Page 3 of The Countess's Awakening (The Lovers’ Arch #3)

CHAPTER 3

“ W here are you taking me, Mr Wang?”

The countess, sitting across from him in the forward-facing seat of the carriage, peeked nervously through the drawn drapes that covered the windows to protect her privacy. He was gratified she had at least trusted him enough to allow him to carry her out of the house and into the coach. Her maid also accompanied her. The stout woman sat next to her mistress with quiet solicitude.

Night had fallen, but London bustled with activity. Carriages crawled here and there amid the clip-clopping of the horses’ hoofs as the city dwellers prepared for a night of entertainment. The Season was in full swing, and every night there was a ball, musicale, theater performance, or any sort of entertainment one could imagine.

He would have preferred to hold the therapies in the mornings, but this was the only time offered by the bath’s owner.

“I’m taking you to the Roman Baths on The Strand.”

She gasped. “A Roman bath? Aren’t they more like swimming pools? I couldn’t possibly. Besides, I don’t have swimming attire.”

“Are you wearing the garments I provided?”

Even within the shadowy confines of the carriage, her blush was more than evident.

“I am. Although I fail to see…”

“That is your bathing attire.”

Her eyes widened in alarm. “But I couldn’t possibly wear those in your presence. They are scandalous.”

“My lady.” Wang placed her hand on top of hers.

The contact was meant to reassure her, but he instantly had misgivings about the wisdom of touching her. Awareness seemed to radiate from the place they touched. Ridiculous, of course. He would have to touch her a lot more, and he was not a callow youth to be experiencing these uncontrollable urges.

Clearing his throat, he went on. “These garments are made from heavy satin. They will keep you modestly covered but are not as heavy as a fashionable bathing suit. I was afraid those would be too cumbersome, especially when wet.”

She opened her mouth, no doubt to ask more questions or voice more objections, but the carriage slowed to a halt in front of an unassuming door on a street off The Strand. The footman jumped from his perch at the back of the carriage and knocked on the door as instructed. The door immediately opened, and Wang jumped out, then reached in for the countess.

She looked from the door to him, with a frown, and for several heartbeats, hesitated. Was she going to lose her nerve and turn back now? But then her chin lifted, and she gave the briefest of nods, indicating she was ready. He wasted no time placing an arm behind her back and another under her legs. Her arm came around his shoulders with gratifying familiarity, and she leaned trustingly against his chest when he lifted her out of the carriage and carried her through the dimly lit doorway.

E sther had never swum. In fact, she had never been in water deeper than a regular bath, where the water barely reached her chest while lying in it. Therefore, she found it really upsetting to enter what amounted to a small swimming pool in Wang’s arms. This amount of water would completely submerge her if she sat in it. What if she couldn’t stand? It was a terrifying thought.

Only the secure hold Wang had on her prevented her from going into an outright panic. He had walked a few steps down into the bath and now lowered her into the water.

She clung tighter to the only safety in a liquid world that wanted to swallow her.

“Relax, my lady. I will not let go.”

“Are you sure this will help, Mr. Wang?”

“While I can never guarantee a result, I’ve seen excellent results using hydrotherapy in injuries such as yours.”

“Oh, have you treated others?”

“Yes. Once in Canton. And more recently, the War for the Union going on in America has resulted in many soldiers with injuries. We have treated several of them. Most of them achieved some measure of recovery.”

She noticed that while distracting her with his talk, he slowly moved her back and forth. As if she were a babe he was rocking to sleep in his arms. Except she was no babe, and the movement was having a completely different effect. It was not inducing a stupor, but was rather energizing, although in a relaxing way, if that made any sense. Or maybe that was all the effect of the man holding her in his arms.

“I will lower your legs now, and I want you to stand.”

Panic seized her again, and she held on tighter, shaking her head.

“I won’t let go. I’ll still be holding you the entire time, my lady.” At her still wide-eyed gaze, he continued. “Do you trust me to keep you safe?”

Yes, she did. She wouldn’t be here if she didn’t trust him. But she didn’t trust herself. She would flounder and fail.

“I do, Mr. Wang. But I can’t stand just yet.”

“The water creates buoyancy. That means you weigh less, making it easier for your legs to support you. I’ll provide extra support. Just give it a go.”

“If you insist.”

He suddenly grinned, and the expression transformed his severe face into something so dazzling, her breath suddenly locked in her lungs.

“I do, my lady. And you will do just great.”

Saying that, he lowered her feet, until she felt the smooth tile of the bath under her soles. Just as promised, his hold on her upper body didn’t falter. He still had an arm around her torso, holding her securely against his solid body.

“Try to walk. The water will provide gentle resistance, but it will also make you weigh less.”

She did, marveling at the novel sensation. Her legs were drifting. She was sure that even with the water’s help, they wouldn’t hold her up without his support, but she was standing. And she was doing an impression of walking. A motion she had taken for granted until a few years ago and thought she would never experience again.

It was hard. Even with Wang’s support, and the buoyancy provided by the water, she had to put a great effort into moving her legs. But she was doing it. She was upright, and she was moving her legs. It was a huge step forward. Both literally and figuratively.

S he was a fighter, his Esther. The signs of exhaustion were plain to see in her face, but she did not complain once. She performed every exercise he asked of her to the best of her capability. And she was doing fantastic. Today’s results bolstered his confidence that she would make a full recovery.

That outcome became more important to him than any other. He had helped countless people in almost three decades of practicing medicine. But this woman, here and now, was special to him.

“I think that’s enough for today, my lady.”

She exhaled with relief, looked straight at him, and smiled brightly. “I did it. I walked Mr. Wang.”

He couldn’t look away. He had seen her pensive, sad, devastated with tears. At times, he had spied a gentle smile when she looked at her daughter with love and pride in her gaze. But he had never seen a smile of pure joy, hope, and pride. It made her eyes sparkle and lit up her face. If she was beautiful before, when she smiled, she was dazzling. And he was mesmerized by her spell.

“Yes, you did, my lady.” He returned her smile, because he couldn’t contain his joy in her accomplishment. It warmed his heart. More like set it on fire. “But we haven’t finished the treatment.”

“Oh? Is there more?”

“Yes. But the next part will require very little effort on your part.” He once again took hold of her legs and lifted her out of the bath. Every time he lifted her, he sensed how she became more and more comfortable with his touch. It was gratifying. No, it was so much more than that. Her trust meant everything to him. But he was about to test it. Striding out of the bathing chamber, he took her to the dry heat room.

“This is nice and toasty,” Esther said upon entering.

“Yes, and all you have to do here is lie down and enjoy being pampered. This room is what they call the Turkish Bath.” He set her down on a pallet of soft blankets on a ledge. “I’ll now send for your maid to help you get dry and remove these wet garments. Then lie on the pallet, face down, and have her cover you with this blanket.”

Her eyes almost popped out of her face.

“Do you mean unclothed?”

“Yes, my lady. I need access to your back and legs. I’m afraid garments would impede the massage and the acupuncture.”

“But I can’t lie naked in front of you!”

A pity, that. No! He must stop these inappropriate thoughts. She was a patient. A lady in need of help. What kind of doctor would he be if he took advantage of his patient’s vulnerabilities? A degenerate, that’s what. In order to help her, he must stop seeing her as a desirable woman. But that proved more and more difficult every moment he spent in her company.

Drawing in a deep breath to summon the inner calm he needed, he replied, “You won’t be exposed. A blanket will cover you. I shall only uncover the area I’m working at that moment. Your maid can remain in the room if that will put you more at ease.”

She frowned. “I don’t know. Is that considered normal and appropriate in your culture?”

His lips twitched. She had him there. “No. Most Chinese women wouldn’t even go to a male doctor. But they have female doctors who can see to their needs. You don’t have female doctors in England.”

“English women go to male doctors. But in this instance, it seems very…intimate.”

“Don’t think of me as a man.” He had to put her at ease. Even if he wasn’t fully at ease with touching her naked body himself. But this part of the treatment was important. He recalled another tradition of his people. “If it helps, think of me as a eunuch.” He cringed inwardly as he said it.

Her eyes widened until they resembled full moons. “Are you?” She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, please forgive me. I can’t believe I asked…” She shook her head. “That’s none of my business.”

Wang burst out laughing. He never thought he would laugh about his manhood. But her expression of horror was too much to bear.

“No. I am not.” He most definitely—most emphatically—was not. Especially not around this woman.

She frowned playfully at him. “That’s terrible of you to tease me so, Mr. Wang.”

“It was not my intention to tease. I merely sought to put you at ease. This part of the treatment is important.”

“What will it involve?”

“I will massage your back and legs. And also use acupuncture to stimulate your qi .”

“What is ‘qi’ , and what does this acupuncture involve?”

He could see the curiosity in her eyes. It wasn’t mistrust, but genuine interest in the therapies that motivated all her questions. He liked an inquisitive mind.

“ Qi is the life force. Vital energy. It needs to be balanced and flow unrestricted through channels in the body called meridians. For that purpose, I will insert needles into specific points. They will stimulate your nerves and enhance the blood flow, promoting healing while reducing inflammation and pain. It can even help the mind find calm, and restore movement. That is what acupuncture is about.”

“Needles! That sounds painful.”

“It’s not. I promise. These needles are very thin, and I will place them gently. You may feel a tingling sensation. And that is good. Means it’s working. But there should be no pain.”

He glanced at her, watching for skepticism, for hesitation. But she only nodded slowly, thoughtful. Perhaps, he dared to hope, she was beginning to trust in what he could offer—not only as a doctor, but as a man who wished to see her well and whole again.

“Very well, then. Give me a few minutes. I will call you when I’m ready.”

Bowing at the waist, he retired and sent the maid in to help her mistress. He could use these few minutes to bring himself under control and remember, she was just a patient.

Except that not even a few hours, even years, would be enough to convince himself of that.