All About Seduction(69)

Hurrying outside, she tied her hat under her chin.

After they dispensed with pleasantries, Caroline felt that, outwardly at least, she had regained control of her emotions. Inside, she quivered like a pennant flapping in a gale.

Dr. Hein handed her up into his curricle. “How is our patient, today?”

“He was sleeping soundly when I last saw him this morning.” Caroline settled on the seat. Jack was getting better and increasingly restless. He kept asking for clothes and she kept staving him off. Which was silly. If she didn’t mean to use him to father a baby then there was no reason to keep him at the house, except he provided a safe haven when she was sneaking about pretending to conduct an affair. “But I can tell you, he is quite anxious to use his crutches more.”

“As he should. He will need to rebuild his strength.” The physician climbed into his gig and unwrapped the reins from the brake handle. “Has he been able to move his toes?”

Caroline shook her head. The inability to move his foot concerned Jack.

The doctor sighed. “I suppose he must have damaged a nerve in the accident.”

“Will it heal?”

“It is in God’s hands.” The doctor shrugged. “He may never have full use of his foot. Or it might fully heal. Only time will tell. At least he seems to have escaped sepsis.”

If his ankle didn’t heal properly, Jack might need to work as a clerk permanently.

Dr. Hein slapped the reins, starting the horse forward. “And our other patient? He has been taking the foxglove a few days, long enough to see improvement.”

Caroline frowned. His words didn’t seem to make sense in her head.

“Is your husband feeling better?” asked the doctor anxiously. “Perhaps I should look in on him first.”

Goodness, was she so concerned about Jack, she’d forgotten Mr. Broadhurst? “He has been well.”

“Remember, your husband must not take too much of the foxglove, but exactly as I prescribed it,” the doctor was saying. “Those who think the prescribed amount makes them feel so well that more would make them feel better are sadly disabused of the notion. Too much can make a heart stop.”

Caroline turned to the doctor. “You told Mr. Broadhurst this, did you not?”

“Yes, of course, and I reiterated the dosing instructions with your brother, as you had gone to the mill, but I find with men it is often their wives that mind the details of their lives.”

“Perhaps he shouldn’t take it at all if it is so dangerous,” she said.

“I don’t wish to alarm you, but his heart is weak. The foxglove will help, but his heart could give out at any time. All this activity with his visitors might be too much for a man in his condition. He is not hale.”

Her fingers curled in until her nails bit her palms through her gloves. She might not have years to build a nest egg or work at persuading Mr. Broadhurst to change his mind about leaving her with nothing. She had to go back to her original plan of getting pregnant. Her heart thundered in her chest. She couldn’t tiptoe around anymore. Either she had to solicit Jack or apply herself to seducing one of the remaining gentlemen.

“Are you all right, Mrs. Broadhurst?” asked the doctor.

“I’m fine,” she said in a wooden voice.

“I know it must be hard news—”

“Mrs. Broadhurst! Oh, Mrs. Broadhurst, Doctor, do stop.”

Caroline swiveled to see Lucy running after them. Her skirts were caught up in one hand and her black stockings flashed beneath white petticoats as she chased them. In her other hand she held a tied bundle.

The doctor stopped the horse.

Lucy caught the side of the vehicle and stood panting. A stray strand of blond hair curled over her rosy cheek and she pushed it back. “Would you give . . . these to Jack?” She held out the cloth bundle. “I baked him a batch of his favorite shortbread.”

And then there was Lucy, bright-eyed, pretty blond Lucy, Jack’s future wife. Caroline silently moaned. She couldn’t make use of Jack when he was going to marry this girl, not do that with him and then work within feet of him in the mill office, knowing he would be going home to Lucy.

“You can have some too,” the girl said cheekily to the doctor. “And give Jack my love. I have to get back before the foreman realizes I left.” Her guileless eyes landed on Caroline. “Another girl’s watching my spot, but you understand, don’t you, Mrs. Broadhurst.”