Page 39 of The Gentleman Physician

Julia could not watch her sister go through the same heart-ache and pain she’d endured for years, but even if she could not prevent it, she would protect her sister from suffering alone.

Thankfully, Christine won her right to love Thomas Gilbert. They had married. Julia’s heart lifted joyfully every time she thought of her sister’s good fortune.

If only she had found a way, years ago, to win her own.

Standing in the grasses before the Crescent townhomes, Julia pulled her thoughts back into order. The solitude had not given her the respite she’d hoped for, but at least some clarity returned to her thoughts.

After all she and Nathaniel had been through in the past, and looking at where they were presently, things had worked out for the best. He was a talented and honorable physician, she would soon move forward to a new level of independence, and they would end as friends.

She thought of the lady she had seen him with, the night that sweet Edward’s croup alarmed Virginia. He’d been kind and attentive to her; she had such poise and fresh beauty. Truly, if that woman held a special claim on him, Julia could only be glad he had found someone to devote himself to.

Julia walked back towards the row of houses, her eyes admiring the beautiful details around the windows. She wondered which of the doors were real and which were only part of the facade. If she tried to open a door leading to nowhere, what would happen?

“Life is like those doors,” she said to herself, lifting her skirt as she ascended the hill. “Some go nowhere.” Half-smiling at her own philosophizing, Julia glanced down again to be sure she didn’t misstep on the uneven ground.

When she next looked up to the walkway before the houses, a man stood staring back at her. His tall hat, dark coat, and medical bag did not give him away so much as his stance. Nathaniel stood watching her from several paces away.

Julia felt warmth in her cheeks and on the back of her neck, wondering if her thoughts had somehow drawn him to this spot. In such a busy place as Bath, she did not know how they could manage to meet each other by accident twice, and in such an unlikely place as this.

“Miss Devon.” He waited until she was much closer to speak, barely lifting his voice louder than in casual conversation. “What brings you here this morning?”

She met his concerned expression with a sincere smile. “I found I missed the countryside, and this is the closest I can come to it at present. The fields are beautiful, despite the cold.”

His gaze turned to look over her shoulder, sweeping across the landscape behind her before he offered a nod. “It is lovely. I can see how this would help a case of homesickness.”

Julia stopped, standing next to him, and studied the landscape, small blades of grass peeking through the snow. “It is not homesickness. I don’t find myself thinking of the house and grounds. I think more on all the greenery. I miss the fields and the trees, and I miss springtime. But I am otherwise fond of Bath.”

“You don’t miss your family’s estate?”

“No.” She could answer that with complete honesty. Her father’s house had, of late, been a cold and unpleasant residence whenever he was at home. “My sisters are gone from the place, and they are all that kept me content there.”

He remained quiet longer than she expected, and when Julia glanced at him, she found his eyes trained on her. “I see. You are very close to them? I cannot recall you speaking much of them before. There are two sisters and a brother?”

Julia nodded, tilting her head as she inspected him. This line of conversation surprised her, but perhaps he meant to fulfill his role as a friend. Her heart warmed to think he cared enough to act the part.

“Christine, who we must now call Mrs. Gilbert, lives in Kettering with her husband. They are starting a horse farm. And Rebecca is in London, with our aunt, finishing her education to become a young lady. Horace is away at school. They are all very dear to me.”

“Hm. What do they think of you becoming a governess?”

The question startled her and Julia’s lips parted. “How did you know about that? I have only told—”

“Your cousin. She mentioned it to me, a few days ago.” His smile was not amused but encouraging nonetheless. “I think it brave of you, to go out into the world and make a place for yourself.”

Although Julia hardly thought it of herself, she took the compliment gratefully. “You have already done it, of course, as a physician. We must both be brave.”

He continued staring down into her eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slowly. “I suppose you’re right.” He looked down at the bag in his hand, as if remembering he held it. He adjusted his grip on the handles, and then he gestured at the row of houses behind them.

“I am here to see a patient. Lady Huntington. But I have reason to believe she would enjoy meeting you. Would you care to step in with me for the visit?” Nathaniel asked, offering his free arm. “Then I might escort you home.”

Oh my. Julia put her arm through his, trying to act as though such a thing were normal. Coming into close contact with Nathaniel was becoming something of a habit. “Is it done, to bring callers when you are in your official capacity as doctor?”

His laugh was short but warm. “Not usually. But you are a special exception.”

Julia’s heart quickened and she looked down at the ground, silently berating the organ for being nonsensical. Nathaniel had always been a gentleman. She must accept that there was nothing truly special about her to him, or anyone else.

Maybe someday she would be fearless, and she might tell him why she acted as she did all those years ago, when he professed that he wished to court her. But he had moved on. What purpose would it serve to bring up the past? She had best let it alone and enjoy what time she had in his company.

She would not be in Bath forever.