The Doctor and the Libertine - Callie Hutton Page 0,48
now. Had it not affected him the way it had her? He’d probably kissed so many young ladies that she was just another woman—another kiss. She glanced sideways at him as he watched Glory leave the room and decided that was not so.
He was flushed and breathing hard. He’d been affected. She grinned. Good.
“We really must do something about the girl’s speech,” Edwin said as Glory disappeared through the doorway.
Thankful for the young girl’s interruption so she could regain some semblance of dignity, she was happy to grab onto a diverting conversation. “That is another issue that needs to be addressed. We need to make some sort of permanent arrangement for the girl. Mrs. Foster has been wonderful about keeping her busy helping in the kitchen and has even tried to teach her a bit of reading, but Glory needs more than that. She needs a home. A family.”
“Yes.” Edwin adjusted his cravat and looked as though he was also relieved to have another subject to discuss. “Do you have any ideas?”
“I would love to keep her here with me, but when I was a child raised at the infirmary, we had a lovely housekeeper who made it all seem like a normal home. Given a choice, I would not raise children here.”
“And if you marry?”
She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, were I to marry Mr. Faulkner-Jones, I would have no married life. No husband. No children. He intends to leave right after the wedding for parts unknown while I will return to my duties and he would pop back once in a while to check on me.”
Edwin stared at her for almost a full minute his mouth agape. Then he shook his head. “The men in your life have certainly not inspired a great deal of warmth and fondness in you, have they?”
She shrugged. “Honestly, I had never given it a great deal of thought. It was always, study, study, study and then work.”
“No fun, no beaux, no dances, no parties?”
“Now you’re making me out to be some poor soul who had a terrible childhood. I did other things. I played with my sisters, we had games and dolls. We even did tea parties. But once we all got older, their interests changed from my interests.
“As far as Glory is concerned, I wrote to one of my sisters to see if she could take her in.”
“She would do that?”
“I believe so. Mary Beth has been married for more than ten years and has only one child, a boy, who is eight years. Thomas is the light of her life, but she’s always wanted at least one more child. I believe she would jump at the chance to raise Glory.”
“That seems like a perfect solution. Where does she live?”
“Her husband owns equestrian property in Staffordshire. He buys, trains, and sells horses. He is a baron and holds some prestige in the area. Mary Beth is a wonderful mother, and I believe she has a tutor who comes to the house for Thomas.”
“Do you think Glory will have a hard time adjusting to leaving here?”
“No. Not at all. Don’t forget the poor girl came to us from the streets. As long as I assure her that she will be safe and well-taken care of by my sister I’m sure she will be happy to go.”
“Dr. Stevens, a man is at the door with a woman who has been shot. They don’t want to take her as far as the hospital.”
“Oh, goodness, yes, have them bring her in.”
Two men carried in an older woman, the loose clothes on her body evident that she had been larger at one time. Blood dripped on the floor in a trail from the doorway to the table Rayne had them place her on.
Rayne bent over the woman and spoke over her shoulder to the man who brought her in. “Did you witness the shooting?”
“Yes, ma’am.” The other man stepped forward. “The woman was walking along Avon Street when a carriage stopped alongside her. A man got out and pointed a gun at her. She yelled for help and ran, but before anyone could do anything, the man shot her in the back, then jumped back into the carriage and it sped away.”
“How terrible for the poor woman,” Rayne said. She looked over her shoulder at the man. “Can you help me turn her?”
Edwin had also moved to her side, so with the two men and Rayne, they managed to get the patient