Page 8 of A Spinster to Heal the Duke
"Pardon me, Your Grace, Dr. Edwards," the young woman said pausing to make a small dip of a curtsey. "Miss Drowton requested that I bring this basket to the doctor before he leaves."
She handed the basket to the physician.
"She also said to let the gentleman know that breakfast will be served in the dining room. She said I should wait in case you need assistance walking." The young woman looked down nervously when she addressed the Duke.
"Please tell your mistress that I have no appetite. I will continue to rest my leg here and skip breakfast," he replied.
The girl nodded and rushed out of the room.
"You are missing out," said Dr. Edwards, looking through the basket he had been given. "The food at Reedley Manor is quite memorable. From the sampling she has provided with my jams, your breakfast would have been a treat. There are some very good meats, cheeses, and muffins here. I should find Miss Drowton to express my gratitude before meeting her brother for the ride back."
The doctor left the room, and the Duke muttered his mixed feelings.
"If you've had one country breakfast you've had them all," he grumbled. "How different can one person's meat and muffins be from the next. Ham is ham. Sausage is sausage. Surely plum cake here is no different than London."
He sniffed the air, and his lip twitched. He could smell something that appealed to him whether it was the doctor's basket or other food from the kitchen.
"I might suffer a cup of coffee or tea, but after stitches, I don't know what I would be able to keep it down. I already feel a little a little out of sorts having sat through the pain of this morning without a drop of anything," he said, touching his leg.
It actually doesn't feel that bad now. Much better after Anne wrapped it last night and the only tenderness now is the stitching. The doctor wrapped my ankle well enough that I could probably hobble to my room without assistance,the Duke thought.I'll be out of here soon enough.
But he did not go to his room. The Duke rested on the couch and fell asleep. He was roused by a pleasant enough looking older gentleman with gray hair and a gray moustache offering him tobacco.
"I have a small collection of pipes if you would like to join me. I like a pipe and coffee after breakfast and dinner. I have too much to do in the afternoons to enjoy a pipe after lunch," said the man.
"No, thank you," said the Duke, surmising that this fellow must be the Baron.
"Suit yourself," the man replied, placing the end of his pipe between his teeth and lighting it. "So, you are the Duke of Grandon now? Noah Campbell, I believe Charles and Anne said at breakfast."
"Yes, and you are the Baron of Reedley?" the Duke asked.
"Jeremy Drowton, at your service, Your Grace," the older man replied, bowing his head slightly. "Though, these days, if you need anything, really you should ask Anne and Charles. They run things around here, due to my age and certain health problems I've acquired. For household tasks, you can call on our maid, Peggy, Peggy McRiley. She's a nice girl, helpful."
"I doubt there is anything I will need from them," the Duke replied, unsure where the conversation was meant to lead.
The Baron was visibly stung by the Duke's response, but he only said, "Well, nonetheless, they are available."
Then, the Baron gestured toward the Duke's leg and said, "Looks like you'll be visiting with us for a while. Pity the circumstances, but we welcome the company."
He laughed at his own comment.
"Pity of both," the Duke said.
Once more, the Baron refused to be any less gracious. He continued the conversation, hoping to navigate to somewhere the two men could connect in discourse. "It has been some time since anyone greater than an earl has graced us with their presence. My daughter is the Viscountess of Weston. She hardly leaves London," the Baron said, thinking maybe the Duke would mention having crossed paths with his daughter.
Instead, the Duke of Grandon only sighed loudly and shifted in his seat, turning his body more away from the Baron.
"There was a time when all of nobility escaped to the countryside for hunting, fresh air, and revelry," the Baron observed. "You look as though you can use a bit of all three."
He laughed at his own humor again, but the Duke was growing less interested in the conversation and, while he knew the older gentleman meant no harm or ill will, less enthused about sharing the Baron's company.
"Indeed, I might, but at the moment, I think what I could use most is a bit more rest, peace, and quiet. I shall return to my room," he said, pushing himself up from the sofa. "Besides, even in the country, there should be certain accommodations like staff and spaces to retreat for solitude."
It did not hurt so much to stand now, but he still winced a little. He made it out of the room with little trouble, but the stairs were harder. He found himself pausing and panting halfway up.
When the maid was passing and paused to ask, "Do you need assistance, Your Grace?" he found it hard not to accept.
"No," he replied in a near bark.
