He smirked. “How patriotic of you.”
Hannah forced a tight-lipped smile and returned her focus to the book, hoping he would change the subject.
He did not.
“Well, Blanchard remembered you. And how he extolled your unmatched beauty.”
“There, you see?” she said lightly. “He must have been speaking of someone else.”
His gaze roved her face, her neck, her bodice.... Mortification seared Hannah, heating every inch of skin grazed by his critical eye.
“I see your point,” he said. “I suppose it’s possible he made a mistake. He admitted he was in his cups that night. Often is.”
Instead of feeling vindicated, personal insult had been heaped upon her borrowed shame. She bent her flushed face over the book.
Mr. Lowden persisted, “But youdohave a reputation for being a notorious flirt. Or are you going to deny that as well?”
She looked up at him coldly. “I would not bother to deny it. You have already made up your mind about me—and pronounced judgment without benefit of trial.”
He gave her a self-satisfied grin. “Who said you were not on trial?”
At that, Hannah abruptly rose and excused herself. Going upstairs to the nursery, she peeked in at Danny, then went to her own room to gather her wits. Mr. Lowden put her on edge like no man she had ever met. The way he had looked at her, the things he’d said in that sly, baiting tone ... She would hate to face him in a courtroom.
From the corridor, she heard footsteps and low voices—Dr. and Mrs. Parrish arriving to look in on Sir John. Hannah took several deep breaths, waited until her hands stopped shaking,and then went to join them. Inside Sir John’s bedchamber, she found Dr. Parrish and his wife in earnest conversation over their patient’s unresponsive form.
Dr. Parrish glanced up. “Ah, my lady. My good wife and I were just discussing Sir John’s care with Mrs. Weaver soon to leave us. Mrs. Turrill has offered to take over some of her duties, now that you are less in need of help. And the new housemaid will assist her. But as far as treatments to moderate his loss of strength ... that’s where you come in.”
“Oh?” Nerves prickled through Hannah. “I am afraid I am unfamiliar with such treatments.”
“As are most people.” Dr. Parrish stroked his chin and explained, “You see, at the teaching hospital where I studied, a physician with the East India Company taught us the benefits of massage, or “medical rubbing,” as it is sometimes called. As well as a regimen of stretching exercises to keep muscles from becoming atrophied. Now that Mrs. Weaver is leaving, I thought Mrs. Parrish might perform the technique in her stead. But Mrs. Parrish wisely points out that it might be more appropriate for you to do so. I promise it will help your husband if, as we all hope, he regains his senses and vitality in time.”
Hannah lifted her sling, relieved to have an excuse. “Unfortunately, with my arm as it is...”
“I’ve thought of that. There is still a great deal you can do with one hand, until I remove your bandages.”
“I ... see.” Hannah swallowed. “I have never done the like before. If Mrs. Parrish has experience, and would not mind—”
“It isn’t that I mind, my lady,” Mrs. Parrish said with a thin smile. “But I have my own house and family to take care of, not to mention helping Dr. Parrish with difficult birthings and the like. Whereas you ... well, you have more time to dedicate to the practice. Who better than his own wife? One flesh, and all that.”
Hannah turned away from the woman’s challenging look to the doctor’s kind face. “Is it difficult?” she asked.
“Not at all. I shall show you now, if you are amenable, and then I will review your progress from time to time to see how you get on. All right?”
How could she refuse to help “her husband”?
“Very well.”
He lifted the bedclothes from Sir John’s left arm. “Another of my professors trained in Sweden. Quite progressive, the Swedes, in their use of exercises and medical rubbing.”
How nice for them, Hannah thought, less than charitably.
As Dr. Parrish began demonstrating how to stretch and massage the muscles, Mrs. Parrish excused herself to prepare a late supper at home.
Hannah relaxed once the woman had left. She didn’t know why the doctor’s wife disliked her. Did Mrs. Parrish suspect she wasn’t who she said she was?
Dr. Parrish, however, was very easy to be with, good company, and a good friend. If only she might have enjoyed his friendship as herself. As it was, she was soon to lose his friendship, and so much more.
She followed Dr. Parrish’s example, removing the bedclothes from Sir John’s other arm, stretching the hand, massaging fingers and muscles. Then she braced herself and moved on to his uninjured leg. Using her good hand, she gently pushed Sir John’s toes toward his ankle to stretch the calf, then kneaded the muscles. It wasn’t too difficult, although it would certainly be easier with two hands.
