Page 18 of Seduced by an Irresistible Lady
Less likely things have happened.
Dr Frederick made to go out but stopped at the door. He walked backwards and sat on the bed. He remembered Dr Terry’s shaky voice advising him.
“Never allow the mirage that physicians are always busy become less nebulous. Even if you are not busy, pose to be busy. We are a respectable sort, let them cherish the little time you give them.”
He would pause then raise his eyes from his small frame to meet Dr Frederick’s eyes again. Raising a finger as if he just remembered something, he would add in his old shaky voice, “But never at the risk of losing a life. A patient’s life is more important that all the other business you could have.”
He mentally revised through all the processes and reactions he observed throughout his work on the rabbit’s heart today. He was searching for any errors he could have made. He found none. He got up and walked out of the room.
“Am I to come with you, Doctor?” Mister Frank asked immediately Dr Frederick came out of his chamber.
“Do you want to come?”
Mister Frank shook his head.
“Then stay and finish what you are doing. Don’t worry. I don’t think I am going to spend long anyway,” Dr Frederick said.
“I am ready to leave now, sir,” Dr Frederick said to the visitor sitting on the cushion. The middle of the man’s head was totally devoid of hair, a clean patch of skin that absorbed light. It would probably reflect light, but they were inside his small constricted house, and there was hardly any light to reflect.
The man’s carriage was beautiful. The two wheels that faced them had a logo carved into their centres. Dr Frederick was sure it was the signa of Somerset. The wheels had golden rims, and the cabin had quite a special shape.
The Duke of Somerset must be wealthier than I thought.
Dr Frederick went in and sat on the cushion. The man went to the front of the carriage. He was the driver.
“Are we good to go, sir?” Dr Frederick heard the man shout.
“Yes, we are,” Dr Frederick answered.
The insides of the carriage were walled by a soft papery material that Dr Frederick wasn’t familiar with. He soon found himself dosing. He allowed himself sleep since he was the only one in the carriage. When the carriage rode to a stop, he felt it and stood up. His right hand rubbed his eyes to remove the remnant sleep that lingered, and he pushed the door open and alighted.
The compound of the Duke of Somerset was huge. There was a fountain right in the middle of the courtyard, directly facing the gate. The house was humongous.
Dukes’ houses usually are.
The driver had handed the reins of the horses over to a steward who ran from behind the house. He walked up the stairs, and Dr Frederick followed him up. He pushed the door open and stopped in the first room.
“I’ll be back. Please let me get the Duke,” the man said to Dr Frederick, signalling him to stay.
The man walked in quickly, closing a rather big door behind him. Dr Frederick had hardly sat down when the door opened again.
The Duke of Somerset must have been on his way out for them to return so fast.
The Duke was a big man, almost a giant. He looked as well-fed as a prize cow. His belly pushed his robe’s waistline forward, matching the thick rings of fat around his neck and the beefy look of his hands and fingers. Dr Frederick bowed stiffly, and the Duke extended his hand for a handshake. Dr Frederick was eager to break the shake immediately their hands clasped. He was not easy with the way his hand fit into the small of the Duke’s thick palm.
“I hope we didn’t take too much away from your busy schedule, Dr Frederick,” the Duke said in a voice so deep Dr Frederick was caught off guard.
This is the type of person you meet that leaves a permanent impression.
“Not too much, Your Grace,” Dr Frederick said.
The Duke started walking out of the room, and Dr Frederick followed him. He strode past the same door the driver had walked past the other time and down the short corridor. On reaching the door at the end, he walked in. Dr Frederick followed him.
There was a bed at the end of the room with a woman on it. Dr Frederick saw that the woman was sleeping, but it was very light sleep because she kept stirring. Dr Frederick looked at the Duke’s eyes and saw raw anxiety on the striking man’s face. He was touched.
The Duke, as daunting as he looks, has a weak spot lying sick on this bed.
“What are her symptoms, Your Grace?”
