nine
PERRY TOWELLED HIS hair dry, standing in front of the blazing log fire in the hearth in his sitting room.
His warm and dry clothes chafed his skin still sensitive after the seizure. He hadn’t had a seizure in months, almost a year, and tonight’s fit concerned him. The timing didn’t make sense. The previous months had been rich with exciting and anxious moments, stressful days, and a few sleepless nights, but no health problems.
Edith’s presence could be the cause of the seizure. Aside from seeing her again, what had happened tonight wasn’t anything new in terms of emotions. He couldn’t deny she was a source of concern.
Oliver entered the room, carrying a tray with a steaming teapot and a few cups. “Your butler brewed it, but after that, I dismissed him. He was rather agitated seeing you drenched.”
“Mason gets easily worried. Did you manage to take Edith upstairs without too much fuss?”
“Of course, I did. She’s changing in the guest room after I handed her some of your clothes. How are you? Any specific feelings?” Oliver placed the tray on the low table and immediately took out his notepad.
Perry stared at the dancing flames for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. “I’m sore, but I’m all right. I experienced some tingling before the attack. What triggered it?”
Oliver raised his gaze from the page. “Difficult to say. It can’t be the water. You’ve swum in a pool regularly in the past years. You also exercise every day, so it can’t be physical exertion, and you were doing well despite all the people around you, weren’t you?”
“Yes. Being surrounded by people was less annoying than I’d thought, and I didn’t drink anything.”
Oliver took more notes. “I need to think about this. There must be a trigger. Perhaps seeing Dr. Winkworth again had shocked you so much to start the seizure.”
“Maybe, but the last time I experienced a strong emotion, nothing happened.”
“True. The trigger must be something more specific than surprise, shock, or excitement.”
The door inched inwards, and Edith poked her head inside. “May I?”
“Please.” Perry poured a cup of tea for her.
A thousand questions twirled in his mind, but the most important thing at that moment was that Edith was safe and well.
She wore a thick blanket over one of his dressing gowns. Despite the attire making her shapeless, she looked beautiful to him, from her strawberry-blonde hair to her rosy cheeks that matched her plush lips.
“Dr. Winkworth.” Oliver bowed. “I wish to reassure you that your reputation won’t suffer from tonight’s incident. We’re discretion itself. Perry and I won’t utter a word to anybody, and even if we blabbered about what happened tonight, I don’t think anyone would believe us. I have doubts myself.”
“Oliver,” Perry warned.
Edith shrugged, clenching the blanket. “Thank you.”
Oliver bowed again. “I’ll retire then. Perry, I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”
The moment he shut the door behind him, Perry couldn’t take his gaze off her. He knew her well. They’d spent months together when he’d been recovering and had exchanged letters for the past five years. But somehow, he had the feeling she was a different person.
She sat in the armchair close to the blazing fire, holding her cup of tea. “You’re most kind.”
Taking her to his home was the least he could do.
“I was worried about you. When that man carried you to the pool, at first I thought you’d overcome your fear of water. But when you shouted no, I had to intervene.”
She tucked a long curl of hair behind her ear. “Yes, fear of water still afflicts me.”
“As seizures afflict me. Curious, isn’t it? Certain things don’t go away, no matter how hard we want them to.”
She gave him a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
He cleared his throat, meaning to talk to her about something that had tormented him from the moment he’d seen her again.
“I was surprised to see you in the Scarlet Room.”
