Touch of Tenderness (Nurses of New York Book 3)

by Amelia C. Adams

  Libby chuckled. “That’s not really something a sister would say, is it?”

  Laura shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t have any brothers. But it seems to me that she could have given us a bit of warning so we could tidy ourselves up more before he came. I’m still in my hospital dress—well, I did take off my apron, of course. That would have been really unfortunate. But I would have liked to put on something . . . well, a little more attractive.”

  Libby glanced over to where Lewis and Mr. Wilhite were chatting. “They seem rather invested in the music right now—I don’t think they’re paying any attention to the ladies in the room at all. But why don’t you invite Mr. Wilhite to your party? I’m sure he’d be in a more festive mood then.”

  “You’re absolutely right. I’ll just have to do that, won’t I?”

  Lewis raised his head from the conversation. “Libby? Is that you?”

  She stood and moved to his side. “Yes, I’m here. I had to come enjoy the music.”

  “Well, don’t let Mrs. Everett see you up and about. I don’t think she’d take kindly to you disobeying orders.”

  “She already scowled at me from the kitchen when I came downstairs.” Libby glanced up to see Mr. Wilhite looking at her with a pleased smile on his face. “You must be Meg’s brother. I’m Libby Green, one of the nursing students here.”

  He came to his feet and gave her a short bow. “It’s a pleasure, Miss Green. My sister speaks highly of all the nurses here—that is, when she’s home to actually speak with us.”

  “Benjamin, honestly, we’ve discussed this.” Meg sighed dramatically. “I’ll come home for a visit as soon as Mother starts behaving herself. You realize, she could come here if she liked. It’s scarcely a fifteen-minute carriage ride.”

  Libby smiled as the brother and sister began a lively discussion about just what constituted a long carriage ride versus a short carriage ride, and how one would have to want to go on such a carriage ride in the first place. She turned back to Lewis. “That first piece was lovely. Well, of course, the second one was too, but I already complimented you on it, and I wouldn’t want all this praise to go to your head.”

  He laughed. “Quite right. We must keep me humble at all costs.”

  “Exactly.” She paused and looked at his bandages. “In all the chaos today, did anyone change your bandages? These look like the same ones from this morning.”

  “No, they didn’t, and I forgot all about it too.”

  “Let’s be sure to take care of that as soon as your guest leaves. Why don’t I distract Meg so you can get back to your conversation with Mr. Wilhite?”

  “Thank you. I have a few questions for him, but I don’t want to interrupt—it would be rude of me, especially when their mother’s mental health seems to be so much on their minds.”

  Libby chuckled. Their mother’s mental health indeed—they weren’t discussing it as much as debating whether it existed at all. “Meg, why don’t you help me bring in glasses of punch for everyone?”

  Meg rose from her chair and looked at Libby suspiciously. “You’re supposed to be in bed.”

  “I know. And it’s boring. Come on—let’s get some punch.”

  Meg followed her, looking rather unwilling, and just as Libby hoped, the two men resumed their conversation. She didn’t know how long it had been since Lewis had been able to speak with a colleague, and she imagined it would do him worlds of good.

  Later, after another song had been played and Mr. Wilhite had promised to attend Laura’s party, Libby took her patient into Dr. Russell’s study and found the gauze and bandages he kept on hand. “I was on my way to fetch some opium at the hospital when I . . . well, let’s just say I got a little bit distracted,” she said as she began to unwind the bandage from around Lewis’s head. “Are you all right?”

  “The pain is tolerable. I don’t mind going without,” he replied. “If you don’t mind my asking, though, just what did happen to you today?”

  “It’s a little embarrassing.”

  “I promise not to tease you. Unless it’s something you’d really rather not share—I understand if you don’t want to talk about it.”

  “No, it’s all right. I just wish I’d been more professional.” As she changed out the gauze pads over Lewis’s eyes, she told him about the situation with the Harts and how she’d then collapsed.

  “I don’t see anything to be embarrassed about.”

  “Yes, but as you keep reminding me, you’re blind.” She chuckled. “Thank you for trying to console me, but a nurse shouldn’t become so overwhelmed by emotion that she falls apart whenever things become difficult. She should remain calm no matter what the circumstance, and I failed miserably.” She picked up the clean bandage and wrapped it around Lewis’s head to hold the gauze pads in place.

  “And just what are you supposed to do with those emotions? You can’t shut them off entirely—that would make you a cold, heartless person, and you’re anything but that, Libby.”

  The warmth in his voice touched her. “Thank you. I suppose we’re all to come home and cry into our pillows at night so we’re ready to be cheerful and impassive again the next day. I don’t know—I’ll have to ask Miss Cantrell. We haven’t discussed that in class yet.”

  She stepped back to put the gauze away, but he reached out and caught her wrist. “I hope you don’t have to cry yourself to sleep often, Libby. You make a tremendous sacrifice for your patients already—giving away bits of your soul doesn’t seem like a fair bargain.”

  “Oh, that’s already part of it,” she said lightly. She couldn’t account for the fluttering in her stomach when she looked down at his hand on her arm. His fingers, so full of talent, so agile, and yet so strong. He seemed to sense where she was looking, for he released her, and she finished cleaning up. “It’s a lovely evening. Let’s go sit on the porch for a little bit, all right? I could use some fresh air.”

  She led him outside and to the chairs that were placed on the south side of the house. The street was quiet, the number of passing carriages having dropped considerably since earlier, and the stars were shining down with full force.

  “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen them so bright,” she said in describing them to Lewis. “It’s as though they all decided to do their very best just for us.”

  “I love stars,” he replied. “From the time I was young, they’ve always felt like millions of little friends, shining down to give me comfort.”

  “Friends?”

  He chuckled. “You’ll laugh.”

  “No, I won’t. You’ve been kind enough not to laugh at me—I can return the favor.”

  He shifted a little in his chair. “Well, one night when I was six, I heard a noise outside, a howling or growl of some sort. I’d gotten it into my head that I wanted a pet wolf, and I was determined to have one. When I heard this noise, I thought it was my chance. I crept out of bed and out of the house, just sure that I was about to capture a wolf of my very own.”

  “Just how did you plan to catch it?” Libby asked, amused.

  “I hadn’t thought it through that carefully. I believe I thought I could just walk up to it. I did have a rope—a short thing, three feet or so, that my father had given me to practice tying knots. That’s certainly adequate for lassoing a wolf, isn’t it?”

  “Oh, absolutely.” She’d promised not to laugh, but that promise was becoming difficult to keep.

  “Well, once I got outside, I followed the sound of the noise for a while, and it led me away from the house. I realized I had no idea where I was, and then the sound stopped, and I had nothing to follow. There I was in my white nightclothes, just a pair of shoes, and my rope, lost in the darkness.”

  “Oh, no. Were there any houses nearby, anything?”

  He shook his head. “There was nothing in any direction. I was hopelessly lost. I sat down where I was on the ground and started to cry. I was six—it was allowed.”

  Libby reached out and took his hand. “I t
hink it would be allowed at nearly any age.”

  He rubbed her fingers with his thumb, and her heart nearly stopped. She’d meant to give him a sign of friendship, something more than a smile because he wouldn’t be able to see one, but the connection between their hands was unlike any friendship she’d ever experienced. It was so shocking, so surprising that she wanted to yank her hand away, but at the same time, she never wanted to let go.

  “As I sat there, I looked up at the stars, and they seemed warm and comforting,” he continued, obviously unaware of the effect he was having on her. “I wrapped my arms around my knees and stared up at the sky, and it was like the stars were talking to me, telling me to stay where I was and I’d be all right. I fell asleep after a while, and the next thing I knew, it was dawn, and my father was scooping me up in his arms. My mother didn’t know whether to punish me or hug me, so she did a bit of both. And I’ve never wanted a wolf since.”

  Libby swallowed. “That seems a shame. I thought this story had a happy ending.”

  “You don’t think my being found safe was a happy ending?”

  “Well, sure, that part was fine, but it would have been better if you’d been found and got to have a wolf.”

  “Oh, I see. All right, the next time I tell the story, I’ll revise the ending accordingly. Although, this is actually the first time I’ve ever told it.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” He rubbed her fingers again. “I guess I was too shy to talk about it. It’s different with you, though. You make me feel as though I could say anything and be heard.”

  “Thank you. That means a lot to me.” She gave his hand a quick squeeze and then pulled away. “It’s late. You and I had both better get some rest or we’ll be in trouble.”

  “That’s right—we’re invalids. We should be on our best behavior.” He stood and followed her into the house. She guided him to his room and left him standing next to his bed, then climbed the stairs to her own room, wondering just how to be on her best behavior when tingles were still racing up her arm from his touch.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Libby was allowed to attend classes the next morning, but when it came time for the nursing students to head off to their afternoon assignments, she had to stay behind. She felt fine, and she tried to convince Miss Cantrell of it, but there was no budging her.

  “Do you need any help in here, Mrs. Everett?” she asked, leaning up against the kitchen table. “Honestly, I need something useful to do before I go mad.”

  “Don’t you have a nice novel or something you can read?”

  “I don’t want to read a nice novel. I want to do something important.”

  Mrs. Everett peered at her over her mixing bowl. “Well, how about this—pack up some treats and take Mr. Franklin over to the park for a little picnic. I’m sure he’s even more bored than you are.”

  “That’s a wonderful idea.” Libby grabbed a basket from the shelf in the corner, lined it with a clean linen napkin, then began rummaging through the pantry. “What can I take?”

  “There’s a bottle of lemonade there on the second shelf, and some fruit tarts on the right. Oh, and I have some cheese and meat over here. Might as well make a meal of it.”

  Libby gathered up everything she was directed to take, then put two glasses and two more napkins in the basket as well. “Thank you, Mrs. Everett. This will be very nice.”

  “Well, to be honest, I suggested it more for that young man than for you. He’s handling his situation with good humor, but I can tell, he’s just itching to get back to his regular life. I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose my sight all of a sudden, poor fellow.”

  “No, neither can I. Thank you again for the suggestion.” Libby carried the basket out to the hallway, set it on the floor, then knocked on Lewis’s door, even though it stood open. “Are you busy?”

  Lewis had been reclining on his bed, his arms behind his head, but he sat up at her voice. “I was finishing up this watercolor portrait I’ve been painting, but I’m more than willing to take a break if you need me for something.”

  “Mrs. Everett suggested that I make us up a picnic. What do you say? There’s a very nice park just down the way here.”

  “I’d love it.” Lewis felt for his shoes and put them on, then stood. “Please tell me I didn’t put on mismatched socks today. I have some brown and some black, and Mrs. Everett refused to answer when I asked her.”

  Libby looked down at his feet. “It’s true that they could be a little more matching than they are. But with your shoes on, it’s barely noticeable.”

  “Well, thank goodness I never leave my room without my shoes, then.” Lewis reached out and found her shoulder. “Lead on, oh guide.”

  The park was fairly quiet for a summer afternoon. Only a few couples were there, and a small handful of mothers pushing their children in baby carriages. “Oh, I forgot to bring a blanket,” Libby said, looking at the ground in dismay. Because she wasn’t expected at the hospital, she’d dressed in one of her lighter gowns, and she hated the thought of getting a grass stain on it.

  “Here. Let me.” Lewis shrugged out of his jacket and laid it out. It wasn’t at all smooth, but that didn’t matter—his kindness did him credit. Libby thanked him, then spread it out a little more before she sat. He plopped down next to her, looking as eager as a puppy.

  “What did Mrs. Everett send along for us?” he asked.

  “Lemonade, tarts, and some meat and cheese,” she replied, pulling each thing from the basket as she spoke.

  “You know, if all I ever did for the rest of my life was play the piano and eat Mrs. Everett’s good cooking, I think I’d be perfectly content.” He took an enthusiastic bite of tart as if to prove his point.

  “If that’s all you ever did, you’d be the world’s portliest pianist,” Libby retorted. “Here—have some lemonade.”

  “I must amend my statement. Of course I’d also take long walks with charming companions. There—does that make me seem less lazy?”

  “Only a very little bit.”

  “Hmm. I’ll have to work on that, then.”

  Libby munched on a piece of cheese before asking, “What are you going to play for the conductor next week?”

  Lewis had just taken a sip of lemonade, but he quickly swallowed. “Well, first I have to be sure I have the appointment.”

  “No, first you have to be sure you’re ready. What good is it to have an appointment if you’re unprepared?”

  “True, true. Well, I thought I’d begin with the first piece I played last night, and then if he asks for another, I’d use one I wrote for my mother a few years back. It’s a bit more classic.”

  “It sounds wonderful. I don’t suppose you’d let me come along, would you?”

  He tilted his head in surprise. “Of course! You’re my nurse. How would I get there without you?”

  Her cheeks suddenly felt warm. “Well, I assumed I’d be taking you, but then, assumptions are often wrong, and . . .”

  “Libby, I can’t think of anyone else in the world I’d rather have at my side. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me on that day?”

  Oh, she wished she could see his eyes. She’d just have to imagine a merry twinkle in them. “Why, sir, I would be most delighted.”

  He raised his lemonade in salute. “Then that’s what we’ll do. Will you be able to get off work, though?”

  “I’ll tell them you need my help—I’m your nurse, after all.” But then she paused. “Except that I’m not assigned to Dr. Wentworth anymore.”

  “What do you mean?” He sat up a little straighter, seeming to be concerned.

  “We rotate our assignments every week, and today’s Friday. Come Monday, I’ll be working with a new doctor, while you’ll still be under Dr. Wentworth’s care.”

  Lewis’s shoulders slumped. “Then it really was a good idea for me to move into Dr. Russell’s house. This way, I can still see you. Such as it is.”

  “Yes
, it was a good idea.” Libby brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She’d just had the most dreadful thought—she believed she was on Dr. Saul’s rotation the following week, and she couldn’t work with him. She just couldn’t.

  “What’s the matter? You seem a bit glum all of a sudden.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing. Just something over which I have no control. Or do I?” She blinked a few times as the idea formed. “Do you mind if we walk over to the hospital? I need to speak with Dr. Wentworth for a moment.”

  He shook a finger at her. “You’re not supposed to be thinking about work. You’re supposed to be relaxing.”

  “If I have a chance to speak with him, I’ll be much more relaxed afterwards.”

  Lewis shrugged. “All right, but if you have a relapse, I won’t be held accountable. Here I am, trying to help you enjoy your time off, and you’re insisting on dragging me everywhere you go, poor helpless blind man that I am.”

  “Helpless? Hardly. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. You could stay right here on this nice patch of grass and wait for me. I’ll even leave you the rest of the lemonade.”

  “And make me miss all the excitement? Goodness, woman, you’re just determined to be cruel to me any way you can.”

  “And you’re just determined to make this all about you.” She gathered up the remnants of their picnic and put everything in the basket. “Stop your dramatic whining and come along, then.”

  He jumped up, but lost his balance a little bit. She reached out and caught his arm. “Never you fear. I’m right behind you,” he said, and she laughed.

  “Yes, I can see that. Now let’s hurry before Dr. Wentworth gets caught up in his afternoon rounds.”

  ***

  “Miss Green, you were told to stay home and rest,” Dr. Wentworth said, coming to his feet as Libby entered his office. She’d found a chair for Lewis just outside in the hallway, thinking he didn’t need to be privy to every little thing that went on in the hospital.

  “I know, sir, and I don’t mean to go against orders. I just wanted to ask . . . well, I hoped it wouldn’t be impertinent . . .”