“I’m aware, but I’ve got Steadford on my side.”
Scranton did not look remotely appeased. “If I may offer a piece of advice, find something damning on Tremaine. Quickly. And use it against him before he has a chance to launch his own attack.”
“I’m already working on it. No need to worry.”
“Easy for you to say. I’m your grandfather and the head of this family, of course I’m going to be concerned about the possibility of having our name dragged through the mud.” He shook his head. “I thought you and Tremaine used to be friends. Didn’t you know each other as boys?”
“That’s a long time ago and a lot has happened since,” Henry told him gravely.
Scranton eyed him with the knowledge of a man who did not need to inquire further. “Very well then. I just hope she’s worth it.”
Henry smiled in spite of the worry he harbored over not acquiring the evidence he needed to take Tremaine down. “Indeed, I can assure you that she most definitely is.”
“Would you think me too forward if I inquired about your circumstances, dear?” Lady Scranton asked.
Viola almost tripped in response to that question. “Um...”
“I’ve been curious about you ever since Florian first mentioned going to work in a woman’s employ. It is most unusual, but at the same time intriguing. Your independence and accomplishments ought to serve as an inspiration to young women everywhere.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
“Oh, you might want to wait with that until I have finished prying.” A mischievous smile pulled at the old woman’s lips, and Viola could not help but respond with laughter. “It must have been terribly difficult for you, proving yourself to the men on whom you are forced to rely in order to run the hospital.”
“Florian was tremendously helpful in that regard,” Viola admitted as she thought back on the various committee members, physicians and surgeons who’d quit the moment they’d realized the ultimate person in charge was a woman only nineteen years of age. “Had it not been for the respect he has earned among his peers, I never would have gotten anywhere. Florian was the one who managed to convince the current staff to remain in my employ.”
Lady Scranton stared at Viola with wide eyes. “This was just two years ago, was it not?”
“Indeed it was.”
“So then, it is fair to deduce that you are currently one-and-twenty?”
Viola’s lips quirked with amusement. “That is correct.”
The countess shook her head as if trying to dislodge an obstruction in her brain. “Frankly, I do not know how you’ve managed, but I do commend you for it.” She eyed her briefly before deciding to say, “You’re still so young, though, and with the hospital running smoothly now, you could set your mind to other things.”
“Like what?” Viola felt compelled to ask.
The lady tilted her head in quiet contemplation. “Have you not considered remarrying?”
Shaking off the discomfort the question instilled in her, Viola shook her head. They’d entered the bathing room, where a long mosaic-tiled pool awaited the first clients. “No, my lady. I have my independence now, the freedom to do as I please with my time and money without being subject to any man’s will. Why on earth would I give that up?”
Lady Scranton took a deep breath. “When I married my husband, it was not out of need. I was an heiress with sufficient funds to enjoy a comfortable life without having to fall on any man’s good graces. But, then I met Scranton and I fell in love.”
“I suppose love would be a compelling reason for a woman to relinquish her independence if the sentiment were returned.”
“Well yes, I suppose it would, but it was more than that for me. You see, I can think of no other person with whom I would rather spend each passing moment of every day. He is my fondest companion, the one person who knows me better than anyone else and with whom I have always felt truly at ease.” Her eyes lit up like candles ignited at dusk. “There are many who find him too stern, but when we are alone together, there is laughter and banter. In my experience it is comforting to share life’s moments with someone who truly understands and appreciates you for the person you are, no matter your flaws.”
“The problem is, there is too much at stake,” Viola murmured.
“You fear getting hurt.” It was a quiet observation. Lady Scranton met Viola’s gaze directly. “The thing about fear, however, is that it can only be defeated if you face it head-on, which is something I suspect you must be accustomed to doing by now. You cannot tell me you weren’t afraid when your husband died and you set out to conquer the world of medicine all on your own?”
Viola blinked. “Of course I was, but love and marriage are different. They’re...”So much more terrifying.
Lady Scranton made no attempt to fill in the rest of Viola’s sentence when Viola failed to complete it.
Instead, she proceeded to walk the length of the pool. After going a few paces she glanced back at Viola and said, “Lowell is fortunate to know you.”
The comment, following right on the heels of their discussion of marriage and love, caught Viola slightly off guard. It took her a moment to find her bearings enough to convey a truthful response. “Indeed, I feel it might be the other way around.”
