Page 5 of The Countess's Awakening (The Lovers’ Arch #3)
CHAPTER 5
T hey had been holding daily therapies for two weeks now, coming to the baths every other day, and performing other types of therapies at home, while the rest of the family was otherwise engaged.
He would have preferred to speak about their endeavors with Colin, even seek his opinion and share their progress, but Esther wanted to keep everything secret, at least until she felt confident she could recover. She claimed she didn’t want to raise false hopes, nor burden the family with her troubles. He understood and respected her wishes. Colin had his hands full with his wife expecting their first child and escorting Lady Elizabeth to society events.
But although keeping their therapies secret, everything was going so well, Wang had grown complacent. Esther’s progress was better than even he had expected. Even if she sometimes despaired of ever achieving her goal of walking again, he felt very optimistic about her success.
Yet, as soon as they arrived in the baths this evening, he knew they would face trouble.
No sooner had they crossed the door of the establishment than the owner himself came out to meet them. He had not seen the man since the first day when he arranged for the use of the baths. Usually, a dour-faced maid opened the door and then disappeared for the entire hour.
“Mr. Wang, I’d have a word with you, if you please.”
Wang transferred his attention from the countess in his arms to the impertinent man.
“In a moment. First, I need to take the lady to the dressing room.”
“That’s precisely what I want to talk about. We won’t be able to accommodate your request any longer.”
Maybe there was a legitimate reason the man couldn’t continue to collect the extortionate amount he was charging for the use of the facilities. But he doubted it.
“May I ask the reason?” Esther inquired. She was not haughty, but her voice was one hundred percent aristocratic.
He would have preferred to spare her any unpleasantness, but it appeared this man was determined to air the conflict now and in front of her.
Mr. Fisk didn’t even look at Esther. Instead, keeping his eyes trained on a point beyond Wang’s head, he declared through stiff lips.
“My maid has informed me there have been strange goings on here during your visits. The last time, she heard some moans and groans. So she peered through the door and saw the lady here naked on a pallet while you had your hands on her. This is not that type of establishment.”
He gestured towards the countess, and the way he said the word ‘lady’ sounded more like an epithet. Wang could have wrung this unpleasant little weasel of a man’s neck for insulting her.
“What your maid saw was part of the therapy; not anything salacious as you are implying.”
“Never heard of that type of therapy,” the odious man uttered.
“I daresay you know little about any sort of therapy, since you are not a trained physician.”
“And are you? Are you licensed by the Royal College of Physicians? Are you registered with the General Medical Council to practice medicine in Britain?”
His teeth ground together. No, he was not. Even though he possessed more than enough qualifications for both. But the exalted British institutions would not recognize a Chinese trained doctor. Even if he also had training in Western medicine.
“No, I do not. I was trained in the healing traditions of China and have also studied Western methods. I have worked closely with Lord Hartfield, who is himself a trained physician.”
Wang wasn’t sure why he was explaining himself to Mr. Fisk. The man didn’t care about his credentials or qualifications. He had already made a judgement and was only interested in getting rid of them.
But the treatment was going so well. In just a few weeks, Esther had stood in the pool on her own and had taken a few steps unassisted. If there was any way to convince this man to allow them to continue using the baths, it was worth a try.
“It is as I thought. You are no actual doctor. What you are doing is using these baths for illicit assignations. I shall not have it.”
“Are you sure you wish to incur the displeasure of the Earl of Hartfield? Not to mention my own. If you deny us access to the facilities, I shall discourage all my acquaintances from frequenting this establishment,” Esther said pleasantly enough, but there was an edge to her words.
“I don’t think you’d want to speak ill of my establishment and let people know that you use it for secret assignations with your foreign lover,” Mr. Fisk said, his lip curled up in an unpleasant snarl.
“You breathe one word of slander against the countess, and I will personally come back and beat you to within an inch of your life. Remember that.”
The unmistakable menace in his voice gave Mr. Fink pause, and he wisely stepped back. Wang wasn’t sure that if he hadn’t been holding the countess in his arms, he could have refrained from beating some sense into the man.
Old demons he thought long conquered were resurfacing with a strength that surprised and dismayed him. He didn’t want to fall into that pit of anger and violence again. So, turning on his heel, he focused all his training on walking out of the establishment with calm, even strides. He carried the countess with the utmost care and deposited her on the squabs of the carriage. By the time he handed the maid in and climbed into the carriage himself, the black fury that had wanted to swallow him whole was back under control.
It was not the fact that Mr. Fink had questioned his credentials as a doctor. It wasn’t even the obvious prejudice and bigotry barely disguised as moral superiority displayed by the man. What had ignited his rage had been the way the despicable man had spoken about Esther. How dare that worm speak in such a way about the countess, who was a kind and gentle soul? And how dare he deny treatment to a woman in need who was displaying enormous tenacity to get well in order to be there for her daughter?
A cool, soft hand alighted on his arm, like a gentle bird resting on a branch. “Don’t fret about that man’s words. I consider you a very competent doctor. From the first moment, your method of treatment helped me more than any other doctor in Britain.”
Heavens above, Esther was so kind that she was trying to comfort him, when it was she who had suffered the biggest insult and the biggest loss.
He covered her hand with his, where it rested on his forearm. “That is not what concerns me, my lady. I’m upset about the insult he paid you, and because now we need to find another place to hold the therapies. You were doing so well. I wouldn’t want to stunt the progress made so far by interrupting the treatment.”
“Surely a delay of a few days while we find another suitable facility won’t signify much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.”
“You are right, of course. Tomorrow I shall start looking for another bath or public swimming pool we could use.”
“What about the spring at Hartfield Park?”
He shook his head. “Colin showed me the spring. I went swimming in it once. It wouldn’t do. For one, it’s too deep, and second, it’s too cold.”
“I see.” She frowned for a moment, before another idea brightened her face. “Do you think Lord Hartfield would be amenable to building a pool either here in the London house or at the estate? He seems fond of swimming himself, and that would save him from having to swim in a cold stream.”
“He might be. In fact, I think he has plans to do just that. But that takes time. Months, even. I wouldn’t want to wait that long.”
“You are right. What about going to Bath? They have more Roman Baths there.”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to make some inquiries about that. But first, I want to find another place here in London. It would be the most convenient. Tomorrow morning, I’ll start searching.”
“Where will you search?”
“I’ll start in Limehouse. The establishments may not be as luxurious, but at least I don’t think we will face as much opposition there.”
“Isn’t Limehouse a predominantly Asian neighborhood?”
“That is my understanding, yes.”
Her eyes lit up with interest. “Would you take me with you? I’d like to visit there.”
“Why, my lady? It’s not as nice as Mayfair.”
“Because I want to learn as much as I can about Chinese culture.”
The unspoken declaration was that she wanted to learn as much as she could about him. He didn’t want to analyze the warm emotion her veiled declaration inspired in him.