Page 4 of Grace in Glasgow (Seduced in Scotland #3)

“Of course. It will be good to see Dr. Hall. We could perhaps speak of my training before starting.”

Aunt Belle grinned.

“That’s what I thought you might—wait, Andrews, no, I don’t want that table over there.” Belle rolled her eyes. “Come, let me do it.”

“Aunt Belle, Andrews can handle it.”

The manservant picked up a small maplewood end table and waited for Belle’s instructions.

There was never a more devoted person to Belle than Andrews.

Their constant companionship likely added to the amusing back and forth that everyone was often privy to witness.

Belle was demanding and pushy, although she refused to go anywhere without Andrews, trusting him above everyone, and Andrews was nearly always silent and appeasing, although he did on rare occasion advise Belle when he was staunchly opposed to something.

Like the time in Italy, when Belle was supposed to have surgery.

She had been petrified at the prospect of being cut open and tried to leave their villa to return home.

Andrews had insisted upon bringing her to the doctor’s theater himself and guarded the door until said surgery was over.

It had saved her life, but Belle had been stubborn in her forgiveness of Andrews for that, although he didn’t seem to mind.

It didn’t happen often, but Belle would always reconsider if Andrews had something to say. Again, though, that was rare indeed.

Grace peeled out of the room, uninterested in all the reasons why an end table should be wherever Aunt Belle wanted it, and instead went to find the library, in hopes of finding the books that she had sent ahead of time.

Of course, they had arrived two days earlier than when they were supposed to, but before she could reach the library, a knock at the front door caught her attention. Pausing, she lifted her hand to the doorway and waited to see who had come to call.

“Yes, sir,” Mrs. Stevens said as she opened the door wide for the guest to enter. “She’ll be right along. Won’t you come into the parlor?”

The tall, familiar form of Dr. Hall entered into the foyer, his cool gaze finding Grace’s face instantly.

He stalled as he spotted her and Grace had to remind herself to breathe, and in doing so she smelled the familiar citrus scent.

Why did he always smell of limes? And why she should suddenly feel under his inspection, she did not quite understand, but then she lifted her chin and squared her shoulders before marching up to him.

The gentle wonder in his eyes turned contemptuous as she reached him.

“Dr. Hall,” she said with a slight curtsy. “I did not expect you until the day after tomorrow.”

“Aye, that’s when I expected you, but Lady Belle has requested me.”

“So I’ve just learned.”

“She doesn’t fare very well doing long trips?”

“I wouldn’t say that. Aunt Belle did splendid on our return from Italy last spring. She has stated that she feels far better since her surgery and traveling does not make her as weary as before.”

He squinted at her.

“Perhaps then you would like to examine her?”

Grace smiled but shook her head.

“Oh no. Aunt Belle is your patient and I do not envy you for it.”

That seemed to have an effect on him. He blinked.

“You don’t?”

“Goodness no. Aunt Belle requires a more enduring bedside manner than I’m readily available to give. Dr. Barkley, in particular, is good at talking to her endlessly about, well, whatever it is they talk about.”

Dr. Hall took a step toward her, hands behind his back.

“Lady Belle can be difficult on occasion.”

Grace laughed, ignoring the sudden upturn of Dr. Hall’s mouth.

“You are being gracious,” she said as Arabella suddenly came bounding down the stairs.

When she saw Dr. Hall, however, she slowed her steps, reaching the landing with a delicate refinement.

“Dr. Hall. It’s so nice to see you,” she said with a curtsy as the doctor bowed. “Are you here for Grace?”

Although everyone knew that Dr. Hall was to take over Grace’s training, the words seemed to bounce off the walls on the hallway, echoing in the strangest way.

“Er, no, well… No, that is, I’m here for Lady Belle. At her request, I should say.”

“Oh,” Arabella said happily. “Then let us wait for her in the parlor.”

For some reason, Dr. Hall glanced back at Grace, as if waiting for her to say something. Unsure, Grace nodded and led the way.

The parlor was another room that seemed disjointed from the rest of the house, just like the bedchambers.

The walls were covered in a slate gray wallpaper that was almost violet, with bird motifs speckled every few inches.

It was strange that the ceiling was also covered in this wallpaper, giving the room a cave-like feel, dark and curious.

Grace was staring up, taking in the room, as Arabella spoke.

“It’s so nice to see a familiar face in the city,” she stated as she sat in a high-back wooden chair across the table from the sofa where Dr. Hall sat.

“I thought you were excited to meet new people? Not from our little valley, or at least, that’s what your brother said.”

Grace glimpsed at her friend, whose cheeks were colored from embarrassment.

“I did not say that.”

“No? Well, you must forgive me. I never took Logan for a liar.”

Logan Scott was good friends with Dr. Hall, had been for years, and it was obvious that he was teasing Arabella. Unfortunately, she seemed more affected than she should.

“Well, perhaps I said something similar to that.”

“Oh, was it something similar?”

“Yes, but you must know I didn’t mean you. You’re practically a Glaswegian at this point and I’m very grateful to have such a close friend to oversee our stay here. Particularly since you’re already acquainted with society here.”

Grace, who was always more eager to observe than to speak, particularly since Dr. Hall tried to cut her hopes in half several months earlier, noticed a small pulsating muscle at the back of his jaw. Something Arabella had said annoyed him.

“Yes, well, I’m not very good company when it comes to society.” He paused; his cool gaze lifted to Grace who stood just behind Arabella before refocusing his attention on her. “I find it distracting from my busy schedule.”

Did he think Grace wouldn’t take her studying seriously?

She frowned, just as Penguin’s little black and white form caught the corner of her vision.

She made the smallest of sounds and instantly the cat came running toward her.

When she glanced back at the doctor, he had an expression of disgust on his face.

Did he not like cats?

“Oh, but you must make yourself available to us once or twice. For introductions, and for, well, your own pleasure of course.”

“I assure you, Miss Arabella, my pleasures are rarely found in the company of ballrooms or theaters.”

“Where can they be found then, Dr. Hall?” Grace asked.

For a moment, no one spoke. Arabella looked expectantly at the good doctor, who seemed irritated by Grace’s question. He was practically glaring at her, although she could have sworn for a moment she saw something in his eyes. Something primitive.

He opened his mouth as if to answer, when Aunt Belle suddenly appeared in the doorway.

“Ah, there you are, Dr. Hall. Come, I believe I’ve been feeling somewhat feverish since my arrival.”

The doctor stood and made his way toward her, as Grace followed.

“Have you? Why didn’t you mention it to me?”

“Because, my dear, as brilliant as you are, Dr. Hall is still a doctor and you are a student.”

Grace didn’t like her answer, but then she really didn’t like the condescending smirk that flashed across Dr. Hall’s face before disappearing.

She took a step forward.

“You still should have told me.”

“And what would you have done for her, Miss Sharpe?” Dr. Hall asked.

“I, I would have checked to see if she was warm and if she was, I would have sent her to rest.”

“Nothing else?”

Grace looked back and forth between her aunt and the doctor before realizing that this was exactly how Dr. Barkley spoke to her when she would visit with him to see patients that were too sick to come into his office for a visit.

Diagnosis was her specialty.

“Yes, and observe her for twenty-four hours.”

“You wouldn’t use Walburg Tincture?”

Grace’s eyes widened. She knew of the secret fever tincture, and had learned about it in one of Dr. Barkley’s letters with the German doctor and she had discussed it with him at length.

She really shouldn’t be so surprised that Dr. Hall knew about it, but rarely did she discuss medical knowledge with anyone except for her former mentor.

“No, as Walburg Tincture is really more for tropical fevers. Besides, since Dr. Walburg refuses to disclose what is in his tincture, it’s deemed unreliable here in the United Kingdom and wouldn’t be a viable treatment, especially without having first made a complete list of symptoms the patient would be exhibiting. ”

The small jaw muscle twitched again, but this time Grace found that she rather enjoyed it. He was annoyed again, probably having expected her to fail his questioning and she took perverse pleasure in proving him wrong.

Without a word, he turned back to face Aunt Belle.

“When did you first experience feeling warm?”

“Just before we arrived,” she said, her voice oddly pleased. “But as I’ve likely overdone it with traveling and rearranging my study into a bedchamber—”

“I beg your pardon?”

“—why don’t you stay for luncheon? Then we might have a better idea of what the next few months may bring.”

“Ah, while I appreciate the offer—”

“It is not an offer, Dr. Hall,” Lady Belle said with an authority that would grate every Scotsman’s nerve. “Come. Mrs. Stevens has informed me that they’ll be serving momentarily. And Grace, I should advise you that your Penguin will not be permitted in the dining room during meal times.”

Dr. Hall turned.

“Your what?”

“My cat. His name is Penguin.”