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John smiled. “Bathsheba and Mary make everything better, but your point is valid. I do need help.”
“Do you need me to squeeze some blunt out of Logan for you?”
“No, although I will keep that in mind during our next round of fundraising.”
“What, then?”
“As you know, the foundation runs an orphanage for boys and a charity school for girls.”
Braden nodded. “It was founded by the Penwith family some years ago, was it not?”
“Correct, although only one member of the family is currently involved—Lady Samantha Penwith.”
Braden rifled his mental files. “She’s a widow, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she’s Roger Penwith’s widow. He set up the foundation and ran it until his unfortunate demise. Have you ever met Lady Samantha?”
“You know I’m not one for socializing.”
Braden was all but allergic to the Edinburgh social scene. Parties bored the hell out of him, unless there was another doctor or scientist lurking behind the potted plants. That’s where he was generally to be found whenever he allowed a random family member to drag him to a party.
“Neither is Lady Samantha,” John said. “She devotes most of her attention to her charitable work. And to Roger’s younger sister,” he added, almost as an afterthought.
“She sounds like an admirable person.” Braden still had no idea where this was headed.
“Braden, we wish you to join the board of the Penwith Philanthropic Foundation. You would be a great asset, I feel sure.”
He tried not to grimace at the invitation. “Endless meetings, gruesome social events, hitting up dowagers for money. John, I have to say no, thank you. Again, if you need a contribution—”
“I’m perfectly capable of fundraising, as is Lady Samantha,” John bluntly interrupted. “That’s not what we want you for.”
“So, why do you want me, then?”
“There have been disagreements amongst the board members. While Lady Samantha’s vision for the foundation is outstanding, most of the others see her ideas as too progressive and rather alarming. It certainly doesn’t help that she is a young woman. With a few exceptions, the other board members tend to dismiss her, even though she’s a great deal smarter than they are.”
“How old is she?”
“Twenty-six. Why?”
Braden put down his empty coffee cup. “She’s young to be running a foundation. Most won’t even tolerate a woman on the board, much less allow her to set the guiding vision.”
“Which is exactly why she needs allies.”
“Why not just get rid of the lot of them, and start over?”
“It’s complicated, unfortunately.”
Braden snorted. “You’d be far better off with Logan on your board. He’d terrify everyone into compliance.”
John waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t need another businessman. I need a physician and scientist, someone who will know exactly what we’re trying to accomplish.” He hesitated for a moment. “Braden, I believe it would be good for you to expand your horizons. Meet some new people, do a bit of socializing, attend a few gruesome parties. And did I mention that Lady Samantha is a very lovely and intelligent young lady?”
Braden rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time for socializing or lovely young ladies. I’ve barely enough time to cover both my regular practice and my clinic.”
“But that’s just it. Working on this board could be an excellent way to garner support for your clinic. Possibly even fold it into the foundation at some point. Just think how many more patients you could treat with the support of the Penwith Foundation.”
“You’ve been thinking this through, haven’t you?” Braden wryly said. “Wait until I’m tired, not thinking very clearly . . . and then you pounce. Sorry, old fellow, but I’m notthatout of my head.”
John chuckled. “All right, I’ll stop pestering for now. But please promise that you’ll consider it. Especially the part about helping your free clinic and your patients and how much good you could accomplish.”
