“Your frock. Remove it. Come, come. I haven’t all day.”
“But is that really quite necessary?”
“There’s no need to feign modesty with me, Miss Smith.”
“I am feigning nothing ...”
“I am a physician, Miss Smith. I assure you the female form holds no mysteries for me.”
No mystery she could well believe, but still!
“Perhaps I only imagined the pains. Really. I feel quite, quite well now.”
“Do not flatter yourself, Miss Smith. A female body in this distended shape does more to repulse a man than entice him, I assure you.”
Now she felt shame heaped atop her embarrassment and irritation. Did he really think she thought he might be interested in her as a woman?
He went on, “I have a beautiful wife at home with blond curls and an eighteen-inch waist.” Here he paused. “Of course she also has a tongue to rival King Arthur’s sword.”
“The two often go together, I find,” Charlotte murmured, thinking of Beatrice. She did not move but felt his eyes studying her.
“Do I know you, Miss Smith?”
“I do not believe so.”
“You seem familiar somehow. Where do you come from?”
“I ...” What had she told Mrs. Moorling? She realized he could check her file. “I am lately of Hertfordshire.”
“Hertfordshire? Hmm ... and we have not met before?”
“I do not believe so, no.”
“Ah well, it will come to me. Now, do you wish to know if your babe is all right or not?”
She squeezed her eyes shut, swallowing. “Oh, very well.” She reached around and began unfastening her buttons. Of all days to wear a frock that buttoned down the back.
“Here, here.” He walked up behind her and impatiently began working the buttons. “I’ll miss my hunt at this rate.”
At that moment, the door burst open and Dr. Taylor strode in. He stopped suddenly, clearly startled to see the room occupied. His bespectacled gaze went from Preston to Charlotte and back again. He frowned.
“What’s all this, then?”
“I should ask the same of you, barging in here.”
“Mrs. Moorling sent for me. Said you had yet to make it in.”
“Well, clearly she was mistaken. For here I am, seeing a patient.”
Dr. Taylor opened his mouth, then apparently thought better of what he was going to say. Instead, he tossed his case casually on the desk and said lightly, “I thought you were off hunting grouse today.”
“I depart this afternoon.”
“Well, why not leave early. Make a day of it.”
“But I have women to see. Patients.”
“I’ll see them for you. My day is already spoiled. No point in both of us being indoors on such a fine day as this.”
