“As do you. I can say with all honesty you are an excellent dresser. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a better assistant,” he managed to say in return, though there was far more he wished to say. A few small words were hardly sufficient to express his gratitude.
But it was an honest declaration and no mere kindness. During his years of study at St. Thomas’ and Guy’s Hospital, he’d served both as a dresser and as the surgeon whom the dressers assisted, and there were plenty of his classmates who excelled at the position—yet Miss Templeton had done far better, having anticipated his needs before Arthur had time to give them a thought, let alone a voice.
“I would’ve made do, but I am glad we had a surgeon on hand to manage it,” added Miss Templeton.
“I am certain you would’ve made more than simply ‘do,’ Miss Templeton. You are more capable than many of the men I studied with,” he replied. “Where did you learn so much about medicine?”
“My father was the local physician and surgeon, and a lifetime around such things inspired me to make a study of it.” Miss Templeton gave him a rueful smile before adding, “Watching you work was easy enough, but I do not know if I could’ve laid the stitches myself without growing ill.”
“I am certain you do yourself a disservice, Miss Templeton. You have nerves of steel—”
“Come, Dr. Vaughn!” called the coachman, drawing their attention to him. “We need to be on our way.”
Though the carriage was tucked into a passing place, giving the others ample room to get by, the stagecoach had been delayed far too long already. Yet Arthur’s feet didn’t move.
“There is space for one more, Miss Templeton,” he said, turning his gaze to her once more. “After the service you performed, a ride into town is the least we can do.”
“That is kind of you, sir, but it is not far—”
“I would gladly pay the fare.”
“You are so generous, but I assure you, I prefer to walk. Cutting across the fields will be faster than going by carriage.” Glancing at herself, she winced. “And I am certain to make quite a mess of the other passengers. I wouldn’t wish to ruin Miss Bacon’s gown. There is no need for us both to be in such an unfit state.”
Then, with another broad grin, Miss Templeton reached out and squeezed his forearm. “But my thanks for your kindness, Dr. Vaughn. I am so very grateful you arrived when you did. We are lucky such a talented surgeon was passing through Oakham when we needed him.”
Arthur was all too aware of her hand touching him. With his jacket still abandoned on the ground and her gloves nowhere to be seen, there was naught but the linen of his sleeve between his skin and hers. It ought to have sent a flush of embarrassment to be in such a state of dishabille, but the happy pitter-patter of his pulse overshadowed it.
And he rather wished he hadn’t been so dutiful in unrolling his sleeves after he’d finished.
Clearing his throat, Arthur managed to say, “In truth, I am not passing through. This is to be my new home.”
“It is?” asked Miss Templeton, her eyes widening in a manner that made Arthur’s heart stutter. It was too much to hope that there was eagerness in her expression, but his pulse refused to see logic.
His tongue felt as though it were made of stone, refusing to work. But he had to ask, “Do you live in the neighborhood as well?” Miss Templeton’s silence made Arthur’s throat tighten, and he hurried to add, “It is good to know that such a capable dresser is in town, should I ever require more assistance.”
“Yes, I live in Oakham, sir, but I fear I must be on my way,” she said, taking a few steps away. “I have an appointment, and I am already tardy.”
“Of course, Miss Templeton,” he said with a nod, bending down to snatch his jacket and hat from the ground. “But as we are to be neighbors, I do hope our paths will cross again in the future.”
“Oakham is a small village. It is inevitable,” she replied as she gripped her basket and turned down the road, her footsteps moving quickly away—leaving Arthur staring after her.
Ducking through an opening in the hedgerows, she slipped into a nearby field, and for all that she looked like she’d beendragged behind a carriage, Miss Templeton bore herself with the confidence of a queen.
“Come now, Dr. Vaughn!” called the coachman, jerking Arthur from his thoughts.
With cheeks blazing as he realized just how long he’d been standing about gathering wool whilst leering at a lady, Arthur turned on his heel and pulled on his jacket as he climbed into the waiting carriage. Miss Bacon smiled, though her eyes lingered on his hairline, and Arthur’s face flamed as he settled his hat firmly upon his head once more.
“Well, that was certainly quite exciting,” said Mr. Bacon, dabbing at his forehead with his handkerchief as his ashen complexion regained a little color.
“Oh, indeed, Papa,” said Miss Bacon with a nod that set her ringlets bobbing. “Dr. Vaughn, you were so very heroic. Heaven knows what would’ve happened had you not arrived.”
“Miss Templeton was quite capable, and I am certain she could’ve managed,” replied Arthur as he watched the very person he spoke of through the window. Her back was to him as she drifted into the distance, and he couldn’t take his eyes from her.
“Yes, ourMr.Templeton is quite certain of herself,” mumbled Miss Bacon, and her father cleared his throat, giving her a narrowed look before turning his attention back to Arthur.
“We are happy to have a proper doctor in town,” he said. “We’ve been without one for far too long.”
“And I am happy to be here,” said Arthur with a faint smile.
