Page 80 of Treating a Sinful Earl
“The doctor can go to hell for all I am concerned. I will push through this matter and find the other side. I understand your concern, but there is nothing that I want more in this world than for Catherine to be my wife, and I will have it so.”
Her mouth remained agape, but Jasper had made his position clear. Finally, she replied, “What can I do then? You know that I want only for your happiness, Son. If this is what you want, then I will welcome the situation.”
“This very much is what I want,” he said with a grin. “In fact, I have wanted it all along and have not been able to admit it to myself. Catherine is my great love, and nothing will replace her. I advise you to welcome her with open arms, for she is the future inheritor of this estate.”
His mother bowed her head. “As you wish, my son. And may I say,” she said, meeting his eyes, “your father would have been proud.”
Chapter 37
That evening, Catherine arrived at Jasper’s estate with butterflies in her stomach. Yes, she had already met the Dowager Countess, but now she was to meet her future mother-in-law. She wished to make a good impression, but there was only so much that she could do. Catherine would be herself, and hopefully, all would be well.
She wore her favourite purple gown for the occasion, along with long white gloves. There were pearls around her neck. This ensemble was not meant to impress, but rather, to show Catherine’s taste in simple fashion, not that this made any difference to Jasper in the slightest. When she arrived, she was greeted at the door by a footman who led Catherine into the parlour. There, to her surprise, the Dowager Countess was seated alone.
“Come in,” Jasper’s mother said. “I have been waiting for you.”
“I hope…not for too long.”
“No.” She shook her head. “Would you care for a cordial?”
“That sounds most refreshing.”
Catherine seated herself across from the Dowager Countess, eager to hear what she would say next. She was handed a cordial that was orange in colour and took a sip. It was delicious and sweet upon her tongue.
“Tell me,” the Dowager Countess went on, “do you not feel fear in your breast?”
Catherine knew exactly what she was referring to. “Not in the slightest. Deep down, I know that the Earl will survive.”
Jasper’s mother knit her brow. “But that is not what the doctor has said, and above all, I trust these doctors more than the instincts of a girl that is to marry my son.”
From the tone of her voice, Catherine was left to wonder if the Dowager Countess approved. “Does it trouble you that I have chosen to marry him, your ladyship?”
She softly shook her head. “If I may be so bold, Catherine, it delights me. I wish to see my son happy, and I know from what he has expressed that you do make him happy.”
Catherine felt instant relief. “I hope that I make him happy, for he very much makes me happy. I want to spend as much time with him as I can.”
“As much time as he has left…Pardon me for being so morbid, but every day I am filled with fear for him. I know that he has a strong mind and a strong heart, but there are some things in life that we cannot deny, such as our mortality.”
Catherine took a moment to pause. She wanted to provide the correct response, but it was considerably difficult considering that the Dowager Countess was so level-headed, and Catherine was more of a dreamer.
“I think it is best to hold onto hope,” Catherine concluded. “There is no sense in turning a blind eye on the power of the human imagination and heart.”
The Dowager Countess seemed impressed by this. “I can see why my son is in love with you. You are a very lovely girl and I know that you will be good for him in many ways. But I beg of you to not fill his mind with false hopes. There is still so much that he shall face in the future. If you wish for my opinion…I believe that he should see another doctor.”
“But that is what I believe as well!” Catherine exclaimed. “I know that it is impossible for one doctor’s opinion to be the truth.”
“He thought that it was a heart condition,” the Dowager Countess went on. “But he does not feel a heart murmur. This is why it is important that we find someone who can share with us the full truth.”
It was true. The truth of Jasper’s ailments had not yet been discovered. Everything was hypothesis, at best. If they could find a more dependable doctor that could share a just opinion, then Catherine could go to the shaman to find an even more appropriate remedy.
“I must admit that I ventured to London,” Catherine explained. “There is an apothecary there that is known throughout Britain. He…wishes to teach me his art, and I would be a most eager pupil. There is a new tincture that I have made incorporating his Indian spices, and I am hoping this will get to the heart of your son’s ailment.”
His mother sighed. “Although I hope that it might, I cannot put all of my confidence in it. But I am most grateful that you have taken such pains. The remedy that you supplied for me has been helping greatly.”
Catherine smiled broadly. “I am so happy to hear that.”
“So, with any luck, the remedy can relieve Jasper of any discomfort.”
But Catherine wanted him to heal completely, and she very much believed that it was possible! The shaman expressed total assurance that it could be done, and Catherine’s instincts told her that this was very much true! Yes, there was every reason to hold onto hope, and she would do just that. Catherine could not help but ask, “Where is Jasper?”
