“Allow me to teach you.” She held her breath and awaited his answer.
The book he’d been reading from snapped shut. A rough sliding sound indicated he’d set it aside. “I do not wish to impose on you, Lady Louise. Surely you’d much rather rest so you can gather your strength and—--”
“Mr. Berkly. To suggest you might impose upon me when I am the one who imposed upon you would be absurd. And no, I would not prefer to simply lie about without using my brain for the next few weeks. I’d rather engage in meaningful discourse, which reminds me, it has been days since we’ve last spoken. I wonder why you stayed away for as long as you did.”
Drat.
She’d not meant to quiz him about his reasons for not looking in on her since the day of the surgery. The Winterlys had told her he’d been working, but since she’d begun enjoying his company, she’d become increasingly aware of his absence. Though not nearly as aware as she was of Mr. Fairbanks, she swiftly reminded herself.
“Why, Lady Louise,” Mr. Berkly murmured. “It almost sounds like you missed me.”
“Well,” she said with mounting agitation, “perhaps I did.”
7
Against his better judgment, Marcus’s heart soared.
Nothing was turning out as he’d intended, and yet, he could not be happier. For four days he’d buried himself in medical texts - or made his best effort to do so - in the hope some distance between him and his lovely patient might sever the bond they’d begun to form. When she’d asked him to read to her, he’d wanted nothing more than to settle into the chair next to the bed and help her pass the time. But the increased desire he had to be near her, to reach out and touch her, to be something more to her than merely a surgeon, had prompted him to add distance.
Now, having her reveal she’d missed him lifted his spirit in a way he knew was incredibly unwise, perhaps even dangerous. He stood no chance at a future with her. As the son of an infamous murderer and a man with little to offer a woman of her rank, there was no sense in even hoping for a way in which he might court her. Because there wasn’t. And yet, there was no denying the thrill he experienced at knowing she might care more for him than he’d ever dared dream.
“Of course,” she swiftly added, “no one else here is as knowledgeable as you when it comes to the nature of blindness and the solutions there could be for it. I found the information you provided me about night writing fascinating and would love to learn more.”
Marcus settled back in his seat feeling deflated. Naturally, this was her reason for missing him. He knew she had her heart set on Nigel. How foolish of him to forget and imagine she’d be so fickle as to banish the earl from her mind so quickly.
“The king has actually launched a huge effort to help those who lose their sight receive the sort of medical treatment you’ve been given,” he said. “He’s also provided opportunities for such people to gain employment.”
“How considerate of him.”
Marcus snorted. “He’s not doing it out of kindness, my lady.”
Lady Louise frowned. “He’s not?”
“There’s no doubt the king’s interest in correcting blindness and helping those who are blind support themselves is political.” When Lady Louise said nothing, he explained, “During the military campaigns in Egypt at the beginning of this century, the soldiers were affected by an extremely contagious infection which has since been labeledEgyptian ophthalmia. This could lead to blindness in one or both eyes, resulting in hospitalization, oftentimes of entire regiments.
“The king therefore promoted building more hospitals here in Britain to treat these soldiers since the alternative meant they’d become reliant upon the state. So the Royal Infirmary for the Diseases of the Eye was founded, along with the London Dispensary for Curing Diseases of the Eye and Ear. Schools for the blind were also put into place for the purpose of teaching those who could not be cured a trade, so they could support themselves and, again, be less burden on the state.”
Lady Louise tilted her head as if in thought. “I wasn’t aware there were so many places one could get treated. The only physician I’ve ever met with besides you was Doctor Pierson.”
“No doubt because of your father’s opposition to innovative options.” Whenever Marcus thought back on Grasmere’s stubbornness, he wanted to hit something. The man had no right to impose his authority on his daughter like this as if she were his prisoner. Certainly not when she’d reached her majority.
“Well,” Lady Louise said, her voice pensive, “regardless of the king’s motivation, I still think he did a good deed.”
“I absolutely agree. Thanks to him, a few people have started changing their views on couching and on the idea of surgeons becoming specialists in one particular field, though it does remain a difficult uphill battle.”
“It puts a bit of a damper on my plans.”
He watched as she bit her lip in a pensive sort of way. Marcus almost groaned as his body responded. God help him, he could not stop from wanting to press his mouth there, to lick the spot her teeth scraped and…
Planting his palms on his thighs he asked her gruffly, “How so?”
“For a while now I’ve been toying with the idea of starting a charity to help the blind. My intention, if I marry, would be to convince my husband to open a school for the blind. But if these already exist, I’m not sure there would be the same need.”
Ignoring the pang her remark about marriage dealt to his heart, Marcus carefully asked, “Do you have someone in mind? A gentleman you believe would support this idea?”
A smile caught her lips. “As a matter of fact, I’ve long dreamed of marrying Mr. Fairbanks.”
“Really?” His voice remained surprisingly calm when considering how rejected he felt. A foolish sentiment to be sure, though one he couldn’t quite seem to quash.
