Augusta nudged me, her face lined with concern.
I smiled to reassure her, as if nothing in the world was bothering me. With hands trembling, I quickly dished the saucy lamb onto my plate. No one here knew I was half Irish, and I had no reason to announce it to them. I was here to do a job, and my heritage had nothing to do with that.
I was Miss Lewis now, and I could be whoever I wanted to be.
I glanced up and caught Lord Camden’s eyes on me. He quickly looked away, and I did the same.
Six months. I could be as English as the rest of them for that long. Then once I had my inheritance, I could be half Irish again.
Chapter 14
Atlas
Ipushed the chair back from my desk and stood. Stretching my arms above my head, I arched my back until I felt the tight pull of resistance. Every muscle in my body ached from my unexpected swim the day before. I hated that my body was still not what it was, but I also knew that towing another person was drastically different from a leisurely swim.
That Miss Lewis was unlike anyone I had met before, and yet there was something undeniably familiar about her too. I had attempted to make her feel comfortable at dinner last night, but I had botched it horribly. One minute I was suspicious of something she had said, and the next I was teasing her to lighten the mood. Admittedly, her reactions to a little teasing had been entertaining.
What had Augusta said about Miss Lewis’s daydreams? Overhearing their conversation on the way to dinner had been unavoidable and left me wondering what sort of man had caught Miss Lewis’s fancy.
A knock sounded on my door before I could finish my thought. It was a fortunate coincidence I would not complain about. I had made it six months without thoughts of a woman derailing my life, and I was not in a hurry to change that.
I dropped my arms to my side. “Come in.”
Mr. Barnes stuck his gray head of hair through the doorway. “Mr. Briggs is here to see you.”
“Bring him here, please.”
A moment later, Briggs entered with a satchel over his arm and performed a nervous bow. He was young and sharp, but he lacked confidence. Someday he would realize his potential and be a force to be reckoned with.
“Good morning, your lordship.” Briggs pushed back the thin brown hair that fell continuously across his forehead. “Are you well?” he asked.
“I am healthy enough,” I answered, keeping my few persistent aches from yesterday to myself. No need to hedge up tales about wayward lady’s companions and near drownings. “Have a seat, Briggs.”
“Yes, your lordship.” Briggs pulled the wooden chair closer to my desk and sat.
“What reports do you have for me?” I asked, relaxing back into my seat.
“Everything is set for the purchase of Mapleton. I have the papers with me for you to sign.”
Mapleton would become my first cottage hospital. Possibly, the first of many. “Capital.” I leaned over and pulled out a letter from my top drawer. “My builder confirmed the day before yesterday that we could remodel the house to create the needed men’s and lady’s ward. What do you think of the picture he drew of the new arrangement of the rooms?”
Briggs blinked a few times before bending over to examine it. He always seemed surprised when I asked for his thoughts. “It is very good, your lordship. But is the built-in lavatory a necessary cost?”
“Absolutely. If I am going to embark on this project, I want the very best.”
“Then I would say that the plans appear to be sound.”
“I had hoped you would think so. I have only to meet with Dr. Newman to convince him to take the position.” And I would convince him. Cottage hospitals were exactly what our country needed. Mr. Thornbeck, the vicar who had cared for me after my rescuer, had told me that I would not have survived if they had taken me to one of the overcrowded hospitals in London. And if I had been found in the middle of the countryside and away from a doctor, I would not have stood a chance either.
A few months after I had returned home to finish my recovery, I had heard a vague reference of a cottage hospital in Wellow, Nottinghamshire. With the shortage of hospitals, it seemed like a creative solution should the right investor be found. I could be that investor. Not a month later, I had Briggs scout a few locations for me. We settled on Mapleton, a large cottage central to a series of small towns. It was an hours’ ride from Rosemont. It would be a gift for the entire area.
Briggs pulled a few documents out of his satchel and handed them to me. “Are you certain you would not like to see this hospital through before investing in other houses?”
I sighed. “I will need time to assure that Mapleton is self-sufficient. I will have to cover the doctor’s and staff’s salaries until it can earn its own income. The land is good for farming. That would help. Continue to scout for potential locations that would fit our needs, and we will address them as they come.”
Briggs glanced nervously behind him to the door.
I chuckled. “Don’t worry. My mother is not lurking outside, eavesdropping.”
