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Patience cocked her head. “I’d take brains any day. I hope my child is as brilliant as you are.”
Chastity’s normally serious expression brightened as a small smile curved her lips. “Thank you, sister. I hope the baby will be the perfect blend of you and Dorian—beautiful, strong, and fiercely intelligent.” Before Patience could respond, she continued, “It’s fascinating the changes in a female body during pregnancy. I hope you will allow me to document the progress of your condition.”
Patience sprayed a little of her tea with a chuckle, her own social manners flagging. “Oh, darling, of course! Are you conducting new research on pregnancy?”
“No,” said Chastity. “But I do not come across pregnant women often—especially not those that are willing to answer questions from time to time. You never know what I might observe or what use I might find for the data in the future. Wouldn’t it be useful to know how to help pregnant women with nausea, for instance?”
Patience beamed. “It would. And since we’re already slipping into the meat of the discussion, allow me to officially call the first meeting of the Misses with Microscopes Club to order!” Only a few days earlier, they had decided to create a club for themselves and any other women who wanted to study science and support each other in a society where they had to fight to be heard.
Chastity grinned and straightened her back. “Indeed!”
“What are you working on?” asked Patience. “And can I be of help?”
“I have a theory that infection, often called ‘blood poisoning’ or ‘sepsis,’ occurs when wounds are not handled with clean instruments or hands. I believe some impurities enter, so small we cannot see them. I am working on a disinfectant that will, I hope, kill any impurities that may enter a wound.”
“Fascinating!” said Patience as she set her cup on the table. “That is what you put in Dorian’s medical baskets! You must need some real people to try out your solutions on.”
“Well,” Chastity said and sighed. “Yes. Indeed, I do. But I don’t have patients here.”
“Of course not. Then how do you experiment and learn?”
Chastity pursed her lips. “All right. This is a secret club, isn’t it? Nothing we say here can be shared with anyone.”
“Of course not. Not unless specifically allowed.”
“Even if you might think it’s in my best interests to inform say…my brother?”
Patience frowned. “Goodness, what in the world are you talking about?”
“You must promise you won’t say anything to Dorian. That’s what I’m trying to say.”
“I won’t.”
“Even if you think it’s dangerous?”
“Even if I think it’s dangerous.”
Chastity seemed to relax a little. “Good. It’s Lady Seaton, Jane. Do you remember her?”
“Of course. She’s Lord Richard Seaton’s wife.”
“Exactly. She…um. Did you know her half-brother is Thorne Blackmore?”
Patience’s eyebrows drew together. “The owner of Elysium?”
Chastity chuckled. “Yes. Did Dorian tell you about him?”
“He did. He told me about the monthly meetings he used to join, the ones Lucien and the rest of the dukes go to.”
Chastity licked her bottom lip at the mention of Lucien and raised an eyebrow in an angry contemplation. “Yes. That one. Anyway, when I told her about my project, she made an interesting suggestion.”
“Oh?” asked Patience.
“Mr. Blackmore has an associate…or rather a close friend. The same way the seven dukes are close, that’s how Mr. Blackmore is close to that man. His name is Brace Sterling, and he’s a doctor in Whitechapel… Well, he’s not officially licensed. He spent some years in Oxford, but he never graduated. He runs a free clinic and a hospital for the inhabitants of Whitechapel.”
Patience blinked, her mind putting all the pieces together. “Oh. And so you…?”
“I volunteer there. No official hospital in London wanted to recognize my work, my research, or support my medical claims,” she said, her voice breaking but her back straight.
