She handed the fossil back to Thomas and stepped away.
He placed it back inside his satchel and looked at her, feeling strangely uncomfortable all of a sudden. He’d probably stayed too long. “I should be going.”
“I don’t think that is such a good idea.”
Thomas slid off the patient bed and attempted to stand up, certain that he would be able to manage on his own. Clearly, he was mistaken. He hadn’t expected his leg to be as tender as it was, and his knee buckled as he tried to put pressure on it. A cry emerged from his throat as he grabbed for the bed to stop from falling to the floor.
Rebecca was by his side immediately. “What on earth were you thinking? Your leg is injured. You cannot stand on it.”
Thomas couldn’t stop the sudden urge to laugh from bubbling up. She looked so concerned for him. “My apologies. I don’t wish to take up any more of your time.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You are under mine and my father’s care, and I cannot allow you to be in pain. I shall send word to His Grace’s estate to send someone to collect you here.”
He tried to stop her. He hated being a bother to his family. Especially his brothers. “That is not necessary. I can make my own way—”
“I will not listen to you arguing with me, Mr. Melton. Or should I address you as My Lord?” she asked.
“Please call me Thomas. There is no need for such formalities,” he told her.
A smile formed on his lips despite the throbbing pain felt in his leg. The young woman had rebuked him. He liked her courage in doing so. Not many ladies he’d met would do such a thing to a duke’s brother.
He appreciated her insistence as it showed she truly cared about his well-being.
“Very well, Thomas,” she said with a nod. “I will send our manservant to His Grace’s residence—”
“Finlay Hall,” Thomas interjected as he repositioned himself on the patient bed.
“I will return shortly. Please do fight the urge to stand by yourself again, as you will most certainly topple over.”
“At least I know you’ll be there to help when that happens,” Thomas said with a grin.
Rebecca pursed her lips for a moment and finally sighed. “Please do not do anything foolish until I return.”
“I will wait for you,” he said with a nod. He didn’t want the doctor tending him if he re-injured himself. His beautiful nurse was more than proficient at stitches.
Rebecca studied him for a moment, her eyes cool and assessing, before she turned away and left the room.
Thomas grinned once more and stared down at his leg, perfectly wrapped in a clean bandage. Perhaps his accident and misfortune had brought him to Dr. Morton and the lovely Rebecca for a reason?
Perhaps it was nature’s way of leading him in the right direction. Or it was merely a sign that it was time to leave the things of the past in the past and focus on the future.
Chapter Two
Rebecca hurried into the foyer as the urgent knocking echoed through the hallway. Where was Christopher, the manservant who saw to the door?
Luckily, she had not been busy with a patient. She had been keeping the handsome Thomas company while intermittently assisting her father with patients. She had not expected the day to be as busy and lively as it was turning out to be.
Thomas was not only handsome, but pleasant company, and the manner in which his eyes sparkled as he spoke of fossil hunting was a delightful sight. He had such passion and fire. She was truly captivated by him.
She’d never heard of hunting for fossils, and the very idea intrigued her. Even though she’d only met Thomas a short while ago, she sincerely wished he would invite her on such an excursion.
Of course, that would never happen. He was the brother of the Duke of Waign. He was a noble and influential person. A notable person in the fossil hunting world as well and had his own exhibition at a museum in Bournemouth, as he’d so humbly told her earlier.
It was not something she’d thought would be interesting, but the delicate and fragile seahorse fossil was beautiful, and if someone such as Thomas would wish to introduce her to his world, she would happily learn as much as she could.
The knocking continued and as Rebecca opened the door, her jaw dropped in shock.
Before her stood the Duke of Waign, Thomas’ eldest brother, looking regal and intimidating in his finery. His presence was both impressive and unexpected.
When Rebecca had ordered one of their manservants to call upon the duke to arrange transportation back to Finlay Hall, she had not expected for the man himself to arrive at her home. She’d have thought him much too busy to take the time to collect his brother himself.
“Your Grace,” she said quietly and curtseyed as low as she could without toppling over. “I was not expecting you.”
“My brother is injured, and I came as soon as I heard,” the duke answered. “Is he well?”
“I will take you to him,” Rebecca said, her heart thumping a little too fast in her chest.
The duke nodded and Rebecca turned and walked down the side hallway that led to the waiting room. She assumed the duke followed her as the patients she passed paused their conversations for a moment and acknowledged the duke in quiet gestures.
Rebecca opened the door to the private treatment room where the youngest Melton waited and stepped inside. Thomas smiled briefly at her and she stepped to the side to reveal his brother.
“Thomas,” the duke said in a stern voice.
Thomas’ eyebrows shot up. “Charles. I did not expect to see you here.”
“Why do people automatically assume I would not come? Is everyone under the assumption that I have better things to do with my time? And my youngest brother’s well-being is not
