“Miss! Stop! You cannot intrude like this!”
Juliette ignored the hollering, turned down a corridor and strode toward the second door on her left. A quick knock was the only warning she allowed before shoving the door open and taking a look around the cluttered space. It was unchanged from when she’d last been there except for a stack of books now resting on the chair she had used.
“My lady.” Florian struggled to his feet with weary movements. His features were drawn, his eyes rimmed with dark circles that bore proof of severe exhaustion while growth on his jaw suggested he’d been too busy to contemplate his own appearance.
Not that Juliette minded this aspect too much. She was in fact surprised by how much she liked him looking more rugged than groomed. What she could not accept was the manner in which he abused his health.
“You must forgive me,” the front desk woman panted from behind Juliette. “I tried to stop her but failed.”
“No need to trouble yourself, Mrs. Brown. Her ladyship is welcome.”
Mrs. Brown retreated and Juliette took a step forward. She was very aware of Sarah hovering nearby and made a quick decision—a possibly ruinous decision—right then and there. Gripping the doorjamb to keep herself steady, she turned to Sarah and told her clearly, “I have a personal matter to discuss with my physician. Please wait for me here.” Without giving her maid the chance to argue, Juliette stepped further into Florian’s office and closed the door behind her with a click.
Florian watched her for a long, drawn-out moment before saying, “You are too bold for your own good.”
“And you are no good to anyone in the state you are in.” She strode forward and picked up the stack of books occupying the chair she wished to use and handed them to Florian, who placed them on top of another pile. “When is the last time you slept?”
His bleary eyes appeared to blink with great effort. “Not since I saw you last.” He slumped down onto his chair, breaking protocol by sitting before she did.
“That was several days ago, Florian.” She lowered herself to the edge of her seat and folded her hands in her lap. “You need rest.”
“I need to find that boy and...” His words trailed off.
“Has it not occurred to you that you have no chance of doing so in your current condition? Besides, too much time has probably passed by now. All we can do is wait and see what happens, but if you do not take better care of yourself, you will be in no position to help anyone if it becomes necessary for you to do so. You cannot work effectively when you can scarcely hold yourself upright.”
He grinned sedately. “You’re being very bossy.” There was something about the tiredness with which he spoke that she found incredibly soothing. “I think I rather like it.” His eyes caught hers, holding her captive in the clear blue depths. A fuzzy feeling of warmth stroked over her skin, teasing and tempting. Enticing until her breath caught on the thrill of desire.
“Why have you come here?”
The question was far more complicated than it sounded.
Because I’m concerned about you.
Because I need to know you’re all right.
Because I miss you and because...
“Because you did not give the committee the update you promised. You canceled the meeting, which naturally made me wonder about the reason for it. I see now that it was because you were incapable of attending.”
The edge of his mouth lifted in acknowledgment of her comment. “So that is it, is it? You merely came to see what kept me away? To appease your own curiosity?”
“Yes.” Juliette punctuated her answer with a firm nod.
The dry chuckle Florian returned conveyed disbelief. “I see.” He covered a yawn with his hand before continuing. “Well, Viola and I have been hard at work since the shooting incident. When we weren’t attempting to find the boy who got away, she was ensuring the patients here at the hospital were not forgotten while I went to visit and treat the people of St. Giles to the best of my abilities.”
“And now?” When he seemed confused by her question she clarified. “Why are you not home in bed, Florian?”
Moving sluggishly, he leafed through some newspaper clippings and other scraps of paper on his desk. “When last we met, you suggested we acquire a ship for the purpose of quarantining the sick. The faster we implement this, the better. So I have been trying to find appropriate vessels. Several are listed in these advertisements but not all are large enough for our purpose.” His words were spread out as if it took great effort for him to speak. “I have sent inquiries in response to a few but there are still several remaining.”
“And you would like to get it done before you go rest.” She understood him perfectly. His dedication was such that he would put himself last whenever it came to the well-being of others.
“This is a priority. It has to get done as quickly as possible.”
“You are right. But succeeding in this will mean nothing if you sacrifice yourself in the process. Three days without sleep cannot possibly be healthy and will not see you at your best. What if someone arrives here requiring surgery? Can you be certain you will not make a mistake and cause more harm than good?”
Resting his elbows upon his desk, he placed his head against his hands and rubbed his eyes. “I am not the only surgeon here. Haines and Blaire are both available to anyone in need.”
Juliette puffed out a breath. The man was too stubborn for his own good. “And what of the people of St. Giles?”
