Page 92 of Educated By the Earl (Second Sons of London 1)

Dr. Presley cleared his throat. “Very well. Lady Tessa may stay, my lord.”

She thought Spencer tried to smile but it was too hard to tell with his face so swollen.

Rigsby removed his employer’s boots and cut away his clothing. Sitting Spencer up and trying to remove each piece would have been too much. As the pieces came off, she winced, seeing his battered torso and limbs.

For modesty’s sake, once all his clothing had been removed and set aside, Rigsby raised a bedsheet to Spencer’s waist.

Dr. Presley then examined Spencer thoroughly, his hands gentle. He spoke as he worked, giving a running commentary to keep Tessa and Rigsby informed.

“His lordship’s body has been battered severely. I have detected three ribs which are broken or cracked and another two which are deeply bruised. It is possible Lord Middlefield also has a concussion from the many hard blows he received to his head.”

“What does that mean?” she asked quietly.

“A number of things. He could suffer from blurred vision and headaches. Memory loss. A ringing in his ears. A type of brain fog. Chronic pain. He could have trouble focusing. It could lead to balance issues.”

“What can we do?” Tessa asked, hoping she kept the desperation from her voice.

“Rest is vital,” Dr. Presley explained. “He should remain in bed for at least two to three days. His brain, as well as his body, must rest in order to heal. No reading or lengthy discussions. No physical activity of any kind. Quiet is encouraged. Do not ask questions of him. If he asks something, answer him but no conversations that go on beyond a few sentences.”

“What about the rest of him, Doctor? His body?” Rigsby asked.

“Several things can be done for his lordship. First and foremost, though many find them disgusting, are using leeches. They are highly effective in removing bruises almost instantly and completely. I will do so now.”

The physician opened a large satchel on a nearby chair and removed a jar. Tessa shivered as Dr. Presley opened the lid and carefully picked up a live leech. He set the leech directly upon Spencer’s chest and repeated the process several times until more than a dozen leeches fed off him. True to his word, after several minutes, the bruising lessened and as the leeches grew full, Dr. Presley removed them and replaced them in the jar.

“Arnica will help reduce Lord Middlefield’s pain and increase circulation in the area around his bruising.”

He instructed Rigsby how to create a gel by mixing arnica with water and told the valet to rub the gel created directly onto the affected areas.

“Do not cover it with anything,” Dr. Presley stated. “The only exception will be once it is applied, we will wrap linen bandages about Lord Middlefield’s torso. It may help his ribs by limiting his movement.”

“How often should the arnica be applied?” Tessa asked.

“A few times a day until all bruising is gone,” the physician told her. “I will also tell Mrs. Marsh about steeping Saint John’s wort in warm water for twenty minutes. It will help in the swelling and is also a natural pain reliever. His lordship should take a single sip of this mixture daily until no bruising remains.”

She glanced down and saw Spencer’s brow furrowed in pain.

“His breathing is very shallow. I am worried about that,” she admitted.

“His lordship must do breathing exercises,” Dr. Presley said. “Shallow breaths risks pneumonia developing. He must learn to fight through the pain and take big, deep breaths. I shall write down for you when to begin and how often.”

“Before you leave?” she asked anxiously.

“Yes, I can stop in Lord Middlefield’s study and do so, my lady.”

“Thank you, Dr. Presley. For everything.”

Tessa asked Rigsby to show the doctor to Spencer’s study and stay with him until the breathing instructions were committed to paper.

“I’ll bring them to you straightaway, my lady. And see that Mrs. Marsh steeps the Saint John’s wort.”

The two men left the bedchamber and she was now alone with Spencer. She moved to sit upon the bed, taking his big hand in both of hers and bringing it to her lips. She kissed it tenderly.

“I hurt,” he said.

“Did you hear everything Dr. Presley said?” she asked.

“Most of it. Don’t talk much. Rest.”

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