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“Sit,please. Finish your dinner. When the doctor is done with his examination, we can speak to him.”
“Oh…” She hesitated before she sat back down, but continued to stare at the door.
“Matilda,” he said softly. “Please eat. She will be better tended to if you aren’t caring for her on an empty stomach.” He could actually hear her stomach growl from where he sat, and that bothered him more than he cared to admit. He kept picturing the empty larder at the little cottage and all of those pots full of icy rainwater. A frown tugged at his lips. At that moment, he decided that he would have some men from the village hired tomorrow to fix the cottage, weather permitting.
Finally Matilda returned to eating once more, and Arthur relaxed a little. They managed to talk about things, and he found that she painted a rather amusing picture of country life. Her eyes lit up when she talked about the fat white geese that always chased the butcher down the street in a large flock, honking and hooting, or the way the young blacksmith had eyes for the girl who worked in the milliner’s shop and accidentally shoed the wrong horse when he was watching her take her daily walk one day. He found he was learning more about the people of the village in one hour with her than he had on his own since his arrival.
And if anyone would have told him such stories, he would have been bored to tears, but seeing the world from Matilda’s eyes changed it somehow, making it far more entertaining than he imagined possible.
“Are you planning to return to London after New Year?” Matilda asked as the final course of plates was removed from the table.
“Most likely. My life is there. My desire is to have the estate here settled and then come visit every few months, but I admit I feel the need to breathe country air.”
“You’ve lived your entire life in London?” Matilda sipped her wine and Arthur leaned back more comfortably in his chair.
“I have. And you have lived yours here,” he reminded her.
“Yes, I’ve only ever been as far away as Merryvale, which is three miles from here.”
“What a dull life that must be,” he said.
Her eyes narrowed on him. “It isn’t as though I had much of a choice.”
“You could have married. You’re not quite a spinster yet. Why not settle down with some husband? Marry that poor besotted blacksmith you mentioned.”
He could see the girl bristle at his words.
“I shall only ever marry for love, and there is no one I’ve met I’ve felt any stirrings for. I’ll remind you that Robert is in love withLucia, the milliner’s assistant.” She paused before adding a barb of her own. “And if you think me a spinster, you must be positively ancient.”
“I’m twenty-seven, so yes, I am your elder, child. And you’d do well to treat me with the respect an ancient man like me deserves,” he replied, pretending to be quite serious about it. For a moment, however brief, she almost smiled. He saw it in her eyes and the way her soft lips twitched before she frowned at him.
“My lord?” Stodgens popped his head in the door of the dining room. “Dr. Danvers is ready to speak with you.”
“Excellent. Thank you, Stodgens.” He stood and Matilda followed him into the hall.
Doctor Danvers, a man in his late forties with silvery blond hair, was pulling on his cloak when they met him. He nodded to Arthur in greeting.
“Er, Lord Castleton, I presume? I’m glad to meet you.”
“Good evening, Dr. Danvers. Thank you for coming out in this weather. What do you think of Miss Wells’s condition?”
“I’d say she has a rather nasty cold, made worse by a drafty living environment. I visited her once at Meadow Cross cottage when she had a cold similar to this a few years ago.”
“Our cottage is a bit drafty,” Matilda admitted, shame coloring her tone. For some reason, that made Arthur angry.Shehadn’t put the holes in the roof. It wasn’t her fault. The cottage was old, and for some reason, his uncle hadn’t thought to make any repairs. Had Miss Wells and Matilda been too embarrassed to mention the cottage’s condition, or was his great-uncle too proud to admit it needed work?
“Miss Wells will be staying here for at least a couple of weeks,” Arthur informed the doctor. “What should be done to help her recover while she is here?”
“I recommend hearty soups and bed warmers, as well as plenty of rest. I’ve taken the liberty of instructing the maid in her room of this already. I hope that is acceptable to you, my lord?” the doctor asked.
“Yes, of course. Thank you for thinking of it,” Arthur assured him. “Have your bill sent to me, and I will see it handled. You are welcome to remain here tonight as well. We have just finished dinner, but the cook will send up whatever you would like to eat in your room.”
The doctor smiled in relief. “Thank you. I wouldn’t mind waiting out the storm.”
“Stodgens, show the doctor to a room and have his dinner brought up.”
“Yes, my lord.” Stodgens gestured for the doctor to follow him up the stairs.
“I should see how my aunt is feeling,” Matilda said once they were alone again. She started to leave, but Arthur caught her arm.
