“Excuse me?”
“I do not wish to experiment with Mr. Milton and I will not stand to be pushed out of this profession. I will be a doctor one day, James. Mark my words. If I have to shadow Dr. Barkley for ten years, I’ll do it and no amount of cutting remarks or people’s opinions will deter me.”
He stared at her for a moment before finding his voice.
“I believe you will succeed.”
“Then say it.”
“Say what?”
“Say that I will be a doctor.”
“I don’t see how—”
“Say it.”
His brow furrowed as if he were confused.
“You will be a doctor, Grace.”
“Now believe it.”
“I do—”
“Then don’t shrink when others tell you that I don’t belong,” she said as the carriage rolled to a stop. The driver was quick to scrabble down from his seat and open the door. “Good night, Dr. Hall.”
But James reached for her forearm before she could reach the door. They stared at one another, challenging and yearning, in a swell of confusion. Slowly, he unfurled his fingers, but she didn’t move. She wanted him to pull her toward him, to hold heragainst him and press his mouth to hers and kiss her just as he had the night before.
The small cough of the driver seemed to break the spell they were both under and Grace slid across her seat and exited the vehicle. The door shut behind her and she jumped, her nerves having finally reached the end of their limits.
As she climbed the stone steps and entered into the foyer of her terrace home, Grace removed her coat and slowly began her ascent up the stairs, only to be stopped by her aunt’s voice.
“Grace? How did your day go?”
“It was fine,” she said halfheartedly over her shoulder, as she continued her climb, eager to bathe and get into bed. “Just fine.”
Chapter Eleven
James jabbed twicewith his left hand, then hooked with his right as his gloved fist connected with his opponent’s jaw, sending the heavy man back a few steps.
“Gaw, Hall! You’ve a right wickedness about you today!” the burly man yelled.
“Did he hurt you, Perry?” The familiar masculine voice of Graham McKinnon called out from the bench seat, causing James to drop his guard.
“Graham?” he asked, before a meaty fist slammed into the corner of his jaw, causing him to fall back.
“Bad form, Perry!” Graham called out, though the sound of his voice was muffled as James rubbed his gloved hands over his head.
“You shouldn’t have distracted him!”
James rolled to his side, knees bent up in the fetal position before he rocked himself into a crawling situation. Graham, who had climbed through the ropes of the pugilist ring, was on all fours next to him. “Are you all right?”
James nodded, though he was far from all right. His head was pounding and his body was achy and sore from being in the ring for hours, but it was the only thing he could do that would distract him from obsessing about Grace and their last conversation.
It had been telling how much her perceived lack of faith had affected him, as she had apparently been listening in to hisconversation with Dr. Cameron. What was worse, however, was the fact that she had stopped listening before he had said his peace.
“Perhaps there is no place for a woman in your school,” James had said as Dr. Cameron came around to pat him on the back.
