twenty-six
EDITH’S MOTHER HAD fussed around her for the past few days, doing her best to make her comfortable, and she appreciated it. But Father had been busy at the hospital, leaving early and returning late. Aside from mundane chatter about her health and the weather, they hadn’t really talked, and she was eager to.
Mother hugged her the moment she stepped into Edith’s bedroom, barely giving her time to slip into her dressing gown. “Darling. How are you?”
“I’m all right.” She patted her mother’s back. “Father?”
“Still out, but he should be back soon.”
“Will you tell him I want to talk with him when he’s back?”
Mother nodded, caressing her cheek. “Let me help you dress.”
Edith winced when she walked to the sitting room. Her back was still a bit stiff, but the bruises were fading.
She was rearranging the books she needed to read—since she’d have more studying to do—when footsteps approached.
Her father appeared on the threshold. “Edith. Your mother told me you wanted to talk.”
“Father.” Her hand shook when she set aside an old book on human physiology.
He cleared his throat. “I trust you feel better.”
She shrugged. “Only a few scratches and a big fright.”
He walked in, his shoulders hunched. A sickening lump crawled in her throat in anticipation of his speech.
He let out a long exhale.
She cleared her voice. “What troubles you? The carriage accident or the fact I couldn’t enrol?”
His face transformed from tense to surprised to compassionate. “Oh, darling.” He crossed the room with two long strides to give her one of his bear hugs.
She’d forgotten how good it was to be held by her father. The combined scents of his bergamot cologne and disinfectant from the hospital lingered on his clothes, bringing her back to those years when she would listen to every word he said about his surgical procedures while Marianne and Mother were horrified.
“You did what I asked you. You passed the test with flying colours,” he said, his voice cracking as well. “The accident was an unfortunate affair, but in a way, it doesn’t matter. If you want to enrol in medical school next year, I’m sure everything will go well. I’m very proud of you.”
“Oh, Father.” She sobbed as he patted her back. It felt like coming back home after a long journey in the dark.
“Don’t worry. You kept your part of our deal. I’ll do my best to help your friend, Dr. York.” He wiped her tears with his handkerchief. His eyes were red as well. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too, Father.”
He released her, caressing her cheek. “Chin up. You’re going to be a surgeon.” He kissed her forehead, deleting the past years of solitude with it.
She kept smiling when he left the room, energised by the conversation.
She started to sort her books again when Marianne came as well. In a rich-brown afternoon dress, she looked every inch the viscountess.
“Fancy a walk?” she asked. “Unless you’re too sore.”
“The last time you asked me to go out for a walk, you delivered some bad news and got angry with me.”
She laughed. “Not this time. Our conversations have been tense as of late, but I just want to spend some time with you.” Her eyes shone suspiciously. “And we nearly lost you. That made me think.”
“It made me think as well.”
“Yes, I…oh, Edith.” Marianne rushed to hug her, enveloping her in a cloud of expensive perfume.
