“All the time you want.”
“There’s something else.” She lowered her gaze. “Even though the Enabling Act has been approved, unmarried female doctors are scorned. A married woman and a countess at that won’t be employed as a surgeon by any hospitals.”
“So if I propose, your answer will always be no, no matter what.” Too much sadness rang in his voice.
“I’m sure we’ll find a solution.” She hugged him and kissed his cheek. “You’re wonderful, Perry. Everything about you is wonderful. I feel wonderful when I’m with you. The world is wonderful when we’re together.”
He squeezed her, burying his face in the crook of her neck. “You know, I won’t forget this night either.”
Let me court you.Those words had tormented Edith for the whole night.
She couldn’t imagine a better suitor than Perry. He had every reason not to trust her or be resentful. Instead, he’d been nothing but kind to her. Not just kind but passionate, generous, lovely, and understanding. She was running out of positive traits to describe him.
But exactly for his kindness, she wanted to start afresh and prove herself she could work hard, as she’d been used to doing, and achieve something. He inspired her to be a better person.
Although she’d be lying if she said she had everything planned out about her studies. One moment, she was determined to try the admission test as soon as possible before even that chance would be gone. The next, fear gripped her bythe throat, and she wished to have more time to get ready and reacquainted with the medical books.
She was at home, sitting in front of the warm hearth in the drawing room with her battling thoughts for company.
After last night’s bucket of icy water, she kept shivering. Or maybe it was her worries. She couldn’t deny the strong emotion of having successfully operated on a human, the excitement of doing something she loved.
“Miss, a letter for you.” The maid interrupted her dark musing, handing her an envelope.
“Thank you, Anne.”
The letter was from Perry, but when she opened the envelope, there was only a journal article. She unfolded the piece of paper and read it.
The article praised the work of a female surgeon, Dr. Emily Barber, who had successfully avoided a man’s leg amputation by applying a new technique to clamp the damaged artery and suture the wound. Her achievement was called revolutionary for the history of medicine by the journalist.
How had Perry known she needed a little nudge to make her decision? A lump of emotion thickened her throat. He managed to cheer her up even when he wasn’t with her.
No more excuses. She stood up and marched towards her father’s study without thinking too much.
“Father?” She inched the door open, her legs turning into blancmange.
He raised his gaze from his documents, his brow furrowing. There had been a time when he’d smiled whenever she’d entered his study.
“What is it? If you need money, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait.”
That hurt, but at the same time, it steeled her determination. Father was right. In the past few years, she’d sought him out mostly to ask him for money.
“I don’t want money, Father.” She left the door open in case he wanted her to leave.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “If this is about the case of Mrs. Richards, I’ve already told you my opinion.”
“I made a decision.”
“Yes?” he asked without looking at her.
“I want to resume my studies and become a doctor.” Her voice quivered through her short speech, and she sounded utterly terrified to her own ears.
Father remained still. His hand, holding the pen, hovered over the document. He was so frozen she worried he might be sick.
She stepped closer to the desk. “I know I’ve disappointed you. But I decided I want to become a surgeon, and I’ll be grateful if you could help me get the books I need to pass the admission test. So I can start over.”
He removed his glasses, his expression stern. Not the bursting enthusiasm she’d dare to hope for.
“If this is what you want, I’ll absolutely help you in any way I can. Medicine has advanced considerably since you stopped studying. You’ll have a lot to cover, both in anatomy and surgical procedures. After that, you’ll need a proper teacher who’ll administer your test. It’s a huge commitment that requires an equally huge sacrifice. Are you ready for this?”
