Page 64 of An Accidental Romance

She would endeavor to enjoy herself.

* * *

The first item of business, Susan told Rebecca the next morning, was for Dr. Archibald to examine Rebecca’s ankle. The second item was to pay a visit to Madame Veronique’s dress shop. Susan had sent a note to Lady Walmsley to invite her to join them on the outing.

Rebecca was currently seated on a large upholstered chair in one of the ornate rooms on the main floor, her broken leg on a pillow that had been laid atop a footrest, when Dr. Archibald entered the room with Aylesham and set his medical bag on a nearby table.

“I don’t normally take these sorts of calls,” he said in a rather begrudging tone. “I leave them for the bonesetters. However, since it was the Duke of Aylesham who asked, I was more than happy to set aside my usual gentlemanly custom.” He glanced at Aylesham, who nodded slightly with that ducal stare Rebecca had come to recognize put the rest of civilization in its place. She bit her lip so as not to smile but was appreciative that Aylesham had used his rank in her behalf. It was rather gratifying.

Dr. Archibald removed scissors from his bag and asked a footman to move a chair closer to Rebecca, which he sat on. He cut and unwound the linen bandages from the splint on her leg. “Steady now,” he said. The wood splints underneath the bandages were beginning to loosen. How odd it felt after having worn the splint for more than a month! “Hold as still as you can so I can evaluate how your limb is healing, Miss Jennings.” He removed the splints that had spanned from heel to midcalf and set them next to the discarded bandages.

Her leg had been wrapped tightly to prevent her from moving her foot up and down. Without the splint and bandages, her ankle and calf felt oddly free and yet naked and vulnerable, and she was surprised at how anxious she felt.

“Yes, good, good,” Dr. Archibald said. He pressed various spots on her ankle bones. “Does this hurt? Does this?” he asked her with each push of his fingers.

“No,” she replied each time he asked. Her bare leg and foot were beginning to itch like mad, however.

He then lifted her leg carefully from the midcalf, supporting her heel with his other hand so he could inspect her ankle from all directions. “No discoloration,” he said at last after setting her leg carefully back on the pillow. “And no loose bone chips that I could feel. Your ankle appears to be healing nicely. I was told by the duke that it has been a month since your injury. Correct?”

“Yes,” Rebecca said. “A month and a few days.”

“Well,” he said, rising to his feet. “In a week and a few days more, you should be healed enough to return to regular activity—gradually, I would add.” He removed some straps of stiff leather from his bag. “I presume those linen bandages are for my use?” he said, pointing to some strips of linen that a maid had brought into the room.

“Yes,” Aylesham said.

“Excellent.” Dr. Archibald returned to the chair at Rebecca’s side. “These leather straps will be much more comfortable than the wooden supports were. You may still have some discomfort while I put the new splint on your leg. Would you care for anything to dull the pain? Laudanum, perhaps? Ladies often faint from such medical procedures as this.”

“What do you think, Rebecca?” Susan asked, looking concerned.

“I felt little pain when you removed the first splint and examined my leg,” Rebecca said. “I believe I can brave whatever discomfort may be involved.”

“Excellent,” the doctor said again.

The leather, while stiff, felt much better against her leg than the wood had, and Dr. Archibald had also been careful to lay bandages against her skin before putting the leather splints in place. Eventually, the doctor rose to his feet. “There you are, young lady,” he said. “Today is Wednesday, so I shall call upon you a week Friday, and we’ll remove the splint for good.”

“Thank you, Dr. Archibald,” Rebecca said.

“Yes, thank you so much for your efforts on my sister’s behalf,” Susan said.

“You’re welcome, Your Grace,” Dr. Archibald said. He bowed and picked up his bag.

“Allow me to see you out,” Aylesham said.

Dr. Archibald nodded and followed Aylesham from the room.

“Now,” Susan said. “The question is, How does your leg actually feel? Has all of this tired you too much for our outing this afternoon?”

“Hmmm,” Rebecca said, tapping her chin with her finger. “How to answer? I could probably crawl through London on my hands and knees if it promised to give me the chance to spend the afternoon shopping for clothes.”

Susan laughed. “That is what I hoped to hear,” she said. “You are going to love Madame Veronique’s little shop. And you are going toadoreLady Walmsley!”

Rebecca laughed in return. “Lead on, Your Grace!”

The Duchess of Aylesham swatted Rebecca playfully on the arm.

* * *

Madame Veronique clapped her hands together in apparent glee. “Vee are delighted to have zee seester of zee most beautiful Duchess of Aylesham in our humble shop zees afternoon!” she exclaimed.

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