Page 140 of The Sisters of Sea View
“Why? Is everything all right? Is Major Hutton well?”
“Yes, miss. He’s just ... meeting with someone and won’t have time today.”
“May I ask whom?”
He shook his head. “Sorry, miss. I’ve been told to keep my mouth shut.” And he slowly closed the door.
Wondering what was going on, and hoping the major truly was all right, Viola slowly walked away. She had some time before Mrs. Gage expected her, so she took the long way, walking to the esplanade for a view of the beach before strolling eastward along the remains of the old fort.
Through an arched gateway in the stone wall, she saw ColinHutton on the grassy field within, dressed for cricket, stretching, jogging in place, and experimentally swinging a flat wooden bat.
She walked through the archway to greet him.
Seeing her approach, he beamed. “Good day, Miss Vi.”
“All ready for today’s match?”
“Not a bit of it. Yet I am looking forward to it all the same. What about you?”
“I would like to come, but I am supposed to read to Mrs. Gage soon. I hope to persuade her.”
“You do that. We need a good cheering section. Oh, by the way, I would not bother going to Westmount today.”
“I already tried. Taggart turned me away. Said the major was meeting someone?”
Colin nodded. “Mr. Bird is introducing him to another surgeon he knows.”
“Which surgeon?” Viola’s heart pounded, again recalling her dreadful encounter with Mr. Cleeves on the street.
“Someone who might be able to do something about his scars, apparently. New technique or some such.” He grimaced. “I decided to leave the gruesome talk to them.”
There were several surgeons in Sidmouth, Viola reminded herself, so the chances of it being the same man were small. Regardless, she asked, “What sort of a man is he?”
Colin screwed up his face. “What sort?”
“Old? Young? Tall?”
“Looking for a husband, Vi?” he teased.
“No. Just ... tell me.”
“I don’t know. Not young, though younger than Papa. Rather slight. Well-dressed, I noticed, for a blood-and-bone man.”
Viola shivered, then asked, “Hair?”
“Yes, he had some.”
“Colin, you are rubbish at descriptions. What is his name?”
“I did not really pay attention.”
Viola licked dry lips. “It was not ... Cleeves, was it?”
Colin frowned in thought, then shook his head. “That does not ring a bell.”
She released a long, relieved breath then asked, “If a meeting was all it was, why did Taggart not tell me?”
Colin lifted a shoulder. “I don’t think Jack wants to say anything until he knows more—doesn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything either, but you are practically one of the family.”
