Page 107 of Seduced by an Irresistible Lady

Mister Frank answered quickly, immediately pushing the door open as if he had been behind the door all the while waiting for Dr Frederick’s call.

“Is the carriage ready for us? London is quite the distance, Frank. We need to leave early.”

“Yes sir, it’s ready. I have taken all my notes and tools. All your tools are also in your tool box which is also in the carriage. Except for your notes, which are with you, we are all set,” Mister Frank said.

Dr Frederick nodded.

“I won’t take more than a minute now. Go to the carriage and wait for me,” Dr Frederick replied.

Mister Frank gave a short bow before going out of the room. Dr Frederick went to his bed and picked up the stack of laboratory notes he had arranged. He placed them into the black bag he was taking along with him to London.

“Let the day favour me,” he said prayerfully.

Dr Frederick walked out of his house and shut the door. He locked it with his keys. Then he turned around and walked to the waiting carriage. Mister Frank was already in front, just waiting for Dr Frederick to get into the cabin. Dr Frederick did.

“Let’s go, Frank. We have a long journey ahead of us,” Dr Frederick said.

The carriage took off immediately. Dr Frederick was too excited at the prospect of what he could have achieved by the time he returned home that he didn’t even feel any sleepy air.

Maybe it would have been better if I had just slept. If I had slept, I wouldn’t have looked outside my window to see a rider on a horse coming from a distance, running opposite our direction at a furious pace.

“This looks like Roman, the Duke of Beaufort’s personal steward,” he said to himself.

And when the rider was almost riding past their carriage, Dr Frederick confirmed it was Roman.

“Roman,” he shouted, causing the rider to stop in his tracks.

“Dr Frederick,” Roman replied, “thank goodness, I found you. The Duke, he’s dying. He’s been holding his chest and writhing in pain. He’s gotten weaker and weaker, Doctor. I fear I might be too late.”

“Why have you not come since?” Dr Frederick shouted. He grabbed his tool box and moved towards the door.

“We felt it was one of his throes; that it’d pass. But he had gotten incredibly weak by the time I left, sir. His breath was coming in uneven gasps and he’s continued holding his chest. Sir, we need to hurry. The Duchess is in tears.”

Dr Frederick was already out of the carriage’s cabin before Roman finished speaking. Mister Frank had stopped the carriage when he noticed his master speaking to Roman.

“I need your horse, Roman. I’ll get to the house faster. You can come with Mister Frank,” Dr Frederick said, walking to Roman.

Roman alighted, and Dr Frederick jumped on immediately. He kicked into the horse and let it go. He held onto the reins tightly while his second hand held the toolbox’s handle. He had known this day would come.

Well, it had come, and he was here now. He met the Duke in a dire condition. The man was very weak and was almost unconscious. Dr Frederick had used his tube listener on the man’s chest. The heartbeat was hardly functional, barely hearable. Dr Frederick had quickly poured two vials of adrenaline into his syringe chamber and fixed in the needle. Now, he was injecting the Duke.

“Are you sure you want me to do this, Your Grace?” Dr Frederick asked her again.

The Duchess nodded her head rapidly. She wasn’t bothering to clean the tears off her eyes anymore.

“Please I need you to confirm audibly. I have not tested this on a man before now. I know nothing of its possible effects or side effects. Are you willing to take the risk?”

“And if – if you don’t?” the Duchess asked in a small voice.

“The Duke will die, Your Grace.”

Dr Frederick looked at the Duke. The hand on his chest didn’t wiggle anymore. Dr Frederick used his tube listener again. The heartbeats were weak and far between now.

“He is only moments away from doing that,” Dr Frederick said.

“Do it,” the Duchess said.

Dr Frederick looked behind her at her tall son. Lord Jeffrey had said nothing since Dr Frederick arrived. He had looked a bit angered when he saw Dr Frederick. Dr Frederick couldn’t tell why.