8. Chapter 6 #2
“She’s getting my doctor. I don’t know who this Murnau is and I certainly don’t trust him with my health.”
“I assure you, he’s the most competent doctor. He went to medical school in Munich and is only here because he wanted a quiet life in the countryside. He’s just as capable as anyone you can see in London.”
“Are you going to force me to see this doctor? If you even try, I will become very upset.”
The back of Caroline’s neck prickled at the threat, and her heart raced. She didn’t know what kind of threat this was, but her body told her it was real.
“Where is your doctor?” Caroline frowned as it had been quite a few days and they hadn’t heard anything. “We aren’t that far from London. Your companion should have returned by yesterday or today.”
“Not even your country doctor was willing to make a same-day trip. The Count is a powerful man, but not even he could make someone drop what they’re doing immediately to come to me.”
“But we should have heard something by now. At least a letter.”
Valeria’s jaw set in the same hard expression she had when Caroline wouldn’t let her get her way all those years ago. “I have received a letter, but any correspondence from my companion is my business.”
“You don’t think it’s a little my business since I am the one hosting you indefinitely?”
They stared at one another, Caroline refusing to back down. She was no longer the girl Valeria knew who was happy to bend for her whenever asked.
“If you must know,” Valeria huffed, “Lizzie told me that my doctor is currently in Scotland, so she must locate him, tell him I need him here, and then he must travel to us. It will likely take some time. Weeks even.”
It wasn’t quite a satisfactory answer, but it did make sense. She was annoyed that Valeria wanted to withhold the information from her. It wasn’t very polite.
“Where in Scotland is he?”
She shrugged. “Lizzie didn’t mention.”
“Like how you weren’t going to mention needing to stay here for weeks.”
“I didn’t realize your hospitality was conditional.”
Caroline threw up her hands. “It isn’t outrageous to want to know how long a guest will stay.”
Valeria inched closer to the edge of the bed, the movement causing her dressing gown to open. The white chemise did nothing to hide her body. Her pert breasts with brown-tipped nipples were very visible, making Caroline’s face heat as it never had before.
When she finally had the strength to return her gaze to Valeria’s face, she was met with an amused expression that embarrassed her further.
Caroline stood up, her legs pushing the chair back at the sudden motion. “I should leave. I have…things to do.”
“So soon? I thought we could spend more time together.”
“I have a wedding to plan.”
“But that sounds so boring when we could be having such fun together.”
She didn’t even want to know what Valeria meant.
“Ah, maybe another time. Good night.”
Caroline walked briskly from the room before Valeria could say anything else that scrambled her mind.
* * *
Caroline’s sleep had been fitful, but she was thankful she didn’t have another nightmare. Lucy delivered her breakfast before dressing her, and she was able to enjoy her meal in peace. No notes had come from Dr. Murnau overnight, and she hoped that meant he would visit today.
The only thing she did not know was when he would arrive, so she needed to check on her patients.
Trudging up the stairs, she decided to check on her father first and then Nelly.
There was no need to check on Valeria because she knew she was asleep.
Lucy had confirmed, saying she put her clean clothes away just after dawn and Valeria was safely tucked in bed.
Not bothering to knock, she opened the door to see her mother slumped in the chair she had pushed to her father’s side of the bed.
Her arm rested on the side of the chair as her hand held her head at a sharp angle that couldn’t possibly be comfortable.
She was in the same clothes she wore yesterday.
Her father was sitting up in bed reading.
“Be quiet; this is the first time your mother has been able to sleep.”
Caroline gently shut the door behind her. Her mother was a heavy sleeper who wouldn’t be disturbed by an explosion, let alone a conversation, but there was no reason to test it.
“Why isn’t she in bed?”
“She insisted on the chair because she said she didn’t want to fall asleep in case I needed her. I’m just happy she’s getting rest,” he said with a smile that was so familiar it made her heart ache.
“You’re looking rather well.” Caroline’s eyes burned as she fought off the emotion that gathered in her throat. She had feared finding him dead, and instead he looked to be improving.
“You and your mother have been fussing over me, but I’m doing much better.”
Color had returned to his cheeks, and he didn’t look to be in pain. His delirium made it so she wasn’t able to interview him about his symptoms before, but now she took out the notebook with the notes she took for Dr. Murnau.
“Prepare for a little more fussing before I let it go. When did you begin feeling ill?”
Closing his book and placing it beside him, her father tilted his head as he considered her question.
“Part of me wants to say last night because I don’t remember much time passing, but based on the reactions of you and your mother, it was likely several days ago.
What I most remember is the pain. It hurt so much for whatever reason, but it wasn’t a headache or a broken bone.
It felt like I was being burned from the inside. ”
Caroline scribbled down his symptoms. She wasn’t sure what to make of it, but she also wasn’t a doctor. She hoped it would be useful to Dr. Murnau.
“What do you remember of the past few days?”
“Not much, really just brief images of you and your mother. Mopping my brow, your mother trying so hard not to cry.”
“Are you hungry or thirsty? I tried to feed you broth, but you wouldn’t take any.”
“I’m not hungry, but my throat is dry.”
Caroline’s pencil paused so she could pour him a glass of water. She handed it to him, but her father grimaced as he sniffed the water.
“Is it stale? Mrs. Thomas has been replacing the water regularly, but I can call for more”
“I don’t know if it’s stale, but there’s something about it that makes my stomach churn.”
Caroline took the glass and smelled it. It seemed fine to her, nothing more than regular water. The cup was clean, so there was no dust or anything to contaminate it. Taking a sip, the water was just beneath room temperature and had the usual crisp taste of water from their well.
“Perhaps your illness is what’s turning your stomach. We’ll see what the doctor says.”
He frowned. “Have you called for Murnau then?”
“Yes, hopefully he will be out here today. A sickness is going through the village, but he said he would do his best to get up here today.”
Her mother stirred in her chair, her eyes fluttering open as she looked up at Caroline and then did a double take at her husband.
“You’re up,” she said, reaching out for her husband, who took her hand and smiled.
“I am, my love. Caroline is interrogating me now for the doctor.”
“Is he here?” She wiped her face and smoothed her hair as she blinked the sleep from her eyes.
“No, I was updating my notes on his condition for the doctor.”
“How are Lady Valeria and Nelly?”
Her father raised an eyebrow. “There are that many of us sick? Do we all have the same illness? I thought Lady Valeria wasn’t contagious.”
Caroline sighed. “She says she isn’t, and I am inclined to believe her since you all have different symptoms.”
“You’ve done so well taking care of everyone, Caroline. Sit down and rest while we wait for the doctor,” her mother said while patting a spot on the bed.
“I need to check on Nelly and Lady Valeria first.” There was too much for her to do.
So much that she barely slept. The most time she had to relax was when she dozed in her bath, not waking until the water was cold.
Which meant when she did go to bed, she blinked at her ceiling for ages before falling asleep.
“You can’t take care of everyone if you work yourself to an early grave.”
Caroline was saved by a knock at the door before Mrs. Thomas entered.
“Dr. Murnau is here.”
“Please send the doctor up,” her mother said, smoothing out her dress.
Caroline moved aside to give the doctor plenty of room when he walked in a few moments later.
“Mr. Blythe,” Dr. Murnau said, placing a worn black leather doctor bag on the bedside table next to her father. “It’s so nice to see you up. Especially after your daughter told me how sick you were yesterday.”
“He was; I’m surprised to see him doing so well this morning,” she said, flexing the hand holding her pencil. She worried the doctor thought she exaggerated her symptoms to get him out there quicker. Or—worse—she was trying to get special treatment.
“Patients go in and out all the time. Besides, I prefer conducting patient interviews myself.”
“My daughter certainly has interviewing patients down. Who would have guessed she had a propensity for medicine?” Her father said with an easy grin.
“I expect many women have the propensity; but only a few are allowed to nourish it.”
Caroline’s cheeks burned. She wasn’t interested in medicine; she only wanted to make sure no one in her house died.
“I only wish to be helpful.”
“You’ve already proven yourself to be quite helpful,” Dr. Murnau said in his usual brusque tone. Previously she thought he might be a little mean, but now she just thought it was a side effect of his German accent. “Let me see your notes.”
The doctor flipped through the pages of her notebook; he didn’t say anything, only nodded occasionally as he read.
“There are just notes for two patients here, but I thought you mentioned a third yesterday?”
Caroline hesitated. Now that the doctor was here, it felt wrong to subject Valeria to him. It would be easy to take him to her—she would never know since she slept so soundly during the day—but it felt wrong.