Page 21 of The Secret of the Dashing Detective
“Of course.”
They took a seat at a table near him, and he saw how Juliana’s eyes kept flicking over to the men as she tried without any success not to stare.
“Which one is he?” she hissed, and Matthew nearly rolled his eyes. This woman would make no spy, that was for certain.
“With the brown cap,” Matthew murmured as he took a sip of the ale the barmaid had brought over for them. Juliana eyed the cup in front of her with a mixture of interest and uncertainty, and Matthew couldn’t help the smile that played on his lips as she leaned in and delicately sniffed it.
“What is this?” she asked, pushing a stray tendril of chestnut hair behind her ear.
“Ale.”
“Right.”
“Have you ever drunk ale before?”
“No.”
“Go slowly,” was all he had to offer as he sat back and waited for the entertainment.
She didn’t disappoint as she wrapped both of her hands around the large cup and lifted it to her mouth.
She took one quick sip before her eyes widened and she had to cover her mouth as she obviously forced herself to swallow it down. He saw her eyes water as she tried not to grimace.
“How is it?” he asked, hiding his grin behind his own mug.
“It is… different.”
“I can imagine,” he said, admiring her bravery as she reached down and tried once more. This time it seemed to go a slight bit easier, although he imagined it was a far cry from the sugary sweet drinks of her London events or the fine wine that was served at the duke’s dinner table.
There were three men with Lewis, and Matthew wondered just how they were going to get to the man.
He knew a bit about him from facts provided by Owen, who had been watching him for some time now. The man was single and lived on his own nearby.
“Do you have anything wrong with you?” Matthew asked Juliana in a low voice. Her eyes widened as she sat back in her seat, placing the ale down on the table before her.
“What do you mean by that? I suppose one could say there are loads of things wrong with me. As to justwhatis wrong would depend on who you ask.”
“I mean, do you have any ailments? Anything a physician might be able to help with?”
“No, I do not think so.”
“We’ll have to make something up, then.”
When one of the men from the table next to them rose to join a different group, Matthew saw his chance and leaned in toward Lewis.
“Doc? That is, are you a doctor?”
Lewis turned and looked at him, and Matthew could immediately see the man’s resemblance to the duke. The ladies, Juliana and Prudence, looked more like their mother with their chestnut hair and green eyes, but the duke – and this man – must take after their father. Matthew had a feeling that the resemblance likely haunted the duke.
“Yes,” Lewis said, his demeanour instantly changing from a man having a drink with friends to a professional. “Is something wrong?”
“My wife here is having some stomach upset, and I was wondering if you had any thought to the cause or perhaps some recommendations. Would you have a moment to sit with us? I’ll pay you for your time.”
Lewis turned back to his friends and made his excuses before taking a seat next to Lady Juliana, across the table from Matthew. Lady Juliana’s eyes widened as she looked both fascinated and nervous at the thought she was sitting next to a brother she had never known.
“I’ll do what I can to help, but it’s probably best if you visit my office or have me call upon you,” Lewis said. “I would be much better prepared.”
“I understand, and I’m sorry, Doc. Truly I am,” Matthew said with a sheepish grin, while he noticed that Lady Juliana still couldn’t stop staring at the man with undisguised curiosity. He nudged her with his foot underneath the table, hoping she would understand to stop. “It’s just, my wife is in a bit of pain and has had a few issues lately. I’m just not sure what to do.”
