“It isn’t enough, but at least it is something.” All Florian could hope for was that the case would set a precedent, reminding other physicians, surgeons and apothecaries of their duty toward their patients.
They walked a few steps in silence before she hesitantly said, “About your reputation...”
Florian winced. He’d been wondering when she would bring that up. “The committee has suggested you take a leave of absence for a while. If the situation escalates, you will in all likelihood be asked to resign your position.” Her expression was apologetic. “This decision was not made lightly, Florian, but the members felt it was necessary to act in the hospital’s best interest and I... I do not have enough power alone to go against their wishes.”
“Nor should you.” As much as he hated having to abandon his work, he understood why it was necessary for him to do so. “The hospital takes priority, Viola. It comes before my pride and whatever duty we have toward each other.”
“I knew you would accept the decision, though I do regret that it had to come to this.”
“It was Bartholomew’s doing. When I failed to meet his demands, he punished me by making my fears a reality.” Allowing a humorless grin to surface, he said, “What he probably didn’t expect was for me to find comfort in the outcome. For years I have lived with this burden, this abject anxiety, wearing me down. He chose to crack it wide open and release it out into the world, and frankly, the experience has thus far been rather liberating.”
“What about Juliette?” Viola gave him a coy glance. “How does she feel about all of this?”
“She loves me for who I am.” It still felt miraculous, to have met a woman of her social standing who did not give a fig for appearances, titles, prestige or anything besides core values and character. “To think she will be my wife is...” He contemplated the best possible adjective and eventually gave up. “Words cannot describe it.”
Viola chuckled. “I am so incredibly happy for you. Everyone deserves to be loved, and I am pleased to know you have found a woman who was able to convince you that you are worthy of such affection.”
His cheeks grew uncomfortably hot so he made a hasty attempt to divert attention away from himself. “What about you, though? Is it not time for you to dip your toes into Society and perhaps make a match of your own?”
Viola rolled her eyes right before preceding him through a doorway. She paused on the other side at the top of a wide landing and faced him. “Your kind is too hungry for scandal. They devour it as easily as children devour their sweets—in quick succession and without pause.” She shook her head and expelled a wistful breath. “My entire life was lived in private until I accepted Tremaine’s proposal. The moment we married everything changed. I was written about in the most unfavorable terms because of my age and background. To meet the people willing to read these articles, and use them as fodder for all sorts of rumors, has never appealed. I prefer to keep away and to focus on something larger than myself, rather than on those looking to see me fail the moment I enter a ballroom.” She smiled with the assurance of a woman who knew her own mind. “This is my domain, Florian. This is where I stand a chance of success. Not out there in public and certainly not with some aristocratic snob of a husband by my side.”
When he raised an eyebrow, she relaxed her expression and chuckled while hitting him lightly on the arm. “You know what I mean, Florian, and besides, you are as different from that lot as I am.”
He was well aware of the fact. They started down the stairs at a steady pace. “Still, I always imagined you settling down one day and having children.” She was so protective and nurturing it would be a shame if she didn’t.
“Thisis my child.” She spread her arms wide, encompassing the entire hospital in her statement. “I have pledged my life to it, Florian. I do not have the time or the energy for the responsibilities of marriage and motherhood.”
Viola’s words resonated deep within. It was precisely how he had felt until recently, until Juliette had become more important to him than anything else in the world. He still wanted his career, of course, if keeping it was possible. One of the things he loved about Juliette was knowing she would support him in this and that she would show him how to have both.
Reminded of this, he told Viola, “I have an important call to make. Will you let me know what the committee members decide?”
“Of course.” She smiled at him warmly. “I will continue insisting that no one can take your place.”
Pleased to know he had her unwavering support, Florian left the hospital quickly, hailed a hackney and directed it to Huntley House. “I wish to speak with His Grace,” he told the butler as soon as the door to the massive residence was opened. He handed the man his card even though it was a superfluous effort considering the number of times he’d come here in the past. The butler knew precisely who he was.
“Wait one moment.” The butler departed down a corridor.
To Florian’s surprise, however, it wasn’t he who returned, but Huntley himself, his creased brow, chaotic hair and quick stride affording him with a wild appearance that instantly alerted Florian to the man’s distress. “Thank God you’re here. I was ready to go and find you myself.”
Ice began to form in Florian’s gut. It shivered through his veins until cold panic was all he could feel. “Juliette. Is she not well?” If she had suffered a relapse, it could prove fatal in her already weakened state.
“This has nothing to do with her health.” Huntley said, but the dread in his eyes lingered. Florian held his breath, fearing the worst and expecting his life to be torn to shreds within seconds. “She was taken at gunpoint, evicted from the carriage I sent to collect her.”
The ice expanded, pushing its way into Florian’s heart and filling it with a pain so acute he almost clutched at his chest. “We have to find her.” Dear God, if something had happened to her, if these villains had harmed her in any way, he’d rip their heads from their bodies and—
“Her maid described a tall broad-shouldered man with a thick white scar beneath one eye,” Huntley said, scattering Florian’s bloodthirsty thoughts of revenge. “She said his hair was black and his eyes an odd shade of amber.”
Coherent thought returned, pushing his panic aside and allowing him to assess what he knew with the same precision with which he’d always applied himself to everything. The information led to only one possibility, one in which fear turned to outrage, then anger and finally fury.
Meeting Huntley’s gaze with the determination of a man setting out on a hunt, he told him crisply, “It sounds like the man who took her was Mr. Smith, Bartholomew’s manservant.”
Huntley frowned. “What the hell does he want with Juliette?”
“I’ll explain on the way,” Florian promised, already striding back toward the carriage. He held the door open for Huntley who climbed in without further question. Florian leapt in behind him and fell back against the bench as the carriage lurched into motion. “The truth,” he said after righting himself, “is that Bartholomew’s still alive and hell-bent on seeking revenge.”
Chapter 26
The room Juliette had been brought to was without a doubt the most garish she’d ever seen. Red velvet drapes flanked each window, the excess fabric pooling richly upon the glossy parquet. Gilded furniture clad in plush brocade matched the drapes and the gold braided ties that held them. Thick carpets stretched across the floor, decorated by lavish designs of flowers in full bloom. Most unsettling were the paintings hung side by side on the walls, each depicting scenes of nude men and women engaging in explicit acts of sexual congress.
