The Doctor and the Libertine - Callie Hutton Page 0,10

did she think of a bed? Well, perhaps because he was lying in one.

All twisted up again.

“All right. Perhaps more than one. I also want to apologize for embarrassing you before when I was looking at your—”

She raised her hand. “—please do not continue. I understand and accept. Now if you will excuse me, I must see to dinner.” She raced from the room as if the hounds of hell were on her heels.

“Are you well, Dr. Stevens?” Walter asked as she arrived in the kitchen in what she was sure appeared to be a flustered state.

“Yes. I am fine. I need to start dinner.” As Walter turned to leave the room, she said, “Please see to Lord Sterling’s needs before dinner is ready.”

Walter nodded and departed.

Ordinarily Rayne employed a cook, Mrs. Johnson, but Father’s combination companion, cook, and housekeeper had unexpectedly married and left his employ, so Mrs. Johnson was on loan to his household until Rayne could hire another employee for her father.

Life would be simpler if she could just find someone else for her household, but Father didn’t like Mrs. Johnson and Rayne believed the feelings were mutual. Her father could be a difficult man, and among his three daughters she got along with him best.

She often wondered if she had not followed his path if he would be any easier to deal with than her sisters had found him.

Tonight, she fixed whitefish, roasted potatoes, carrots and turnips, and salad. Walter had brought back fresh bread and a few fruit tarts to finish the meal. She enjoyed cooking and found it quite relaxing. It felt good to make something wholesome and tasty after dealing with blood and illness all day.

She hummed as she worked, her thoughts always returning to the man lying in the infirmary. He had been past the worst part of his withdrawal, and hopefully that little bit of brandy had not set him back too far.

Once she was sure he was strong enough, she intended to have Walter place him in the wheelchair and push him out to the garden for fresh air. With the man’s lifestyle, she was certain Lord Sterling hadn’t seen daytime close up for a long, long time.

Again, she wondered why he was so determined to destroy himself. Marcus had mentioned that Sterling seemed to adopt his current lifestyle only a couple of years ago when he moved to Bath. That might be worth looking into.

She stopped chopping the vegetables for the salad and frowned. Why did she care what brought her patient to this stage in his life? It mattered not to her. All she needed to do was see to his recovery from his injuries and while doing that, if she could improve his overall health by halting the consumption of alcohol, and giving him plenty of nourishing food, then her job would be done.

And he would leave.

She would not see him again.

That was good.

Yes. Very good.

Once the food was ready, she arranged it on a plate, grabbed silverware and a napkin, and carried it into the infirmary. Walter had done his ministrations and Sterling looked refreshed. Handsomely refreshed, unfortunately.

He’d been shaved and his hair combed. The clean nightshirt was open a bit at the neck and coarse dark hair showed through. He smiled at her and she almost dropped the plate.

“I am actually hungry for the first time in a while.”

She nodded, trying hard not to look at him, but merely deliver his food. “That is good. You need to put some weight on.”

“Why are you staring at my feet?” She could hear the laughter in his voice. Good heavens, did he guess she was finding him attractive? That would never do.

She took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. “I am merely making a clinical observation.” There, that sounded very medical. She held out the plate. “Here is your dinner.”

“It smells good. You know, I think I would eat a lot more if you had dinner with me.”

She drew back. “What?”

“You know. You would return to the kitchen and get your plate and we would eat together.” His constant grin was very annoying. She had just chastised him and threw his friends out. Why was he being so congenial?

“I do not eat with my patients.”

His voice lowered. “Perhaps you should. It might make their recovery swifter.” He took the plate from her hand. “I assume you wish to be rid of me as quickly as possible. Look at it as a way for me