The Baron's Malady: A Smithfield Market Regency Romance

by Rose Pearson

Doctor Thomas chuckled. “Very well then. Georgina, it is.” There was a short pause and even Gideon, from where he stood, felt it laden with an almost anticipatory tension.

  “Then tell me, Georgina,” Doctor Thomas continued, his voice a little lower than before. “Are you to remain in London for some time, or are you to return to Lord Dunstable’s estate very soon?”

  Georgina sighed heavily. “I will remain here until I have recovered enough strength to leave, Doctor Thomas.”

  “I see.” Again, another pause and it was all Gideon could do not to look into the room to see what they were about.

  “Then I will come and see you again tomorrow afternoon,” Doctor Thomas continued, his manner a little more brisk. “I will need to try and ensure that you recover as quickly as possible, Miss Wells. I cannot imagine that you are eager to delay your wedding.”

  Georgina said nothing and, after a moment, Gideon heard the chair behind pushed just a little as the doctor rose to his feet.

  “I should return to the church now,” Doctor Thomas said, quietly. “I have taken up too much of your time and you need to rest, Miss Wells. I –”

  “No, Doctor Thomas, please.”

  Startled, Gideon lifted his brows in surprise. Was Georgina asking the doctor to stay longer?

  “Might you sit with me for a short while? I am not yet tired and I feel as though I am in desperate need of company.”

  Doctor Thomas cleared his throat. “Perhaps I might go in search of Lord Dunstable, Miss Wells.”

  “Georgina,” she insisted, a little more firmly. “And no, you need not bother him. I am quite sure my fiancé has retired already, Doctor Thomas. Please, will you not sit with me?”

  Her voice had become almost wheedling and Gideon felt his teeth set on edge. He disliked that about Georgina intently, hating that she could so often use such a thing to try and force him to do as she asked.

  Doctor Thomas, however, did not appear to be displeased by it. “Then, I shall stay if you ask it of me,” he said, slowly, the sound of the chair scraping along the floor catching Gideon’s ears. “But only for a short time. There are others that I need to see, Georgina.”

  “Thank you,” she said, a good deal more gently. “I must say that I have been enjoying your company of late, Doctor Thomas. Thank you for being so willing to sit with me.”

  “You are quite welcome,” Doctor Thomas replied, his voice now a little softer than before. “Now, what shall we talk about?”

  Gideon did not want to linger. Instead, he turned on his heel and carefully and quietly made his way back towards his own bedchamber instead of lingering at Georgina’s. He had his own opinion about his betrothed so openly seeking the company and conversation of a doctor so late into the night, but then again, he could not exactly criticize her for doing so when he had done almost the very same with Josephine.

  Wandering back to his bedchamber, Gideon felt his mind begin to flood with questions, finding himself rather unsettled by what he had just overheard. Of course, there came with that a good dose of guilt that he had been listening in to another’s private conversation when he ought to have simply returned to his bed – but why was Georgina so willing to listen and talk with the doctor but had been so unwilling to have him even sit with her for a short time?

  Still confused and a little troubled by this, Gideon found himself unwilling to retire to bed. Instead, he sat by the fire and let his gaze land on the flickering flames, trying to find some peace and comfort in a situation that suddenly seemed to be turning itself on its head, all over again.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The next few days passed with an increasing slowness. Georgina declared herself to be still much too weak and tired to even consider traveling to the Dunstable estate and, given that he could not exactly argue with her, Gideon found himself having to do nothing other than wait for the lady. There was no point in returning to the estate and making preparations for her and for their wedding if he had no idea of when she might be willing to attend with him.

  On occasion, Gideon would find himself wandering through the streets of London, always finding his feet turning towards Smithfield Market and the church that held the Devil’s basement, but for whatever reason, he never went within. Perhaps it was because he did not want to bring himself any additional pain in seeing Josephine, or perhaps it was because he did not know what he would say if he saw her.

  His heart was still full of her, no matter what he tried to do. Georgina, even in her weakness, still grated on him. She was growing increasingly demanding, even though she had her companion and at least two maids to care for her, and only really quietened whenever Doctor Thomas came by to visit – which he had begun to do fairly often. It was as though he could not keep away, although he continued to state to Gideon that he needed to ensure that Miss Wells was not weakening and was, as he hoped, continuing to grow stronger with every day that passed.

  Gideon often heard them both talking, for the bedchamber door was always left ajar for propriety’s sake, but he found it almost laughable that there should be such considerations when the doctor’s visits lasted for hours upon hours. There were fewer and fewer patients at the Devil’s basement, from what Gideon understood, and Doctor Thomas found this new patient of his to be something of a refreshment. Apparently talking to Georgina brought the doctor a new lease of life, freeing him from the pain and difficulties he had endured these last weeks. Or so Doctor Thomas had said when Gideon had asked him whether or not something was wrong with Georgina, given that he had spent a long while with her.

  The man had flushed and looked away, but it had not prevented him from returning and doing the same all over again. In fact, it seemed that both the doctor and Georgina were eager for these visits to continue, given just how delighted they appeared to be with one another’s company. And yet, whenever Gideon went in to speak to Georgina, she did not appear to care much for his conversation or the like. She usually fell fairly silent and did not look at him much, claiming tiredness on her lack of conversation and often sending him away to fetch her something or other.

  A slow hope had begun to burn in Gideon’s heart and, whilst he had not questioned Georgina on the subject, he had begun to let himself believe that things might come to a rather satisfactory conclusion after all. He had never really believed that Georgina would allow herself to stoop as low as to marry a doctor but, mayhap if the doctor was given a little encouragement to ask her, then Gideon might find himself in a position where he was free to marry someone entirely different.

  “My lord!”

  Turning away from the window where he had been musing, Gideon saw the butler hurrying towards him with a note in his hand.

  “Thank you.” Taking it from him, he turned the letter over and saw that the seal was that of Viscount Armitage, Georgina’s father. Now the agitation of the butler became clear. Breaking open the seal, he read the lines swiftly, before smiling at the butler.

  “Your master is quite all right,” he said, calmly. “He has been ill but has recovered. Apparently, he took ill on the journey home and has been resting at an inn somewhere. You need not fear any longer, my good man. Viscount Armitage is recovering, just as his daughter is.”

  The butler clasped his hands, joy evident in his face. “Oh, thank you, my lord,” he breathed, as though Gideon himself had been the sole reason for Lord Armitage’s recovery. “I shall go and inform the rest of the staff at this very moment!”

  Gideon chuckled. “Very well.” He waited until the butler had left the room before reading the note again, frowning just a little as he read about just how close the viscount had come to death. He would not allow Georgina to hear of that for fear that it would send her into a deep distress, although he ought to go and inform her at once that her father was both alive and well. It would come as a great relief to her, he was sure.

  “Georgina?” he called, as he hurried up the staircase two at a time. “Georgina, I have some excellent news!”

  Frowni
ng, he realized that the bedchamber door was firmly shut, which was somewhat unusual. Pausing for a moment, he rapped quietly on the door, a little concerned that he might waken her from her slumber.

  “Georgina?” he called, as quietly as he could. “I have some news of your father.”

  There was a muffled noise from within, which brought Gideon even more concern. “Georgina?” he called again, rapping all the harder. “Are you quite all right?”

  “Yes, yes.” The door opened to reveal none other than Doctor Thomas, who stepped aside to allow Gideon to enter. “I was just ensuring that Miss Wells was continuing with her improvements.”

  Something like thunder rattled all through Gideon. He was just about to demand to know why the door was closed and what the doctor had been about by speaking to Georgina in such a private space, only to notice that Georgina’s maid was standing in the corner, quietly folding away a few blankets. His anger faded in a moment, feeling himself grow hot with the embarrassment over what he had been about to say.

  “And are you improving still, Georgina?” he asked, walking quickly into the room and seeing Georgina sitting quietly in a chair by the fire, fully dressed and looking quite the thing.

  “I am,” Georgina replied, looking up at him with the faintest hint of pink in her cheeks. “Doctor Thomas thinks I am doing very well.”

  “I am glad to hear it,” Gideon murmured, taking in Georgina’s appearance and thinking to himself that yes, she did look a good deal better than before. Her eyes were sparkling, her color was good and, for the first time since she had returned to her townhouse, she appeared to be quite willing to speak to him.

  “I have a note from your father, Georgina,” he continued, sitting down opposite her. “Should you like to hear the news?”

  Georgina leaned forward, her smile fading at once. “Yes, indeed,” she said quickly, fear wrapping itself across her face. “Is it bad news? I have been so very worried.”

  “No,” Gideon answered quickly, wanting to keep her fear at bay. “He is quite well.”

  Doctor Thomas cleared his throat. “I had best excuse myself,” he muttered, quietly. “The Devil’s basement is to be cleaned top to bottom now that all the patients have left us and I should oversee that. Do excuse me.”

  Georgina looked up at him, ignoring Gideon completely. “But you will return, will you not?”

  Doctor Thomas inclined his head. “Tomorrow, of course. Good day, Miss Wells. Good day, Lord Dunstable.”

  “Good day,” Gideon muttered, not quite sure what to make of this exchange. The fact that Georgina seemed so keen to have the doctor’s company still brought up a good many questions and, as he waited for the doctor to quit the room, Gideon determined that he would ask Georgina about it all.

  “My father,” Georgina said, bringing him back to what they had been discussing. “How is he?”

  Gideon gave her a small smile, trying to reassure her further. “He was ill but he has now recovered,” he said, gently. “You need not worry, my dear. He is at his estate now and is trying to regain his strength, much as you are.”

  “Oh.” Georgina put one hand to her mouth, her eyes blinking rapidly as tears pressed against them. She remained so for a moment or two, sitting back in her chair as if to keep Gideon from reaching out to comfort her. “Then I should return home, should I not?”

  Gideon shook his head. “No, indeed. I will make sure to inform your father that we are to wed just as soon as you are better. He will travel to the Dunstable estate for the wedding, just as we had thought. We will need to give him a few weeks to recover, however.”

  Georgina did not appear to be best pleased with this idea, for her brows furrowed and lines of anxiety and concern wrapped themselves across her forehead. She looked away from him towards the fire, her teeth tugging gently at her lip.

  “Georgina?” Gideon asked quietly. “Is something the matter?”

  She started as though she had not quite heard him, only to stammer something awkward and look away. Gideon pushed again, a little more firmly this time, determined to discover the source of her displeasure.

  “Georgina,” he said, her eyes darting to his for only a moment. “There is something troubling you and I wish to know what it is. Speak to me, will you not?”

  She shook her head, a mournful sigh leaving her lips.

  “You do not wish to wed me, is that it?” Gideon asked, feeling himself stir a little with excitement. “Tell me the truth, Georgina. I will not be angry with you if you do so.”

  Slowly, so slowly, she turned her head towards him and looked at him steadily. “You will think me terrible, Dunstable,” she said, hoarsely, her eyes filled with a sheen of sparkling tears. “A lady does not break off her engagement for a man as unsuitable as –”

  Stopping dead, she slammed one hand over her mouth, her eyes wide and staring as she looked back at him as if expecting him to throw himself from the chair in anger.

  Everything slowly began to make sense.

  “Oh, Georgina,” he murmured, quietly. “You need not be fearful of breaking the engagement between us, not if you do not care for me in that way. Our marriage would not be one that would make either of us happy.”

  She dropped her hand to her lap and stared at him almost stupefied.

  “I know,” he continued, his lips curved in a small smile. “I have been thinking about our attachment for some time, my dear. I apologize that I have not said anything to you as yet but I could not bring myself to do so, not when you were so dreadfully ill and certainly not when you so evidently needed me.”

  “I – I can hardly believe this,” Georgina breathed, her eyes no longer sparkling with tears but rather slowly filling with delight. “Are you stating, Dunstable, that you do not wish to marry me after all?”

  Gideon smiled and leaned forward. “My dear Georgina, I would have married you without a moment of hesitation, given that it was my duty and that I had agreed to the marriage. However, I confess that I do not think that either of us would be particularly happy in such a marriage. Do you?”

  “No,” she said honestly, flopping back in her chair in apparent relief. “Oh, Dunstable, I was quite content up until the moment I looked up and saw the look in Doctor Thomas’ eyes.”

  One of Gideon’s eyebrows shot up. “Doctor Thomas?”

  She blushed scarlet. “Do not tease me, Dunstable. Surely you must have surmised that it was not exactly my health that has kept him here so long these last few days.

  Gideon drew in a long breath, sat back in his chair and let out a long sigh. “I will admit to you, Georgina, I was not quite sure what to make of it all. I am glad, however, that you have been able to speak honestly to me about this matter.”

  Georgina looked at him and, for the first time, Gideon felt as though she were being completely open and honest with him. There was a vulnerability in her gaze that brought a warmth to his heart, glad that she was finally able to speak to him with such honesty.

  “Dunstable,” she said, softly. “Doctor Thomas wants to marry me.”

  The smile faded from his face, not because he thought it a terrible notion but rather because he knew what such a marriage would mean.

  “He is not a titled gentleman, Georgina,” he said, slowly. “He is a working man. He has a practice, patients and all sorts of responsibilities. It would mean a very big change for someone such as you.”

  Georgina nodded, her expression growing thoughtful. “And yet I find that I would not dislike such a change,” she said, slowly. “In fact, I feel as though the life I could have with Doctor Thomas would be worth all the difficulties in the world.”

  There as a moment of silence, a moment where Gideon himself reflected on what changes would come to his own life, now that he was free to ask Josephine to marry him. For her, in particular, it would mean a very different way of living and he would have to ensure that he cared nothing for what others would think of their difference in station. But for Georgina to consider marrying Doc
tor Thomas was another thing entirely. She would have no title, although Gideon was quite sure her father, Lord Armitage, would ensure that they had a respectable home with a good many servants if she were to marry someone as lowly as the doctor.

  “Your father will not be pleased, Georgina,” he finished, trying to ensure that she had taken everything into account. “What will he say to the news of your intention to wed a doctor?”

  Georgina smiled, her eyes bright. “He will not know until he can do nothing to change it,” she replied, her smile a little teasing. “Not unless you tell him, of course.”

  “You intend to elope?” Gideon asked, flabbergasted. “Truly?”

  “Truly,” Georgina replied, with a slight shrug of her shoulders. “Why ever not? That way, my father cannot object and drag me away somewhere until I supposedly come to my senses!”

  Gideon had to admit that this was, perhaps, a welcome consideration. “He may cut you off.”

  “Then I shall learn how to be a doctor’s wife and nothing more,” Georgina answered, with a good deal of firmness. “But I do not think it will come to that, do you? My father dotes on me, given that I am his only daughter, and whilst he may refuse to speak or see me for a time, I am quite sure that, come the end of it, he will be happy to see me eventually. You need not worry for me, Gideon. I will be quite all right.”

  Gideon let out a long, slow breath, trying to make sense of all that had been said. “I am to leave you here in London, alone, without informing your father?”

  A sudden giggle escaped from Georgina. “I am not as weak as I appear, Dunstable. I have been doing it a little too brown of late, simply to try and ascertain Doctor Thomas’ intentions before I made my decision. Once you are gone from London, I intend to leave with Doctor Thomas almost at once. He is not exactly poor, you know. He can hire a carriage and the like so that we can make our journey to Scotland almost at once. Then, we shall return here.”

  Gideon’s eyebrows shot into his hair. “Here? Into your father’s townhouse?”