So he could satisfy some foolish urge for added contact?Discover what it would be like to hold her?
He snorted.For starters there was every chance she’d reject him.Worse, she could tell her father that he had conducted himself unprofessionally.
Or she might welcome his offer to give her comfort.But what then?
Were he ever to cross that line between them, he’d only want more.
And while she might protest his penchant for Indian tobacco, he feared she had much in common with his cheroots.Like them, he sensed she had the power to turn him into an addict, and as a man who valued his bachelorhood, he meant to prevent that from happening because…
Well, she was the chief magistrate’s daughter, not some trollop he could cast aside once he tired of her.If he so much as kissed Miss Hastings, marriage bells would sound in his nearest future.And if there was one thing he wasn’t, it was the marrying sort.
* * *
Adrian and his companions had decided to conduct their meeting in the room they’d stepped into when they left the tunnel.Its remote location decreased the chance of anyone seeing them together, while two wooden benches offered all of them seats.
Placed between Ashburry and Grieves, Adrian scanned the faces of Thrudledge, Iverton, and Beltham who sat opposite.All were respected physicians or surgeons.Serious men.Not in a million years would he have imagined them running around secret tunnels, dressed in cloaks and mysterious masks like they were the last bastion of some secret Templar order.
Lacking patience, he aimed to get straight to the point by asking, “What the hell are you lot playing at?”
“Too many members of our profession insist upon the continued used of outdated methods,” Ashburry explained.
“Some of which have been proven to harm the patient rather than aid them,” Beltham added.The rest of the doctors murmured their agreement.
“It also hinders necessary advancements within the field,” Thrudledge said.“For years we’ve been working toward the creation of a research facility where our hypotheses and findings might be explored.”
“Our hope was to make advancements,” Iverton said.“The fact that bloodletting still occurs, for instance, is outrageous in our opinion.”
“It’s not just that,” Grieves reflected.“We’ve all been practicing long enough to know we’ve barely skimmed the surface of what’s possible.But without being able to conduct proper research, record our findings, and adjust accordingly, our theories are useless.”
“The rest of the world is much farther ahead,” Beltham said.“The French, for instance, have the stethoscope while the Germans have managed to isolate morphine from opium.Italy even allows women to acquire medical degrees and to practice.If you read the publications coming out of these countries, England appears to be a hundred years behind.We’re still speaking of bad humors, for crying out loud, even though William Buchan made the link between lack of hand washing and disease last century.I’ve studied his work which is thorough and sound.It ought to be taught to all physicians, but it’s not.”
“Our primary goal is to help people,” Ashburry said.“Patients deserve the best care possible.”
Adrian mulled that over a moment while shifting his gaze to each of the men in turn.“Which would include making them comfortable during surgery, I assume.”
“Of course,” they answered in unison.
“Creating a potent drug capable of making the patient sleep through the operation without waking would certainly do so,” Adrian murmured.
“Exactly.”Grieves leaned forward, twisting slightly so he could look at Adrian more directly.“We were hoping to develop such a formula based on Doctor Wentworth’s findings.”
“He shared these with you?”Adrian shifted, his fingers brushing against the blade tucked into his jacket sleeve.Despite his initial belief to the contrary, it was beginning to look like these men had indeed played a part in the murders.In which case Kendrick deserved an apology.
“Melroy mentioned it to the entire group after learning of Wentworth’s research,” Thrudledge said.“He tried to convince Wentworth to show us his notes and accept our help in trying to obtain a dependable recipe, but Wentworth refused.Said it was too dangerous.It’s our belief he didn’t trust us not to commence human trials.”
Adrian pondered that.It seemed like Wentworth was right to guard his work.But there was something else in what Thrudledge had said just now that stood out.“You spoke of the ‘entire group’, Thrudledge.That would suggest there are more than the five of you.Is that correct?”
“There were,” Beltham said when no one else spoke.“We were eight in total until a little over a year ago when three of our members left.”
“Let me guess,” Adrian said.“Islington, Preordian, and someone else.”
“Doctor Lester,” Iverton supplied.“He works at a clinic on Keene Street.”
“Is he by any chance related to a nurse who’s employed at St.George’s?”Adrian asked.
“His wife, Mrs.Lester?She relocated from St.Bartholomew’s a couple of years ago.Often works the front desk when Mrs.Burns is off duty.”
“Yes.”Adrian recalled how difficult the woman had been when he’d come to speak with Wentworth.He was also aware that she was one of Murdoch’s informants, so he shook his head, shoving that piece of distraction aside.It was vital he focus on what was important.“I don’t know if you’re aware, but five people, that we know of, have died.Most likely killed by the drug Wentworth was trying to perfect.”
