Page 30 of A Lyon’s Promise (The Lyon’s Den)
L ucretia noted that after the lieutenant made short work of his plate of food, the lines of strain around his eyes relaxed, just a little, as he enjoyed a second cup of tea.
A glance at Gavin had her wondering if he would remain while the physician performed his examination, or if he would ask Lizzy to be in attendance.
She wanted to ask Gavin to stay with her, while at the same time needed to discuss what would happen to the cook and housekeeper.
She studied the lieutenant. His iron-gray hair could be an indication of his age, or the horrors he had faced on the battlefield tending to injured soldiers. His eyes were a deep brown and held a surprising amount of compassion.
Gavin interrupted her thoughts. “Lucretia, do you have a small room we can use that is off the kitchen and where there is a ready supply of hot water?”
“There are two rooms next to the pantry where we keep a supply of clean strips of linens, herbs, and the like.” She rose from her seat and led the way.
At the doorway, the lieutenant paused. “Would you like Lizzy to accompany us?”
Before she could respond, Gavin slid his arm around her waist and replied, “Excellent suggestion—both Lizzy and I will be there to assist you, if needed, and to ease Lucretia’s worry.”
The lieutenant turned to her and held her gaze for long moments. It felt as if he were somehow probing her brainbox to find the reason why she would worry. Not possible, she chided herself. No one had that ability, though many a charlatan claimed to.
“It will be a cursory examination, unless I find a possible fracture when I take a closer look at your hand. Taking your pulse beforehand is quite painless.”
Lucretia led the small group to a room on one side of the pantry and stood in the doorway. “And that is all you will be doing?”
“Yes, your ladyship,” Sampson replied. “However, if I do find a fracture, I will need to immobilize your hand, splint it, and wrap it, then fashion a sling to keep it elevated.” He held her gaze for a few moments before asking, “If I asked, would you share the name of Lord Montfort’s physician?”
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from blurting out a curse along with the physician’s name. “Mayhap another time.”
Sampson inclined his head and motioned for her, and then her maid, to enter the small room.
She watched as he took in the narrow table that ran the length of one wall, the open shelving above it and the store of neatly folded linens, and the number of lidded jars with the names of various herbs labeled on the outside.
His smile eased the sharp edge of the worry building inside of her.
“Whoever organized this infirmary has an intimate knowledge with injuries and what is needed to treat them. It rivals the room at the Duke of Wyndmere’s town house.
After we’re through here, I’d like to personally thank whomever that is—if you do not mind. ”
Lucretia beamed at him. “I only want the best for our staff, and made it my mission to see that we would have everything on hand in case of an emergency.” She pointed to a jar on the top shelf.
“We keep a large supply of boiled threads on hand. For some reason, that appears to be useful for the most prevalent injuries that occur here at Montfort House. We do place them in boiling water again before using them.”
“You are to be commended, Lady Montfort, for being prepared for just about any emergency that could occur, and having it on hand to care for the needs of the men and women who work for you.”
Gavin bent and pressed a kiss to the top of Lucretia’s head. “She is a gem among women with a heart of gold.”
Feeling her face flushing with a combination of embarrassment and pleasure, Lucretia pointed out, “The pitcher of water should be hot, Lieutenant Sampson, and there is a round of soap and drying cloths next to the bowl. If you require more, we keep a huge pot of water simmering on the stovetop.”
Lizzy offered to take the physician’s frockcoat, and stood ready to hand him a cloth to dry his hands.
He nodded to her. “Thank you. Lizzy, would you mind assisting me?”
“I would be happy to. I’ve done so for others in the past.”
“Very good. I will need you to set out a few lengths of linen to have at the ready.”
Lucretia watched the lieutenant closely. His moves were measured, his tone of voice even when speaking to her maid. She appreciated both.
“Now then, Lady Montfort, please have a seat on the cot. King, have a seat next to her. I believe she will be comforted if you are the one to ensure she does not move. It is a delicate process locating a fracture,” the lieutenant explained.
“Even more so taking care not to cause more damage manipulating the fine bones of the hand.”
“Of course.” Gavin helped her onto the cot, then pulled one of the straight-backed wooden chairs over to sit beside her. He reached for her hand. “May I?”
Gratitude filled her at knowing Gavin would not leave her side until Sampson was finished. Lucretia placed her hand in his. “Thank you.”
“I am going to gently press on your hand,” Sampson advised. “Please answer as best you can about what you feel when I add pressure.”
Lucretia nodded, and the lieutenant probed different parts of her hand. One area in particular ached. “It feels the same as when you pressed on it, almost as if something is pulling beneath the skin.”
“What you’ve described is an injured muscle or tendon.
Were there a broken bone, the pain would be quite different.
You may see more bruising come up, but the swelling will go down using a comfrey root compress twice a day.
Once we wrap it and you keep it elevated in a sling, you will find a marked difference.
Lizzy, the first strip of linen, please. ”
Gavin exhaled. “Not broken.”
The physician carefully wrapped her hand, wrist, and part of her forearm.
“I prescribe at least a sennight, mayhap a fortnight, of rest. Do not use that hand, Lady Montfort. Rest and mild activity, such as walking, is encouraged. I would stay away from riding a horse until I have reexamined your hand in a week’s time. ”
He reached for the linen he’d folded into a large triangle and placed it beneath her arm.
“Hold your arm to your chest while I tie it off behind your neck.” That completed, Sampson cautioned her, “If the pulled muscle heals, as I believe it will, I will clear you to go riding, but until then, you will have to be content with carriage rides.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant Sampson.”
“My pleasure, Lady Montfort.” He made to leave the room but paused on the threshold.
“Oh, and King, one last word of caution—see to it that your bride-to-be bathes with assistance.” The physician glanced at Lizzy as if judging her abilities to assist Lucretia.
“I’d suggest, King, that you be the one to assist with getting her in and out of the tub and bathing. ”
Lucretia reversed her decision that the lieutenant was tolerable. “I beg your pardon?”
“As you will be married later today, I see no reason not to have your husband be the one to help you in and out of the tub.” Sampson glanced at King and reminded him, “As far as tonight, I would recommend that you keep your marital activities to a minimum.”
“Rest assured, I will treat my wife like the delicate flower that she is.”
Lucretia huffed. “I am not delicate.”
“Compared to myself, you are the fairest of flowers, to be treated with care.”
The knowing look on Sampson’s face would have irritated King, but that was before Lucretia.
His life now had a permanent line of demarcation in it that divided his life into two separate eras: life before meeting Lucretia and life with Lucretia.
He fully intended to make the most of their life together, prepared for friends to jest about his shift in personality.
Where once he was known to rarely take the time to modify his normal way of speaking to spare the elite of Society from embarrassment, he was a man besotted with the woman he was marrying to the point where he was nearly poetic.
He could give as good as he got, and intended to if Sampson said anything to embarrass Lucretia.
“May I congratulate you on your impending nuptials, King,” the physician said.
“Thank you, Sampson.”
Turning to Lucretia, the lieutenant bowed. “And you as well, Lady Montfort.”
“Thank you. Will you be free this afternoon to join us? Earl Lippincott has offered his brother’s town house for the ceremony.”
“Barring any urgent cases that come up, I would be delighted. Thank you for your kind invitation.”
“Four o’clock,” King told him. “I understand Mrs. O’Toole is baking a few of her specialties. Two kinds of tarts: cream and berry, butter cake, lavender scones, and frosted teacakes. I cannot remember if they are a favorite of the earl or his countess, but apparently they were requested.”
Lucretia sighed. “It sounds delicious, and I am more than happy to forego eating frosted teacakes in favor of cream tarts.”
King helped her to her feet, anchored her to his side with his arm around her waist, and led her to the door. “Allow us to show you out, Sampson.”
As the group passed through the kitchen, King wondered how soon Lucretia would be able to hire a cook, then realized that after tonight, it would no longer be her problem. Weston called for the lieutenant’s carriage and held the door for him.
King watched the coach pull away and knew it was past time to search for those documents.
There were two other items he needed to tick off his list prior to marrying Lucretia this afternoon.
The first was to contact the Roxbury brothers to see if they had secured the requested living quarters for himself and his new bride.
The second was to find out exactly what Lucretia had in mind when she’d expressed the desire to have a say in what charges would be levied against her cook and housekeeper.