He shrugged. “My only interest is piecing his body back together. I’ve made it my life’s purpose. I am aware you disagree with my—”
“You speak like he isn’t a person. You gleefully describe his insides like it’s art.”
“It is art, my lady.”
That stunned her. “I beg your pardon?”
He snapped his book closed and set it down. “The human body is a fantastical mystery. Its workings are stunning in their variety. There is so much to discover, and yes, I find it beautiful to look upon its internal structures and marvel. I want to find better ways to save lives.”
Amelia tried not to balk under his dark stare. “I hope you do.”
“I’m certain I will.”
Amelia sat next to her brother while Dr. Sloan resumed his notes.
Graham returned. “They’re gone.”
“My Aunt Ruth left that easily?”
“Indeed—it was surprising. However, we have another guest.”
“Oh, who is it now?”
Mr. Chase strolled in, hands in his pockets. “Good afternoon, Lady Amelia. I see Lord Alston is still lingering.”
“Don’t say it like that.”
“I brought someone to introduce to you. She is waiting in the corridor. Mrs. Dove-Lyon thinks she will be beneficial in helping with Lord Alston’s recovery.”
Amelia could feel Sloan bristling with insult.
“Is this one of her contractual requests?” Graham asked.
Mr. Chase smirked. “Yes, it is. She goes by the name of Miss Smith, and she has experience tending to the ill and infirm.”
“I’ll decide that,” Dr. Sloan murmured, pointedly looking down at his notes.
Mr. Chase glared at the top of his head. “She’s a bit shy and quiet. Be kind, or I’ll be forced to express my displeasure.”
Dr. Sloan glanced up at Mr. Chase, and they held a battle of stares before Dr. Sloan shrugged one shoulder and dismissed him as inconsequential.
“You are welcome to enter, Miss Smith,” Mr. Chase beckoned.
His tone had softened. Who was this woman he was so protective of? Amelia wondered.
A slight woman wearing a robin’s egg-blue gown and carrying a satchel shuffled in. To Amelia’s surprise, she was young and quite beautiful. She had rich brown hair mostly covered by a white cap. Her eyes were a deep brown, and she was almost as tall as Amelia. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the handle of her satchel and looked around the room. Her gaze paused on each of the men with a slight alarm.
Amelia stood. “Welcome, Miss Smith.” She approached her with a friendly smile. If there was one word to describe Miss Smith, it was skittish. Amelia touched her back and escorted her to Sam’s side. As she passed Mr. Chase, she threw a confused frown at him.
“This is my brother, Lord Alston. His name is Sam, and as you can see, we’re twins.” Amelia glanced at Dr. Sloan to see if he might want to take charge of the nurse, but he only stared at Miss Smith with no discernable expression. This might be a serious issue if Mrs. Dove-Lyon demanded Miss Smith’s presence but Sloan refused her help.
Amelia cleared her throat to summarize Sam’s history. “He fell from his horse and landed on his side. He has a broken rib, but his worst injury occurred inside his body. He was slowlybleeding inside for days. Dr. Sloan performed a surgery to stop that bleeding, and we’re hoping in a little while he will wake up.”
Miss Smith’s shyness lessened as she examined Sam. But she flinched when Dr. Sloan stood.
“The present concern is infection.” He flipped back the sheet, exposing Sam’s chest and the ugly incision on the right side of his abdomen. “Are you familiar with the signs of infection?”
“Yes, Doctor,” she said timidly.
