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“Well, Dr. Darrington, how is she?” she asked me.
“Apparently, I have irritated the wound while tossing in my sleep, Godmother,” she lied, for I had said no such thing. “I have asked him to make a new tonic, but he insists he must observe me first.”
“Well, if that is the case, Dr. Darrington, please do so,” the marchioness replied.
“Godmother, I do not wish to be under observation.” She frowned, her eyes forlorn, fully dedicating herself to whatever play she had concocted in her mind. “And how shall it look if anyone were to find out. It is not as though he can come here every night, or people will think I am dying.”
“God forbid.” She gasped and then looked at me. “No one shall speak of it because Dr. Darrington shall come to converse with the marquess.”
“Your ladyship, I could not—”
“Go and change, my dear, for we are expecting a guest later this evening.” The marchioness interrupted my protest to speak to Verity, offering a slight smile.
After she had retreated inside, the marchioness faced me once more, her expression heavy.
“That young lady means a great deal to me, Dr. Darrington,” she stated. “However, she pushes away any attempt I make to truly speak to her. She would rather recite a script, line by line, than speak about what troubles her. I fear she believes all the world would think poorly of her if they knew what happened.”
I paused, all the lust within me gone and replaced by genuine concern. “What happened?”
“I tell you this in the hopes you will be able to treat her, but you must never repeat it,” she said, and I nodded. “Many years ago, as a child, she was greatly neglected by her father…and harmed by…the evil woman daring to call herself her stepmother.”
“Harmed?” I repeated, feeling my hands tense. “In what manner?”
“Even I, to this day, do not know the true extent. But…she was nearly starved and imprisoned in the smallest of cabinets or rooms.”
I could barely withstand the rage that coursed through me. My mouth opened, but I felt as though I wished to breathe fire instead of speak.
“How dare they.” The words finally formed. “And this woman, this beast, still walks among us?”
This woman—that woman, who had harmed her, had the audacity to stand beside her as she was presented to the queen. That woman lived within this very city. How was she meant to sleep at night when saddled with such misery?
“Trust that if I could remove Datura from all of our lives, I would in an instant,” she said to me, nearly as angry as I was. And I said nearly because it was clear she had considered throwing the woman into a dark hole in the earth herself. “This is why I need your help. I wish to free her from these pains. My husband has great faith in your abilities, and I desperately need him to be right.”
I did not deserve that faith, for I did not care to help her merely as a doctor to a patient. My intentions were altogether not pure. Nevertheless, I could not bring myself to walk away, not after hearing this. My desire to stay with her grew even greater.
“I am not sure what I will be able to do to cure her. Or if anything can be done, but I shall desperately try even still.”
Once more, I had tried to run from her only to find myself running toward her.
17
Verity
I had not truly believed that my plan would work. Where the idea came from, I did not know. Maybe it was birthed from my sheer stubbornness. I desired his company and did not wish to be denied. So I had used what I believed to be my only available option: my condition. I sought not to seem too eager for his aid, feigning despair at the thought of having to be “observed.” Despite all of that, I had not honestly thought the marchioness would afford us the proximity and privacy to speak.
Now that he stood before me in the marquess’s study, I felt a bit of guilt. It was just us—yes, the door was open, and I was aware of both Ingrid and Bernice as they walked by, but even so. The marchioness must have been worried about me to allow this. I was taking advantage of that kindness, but at the same time I was so happy that we could finally speak.
“I am surprised this method worked but nevertheless so glad,” I said happily, moving to take a seat in one of the chairs by the desk.
Whatever joy I was feeling was not matched by the expression on his face.
“I do not wish to lie to you,” he stated simply.
“Thank you. I do not wish to be lied to. So?”
“Her ladyship told me of…of what happened to you as a child. What your stepmother did.”
