Marrying Miss Hemingford (19 page)

Anne laughed aloud. ‘Mrs Smith, I am not a horse.'

But she succumbed to the ministrations and when her body was pink and glowing, she dressed and strode home, optimism in every step. She had not said a word to him about the rumours, but they did not seem to matter. She loved him and she meant to have him and no one, certainly not Mrs Tremayne, would stand in her way. Together they would set up a hospital that would be a byword for excellence. If she could make his dream come true, she would be happy. She refused to acknowledge that there might be storm clouds ahead.

‘R
ockbourne,' said Lady Mancroft disdainfully, seating herself at the head of the table in Tuppen's library, though no one had actually appointed her as chairman. ‘I have never heard of him.'

The members of the committee were gathering to finalise the arrangements for the horse racing and sports. Neither Justin nor the Professor had yet arrived and Aunt Bartrum had just repeated the gossip that the doctor was the second son of Viscount Rockbourne.

‘He was Vice-Admiral Sir Joshua Tremayne,' Captain Gosforth told them. ‘He was granted the title for his exploits in saving the West Indies for the British Crown back in eighty-two. The Battle of the Saints, they called it, on account of the islands being named after saints. I was there, a lowly midshipman, but it was a fierce encounter and he acquitted himself with great honour.'

‘Oh, a new title.' Her ladyship was not going to give way easily. ‘New titles have been scattered like falling leaves in the last few years, no matter that the recipient has no an
cient family background to support it. Why, it denigrates the position of those whose antecedents go back hundreds of years. Mancroft can trace his line back to Elizabeth's time…'

‘To be sure,' Mrs Bartrum soothed. ‘We know that and are fully appreciative of the honour you do us by participating in our project.' Aunt Bartrum was being true to her word and was behaving as if she, and not Anne, were its instigator, notwithstanding her ladyship seemed to have usurped the role. Anne might have felt resentful, except that it served to take attention away from her and her confused feelings, and for that she was grateful.

‘Well, if the Regent expresses an interest, then it is my duty to support it,' her ladyship said, stretching the truth. ‘But what I cannot understand is why the doctor should keep his father's title a secret. A gentleman does not deny his rank without good reason.'

‘I believe he thought it would help him to be more acceptable to his poorer patients,' Anne put in, speaking for the first time. ‘He sees his mission as one of service and they might be overawed or wary of him if they thought he was one of the upper echelons of society.'

‘Fustian!' her ladyship exclaimed. ‘The peasantry care nothing for who or what a man is, so long as they are given their medicine. Besides, they are taught to respect a gentleman's rank. I refuse to believe that is the reason.' She paused, but as no other explanation occurred to her, added, ‘And there is Mrs Tremayne…'

‘What about her?' Anne's voice was sharp.

‘Mrs Tremayne told Captain Smollett the doctor is es
tranged from his father and brother.' This was added by the Major.

‘Do you know why?'

‘Something to do with a broken engagement.'

‘There!' Lady Mancroft was triumphant. ‘What did I tell you? He is hiding something.'

‘I cannot think that has any bearing on the work of the committee,' Captain Gosforth said, endeavouring to change the subject.

‘But of course it has,' the lady insisted. ‘If there is a scandal attached to him, then we should not be puffing him up over this hospital scheme.'

‘We cannot go ahead without him,' Anne said, speaking mildly, although she was far from calm. If they decided they would no longer support the idea of a hospital, then she and Justin were lost. His interest in her was through the project and it was through the project she would convince him they belonged together. But she could not quite banish Mrs Tremayne's accusations from her mind, even though she had made up her mind to pay them no heed. ‘It was his idea.'

‘That is nothing to the point. This committee was formed to raise money for a hospital for the poor, no more, no less, and if we decide Dr Tremayne is not a suitable person to head it, then we can appoint someone else. Professor Harrison, for example. I believe he has more standing in the medical world.'

‘I think that is despicable,' Anne protested. ‘We should not be gossiping about the doctor, especially when he is not here to defend himself.'

‘Why is he not here?'

‘I expect he has been delayed. His waiting room is always full, which is why the hospital is so necessary, and in my opinion he is the ideal person to run it. He is skilled and caring, and it does not matter whether his patients are rich or poor, he does his best for them. They know that and they love him for it.' Anne knew she was becoming heated and everyone was looking at her with curiosity. Her defence had been a little too spirited to be disinterested. She modulated her voice. ‘What happened in the past, unless it was something unlawful, has no relevance, surely?'

No one offered an argument because the doctor and Professor Harrison had entered the room and none of them had the temerity to say anything to the doctor's face. Anne, who had her back to the door, turned to face them, wondering how much they had overheard.

Both men were impeccably dressed in dark frockcoats and strapped pantaloons and their cravats were elegantly tied, but both had wet hair. Dr Tremayne's was darker and sleeker than usual and the Professor's had sprung into tight unruly curls. Anne supposed they had both been for a dip before dressing to attend the meeting.

‘We were on our way here when we saw a commotion on the beach,' the Professor explained. ‘There were two ladies running up and down, shrieking and pointing out to sea, and then we observed two heads bobbing in the surf. The sea is very turbulent this morning and not safe for any but the strongest swimmers.'

‘Yes, I noticed that on my way here,' Anne said. It was the roughest she had seen the water since her arrival. The waves were taller than a man and the wind was whipping them up into white foam. The bathing machines had been
pulled higher up the beach and she remembered thinking that if it continued she would have to forgo her swim the next day. It would be disappointing because she felt sure Justin would be at the cove on the look out for her. ‘It was surely foolish to go out in it.'

‘To be sure. The dipper cautioned her not to go from the safety of the bathing machine, but either she did not hear or decided to ignore the advice,' the Professor went on. ‘The young man had seen her from the male section and went after her and then there were two of them in difficulties.'

‘You saved them both?' Aunt Bartrum queried.

‘Yes. Doctor Tremayne rescued the young lady. It was fortunate he is a strong swimmer for she was being swept further and further away and she had imbibed a great deal of sea water by the time he brought her ashore. Fortunately, she recovered when he ministered to her. The young man managed to make his way back with a little help from me. But I am afraid it delayed us; we had to go back and change into dry clothes.'

‘How brave of you,' Anne said, addressing Justin. Their eyes met and held for a moment of time that could only have been a second or two, but it seemed like several minutes as she recalled their swim together, the pleasure of seeing his muscular body cleaving the water next to hers and then the feel of his kiss on her wet hand as he bade her
au revoir.
Even thinking about it made her shiver.

‘Nonsense!' he said, still looking at her. She was in blue sprigged muslin with a silk fringed shawl thrown casually over her shoulders and looked so different from the sea nymph in the clinging wet bathing garment he had
laughed with and kissed the day before, he began to wonder if it had been a dream sent to torment him. Her bright eyes and pink cheeks told him she was remembering too, but whether the memory was one of pleasure or shame, he could not be sure.

‘Why foolish young ladies should think they know better than the women who spend their lives by the water, I do not know,' he went on a little caustically. How could he maintain the cool, practical mien of a respected doctor when she made him feel like a green schoolboy who had suddenly discovered the enchantment of the fair sex? And had he not promised himself he would not let it happen again? ‘She was warned, but I suppose she was too busy trying to impress Lieutenant Harcourt.'

‘Harcourt?' queried the Major.

‘Yes, did I not say?' He tore his gaze away from Anne to answer. ‘The young lady was Miss Barry. It was her mother and younger sister at the water's edge and the Lieutenant who went to the rescue.'

‘Jeanette!' Anne exclaimed. ‘But she is recovered, you say?'

‘Yes, I prescribed a mild sedative and a day in bed to recover from the shock, but she will be none the worse for it. A little wiser, it is to be hoped.'

‘I shall call on her as soon as we have concluded this meeting.'

‘Then let us make a start,' he said.

Everyone settled down to business. The order of the races and the sporting events was settled. The Major, with whatever help he recruited, was to be in charge of organising the horse racing and curricle racing and Captain
Gosforth would oversee the sporting events, such as sprinting, jumping, skittles and bowling for a pig. Mrs Bartrum was to supply the refreshments with the able help of Mrs Carter and her kitchen staff. Lord Mancroft undertook to see that no one misbehaved themselves and to evict anyone bent on being rowdy. He would not man-handle them himself, of course, but he had two big strong grooms who could be trusted to the task. Her ladyship's role was to present the prizes to the winners; if a certain important personage were to turn up, then it would be her duty to welcome him and escort him round and present those she felt deserved the honour.

‘And Dr Tremayne?' queried Anne, afraid they meant to snub him by leaving him out. Whatever he had or had not done, she could not be party to that.

‘I shall not be able to attend,' Justin said quickly. ‘I cannot neglect my patients.'

‘I think perhaps your patients will neglect you.' Professor Harrison laughed. ‘They will all be at the sports field, trying to win the pig.'

‘Not all of them, some are too ill.'

‘Then I will look after them. You will be needed to talk to people about your plans.'

‘But do not become too scientific,' Walter added. ‘It will only confuse people.'

Somehow the news of the near-drowning had subdued everyone and the matter of the doctor's secret past was not mentioned, much to Anne's relief. She supposed they felt it would be churlish to make accusations against him when he had been instrumental in saving the life of one of their friends. Whether the matter would be raised again
she had no way of knowing, but she hoped it would not, certainly not before she had had an opportunity to find out the truth for herself.

When the business on the agenda was concluded, she announced that she had found premises that she thought would be suitable for a hospital if Doctor Tremayne agreed. She risked a glance at him and found him looking closely at her, as if he could read her thoughts in her eyes. Could he see her longing to be close to him, to feel again his kisses on her lips, to run, hand in hand, across the beach and dance once again through those empty rooms, filled now with memories? Or was he thinking about his sister-in-law?

Justin had spent the whole meeting trying not to think about anything except the matter in hand, certainly not Sophie. If it had not been for her untimely arrival, the gabblegrinders would not now be slandering him. He had heard some of what was being said about him as he and George approached the room; the door had not be properly closed and Lady Mancroft had the voice of a drill sergeant. On the other hand, Anne's reply had been spoken quietly and he had not been able to hear it. Had she been championing him? Or was she simply concerned for her hospital? Oh, it was her hospital, there was no doubt in his mind of that, and if she could not have it with him involved, she would proceed without him. As Lady Mancroft had so succinctly put it, there was always Professor Harrison.

Why did that trouble him less than the notion that Miss Hemingford believed ill of him? He could, of course, tell her what had really happened, but that would mean call
ing Sophie a liar and shaming his brother and he could not do it. If Miss Hemingford was so easily influenced by gossip, then he had been wrong about her all along. He searched her face for a sign, a sign that she was still the compassionate, unprejudiced woman he had believed her to be.

She could not bear that telling gaze and looked away to pick up a sheaf of papers from the table in front of her. ‘It is called Cliff House,' she said, making a pretence of consulting them. ‘It stands on the top of the cliffs to the east of the town. It is empty and I have ascertained that it is available on a long lease that is very reasonable, considering the price houses are fetching nowadays. If we make a success of the races, then I think we will have enough to secure it, though it will need extra money for refurbishment and equipment.'

‘You said nothing of it to me,' Aunt Bartrum said, giving her niece a reproving look. ‘When did you find it?'

‘Yesterday. I saw it from the sea when I was swimming, so I went ashore to explore it.' She raised her eyes to look at Justin again and saw the wry upturn to the corner of his mouth and knew he was thinking of their time together exploring the house, and her whole body flooded with warmth. She had come so near to abandoning all control of herself; another minute and she would have been completely lost to all reason. Strangely she did not view that as a deliverance, but a disappointment, and admitting that gave her a disgust of herself. If he was the gentleman Walter Gosforth said he was, he would be disgusted with her too. But was he? If the kiss she had seen him give his sister-in-law was anything to go by, he was far from a gen
tleman. Nor did he seem to have any compunction about duping his own brother, cuckolding him perhaps. How could she think twice about such a man?

She made herself return her attention to the papers in her hand and continued. ‘This morning I ascertained it is owned by a Mrs Bolton who lives in Islington. I also discovered the name of the agent acting on her behalf.'