to Dr Glass to confirm this.
Dr Glass said he could not confirm it because he had never noticed and he did not care anyway. He expressed himself as being opposed to using the Trust in the way Matron was requesting. If Reaper Wing–in fact if any patients at all–were so severely disturbed that regular sedation was needed, the cost of treating them should be borne by public monies such as the Poor Law funds, and not have to come from charitable bequests with obscure terms of reference, set up by well-meaning but misguided philanthropists thirty years earlier.
Reverend Skandry suggested that Dr Glass should apologize to Miss Forrester for appearing to cast a slur on her father, to which Dr Glass replied that in a properly run world all sick people would be given the same treatment irrespective of financial or social standing, and he would like it recorded that he will treat all patients in Latchkill regardless of whether he is paid for his services or not. (So recorded.)
Reverend Skandry seconded the proposal that the Forrester Benevolent Trust be drawn on for ministering to Reaper Wing.
Dr Glass put a counter-proposal that if Trust funds were to be used for basic medicines, they might as well also be used to provide better food for all patients.
Objection made by Matron Prout, who said if the Trust permitted this, the next step would be that the patients would expect all manner of luxuries, even down to wine with their dinner, and chicken and game for their supper. Dr Glass said he did not see why patients should not be given chicken and game–stewed venison very nourishing. Pointed out that partridge presently in season, and poachers as likely to supply Latchkill with birds as anywhere else. Said that for himself he had no objection to eating misappropriated partridge and did not suppose Latchkill’s patients would mind either, and that a particularly good way to cook it was au choux . Added that if it was Matron’s intention to administer prison diet to the patients, then Dora Scullion might as well bring on the bread-and-skilly now and have done.
Original proposal carried. Dr Glass’s counter-proposal not seconded.
Today had been the first time Byrony had taken the notes for a Benevolent Trust meeting and it had been quite an experience. The Reverend Arthur Skandry had spent most of his time staring at Bryony’s ankles, and Thomasina Forrester had spent her time staring at her bosom. Neither of these things were entirely a surprise, although Bryony would have preferred not to have Thomasina eyeing her in quite that manner.
Dr Glass had not eyed Bryony at all; there was nothing in the least bit ogle-some about Dr Glass. The Prout sometimes wondered audibly about his private life, asking whether there was not something a little strange about a gentleman of thirty-five or thirty-eight who was not married, but most of Latchkill’s nurses considered this to be pure pique. There had been a story a year or two back that Prout had tried to inveigle Dr Glass into a romantic liaison with her, only to be rejected. This surprised nobody.
Bryony had no idea if the story was true, but it was certainly true that most of the nurses were halfway in love with Dr Glass.Byrony was not even a quarter of the way in love with him, although she would not have minded if he had stared at any part of her during today’s meeting. But he was far too much of a gentleman to do any such thing.
Maud could not imagine how Thomasina could bring herself to go to Latchkill–to go through those gates and walk along the gloomy tree-fringed drive, and step across Latchkill’s threshhold–but Thomasina said it was something that had to be done. Her father had set up a trust to help some of the poor souls in the place, and the mantle of that had fallen on Thomasina’s shoulders, so to speak. Noblesse oblige and all that.
Maud had said, ‘Oh. Oh, yes, I see,’ but had to repress a shudder at the thought of Latchkill with the spider light
Dr Glass said he could not confirm it because he had never noticed and he did not care anyway. He expressed himself as being opposed to using the Trust in the way Matron was requesting. If Reaper Wing–in fact if any patients at all–were so severely disturbed that regular sedation was needed, the cost of treating them should be borne by public monies such as the Poor Law funds, and not have to come from charitable bequests with obscure terms of reference, set up by well-meaning but misguided philanthropists thirty years earlier.
Reverend Skandry suggested that Dr Glass should apologize to Miss Forrester for appearing to cast a slur on her father, to which Dr Glass replied that in a properly run world all sick people would be given the same treatment irrespective of financial or social standing, and he would like it recorded that he will treat all patients in Latchkill regardless of whether he is paid for his services or not. (So recorded.)
Reverend Skandry seconded the proposal that the Forrester Benevolent Trust be drawn on for ministering to Reaper Wing.
Dr Glass put a counter-proposal that if Trust funds were to be used for basic medicines, they might as well also be used to provide better food for all patients.
Objection made by Matron Prout, who said if the Trust permitted this, the next step would be that the patients would expect all manner of luxuries, even down to wine with their dinner, and chicken and game for their supper. Dr Glass said he did not see why patients should not be given chicken and game–stewed venison very nourishing. Pointed out that partridge presently in season, and poachers as likely to supply Latchkill with birds as anywhere else. Said that for himself he had no objection to eating misappropriated partridge and did not suppose Latchkill’s patients would mind either, and that a particularly good way to cook it was au choux . Added that if it was Matron’s intention to administer prison diet to the patients, then Dora Scullion might as well bring on the bread-and-skilly now and have done.
Original proposal carried. Dr Glass’s counter-proposal not seconded.
Today had been the first time Byrony had taken the notes for a Benevolent Trust meeting and it had been quite an experience. The Reverend Arthur Skandry had spent most of his time staring at Bryony’s ankles, and Thomasina Forrester had spent her time staring at her bosom. Neither of these things were entirely a surprise, although Bryony would have preferred not to have Thomasina eyeing her in quite that manner.
Dr Glass had not eyed Bryony at all; there was nothing in the least bit ogle-some about Dr Glass. The Prout sometimes wondered audibly about his private life, asking whether there was not something a little strange about a gentleman of thirty-five or thirty-eight who was not married, but most of Latchkill’s nurses considered this to be pure pique. There had been a story a year or two back that Prout had tried to inveigle Dr Glass into a romantic liaison with her, only to be rejected. This surprised nobody.
Bryony had no idea if the story was true, but it was certainly true that most of the nurses were halfway in love with Dr Glass.Byrony was not even a quarter of the way in love with him, although she would not have minded if he had stared at any part of her during today’s meeting. But he was far too much of a gentleman to do any such thing.
Maud could not imagine how Thomasina could bring herself to go to Latchkill–to go through those gates and walk along the gloomy tree-fringed drive, and step across Latchkill’s threshhold–but Thomasina said it was something that had to be done. Her father had set up a trust to help some of the poor souls in the place, and the mantle of that had fallen on Thomasina’s shoulders, so to speak. Noblesse oblige and all that.
Maud had said, ‘Oh. Oh, yes, I see,’ but had to repress a shudder at the thought of Latchkill with the spider light
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