by Abby Ayles
“That leg, though,” Cassandra said, shaking her head. “I actually thought of it at one point over dinner and had to stop eating. You saw, didn't you?”
Delilah nodded. “I saw, I thought something was bothering you.”
“I regained my appetite fast enough, but that is not the point,” Cassandra continued. “There is something very wrong with his leg. Very wrong indeed. I am no doctor but I can tell when something ought to be attended to by a professional that that leg needs to be attended to by a doctor.”
“Well, if you want to tell him to go to hospital, be my guest,” Delilah said with a weary sigh. “Though I have an idea where he will tell you to go if you press the matter.”
“I wish he would see one, though,” Cassandra replied. “It is only through the marvels of medicine that my brother lasted so long and that people with injuries like your brother's can survive easily. In fact, whatever the two of you may believe, I am willing to bet that your father also benefited from his medical care, for the most part.”
“That is debatable,” Delilah replied. “But given the circumstances they definitely did all that they could. And it was better than letting him die. I hope.”
“I am not sure how your brother can look at what happened to your father, to my brother, to himself now and blame the doctors,” Cassandra replied. “Some things went wrong, but that happens in every industry. And generally, doctors do such amazing things.”
“After what happened to father... and to Edmund...” Delilah sighed heavily. “He was never the same after father and every subsequent experience just seems to have confirmed his hatred of doctors.”
Kitty had been listening closely, hoping to pick up enough to work everything out on her own. But she was still none the wiser as to what had happened. “I am sorry to interrupt but I am feeling very left out and a little confused.”
“Oh, sorry dear, I didn't mean to leave you out,” Cassandra said, completely earnestly. “I could explain it to you, but I think it ought to be up to Delilah. After all, it concerns her family.”
Both Kitty and Cassandra turned to face Delilah who nodded and pursed her lips a moment. “Very well, but do not breathe a word of this to anyone. It is between us three, as friends only. Our father suffered from some serious ailments,” Delilah said. “There was never much which could be done to ensure he was in good health. All we could do was pray and hope. But this doctor by the name of Hardy, he had an idea. At first we thought it was a little too much. But as time went by and father's condition worsened, we weakened.
“He had many surgeries. At first it looked as though he was going to recover. And then, one morning, he was done.” Delilah drew a deep breath again. “One of the areas had become infected. It was missed among all the scars. And the infection killed him.”
Kitty was pretty sure at this point that she had heard enough about medical horrors for one day. Her whole life she had thought nobody understood her, that suffering a condition like hers was a curse. Now she realized she knew nothing of curses. She was deeply grateful to be herself, in her own body. It was better than being in a body that was dying. It was better than having to shoulder the burden of caring for a dying loved one too.
Cassandra and Kitty comforted Delilah, who had naturally become weepy and shaky after recounting the story. Even though it had happened over seven years ago, it had left deep scars in her heart which would never truly heal.
“I see,” Kitty said with a sigh. “No wonder he is afraid of doctors. It's a surprise that you are not.”
Delilah shook her head. “I love doctors. I feared them at first too, after what happened to our father. But it was a doctor who saved me when I nearly died drowning. It was a doctor who worked tirelessly to help my husband. It was a doctor who reset my brother's back and knee less than a week ago. I cannot be afraid of them.”
Kitty felt a wave of relief take over her body. “I am glad. It is only thanks to doctors that I am in the excellent condition I am in today. Were it not for them, a very many more people would be dead.”
“Including your brother, I dare say, if he had not been unconscious for long enough for them to see to his leg,” Cassandra said to Delilah.
“You heard about that?” Delilah asked.
Cassandra nodded. “Be glad for it. His unconsciousness probably saved him. Had he been aware enough to reject medical care, no doubt the dislocated knee would have caused some serious issues with the blood flow in his leg.”
“Perhaps that is the solution,” Delilah said with a chuckle. “Perhaps we ought to knock him out and get a doctor around to inspect him.”
“If only he would take something strong enough to knock him out,” Cassandra said. “A man who does not trust medicines or alcohol. He must be in an unbelievable amount of pain right now.”
Kitty hesitated and looked away. “He is. Sadly. I keep offering to find him pain relief but he refuses it.”
“And yet he says he is in perfect condition to travel,” Delilah said.
“He should not be coming with us on the journey to Spain in that state,” Cassandra replied. “I shall represent him.”
“Do you think he will allow you?” Kitty asked hesitantly. “He was so resistant to the suggestion last time it was made.”
“I don't think he will, actually,” Cassandra replied. “But we must attempt something. We cannot simply allow him to march off as he pleases, throwing caution to the wind and without making any preparations. That is exactly how he ended up in this predicament. At the very least, we must encourage him to compromise.”
“But if you tell him not to go he will do the opposite, simply to be difficult.” Delilah said. “We have tried it and only made him more convinced to go.”
“In which case, we must focus our attentions on making the situation more pleasant, seeing as we cannot prevent it,” Cassandra replied. “If he simply must go, perhaps we can put up enough of a fight that he must reconsider how he goes. Who knows, perhaps we can even put him off going entirely if he thinks it will be too much trouble?”
Delilah laughed. “Are you suggesting nagging my brother until he stops wanting to go on his business trip?”
Cassandra shrugged. “Perhaps. If you think that will work, then I am more than happy to do it. Anything to get him to behave himself like a responsible man.”
“We truly are desperate for solutions, aren't we?” Delilah said with a sigh. “It's hopeless. We have no authority over him whatsoever. The very best we can do is bother him.”
“Don't give up. We must dissuade him,” Cassandra said with a firm nod. “I am not sure how we shall manage to, but we must.”
Chapter 20
Armed with a battle plan, the three women felt almost prepared to face Earl Sinclair. Almost. They were in a difficult predicament. None of them technically had any authority over him. Kitty was a younger, lower class, unrelated woman. Delilah was his sister. And Cassandra, despite being blue blooded, was still a woman and merely a relation.
The best any of them could threaten him with was institutionalization and, honestly, none of them wanted to do such a terrible thing to him. It would be very difficult, if not impossible, to reverse such a process and it was a ridiculously drastic measure for such a situation. But, on the other hand, he was possibly about to risk his life on a journey he did not need to undertake.
The earl was sitting up in his bed, reading a book. Or at least trying to. He was obviously in so much pain that he could not concentrate. At first he did not even notice them walking in through the door. But as soon as he spotted that they were there, he made an effort to conceal his pain and smiled.
“Hello, to what do I owe the pleasure of this return visit?” he asked.
“I just wanted to see how you were feeling,” Cassandra said, eyeing him suspiciously.
“Never felt better,” Earl Sinclair said. “In fact, I should be ready to travel first thing tomorrow, just as planned.”
“No pain at all then?” Cassandra
asked.
He shook his head. “None.”
Much to Kitty and Delilah's shock, Cassandra marched up to the earl's bedside and pressed down on his knee. Although there was obviously not much strength in the attack, he let out a sharp yelp.
“You will not fool us,” Cassandra insisted. “We can tell that you are in no shape to travel and you will not.”
He glared at her. “Why is it that you are all so determined to spoil this for me? Do you have nothing better to do than interfere with my plans?”
“Your plans should have changed the minute you became injured,” Cassandra replied. “Yet you waited and waited, leaving it until the last minute. And now you are stuck with a last-minute problem which never needed to become a last-minute problem. Is this not exactly what you have always told me not to do?”
“What is this, a coven?” the earl asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because I see three women conspiring to determine my fate and the only way you will manage to stop me from going on that journey is through magic.”
Kitty stifled a giggle and reminded herself that this was serious business. She desperately wanted to be involved too. But what could she do or say? It was not her place to interfere with any of this. All she could do was sit and wait, observe and learn from Delilah and Cassandra.
“Brother, you are being utterly ridiculous,” Delilah insisted. “You are so stubborn; you can't even recognize the harm done by your stubbornness. It is unbelievable.”
“It is not stubbornness and it will do no harm,” the earl insisted. “What will do me serious harm is if I miss out on this deal.”
“Which would not have happened if you had acted responsibly in the first place,” Cassandra contested.
“But I did not and it has happened and we must act now, because we are not living in the past,” he grumbled.
Cassandra glared. “It is like talking to a brick wall. Very well, then, you stubborn old mule, perhaps I ought to end all trade deals my company has with yours?”
“You know full well I do not need your deals,” he said.
Cassandra raised her eyebrows in a slightly condescending manner. “Yes, I do know that. But I also know that without them you will need to completely rearrange your annual plans, at great cost and inconvenience to yourself, which is something you do not want to do. So maybe, just maybe, you will reconsider your stubbornness if I threaten you with this.”
“Why are you all so determined that I ought not to make the journey?” he asked. “Do you really believe that I am not able to handle it?”
Delilah let out a heavy sigh. “Augustus, we are not challenging you. We are telling you, openly and honestly, that it is not safe for a man with a broken knee to make such a long and difficult journey.”
“It is not a long and difficult journey, though. I have done it many times. It is much easier than the Indian jungle, or the plains of Siberia, both of which I managed without a hitch,” he argued.
“When you were in perfect health. For someone in as much pain as you are right now, the trip down through to Spain could be deadly,” Delilah insisted.
“You do not know that,” he replied. “I am perfectly able to travel.”
“How do you know that?” Delilah asked. “You have never done this before. Perhaps you ought to ask someone who does regularly travel with joint problems. Kitty?”
Kitty felt nervous at being brought into this, but she knew what she needed to say. And she knew that it was the truth. “Any journey when your joints are damaged becomes more tiresome and more dangerous, Lord Stamford. There is a risk of injury, the vibrations from the carriage, the weather can even affect your healing and your comfort. You have never done this before and I would not advise such a long journey be your first.”
Earl Sinclair glared at Kitty as though she had just committed an act of unspeakable betrayal. But she had not. She was not on his side. Or, for that matter, on Delilah and Cassandra's side. She was on her own side, with the truth and her love for him. And if he didn't like that, then so be it. She stared back at him.
“Very well, then. If I will not be supported by any of you, then I shall not have any of you as company. I am making the journey on my own,” he said bluntly.
“On your own?” Cassandra said with a slight chuckle. “Well, that will go fantastically, I have no doubt. I would remind you how well your last journey on your own went, but I am pretty sure the pain reminds you well enough.”
Kitty was taken aback by how rude Cassandra just was. But Earl Sinclair, surprisingly, just laughed. “You are correct. I suppose I require some support. But if none of you will cooperate with me, then I may need to turn to my friends.” As he said this he locked eyes with Cassandra, feigning sadness before laughing again. “Though, no doubt you will say they are no good also?”
“That pack of irresponsible fools will never do. Perhaps Miss Langley ought to accompany you, as your personal nurse?” Cassandra suggested. “That way you will have company, Delilah and I can rest assured you are travelling with someone responsible and you can receive medical care without needing to turn to a doctor.”
Kitty was somewhat taken by surprise by this suggestion. But before she could politely decline, Delilah had leaped in to offer her own counter argument.
“I do not believe that would be wise,” Delilah replied. “An unwed man and an unwed woman travelling together like that would be scandalous.”
“Kitty being here would be scandalous if anyone knew about it,” Cassandra said with a slight shrug. “If properly arranged I have no doubt that the journey could be done in a way which is private and civil.”
“I am not sure Kitty would want to risk the harm to her reputation,” Delilah pressed. It was pretty clear what her actual concern was. Her brother and Kitty, on a journey like that, alone, together. It was a recipe for disaster from the perspective of a woman who wanted her older brother to marry up, not down. “Kitty, you would not want to let this happen, would you?” Delilah asked her.
“I believe Cassandra has had an excellent idea, actually,” Earl Sinclair said before Kitty could think, let alone reply. “Kitty would be a perfect travel companion for me.”
“Augustus!” Delilah replied. “Think of the poor girl's reputation!”
“If it will only be her and I, then the only people who could ruin her reputation would be yourself, her father, or Cassandra,” Earl Sinclair replied.
“There is always a chance that someone else might see you travelling together,” Delilah insisted. “Cassandra, look at the ridiculous notions you are encouraging.”
“No, I think she ought to come with me,” Earl Sinclair insisted. “It is a wonderful idea.”
“Only if she has a chaperone, for everyone's sake,” Delilah replied, sighing in resignation. “And not just any chaperone. Someone with authority. Who is responsible. Who will be trusted and respected. I think Cassandra would be a perfect fit.”
“I am sorry, but I could not possibly. I have so much to do here,” Cassandra said.
“I thought you said that you were going?” Delilah asked.
Cassandra shook her head. “No, I said I would go in his place if he could not go. In exchange, he would be handling my business here in England. But if he is going, I must remain behind and handle my own business, I am afraid,” she explained.
“Are you suggesting that she should accompany him without a chaperone?” Delilah asked, exasperated.
“Of course she will need someone to chaperone her,” Cassandra agreed. “But it cannot be me. Do you have any other suggestions?”
Delilah paused and rubbed her temples with her thumb and forefinger.
“I am not even sure that I wish to go,” Kitty finally managed to say. “It sounds like a difficult journey.”
“I thought that you wanted to see the world? And you are in the best health you think you ever shall be? If you ask me, this is the perfect time for you to start travelling,” Earl Sinclair said.
“But I-” Kitty began.
Then she made eye contact with Cassandra, who shook her head. Kitty fell silent.
“I know the perfect chaperone. A Mr. Allen, who is a friend of her family,” Delilah said. “So if you insist on making the journey and insist on making Miss Langley your companion, then it is only if he is available to chaperone her.”
Kitty briefly wondered who this “Mr. Allen” was, before realizing that Delilah meant Dr. Allen. But before she corrected her friend, she also suddenly realized why Delilah had made the suggestion in the first place. Earl Sinclair would not trust a doctor to accompany them. But if he believed this man was simply Kitty's chaperone and a simple “mister”, then he would allow it. If all went to plan, Earl Sinclair would never know that Dr. Allen was a doctor. And if things did not go according to plan, at least he would live.
Kitty continued to put up a little of a fight for the sake of appearances, but her heart was not in it. Delilah may be oblivious to all that was happening, but Kitty was not. She realized what Cassandra was trying to do and she appreciated it. This would be her opportunity to get to know Earl Sinclair safely, but away from his sister's interference. It would be her one chance to work out whether he had any interest in her and, indeed, whether he was the right sort of man for her in the first place.
Besides, in a way everyone was getting exactly what they wanted. The earl was making his business trip, just as he had planned. Cassandra was able to focus on her work, just as she preferred. Delilah had the peace of mind of knowing her brother would be safe whilst she had a break from his recklessness. Kitty's father would know his daughter was both safe and under the protection of a potential suitor. And Kitty... Kitty was going on an adventure, like she had always dreamed.
Her heart was beating hard in her chest. She would finally be going on her own adventure. She would see the world beyond the borders of her own country, taste new cuisines, see new and exotic animals and immerse herself in a culture she had only ever read about. And with such a wonderful man, nonetheless. It was a dream come true.
