“I’ve read quite a bit of research on the human brain. It’s capable of much more than we know, but it also can be injured in ways we aren’t aware of.”
“Yes.” Thea nodded, turning quiet. “My mother’s brain was injured.”
Ewan nearly dropped his fork. “It was?”
“Yes.” Thea nodded again.
“If you don’t mind my asking, what happened to her?” he prompted, hoping he hadn’t made her feel uncomfortable with his question. Why did they always seem to end up speaking of such things?
“My mother loved to ride. It was her most treasured pastime.” Thea traced her fingertip along the bottom of her wine glass. “The reason Mama was sick was because she was thrown from a horse. She hit her head quite soundly. The doctors guessed her brain was bleeding. She didn’t speak for months, well over a year. She slowly wasted away.”
“And that’s when you took care of her?” Ewan prompted.
Thea nodded. “Yes. She couldn’t speak. Could barely write. But we managed to communicate.”
A lump formed in Ewan’s throat. “That must have been extremely difficult for you.”
“I loved my mother very much,” she replied, glancing away.
Ewan was left to wonder if that same sentiment extended to her father.
“I took care of Mama for the better part of two years. She died just a few days after my eighteenth birthday.”
A tug of pity pulled at Ewan’s heartstrings. What an awful time for a girl to lose her mother. Thea had lost her mother at the same time she would have been preparing to make her debut in Society. An awful thought struck him. “Was that why you didn’t have a debut? Is that why you didn’t marry?”
Thea’s gaze swung back to her plate. “Yes, that was why. I was in mourning and even though Father attempted to cut our mourning short in order for me to attend the events of the Season, I refused. And I refused to go the next year also.” Thea shook her head.
“Understandable,” Ewan replied softly. “So, your mother died from the injury to her brain then?”
Thea’s nostrils flared. “I didn’t say that. Mama wasted away from a brain injury. She died because she no longer had the will to live. I’m certain she could have recovered if she’d wanted to.”
Ewan could tell from the anger in her voice that Thea didn’t want to discuss what she meant by those words. He would not push her.
Thea shook her head and a smile popped to her lips. “At any rate, that’s enough of that talk.” She took another sip of wine. “What other sort of science are you interested in?”
Ewan was glad for the change of subject. The last thing he wanted to do was to make Thea sad again or bring up unhappy thoughts. “All sorts of things,” he replied, “like the best sorts of crop rotations and inventing a brace for a wheelchair.” He grinned at her. “But I’ve also talked to Edward Jenner about hisvaccinae.”
Thea’s brows shot up. “You’ve spoken toEdward Jenner? Himself?”
“You’re familiar with Jenner?” Ewan couldn’t help the surprise in his voice. He’d never met a female who’d heard of Jenner.
“Of course I’ve heard of him. Why, I’ve readInquiry into the Variolae Vaccinae Known as the Cow Pox.His concept that thevaccinaecould prevent smallpox was nothing short of brilliant.”
Ewan stared at her again as if she was some sort of magical being. “I quite agree.”
“You do, however, realize that while Jenner may have invented thevaccinae, he wasn’t the first to come up with the concept.” Thea gave him a placating smile.
Ewan frowned. “He wasn’t?”
“No, actually,” Thea continued. “That distinction belongs to Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who brought it back to England last century from thewomenof the Ottoman empire. Jenner was treated with her revelation as a child.”
Ewan’s brows shot up. “Is that so?”
“Yes, though I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked to learn you didn’t know that, given that you’re surprised a woman even knew about it, let alone invented it in the first place.” She blinked at him innocently, her smile still firmly in place.
Ewan inclined his head toward her and chuckled. “My apologies, my lady. You’re completely right, of course. Point taken.”
Thea waved her hand in the air. “Of course, I’ve also read Jenner’s paper onangina pectoris. His theory on the coronary arteries is quite fascinating as well.”
