Mum,” he murmured and bowed his head to his grandmother.
“You are not required to instruct me on what I well know how to do,” she whispered back and genuflected to his grandmother. “Your Grace.”
When she lifted her head, the doctor and Eastleigh were exchanging knowing glances. What was that about? Despite his pleasant smile, the doctor’s countenance held a serious demeanor when he regarded her.
“Gel, aren’t you the one, though,” Mum said. “Just look at you. Meat on the bones, that’s what this one needs.”
Good heavens, Sarah couldn’t take her eyes off the red hat and the stuffed bird. Were those tiny eggs in the nest real? And oh my, were those walnut-size stones in Mum’s brooch actual rubies?
Mum turned and opened her arms to Eastleigh with a glow on her face that bespoke adoration.
All formality dropped, and he bent to give her a hug. “Missed you, Mum.”
“Aye. You haven’t aged a day.”
He laughed. “I’ve only been gone a week.”
She stepped back and looked him over from head to toe. “Is that all? You said you’d be gone three or four years.”
“Months, Mum. Three or four months. But my plans changed, and I returned home with…ah…your ward a bit sooner than expected.”
She started at the top of Sarah’s head and scanned her to her toes. “Well, then, do come along. Time for tea.”
Eastleigh turned to the man beside her. “This is Doctor Hemphill, madam. I expect he’s here for full tea since he never misses it.”
His words were a nice cover in front of the servants, but Sarah was acutely aware of Hemphill giving her a thorough looking over. Had she ever been to a doctor before? She wished she knew. He seemed kindly enough, but there was something rigid about him that indicated a hard taskmaster and left her feeling ill at ease. How she wished she could disappear into the chamber set aside for her. “You live nearby, Lord Eastleigh tells me.”
“Should you need any physicking, I am down the lane.” He nodded to a shaded stone path leading beyond the stables. “I think you’ll find Easton Park a pleasant place.”
She turned to Eastleigh. “Easton Park? Might I guess the direction in which you rode the mule?”
Eastleigh’s cheeks flushed. He raked his fingers through his hair. “Tea time, right-o, Mum?”
Mum took his arm and marched toward the entrance. “’Tis that. Hemphill, see to Miss Marks. I sent notice of your arrival to your siblings and Her Majesty. I told them of my female ward you were bringing to me.”
Eastleigh groaned. “You didn’t.”
“Of course I did. I just said so, didn’t I? Would I lie?”
He lifted a brow at his grandmother. “That’s debatable, Mum.”
“I said lie, not fib.”
“Well, whatever it is you do or do not,” Eastleigh said, “they’ll be descending upon Easton Park like locusts soon enough.”
Sarah bit her tongue to keep from smiling. It wouldn’t be proper, after all.
Doctor Hemphill touched the small of her back, and at the same time, motioned for the servants to follow in behind Eastleigh and Mum, leaving the two of them alone.
Sarah turned to regard the doctor and found a deep frown sculpting his brow. Deftly, she eased away from his touch. She knew one thing with certainty now: as innocuous as he appeared, he was a man—and not only did men make her quite uncomfortable, danger lurked in a mere touch. “You have something you wish to say to me, sir?”
“I’d like to remind you that you are not my only patient.”
A cold chill ran down her stiffening spine. “Your meaning?”
“I mean Eastleigh has not yet fully recovered from his time at war, as I think he’s made you well aware.”
Anger overpowered her embarrassment at being pulled aside when she’d barely arrived. “If you think I have designs on him, think again, Doctor. I only wish to recover my memory and make my way home.” She lifted her chin. “You don’t care much for me being here, do you?”
“Dear God,
“You are not required to instruct me on what I well know how to do,” she whispered back and genuflected to his grandmother. “Your Grace.”
When she lifted her head, the doctor and Eastleigh were exchanging knowing glances. What was that about? Despite his pleasant smile, the doctor’s countenance held a serious demeanor when he regarded her.
“Gel, aren’t you the one, though,” Mum said. “Just look at you. Meat on the bones, that’s what this one needs.”
Good heavens, Sarah couldn’t take her eyes off the red hat and the stuffed bird. Were those tiny eggs in the nest real? And oh my, were those walnut-size stones in Mum’s brooch actual rubies?
Mum turned and opened her arms to Eastleigh with a glow on her face that bespoke adoration.
All formality dropped, and he bent to give her a hug. “Missed you, Mum.”
“Aye. You haven’t aged a day.”
He laughed. “I’ve only been gone a week.”
She stepped back and looked him over from head to toe. “Is that all? You said you’d be gone three or four years.”
“Months, Mum. Three or four months. But my plans changed, and I returned home with…ah…your ward a bit sooner than expected.”
She started at the top of Sarah’s head and scanned her to her toes. “Well, then, do come along. Time for tea.”
Eastleigh turned to the man beside her. “This is Doctor Hemphill, madam. I expect he’s here for full tea since he never misses it.”
His words were a nice cover in front of the servants, but Sarah was acutely aware of Hemphill giving her a thorough looking over. Had she ever been to a doctor before? She wished she knew. He seemed kindly enough, but there was something rigid about him that indicated a hard taskmaster and left her feeling ill at ease. How she wished she could disappear into the chamber set aside for her. “You live nearby, Lord Eastleigh tells me.”
“Should you need any physicking, I am down the lane.” He nodded to a shaded stone path leading beyond the stables. “I think you’ll find Easton Park a pleasant place.”
She turned to Eastleigh. “Easton Park? Might I guess the direction in which you rode the mule?”
Eastleigh’s cheeks flushed. He raked his fingers through his hair. “Tea time, right-o, Mum?”
Mum took his arm and marched toward the entrance. “’Tis that. Hemphill, see to Miss Marks. I sent notice of your arrival to your siblings and Her Majesty. I told them of my female ward you were bringing to me.”
Eastleigh groaned. “You didn’t.”
“Of course I did. I just said so, didn’t I? Would I lie?”
He lifted a brow at his grandmother. “That’s debatable, Mum.”
“I said lie, not fib.”
“Well, whatever it is you do or do not,” Eastleigh said, “they’ll be descending upon Easton Park like locusts soon enough.”
Sarah bit her tongue to keep from smiling. It wouldn’t be proper, after all.
Doctor Hemphill touched the small of her back, and at the same time, motioned for the servants to follow in behind Eastleigh and Mum, leaving the two of them alone.
Sarah turned to regard the doctor and found a deep frown sculpting his brow. Deftly, she eased away from his touch. She knew one thing with certainty now: as innocuous as he appeared, he was a man—and not only did men make her quite uncomfortable, danger lurked in a mere touch. “You have something you wish to say to me, sir?”
“I’d like to remind you that you are not my only patient.”
A cold chill ran down her stiffening spine. “Your meaning?”
“I mean Eastleigh has not yet fully recovered from his time at war, as I think he’s made you well aware.”
Anger overpowered her embarrassment at being pulled aside when she’d barely arrived. “If you think I have designs on him, think again, Doctor. I only wish to recover my memory and make my way home.” She lifted her chin. “You don’t care much for me being here, do you?”
“Dear God,
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