The Doctor and the Libertine - Callie Hutton Page 0,59

you ate?”

She waved her hand at him. “I don’t know.”

“Rayne, if nothing else listen to me as a friend. If you are going to tend to your father, you must get some rest and eat. If you collapse that will not help him, or yourself, at all.”

When she didn’t answer him, he left and walked to the kitchen. Mrs. Foster was busy at the large coal stove stirring something that smelled good. “Mrs. Foster.”

She turned, her eyes full of sadness. “Oh, my lord, I am so glad you’ve come. Someone has to talk sense into the doctor. She informed me she will be marrying that horrid man.”

“What happened to make her decide that? The last time I spoke with her she was determined to break the engagement.”

Mrs. Foster placed the stirring spoon alongside the pot on the stove. She wiped her hands on her apron. “The elder Dr. Stevens came for a visit. I overheard their conversation.” She blushed which told him Mrs. Foster didn’t accidentally overhear.

He nodded. “Go on.”

“They got into a terrible row over it. Then her father collapsed in a heap. She had Walter move him to a bed and sent for his regular doctor. In the meantime, she examined him and claimed he’d had a heart attack.”

Edwin could not help but wonder if the man pretended such to bring Rayne to heel. From what he’d learned of the man so far, he would not be surprised. He’d manipulated Rayne her entire life. And if he had pulled this stunt, it had apparently worked. “Do you know what the other doctor said?”

She shook her head. “No. It was after he left that Dr. Stevens came into the kitchen to ask for some herbs to make a tea for her father. It was while she was here that she told me she’d decided to marry Mr. Faulkner-Jones. I can’t help but think she only told me so she could say it out loud to convince herself.”

Guilt was a terrible thing, and from what Mrs. Foster just told him, it was an argument between Rayne and her father that precipitated his heart attack. Edwin refused to believe it had caused his heart attack, but that was most likely how Rayne felt.

“Can you put some of that wonderful smelling stew into a bowl? I’d like to insist that Dr. Stevens eat something.”

Mrs. Foster nodded and grabbed a bowl from the shelf over the stove. She filled it with the stew and handed it to him. “You are so wonderful for her, my lord. I would never overstep my place to suggest to Dr. Stevens that she toss over the other bloke and marry you, but that is precisely what she should do.”

She blushed, obviously realizing she had, indeed, just overstepped her position.

He grinned. “Yes, Mrs. Foster. That is my plan. I don’t care that she thinks marrying Mr. Faulkner-Jones will assuage her guilt. I love her and will not give up until Mr. Faulkner-Jones is well on his way back to wherever it was he came from and Dr. Stevens is my wife.”

Mrs. Foster placed her hands in a prayer position against her chest. “Thank the Good Lord!”

Chapter 18

Edwin entered Nick Smith’s office in his hotel. He was surprised to see Carter Westbrooke sitting in one of the chairs in front of Nick’s desk. Edwin shook hands with the two men and took the seat alongside Carter.

As soon as Edwin had left Rayne two days before, after making sure she ate the entire bowl of stew, he managed to get a promise from her that she wouldn’t do anything rash for a few days. She reluctantly nodded, and he was pleased to have at least a little bit of time to work his plan.

His heart beat a staccato as he attempted to appear relaxed. So much depended on what Nick had to say.

“Did you get any information?”

Nick leaned back and rested his elbow on the arm of his large, leather chair, cupping his chin with his index finger and thumb. He looked like the cat who had just stolen the cream. “Shall I tell him, Carter, or do you want to do the honors?”

Edwin had always thought there was something shady about Faulkner-Jones and just didn’t understand his need for a hurry up marriage to a woman he’d been betrothed to for a few years.

Carter cleared his throat. “It seems Mr. Faulkner-Jones is in a hurry to marry for two reasons.” He raised his hand and ticked off on his