The Doctor and the Libertine - Callie Hutton Page 0,61

She’d fallen asleep on her desk, her now very stiff arms supporting her head. She had no idea how long she’d slept in that position, but based on the pain in her arms, it had been a while.

Father.

“Have you checked on my father, Walter?” Goodness, her voice sounded as if she’d swallowed a frog.

“Yes, Doctor. He’s the same. Sleeping soundly.”

She rose and stretched the muscles in her lower back and rotated her neck to get the kinks out. “Thank you.”

She decided to take a quick trip upstairs by the back staircase and run a brush through her hair and rinse out her mouth. She checked the timepiece pinned to her blouse. Two o’clock. Since the sun was out, she assumed it was in the afternoon. Time and days were all mixed up in her mind since Father had collapsed in the middle of their argument about Mr. Faulkner-Jones.

She still felt dreadful about that. Not only had she never defied her father before, she knew her obstinance had been the cause of his heart attack. His doctor waved off that theory when he had visited him and told her it was only a matter of time before it happened because he’d spent too many years working too hard, not getting enough sleep, and not eating right. His mind and entire life had been dedicated to his medicine.

As much as she tried to push the thought from her mind, she couldn’t help but think if she did what Father wanted, and married Mr. Faulkner-Jones so she could remain tied to her medical practice, with no other life for herself, she would end up like him. Lying in an infirmary clinging to life with no family surrounding her.

Mary Beth and Natalie had both sworn once they married that they would have little to do with Father. He hadn’t been cruel to them, but completely oblivious to their existence. Rayne had always been the only child he acknowledged, and that was because he wanted her to be the son he’d never had.

Rayne had sent a note to her sisters when Father first collapsed and had yet to hear back from either one of them. She sighed. He might have been a wonderful doctor, but he was not a success as a father.

Yet I’m willing to throw away a chance for a lifetime of love and happiness to appease the man who had no use for his two older daughters and only showered his attention on me because of my affinity for medicine.

She quickly pushed that treasonous thought from her mind and hurried downstairs to greet her guests.

“How lovely of you all to come visit me.” She smiled brightly at the four women who had embraced her as a friend.

Addie stood and put her arm around her. “You know we all love you, but I must say, Rayne, you look awful.”

It was probably the truth with her lack of sleep the last few days, so she tried very hard not to feel annoyed at the comment. “I haven’t had much sleep recently.”

Addie and Rayne both sat.

“I see you managed to get Mrs. Foster to send in tea.” Rayne eyed the tea cart with a teapot, cups and saucers and an array of sandwiches and biscuits.

Lottie poured tea and handed the cup to Rayne. “I suggest you eat one of the sandwiches. Mrs. Foster said you haven’t been eating much, either. That’s not good for you.”

“Who’s the doctor here?” she joked.

“We are.” They all said in unison and then they all laughed. It felt good to laugh, to think of something else besides her upcoming nuptials with Mr. Faulkner-Jones and her father lying in the infirmary due to her obstinacy.

“What brings you all here today? Out shopping?” She blew on her tea and took a sip, realizing how much she needed it.

They looked at each other and Lizbeth cleared her throat. “Our husbands.”

Rayne choked on her tea. “What?”

Pamela took over. “We understand that you plan to marry this Mr. Faulkner-Jones. However, it is plain to everyone in our little group that you are in love with Lord Sterling and he is in love with you. Our husbands learned about this from his lordship and passed the information along to us.” She looked around the group. “So, we decided to take matters into our own hands.”

“What does that mean?” Rayne asked, a little nervous about what the answer would be.

Addie put her cup down and leaned forward. “What the hell are you thinking, Rayne?”

The direction on the