“Do you still wish to have the physician sent in?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He nodded at Mrs. Willis and she left them. Then he took a step toward her. “Please do not hesitate to correct me if I transgress. I have no wish to cause you any grief or disrespect you.”
Anna smiled, softened by the contrition in his voice. She was right about him. “I will.” Out of both curiosity and desire, she held her hand out to him.
He took her fingers and raised them to his lips, kissing them softly as if in greeting. The heat from his mouth spread up her arm, and her eyelids fluttered briefly. “I will leave you now,” he murmured. “I am sure you need privacy. You do not mind if I stay in the room adjoining this?”
Anna wanted him to remain, but she shook her head and allowed him to leave, watching his broad shoulders retreat to the door. The physician and housekeeper appeared then, and Ashden introduced him as Dr. Quentin, before exiting to the sitting room.
Under Mrs. Willis’ keen eyes, he examined Anna, first checking the bruises on her arms before asking, “Where are the other wounds?”
“My ribs,” she replied, raising her shift to reveal the wide motley bruise on her right side. Dr. Quentin’s graying brows furrowed, and he glanced at Mrs. Willis, who looked positively horrified. Anna had not allowed anyone to see it until now, and she wondered what Ashden’s reaction would be.
“Do you feel pain when you breathe?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He touched the bruise and she flinched. “Can you tell me how this happened? What impact caused this?”
“I fell…onto the edge of a table.” The truth was that her father had thrown her onto the table and the air had momentarily been knocked out of her lungs.
“And when did this occur?”
“Yesterday afternoon.”
“I regret that you will feel some pain while I examine you, but I must determine whether your ribs are fractured so that I can administer the correct treatment for you,” Dr. Quentin said softly and she prepared herself, nodding. He proceeded to gently press his fingers into her ribs. She shut her eyes and breathed.
“I fear your ribs are fractured,” he said at length. “The shadowing here indicates just as much.” He pointed but she could not see from where she was without bending, and she would not dare do that. “It is likely a fine fracture, thus I will only bind the region to allow it to heal. Please refrain from any activity that will require you to raise your arms or move excessively.”
“Yes, I will.”
Dr. Quentin gave her a fatherly smile. “I will leave instructions for your care with Mrs. Willis.” He stood. “I will return to bind the wound after your bath.”
An instant later, Anna heard him tell Ashden his observations, and a drawn-out curse emanated from him.
Chapter 10
The Duchess of Ashden… It sounds rather odd, does it not? I have the will to heal and the space to do so. I will be happy, I believe. The Duke was quite outraged when he saw the bruises on my skin. I understand that he detests violence, but I wonder why his reaction was very strong.
In one of Dawnton’s many drawing rooms, Anna took the quill Ashden offered her and wrote her name on the register, then handed it back to him so he could do the same. They were married now, three days after he had accepted her proposal, and for the first time in her life, she felt completely out of reach of her parents and Hunter.
Sir Nathaniel and Mrs. Willis signed as witnesses, then came to offer their congratulations. When they addressed her asYour Grace, she felt both odd and excited. When they stepped out into the great hall, they saw every servant in the manor there.
“Allow me to introduce the Duchess of Ashden,” her husband said, and all of them bowed and curtsied.
Anna inclined her head the way she had once seen Princess Esterházy do at Almack’s, then quickly decided it did not suit her, and so she smiled at them. Ashden led her into the breakfast room for a small wedding breakfast.
“Now that we have a new duchess, I hope we will witness your rare smiles often, Colin,” Sir Nathaniel said as they sat down. He turned to Anna with a glint in his eyes. “Have you ever seen his smile?”
“Once or twice, I think,” she replied, while Ashden shook his head. Sir Nathaniel was almost the exact opposite of Ashden. He smiled often and jested.
“Well, you are more fortunate than I was. I did not see him smile until three years after meeting him.”
“How did you meet?” Anna asked both of them as she placed a very pretty square cake onto her plate.
As she expected, Sir Nathaniel answered the question. “This is a rather embarrassing tale, Your Grace.”
