Aunt Ruth shook her head aggressively, and Nelson puffed out his cheeks in anger.
“Impossible.” Aunt Ruth said. “You weren’t married three days ago!”
“Amelia and I married by special license three nights ago.” Graham handed the license and marriage certificate to Mr. Crest. They’d both known they’d need ready proof of their marriage as soon as Ruth and Nelson arrived.
Mr. Crest opened the document, frowning down his nose as he perused it. “This looks quite official and appears legitimate.”
Amelia narrowed her eyes at him. “Clearly.”
“How did you attain such a license so swiftly?” Nelson asked with disdain. “This cannot be a legal marriage.”
Mr. Crest frowned at him. “Are you implying I cannot distinguish between a proper license and a forgery? Have you even set eyes on a special license?”
Nelson flushed. “I’ve never had cause to do so. It’s scandalous.”
“How did you come by this license?” Mr. Crest asked. “It takes powerful figure to reach the Archbishop so swiftly.”
“Mrs. Dove-Lyon procured the license for us.” Graham said.
Mr. Crest’s eyes widened for an instant, then the expression passed.
“Oh, very well, then. Next, Dr. Willams shall need to see Lord Alston. Is he available to join us?”
Amelia pressed her lips together. “He is resting in bed. You will have to follow me to his rooms.” Amelia turned toward her aunt. “You will remain here. The last time you came to speak with him, you made him worse.”
“He was dying as of three days ago,” Nelson spat. “And you were hysterical beyond reason.”
“If my wife says you are not permitted to leave this room, then you will not leave it,” Graham said in a tone that brooked no argument.
Nelson threw up his hands. “This is preposterous! You have no right to order me about in what will soon be my home. If Lady Amelia is indeed your wife, then she resides with you and is no longer living here.”
Amelia turned to Dr. Williams. “As you can see, my brother has had difficulty recovering from his injury due to their hostile interference. They upset him greatly on their last visit and set him back. We had to call in a special doctor to care for him.”
“Lies, Dr. Williams, do you see how disturbed my niece is by her brother’s accident?” Aunt Ruth exclaimed. “She cannot think clearly, let alone marry a man without the consult of her family!”
“What sort of accident was this?” Dr. Williams asked.
“A riding accident,” Graham replied. “He took a fall and landed on his side on a boulder. To verify the information, Dr. Bradley will arrive shortly, and you may confer with Dr. Sloan who is residing here to see to Lord Alston’s recovery process.”
Dr. Williams faced Nelson and Aunt Ruth. “I must agree with Lady Amelia. You should remain here unless called for.”
Nelson threw up his arms and turned to face a window, pouting.
Amelia hid her smile. She still had to bring the interloping doctor and Mr. Crest to Sam’s bedside and convince him her brother was not going to die.
“Please follow me,” Graham said.
Dr. Sloan was present when they arrived. Graham made Dr. Williams wait while he consulted Dr. Sloan before allowing the men inside. For once, Amelia was glad of Dr. Sloan’s intimidatingly intense stare and his sharp, blunt method for discussing his patient’s condition.
“What are the odds of him surviving the outcome?” Dr. Willams asked.
Dr. Sloan folded his hands behind his back and paced slowly like he was giving a lecture to students. “It’s impossible to say. This is a groundbreaking case study. The first of its kind.” He smiled.
Amelia’s stomach rolled at that smile. He didn’t have to be so excited about watching her brother live or die.
“What is this?” Dr. Williams strolled closer to Sam, and there on his nightstand was an open notebook with drawings on the visible pages.
“I must document every step of the procedure performed so that other physicians can learn from my efforts.”
