Page 40 of The Gentleman Physician

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Seeing Julia alone, walking through Barton Fields, had brought Nathaniel to a standstill. He had glimpsed her familiar figure as he walked along the Royal Crescent, only seeing her from the corner of his eye, and he concentrated fully to assure himself he was mistaken in her identity.

But Julia Devon was in the field, coming up the hill towards him, a gentle breeze lifting the ribbons of her bonnet to float behind her. When she looked up, his breath had caught.

Her smile warmed him more than the sun above them, and before he knew what he had done, she was on his arm about to enter Lady Huntington’s residence.

Knowing his patient and patron as he did, Nathaniel felt certain Julia’s reception by Lady Huntington would be warm and friendly, and likely a happy diversion. Her ladyship would likely even ignore the slightly unusual circumstance of a bachelor and a young woman calling upon her in each other’s company.

He was not at all disappointed.

“Lady Huntington, may I present a dear friend, Miss Julia Devon. Miss Devon, Lady Huntington.” Julia curtsied elegantly, Lady Huntington’s sharp eyes upon her.

“It is a great pleasure to meet you, my lady,” the younger woman said, betraying no discomfort at the scrutiny bestowed on her by the elderly woman.

“I must say, I am pleased to meet you as well. I have heard a great deal about you.”

Nathaniel tried to remain calm. Only now, too late to turn back, did he wonder if this meeting could be a mistake, given that the last piece of advice he had received from his patient was to consider taking a bride, and more particularly to consider Julia for the position. While he knew Lady Huntington often spoke her mind, she would not betray his trust in that matter, would she?

“And I have heard of you, my lady, from others in Bath. Despite my imitation of a recluse since coming here, I have been about enough to hear of your patronage to the most enlivening events in town. I am sorry that family business has kept me from meeting you.” Julia’s words were delivered with sincerity and an incredibly lovely smile.

Her pride flattered, Lady Huntington launched into a description of a party she had attended the night before, where all the elite of Bath had been present. Julia listened attentively, as evidenced by the play of emotion on her features.

Nathaniel watched as she reacted with appropriate interest, surprise, and amusement as Lady Huntington described the machinations of society’s members to jostle for importance. He enjoyed watching her lips twist with humor, only to part in some surprise, and then she laughed, the sound musical to him.

“Wouldn’t you say that is the case, Doctor?”

Julia’s coppery-brown eyes lifted to his, full of mirth, and her eyebrows raised expectantly.

Had a question been addressed to him?

He darted a quick glance at Lady Huntington and he knew he had missed something important. Her lips were pressed together, but she fought to maintain her reproving expression, and her gray eyes sparkled with the mischief of a much younger woman.

He ought to own up to his inattention. “I am sorry, my lady, my thoughts wandered elsewhere. What is it you asked me?”

She made a faint sound of disapproval. “Doctor Hastings, as you have called upon me as both friend and physician today, you really ought to be more attentive, but I will forgive you this time. I can plainly see your mind is on much more important matters.” Her tone may have sounded serious to Julia, but Nathaniel easily caught the playful note in her words.

Had Lady Huntington seen him staring at Julia, paying more attention to her smiles than the conversation? He tried to ignore the heat creeping up the back of his neck and into his ears. Nathaniel hated to blush, and it alarmed him he had yet to grow out of that cursed reaction.

“Lady Huntington asked if you thought the gentry in Bath a little ridiculous, given that they are here instead of in London during the season, as that means they aren’t as important as they think they are.” Julia spoke clearly, completely unaware of his thoughts or Lady Huntington’s sly implications.

“Oh.” His throat felt tight and dry, but he hastily took up the thread of the conversation and worked to keep his eyes away from Julia’s distracting countenance.

He only half succeeded.

“The doctor has told me about you, Miss Devon, and of your desire to become a companion or governess,” Lady Huntington said, offering them refreshment. They were sipping tea when she made this pronouncement.

Nathaniel had barely spoken to Julia about the idea, but the turn in conversation pleased him. He wanted to understand more of her thoughts on the matter, and he hoped the dowager countess would point out Julia’s largest obstacle in the matter, her youth and appearance. The idea of Julia entering a household in a serving position, to look after the children of strangers, where there could possibly be a man in the house who took advantage of her position, had become a concern to him.

“I know it is not entirely conventional for a woman with family to enter into such employment.” Julia did not appear at all concerned about the conversation. “But I am at a point in my life where I cannot see another path. My sisters are grown and my father has little need of me at home. I would like to be useful, but independent enough to make my own choices. I cannot do that as a spinster daughter.” A wry twist of her lips kept her words from sounding too self-deprecating.

Did she really count herself a spinster already? Plenty of women, outside of the nobility, did not marry until their mid-twenties. She was three and twenty, was she not? Could life be so difficult for her that it would be better to work than be with family?

“I understand and I applaud you for your decision.” Lady Huntington’s declaration brought him out of his thoughts. “The role of an unmarried woman in society is a difficult one. While I married the earl, barely out of my youth, I had a sister who did not make a match until her thirtieth year. She taught at a school for girls, you see. I asked her time and again to live with me, but she had that same independence of spirit. I believe she would have been happy to continue in that way, had she not met her vicar.”

“I am glad she was happy. I hope I shall be as well.” Julia’s shoulders went back and she sat straighter. “But first I will have to find a position.”

Lady Huntington leaned forward, her narrowed gaze inspecting Julia closely. “I think you will, dear girl. You have the same look about you as my sister, Elizabeth. It is a certain determination in your eyes.” The dowager glanced at Nathaniel, one corner of her mouth tilting upward. “And you have certain friends who are willing to help you in your endeavors.”