed into a frown. “Good grief, am I to understand that one of your charges was responsible? They could have killed you. I shall inform Sir John—”

  Sarah swung her feet to the floor and pushed herself upright. “You shall do no such thing, sir. I have no wish for this day of happy celebration to be spoiled in this way. I shall deal with it myself.”

  Was it admiration she saw flicker across his face? He nodded. “As you wish, Miss Shaw. I suppose there’s little point in me telling you to remain where you are?”

  “None at all. No doubt I shall have a nasty headache, but my vision is clear. I do not believe I have a concussion. Please excuse me, Dr. Moorcroft. I have been away too long from my charges.”

  He seemed reluctant to stand aside. “I am returning this evening to visit Lady Fenwick and the baby. I shall call in to see you at the same time.”

  Sarah was tempted to argue, but thought better of it. “Very well, my duties in the schoolroom should be completed by six o’clock.” She sailed past him and was at the schoolroom door before he could remonstrate with her.

  The four girls turned towards her. Elizabeth and Charlotte burst into noisy tears, Lorna glanced nervously at her twin, and Isobel smirked. The maid who had been left to supervise in her absence looked equally disturbed. Then Sarah recalled the lump on her forehead. She must reassure them that she was not seriously injured.

  “Elizabeth, Charlotte, there’s no need to cry. I am perfectly well, apart from a bump on the head. I hope this will be a lesson to you all. I could have been gravely injured by your prank.” She looked at each one in turn. Even Isobel seemed uncomfortable. “I am sure Sir John would be most displeased that I was greeted in this way.”

  Isobel jumped to her feet, sending her slate smashing to the boards. “Oh, please, Miss Shaw, do not tell Papa. He threatened to send me away to school after the last time.”

  “Sit down, Isobel. I have no intention of informing your parents today, but only because of the arrival of your little brother. I shall not hesitate if anything of this nature occurs a second time.”

  The youngest girls sniffed noisily. Sarah wondered if tears were a tactic they often employed to deflect punishment. Lorna smiled. This was the first genuine expression of friendship from any of them.

  “I shall inspect your handwriting. If it is not to my satisfaction you shall do it again. Isobel, pick up your broken slate and fetch yourself a new one. You must repeat the exercise.”

  They all looked so miserable she wanted to relent, gather them to her and say they were forgiven. But she must be firm. She needed this position and had a sinking feeling that despite their apparent docility, she was not welcome in the schoolroom.

  In silence, she checked each slate. All had completed their tasks well enough. “Good. I now wish you, Lorna, to transfer the passage to your copybook. Isobel, when you have finished writing on your slate you will do the same. Charlotte, you will write your first sentence and then illustrate appropriately. Elizabeth, I wish you to copy your name as it is on the card that I gave you and then draw a suitable picture.”

  The chorus of “Yes, Miss Shaw,” was subdued, and they settled to their tasks obediently. At ten-thirty she heard the sound of rattling crockery next door. The children’s mid-morning snack had arrived. Time to relax the atmosphere a little. One and a half hours of working in complete silence was more than enough, especiall
y for the little ones.

  “You may put down your pens and pencils, children. We shall take a break for twenty minutes and then return to do some mathematics until luncheon.”

  The remainder of the day passed uneventfully. Beth, Lottie, and Lorna had all apologised for their part in the unpleasantness, and she had forgiven them. However, Isobel still remained aloof. She was scrupulously polite but permanently watchful. At three o’clock Sarah decided the children had done their penance.

  “Girls, as you have been so well-behaved, you can put down your sewing. I have arranged for a picnic tea to be prepared. I had hoped you would be able to take me out into the park, but it is far too wet for that.”

  “Miss Shaw, please can we still have the picnic? We could take it to the stables; it would be dry there,” Lorna said.

  “Lorna, my dear, I think it would be lovely to visit the horses another time, but not today.” Sarah shuddered at the thought.

  Beth threw her arms around Sarah’s knees. “Please, can we have a picnic? I’ve never had one.”

  “I have an idea. Why don’t we take it into the attics? We could pretend to be explorers, and play a game of hide-and-go-seek. But first you must change into your oldest clothes. It would not do to spoil your pretty gowns.”

  Her suggestion was received with squeals of delight; even Isobel allowed herself a little smile. Nancy and Jo, the two nursery maids, were dispatched to the kitchen to fetch the food. The girls rushed off to change, leaving Sarah to enjoy a few moments solitude. Her head ached abominably; the last thing she wanted was to racket about in a dusty attic, but the children must come first. She wanted her charges to return to the nursery feeling happy with their new governess, ending the day on a good note.

  Adam left Lady Fenwick’s chambers and went in search of the housekeeper. “Mrs. Taylor, I wish to see Miss Shaw before I leave. I have looked everywhere upstairs in the nursery wing and cannot locate her or the children. I understood her duties would be completed by this time.”

  The housekeeper curtsied. “Indeed, Dr. Moorcroft, that has always been the case.” The woman smiled. “However, today Miss Shaw has taken the children into the attics to have a picnic. They are up there playing hide-and-go-seek.”

  Shaking his head in disbelief, Adam was in two minds whether to follow. Miss Shaw was obviously fully recovered and in no need of his services, but something prompted him to take the stairs that led to the attics. She was an extraordinary young lady. He could think of no one else of his acquaintance would take a picnic to such a place.

  The sound of childish laughter echoed down the stairwell. The game was obviously still in full swing. Would his appearance be viewed with disfavour? It sounded like fun, and he realised it had been far too long since he’d had any himself.

  He stooped through the narrow door and held his candlestick aloft. The flicker of light came from further into the roof space. He could see without a candle, so he blew his out. Far easier to negotiate the old trunks, items of furniture and piles of other unwanted debris with both his hands free. The attic had gone strangely silent, then he heard one of the older girls counting out loud.

  Before he could announce his presence, Miss Shaw hurtled from the room ahead straight into his arms. Instinctively he closed them, hoping to keep his balance and save them both from a tumble. They rocked perilously for a few seconds.

  “Release me this instant, Dr. Moorcroft.”

  Her sudden movement unbalanced him, and they toppled sideways. Somehow he managed to twist his body so he took the brunt of the fall. They landed between two battered armchairs, effectively jamming his arms and making it impossible for him to move. Miss Shaw was squashed beside him, rigid within his grip.

  “Oh, Dr. Moorcroft, are we playing Sardines now?”

  He glanced up to see two little girls smiling down at him. Miss Shaw recovered her composure far quicker than he.

  “Indeed, Beth and Lottie, we are. Quickly now, clamber in with us. Lorna will be upon us at any moment.”

  The children needed no second bidding, and he found himself the mattress upon which three bodies rested. The stifled giggles coming from the girls relaxed the tension. Soon he was having difficulty controlling his mirth. He could feel Miss Shaw quivering with suppressed laughter. Somehow the disaster had been turned into a highly enjoyable occasion.

  Lorna walked right past them but hurried back when one of the girls sneezed loudly. “Found you! I didn’t know Dr. Moorcroft was playing. Come on Beth, Lottie, help me find Isobel.”

  Sarah scrambled up as soon as the children had removed themselves, relieved the darkness kept Dr. Moorcroft from seeing her scarlet cheeks. At least Lorna had not thought they were doing anything immodest. She was sure Lady Fenwick would not view the incident in the same way.

  He was right behind her. Why didn’t he speak? “Dr. Moorcroft, I do beg your pardon for involving you in the children’s game. However, I must enquire what you are doing in the attics in the first place?”

  His rich, deep chuckle filled the space. “Believe it or not, Miss Shaw, I had come to check if you were fully recovered from your accident.”

  “In the attics? That is beyond the call of duty, sir.” She couldn’t prevent her lips curving. He was a most unusual gentleman.

  “Shall we assist with the search for the missing child? It sounds as if the other three are having difficulty locating her.”

  Sarah had been thinking that herself. On previous occasions Isobel’s hiding places had been ingenious, but none had taken so long to discover. “I shall ring the bell; I brought one with me for such an occasion. They all know it means the end of the game and to return at once. I have the picnic hamper in the next room.”

  She picked up the brass bell. The tinkle reverberated throughout the attics; immediately a patter of feet ran towards her. First came the two littlest, and close behind was Lorna, but Isobel was not with them. Frowning, she rang the bell again. She could hear nothing above the girls’ chatter. “Please, girls, can you be silent for a moment? I’m becoming concerned Isobel might have become lost. If we are quiet we will hear her calling.”

  She called the child’s name, and still there was no response. Dr. Moorcroft called. Surely Isobel would have heard him wherever she was. She turned to the waiting nursery maid. “Nancy, take the girls to the nursery. Dr. Moorcroft and I will find Miss Isobel and bring her to you.”

  If this had happened this morning, she would have thought the girl deliberately hiding in order to cause trouble, but during the past few hours, things had improved between them. Isobel was still wary, but more than once she had smiled with genuine affection. Now Sarah was convinced something prevented the girl from responding.

  “I am concerned Isobel is in difficulties,” she told the doctor. “I apologise for assuming you will help me look for her. You must have more important duties to attend to than looking for a little girl in an attic.”

  “Of course I shall stay until we find her. We must take candles and search separately. Can you remember in which direction she went?”

  She shook her head. “Not this way, but there are a dozen other rooms she could be in. I shall take the ones closest to the window, if you would be so kind as to search in the other direction?”

  After ten minutes, Isobel had still not been found. Sarah held her candlestick high and looked around a small room, which was empty apart from two trunks and an old fire screen. She was about to leave when a slight sound attracted her attention. It came from inside the trunk pushed closest to the wall.

  Her heart thudding, she took a deep breath and called softly. “Isobel, sweetheart, is that you?” This time she recognized the sound as a sob. Rushing forward, she threw back the lid and saw the girl lying with her eyes squeezed shut in the small space. The trunk was too deep for her to reach down and lift Isobel from inside. Unfortunately, the poor little thing had had an accident.

  “Dr. Moorcroft, Dr. Moorcroft, I have found her. Please come at once to help.” Str
etching down, she gently stroked the girl’s hand. “Don’t worry, my love, we shall soon have you out of here and clean and warm in your bed.”

  Isobel’s fingers clutched hers, but she said nothing. Pounding footsteps announced the doctor’s arrival. “She’s in here. The lid must have dropped closed on her, and she couldn’t open it.”

  Dr. Moorcroft gripped Isobel around the waist and lifted her sideways as if she weighed no more than a pillow. “Stand aside, Miss Shaw; I shall carry her downstairs.”

  With Isobel in his arms, he straightened. In the candle’s flickering light, she could see his expression was tender. He murmured quietly to the terrified child, not concerned in the slightest about the wet skirt and pungent odour. “I shall take her to her chamber, Miss Shaw. The nursery maid will soon have her fully restored.”

  He carried the child into the small room adjacent to the older girls’ bedchamber, where Nancy was instructed to put Isobel into the bath tub. He smiled at the trembling girl and strode off without so much as a nod to Sarah.

  “Isobel, I’m so sorry we didn’t find you sooner. I walked past the trunk twice before I heard you call,” Sarah said.

  “Oh, Miss Shaw, please do not tell Papa that I have caused so much trouble today.” The child’s pale blue eyes were huge in her ashen face.

  Sarah dropped to her knees beside the child and gathered her into her arms. “My love, I promise you he shall hear nothing from me. We will put today behind us, and start afresh tomorrow. What do you say?”

  “Thank you, Miss Shaw. I promise I shall be good in the future.”

  “I am relieved to hear you say so, my dear. I shall leave you to have your bath in peace. The weather is improving. Have you noticed the sun’s shining now? Tomorrow afternoon you and your sisters must show me around the park.”

  Leaving Isobel in the capable hands of the maid, she returned to the nursery where she could hear the other children laughing and talking. “Girls, Isobel had become shut fast in a trunk. She is having a bath and will then be able to join you for nursery tea. I am retiring to my own apartment. I look forward to seeing you at half past eight in the schoolroom.”