Page 53 of The Knight's Pledge
“Actually, yes,” Lucan said with a triumphant look that he turned toward the old woman as he addressed her. “Yes, it’s quite warm, despite the chill.”
“If the dressing’s not changed,” Effie continued the explanation, “the herbs will burn a hole in your scar and reopen your wound.”
Lucan was still for a moment and then bent toward his boot ties. Effie took a seat at his side, partly to make him uncomfortable, partly to watch Winnie work.
And partly to be near him?a little voice inside her head queried.
“You really should just listen to her,” Effie said in a loud whisper, taunting him in an effort to distract herself from her traitorous thoughts.
The boot came off and Winnie placed Lucan’s wrapped foot in her lap.
Lucan lifted an eyebrow. “Listentoher, should I?”
“You know what I mean,” she said, buffeting his shoulder with her own reflexively, as was her habit with Gorman and the others. It caused his eyes to flash at her though and so she looked back to his foot as hercheeks heated.
Lucan broke the awkward moment. “Have you always beenmute, Winnie?”
Winnie shook her gray head and made some swift signs.
Effie chuckled. “She used to speak a fair better English than you. With nicer manners, as well.”
Lucan stiffened, which only caused Effie’s chuckle to grow and Winnie tosmile serenely.
“Oh, don’t be offended, Sir Lucan,” she said. “Winnie is the smartest one of us in the Warren. Smartest in all the north of England, I’d wager. May I, Winnie? You know if I don’t, he’ll only assault you with questionsall the night.”
Winnie signed.
“Well, yes, it’s true that it will likely happen any matter.”
The old woman tossed Effie a look and then another pair of signs.I like to hear him speak—don’t you?
Effie ignored her, choosing instead to fill in Lucan while their clothes steamed together in the humid air under the canvas.
“Winnie is a physician.”
“What?”
The old woman tried to contain her smile as she busied herself, but Effie could see that she was enjoying this part—she always did.
“It’s true,” Effie continued. “She trained at the university in Bologna, under Maestra Dorotea Bucca. She wasquite famous.”
Winnie paused to lether hands talk.
“She actually knowsfourlanguages,” Effie translated. “And she has performed many operations on many important people.”
“What happened?”
Effie paused for a moment. “She came back to England,” she said quietly. “The men in the guilds wouldn’t admit her because she wasn’t married to a physician, although her father had been famous in Italy for his skill. So for her to practice—no matter that she was better trained and more capable than any floundering idiot turned out in London or Oxford or the odd monastery—was illegal. Although they were happy enough to keep her about to solve their problems for them and make them look competent.”
Lucan continued to look at Effie patiently.
Go on, Winnie encouraged.It’s fine.
“They were called to a home where a little boy was ill,” Effie said. “The physician in charge called for a remedy, with which Winnie strongly disagreed.”
A common illness,Winnie signed, almost to herself.So simple.
“He didn’t listen to her,”Lucan guessed.
