necessary under the circumstances. Mind made up, Karl moved again—all of a pathetic inch that left him breaking out in a cold sweat and gritting his teeth.
“I won’t keep you here if you insist upon leaving. Just know this: Your wound is liable to open up and bleed all over my nice clean floor. If you’re well enough to make that kind of mess, you’re obligated to clean up after yourself.” Her green eyes held challenge.
Frustrated by his weakness and vexed by the way she was goading him, Karl muttered, “A woman’s place is to sew clothes and mop floors, not to sew men and order them around.”
“I understand.” The doctor nodded slowly. “Women to the cradle and coffeepot; men to all great endeavors.”
Karl gaped at the so-called doctor. He couldn’t have heard her correctly. “All women feel the cradle is their greatest endeavor.”
Her brother didn’t manage to cover his laugh with a cough. “You would have stood a better chance of gaining her agreement if you’d said everyone aspired to making a good pot of coffee.”
“That would be a lie. Piet and I, we gave up. Ours is always burnt. I’ll wait to leave until I’ve eaten breakfast and had coffee.” He grunted as he slid back to the center of the bed. “Doc, he wasn’t always so good at fixing sick people, but anyone who came here for help knew they were welcome to the coffee on his stove. He always brewed the best in town.”
“Even if he wasn’t a woman? Imagine that!”
Karl shot the woman doctor an impatient glower. He should have anticipated her reaction. “You’ve got plenty of perk, but there have to be grounds to brew the right cup. Same with doctors. Women don’t have the necessary . . . grounds it takes to serve as physicians.”
“If it would instill confidence in you, I’m willing to show you my medical degree.”
Staring at her, Karl took in the fire in her eyes and all the strands of hair that had worked free and coiled into touch-me curls at her temples and nape. “There’s not a piece of paper in the world that could make me look past your dimples or forget your humming.”
Taylor blushed. Enoch scarcely believed it. With society’s prejudice against female physicians and doctors themselves being the most stalwart subscribers to that ignorance, Taylor had endured untold ridicule during her years at medical school. She’d been the butt of jokes, she’d been the victim of sabotage in the laboratory, and she’d endured every possible type of accusation. But after the first week of medical school, Taylor had ceased blushing.
“Speaking of coffee, I put some on the stove.” Enoch purposefully omitted the fact that he was merely reheating last night’s. He gave his sister a questioning look. “Only you know what’s okay for Van der Vort to eat.”
“My appetite is good. Strong. Lusty.” As soon as he used the final adjective, the blacksmith went ruddy.
“Then I’ll find us some breakfast.” Taylor left.
Launching in as soon as she was out of earshot, Van der Vort said, “You’re a veterinarian. You have medical skills. Surely you can render care to me.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“My sister doesn’t treat animals, and I don’t treat humans. It’s that simple.” He allowed a rueful grin that kicked up the side of his mouth. “Well, almost that simple. I’ve been around when Taylor’s had to treat some men who acted like jackasses, but she still treated them.”
“You love your sister.”
“I do.”
Looking at him intently, the blacksmith ordered, “Then send her back to your parents. She’ll be unhappy here.”
“We’ve both signed four-year contracts. We’re honoring our pledge.”
“Then she’ll stay, but she’ll have to stop this nonsense of doctoring.” Van der Vort yanked the blanket up and clamped it in place beneath his arms.
Is he trying to shield Taylor, or is he embarrassed that she’s worked on him?
“The wrongs permitted in big cities aren’t acceptable
“I won’t keep you here if you insist upon leaving. Just know this: Your wound is liable to open up and bleed all over my nice clean floor. If you’re well enough to make that kind of mess, you’re obligated to clean up after yourself.” Her green eyes held challenge.
Frustrated by his weakness and vexed by the way she was goading him, Karl muttered, “A woman’s place is to sew clothes and mop floors, not to sew men and order them around.”
“I understand.” The doctor nodded slowly. “Women to the cradle and coffeepot; men to all great endeavors.”
Karl gaped at the so-called doctor. He couldn’t have heard her correctly. “All women feel the cradle is their greatest endeavor.”
Her brother didn’t manage to cover his laugh with a cough. “You would have stood a better chance of gaining her agreement if you’d said everyone aspired to making a good pot of coffee.”
“That would be a lie. Piet and I, we gave up. Ours is always burnt. I’ll wait to leave until I’ve eaten breakfast and had coffee.” He grunted as he slid back to the center of the bed. “Doc, he wasn’t always so good at fixing sick people, but anyone who came here for help knew they were welcome to the coffee on his stove. He always brewed the best in town.”
“Even if he wasn’t a woman? Imagine that!”
Karl shot the woman doctor an impatient glower. He should have anticipated her reaction. “You’ve got plenty of perk, but there have to be grounds to brew the right cup. Same with doctors. Women don’t have the necessary . . . grounds it takes to serve as physicians.”
“If it would instill confidence in you, I’m willing to show you my medical degree.”
Staring at her, Karl took in the fire in her eyes and all the strands of hair that had worked free and coiled into touch-me curls at her temples and nape. “There’s not a piece of paper in the world that could make me look past your dimples or forget your humming.”
Taylor blushed. Enoch scarcely believed it. With society’s prejudice against female physicians and doctors themselves being the most stalwart subscribers to that ignorance, Taylor had endured untold ridicule during her years at medical school. She’d been the butt of jokes, she’d been the victim of sabotage in the laboratory, and she’d endured every possible type of accusation. But after the first week of medical school, Taylor had ceased blushing.
“Speaking of coffee, I put some on the stove.” Enoch purposefully omitted the fact that he was merely reheating last night’s. He gave his sister a questioning look. “Only you know what’s okay for Van der Vort to eat.”
“My appetite is good. Strong. Lusty.” As soon as he used the final adjective, the blacksmith went ruddy.
“Then I’ll find us some breakfast.” Taylor left.
Launching in as soon as she was out of earshot, Van der Vort said, “You’re a veterinarian. You have medical skills. Surely you can render care to me.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“My sister doesn’t treat animals, and I don’t treat humans. It’s that simple.” He allowed a rueful grin that kicked up the side of his mouth. “Well, almost that simple. I’ve been around when Taylor’s had to treat some men who acted like jackasses, but she still treated them.”
“You love your sister.”
“I do.”
Looking at him intently, the blacksmith ordered, “Then send her back to your parents. She’ll be unhappy here.”
“We’ve both signed four-year contracts. We’re honoring our pledge.”
“Then she’ll stay, but she’ll have to stop this nonsense of doctoring.” Van der Vort yanked the blanket up and clamped it in place beneath his arms.
Is he trying to shield Taylor, or is he embarrassed that she’s worked on him?
“The wrongs permitted in big cities aren’t acceptable
Similar Books
