Chapter Eleven

"Husband."

"Yes, Wife." She could hear the smile in his voice, as if he already knew her tone when she had a request. Even though she was married and apparently married English ladies could take breakfast in bed, Elena often came down for breakfast. It was one of her favorite times she spent with Irene while David had been gone.

"Would you mind if we brought Goliath to the hospital with us? I want to have Maggie's husband, Dr. Green, look at his leg. Or Maggie if he is unavailable. She is skilled at setting bones."

Her husband was still smiling at her but narrowed his eyes as he buttered his toast.

"I'm sensing another reason to bring him."

"Well, I have noticed he has an influence on you."

David glanced down at Goliath, who was looking up at him beseechingly.

"Elena, he just wants my toast."

"Yes, that is his dearest wish at the moment, but at other times." She stopped abruptly, unsure of how to describe what she had seen. She had noticed something unusual the past few days—whenever David seemed to tense up, Goliath appeared to notice and came to David's side or lay his head in his lap. She wasn't sure if David was even aware of this, and she didn't want to point it out if it was a sore subject. But she figured this afternoon, she could kill two birds with one stone, though she loathed that expression: first, she could have Goliath looked at by someone more experienced and knowledgeable than herself. And second, she could test her theory about the dog.

"Is it even hygienic? Bringing a dog to a hospital? Will Mrs. Raeburn have me shot?"

As he bit into his toast, a piece of the crust fell to the ground, which Goliath quickly snapped up. David, fortunately, did not seem to notice.

"Cleanliness is next to dogliness, Brother." Irene innocently took a sip of tea, but before the cup hid her expression, Elena could see that Irene was delighted with herself.

"Irene, if you weren't my sister, I would cast you out for such horrible abuse of the English language," David groaned. "Aunt Sophie, you are the most practical of all of us. What say you?"

At that moment, as they all looked over at her, Sophie was slipping the dog some bacon off her plate. She paused, then looked up at David as if he was interrupting an important conversation between herself and Goliath.

"Did you say something, Nephew?"

"What say you to this idea? Bringing the dog to the hospital?"

Aunt Sophie looked Goliath over. Goliath, seeming to notice that he was being judged, sat very straight and lifted his head high.

"Well, he seems to be a handsome, well-behaved creature. If Elena wants a doctor to look him over, it makes sense to bring him."

"You are overruled, Brother."

"Irene, you are just ganging up on me because I didn't take time to appreciate your dogliness line."

"It was brilliant wordplay. I'd like to see you do better." Irene set her cup in its saucer, crossed her arms, and looked up at her brother.

"Right now?" he asked.

Irene nodded.

David looked around the room for help, then seemed to give up. "Canine humor is not at the top of my immediate vocabulary at the moment," he muttered. Elena and Irene smiled conspiratorially at each other.

"And you!" He came back to Elena, gesturing with his bacon. "I see through you, Wife. You have some ulterior motive for bringing him. I see it in your eyes. I just haven't worked it out yet. But just you wait. I'm on to you." As he pointed to her with his bacon, the end broke off and fell to the floor again, to be quickly snatched up by Goliath. Elena slowly raised her head to meet her husband's comically agitated gaze and willed herself with all her might not to laugh.

****

He did not mind the dog accompanying them. Yes, the carriage was more crowded than usual, and despite his cane, he usually ended up carrying the beast if someone needed to. It was more that he often found himself playing the role of curmudgeon whenever Aunt Sophie showed her secret soft underside and abdicated the role, however briefly. He realized they had been like this, the three of them, since his father had died. Aunt Sophie had always been a part of his life, having been very close with his mother, her sister. He was grateful that she never blamed Irene for causing her death, as he sometimes feared that his father did. Sophie became a constant presence in his life once his father died. She understood without asking that David felt too young to take on all the business responsibilities alone and that he needed help managing everything. Looking around the carriage, he tried to figure out what role Elena now played in their family. Mostly, she was a peacemaker, a glue that didn't just hold them together, for they had already been rather close, but someone who helped them see and hear each other more clearly. He felt a rush of affection and something more for the woman sitting to his left with the dog's head in her lap. He wove his fingers with hers and drew her hand to his lips. He could smell the faint traces of amber he always associated with her on her short kid glove. At first, she looked up at him with a slight uncertainty, but after a moment, her face broke into a radiant smile that knocked him right in the chest. He wanted to lean over and kiss her dimples, her nose, her lips, but it would have been terribly inappropriate with his sister and aunt there. As if sensing his lascivious intent, Goliath raised his head and gave him a look.

As they arrived and he had helped everyone, including Goliath, out of the carriage, he was briefly overwhelmed by the number of people around them. The hospital was not in the busiest part of London, but it was still a well-traveled street full of people, carriages, and horses. Going through the list of things around him in his mind, he suddenly felt terribly crowded, as if he would never be able to take a deep breath again. Would this feeling never abate?

His mind began to race, but then he felt a steady presence on both sides of his body. On his left, Elena had taken his hand and massaged his knuckles. On his right, Goliath had positioned his body to block people from jostling against David, as if he had sensed what was wrong without being told. David felt his thoughts begin to slow down, and his breathing eased. He hadn't even had to count backward from ten. David looked down at the animal, feeling something shift between them just then. He realized the dog had done this several times before, but he had been too preoccupied to notice.

Elena was observing both of them, and he was starting to realize why she had brought the dog that day beyond asking for the Greens' medical advice. He smiled to himself as they walked in, the anxiety slipping away like a breeze on their backs. Clever woman, his wife. Clever and kind and caring. If only they could sneak off to some empty ward, he would show her all his appreciation. He tugged at his collar, which had begun to feel tight as they climbed the steps to the hospital. As it had been built in one of the newer styles, there were steps up to a large central area that opened up into wings. Usually, the steps felt overwhelming, but he felt a renewed vigor that day that he couldn't quite explain.

As they entered, they walked by Mrs. Raeburn, who seemed to be reading through some papers near the entrance. She looked up to see Elena and gave her a slow smile.

"Elena! But who is this fine fellow?" Mrs. Raeburn looked Goliath over with a decidedly neutral expression. He had never seen Elena look so timid as she brought Goliath forward.

"You don't mind, do you? We found him on the way home the last time we were here. I wanted to have someone check his hind legs. Also, he is a wonderful, brave dog, and we thought, well, I thought, perhaps some of the soldiers and other patients might like to see him…?" While she explained confidently, David knew her well enough to sense her nervousness, as she used her hands more than usual as she spoke, then smoothed her gown and hair as she waited while Mrs. Raeburn regarded the dog.

"He is well-behaved?

"I vouch for him completely." Elena gave Goliath a look out of the corner of her eye, and he sat and held his head up straight.

Mrs. Raeburn inspected Goliath for a long moment, then sighed. "He may do some good. Of course, some doctors will complain that I had a dog at my hospital when the cleanliness here is better than most private hospitals." She stopped and looked to the heavens for a moment before going on. "I suppose I do not much care for what my critics say. Let them complain to the board that a peer of the realm brought a well-behaved dog." She waved toward Goliath. "Show him around."

Elena gave that radiant smile again, and David felt his knees go weak. He realized that one of the benefits of walking with a cane was that his legs didn't go out from under him every time she smiled.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something he had rarely ever seen in his entire life. His aunt had not yet said anything, her expression intent and focused. He couldn't remember the last time she had held her tongue on any matter.

"Mrs. Raeburn, please let me introduce my aunt, Miss Sophie Plemmons."

The women considered each other. Mrs. Raeburn gave a slight nod.

"Please, you must call me Suzanne."

Again, his aunt seemed struck mute. David could count the occasions he had seen her without anything to say on one hand. Finally, when she realized everyone was looking at her, Sophie said quickly, "Is there a Mister Raeburn?"

"Alas, no, my husband left us over ten years ago."

Again, another long pause.

"And you have not remarried?"

This was horribly impersonal for someone she had just met, but Sophie rarely followed social niceties, and Mrs. Raeburn did not seem to mind, though she looked a little perplexed at this new person as if unable to read her intentions.

"There was so much to do." She gestured around.

The corner of Sophie's mouth ticked up slightly.

"Naturally."

Mrs. Raeburn nodded again, then turned her attention to Elena.

"Come, let's see if your notion about this dog is correct."

As David, Irene, and Sophie began to follow the two women and the dog, David heard his aunt murmur, "What a singular woman."

Irene and David looked at each other in surprise. That was the highest praise they had ever heard their aunt bestow upon anyone, let alone a virtual stranger.

As they neared the adjacent convalescent home, David looked down at Goliath. He really was a rather exceptional dog, staying with the group instead of racing off. Stepping into the convalescent ward, David scanned the large room. McDaniel wasn't there. His heart began to pound. He had just spoken to the man. He must be here. Goliath nudged him in the leg, and he turned to see Elena's worried expression mirror his own anxiety.

"The man I spoke to last time. Where is he?"

Mrs. Raeburn's face was drawn.

"There was an incident."

That fear and dread he felt every time one of his regiment did not come back crept into his chest. He steeled himself for the worst.

"Last night, he shook so hard that he fell from the bed. He broke his other wrist, so one of the doctors is with him right now. He should be back shortly."

David felt as if his blood began to flow again, his heartbeat returning to normal.

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Raeburn began. "I should have told you straight away. I did not realize you had become friends of a sort."

David was about to respond when he saw McDaniel walking back in, his arm in a sling. The man stopped and registered the women and Goliath.

"Who have you got there?"

"My wife, Lady Grayston. And this is Goliath." He nodded toward Elena, then cocked his head toward Goliath. "Found him the last time we came here. We thought he might like to see the place."

"My lady." McDaniel gave a slight bow to Elena, then turned to Goliath. For the first time since David had known him, his craggy face cracked into something of a smile. He suddenly looked years younger, and David recognized they might be around the same age. "He is quite the large fellow. I'd pet him, but…" He indicated his arm. David noted he had broken his wrist on his working arm.

"We could walk if you like."

"We are very close to a small park." Mrs. Raeburn pointed to the window. David caught Elena's eye as she gave him a strange look. Something possibly like pride. Before he could analyze that, she clasped his hand.

"I need to go introduce Sophie to someone. I will see you later, yes? Take Goliath with you."

"Yes, General."

She shook her head but shooed him off fondly.

He and McDaniel made their way to the park, enjoying some green after the very gray space that was the hospital. They walked for a few minutes, with Goliath running ahead before McDaniel spoke.

"So, you're a peer."

David had forgotten that he would be revealing himself by introducing his wife as such. He couldn't quite articulate why it had been important that he not tell McDaniel.

"I figured it out the moment I saw you." McDaniel went on before David could speak.

"Ah. What gave it away?"

"The way you carry yourself. Clothes. Manner of speech."

"If it makes you feel any better, it's a very recent title."

McDaniel shrugged and kicked a rock as though that distinction meant little to him. "Your wife is lovely. She seemed kind."

"She is both."

There was a pause. Then—

"How do you talk about it with her?"

David looked over at him. McDaniel's pale blue eyes were watching Goliath chasing a squirrel.

"Do you mind if we sit?" David asked. He suddenly felt very old and worn down but continued cheerfully. "I sometimes have a weakness in my legs."

They sat on a bench in the center of the garden, giving David more time to think about what he was going to say.

"I don't most of the time, honestly," he admitted. "She has her own private horrors from the war that she does not talk much about either." McDaniel could likely tell from her accent she was no Englishwoman.

"There's not much else to think about, especially here." McDaniel gestured with his sling to his other arm. "The men I killed. The absolute madness of it all. The smell."

"No one ever tells you about the smell." Even thinking of it now brought back memories of the bodies that hadn't been recovered yet in the summer heat, something he had tried to bury deep in the corners of his mind. "I'm not sure if it is better not to think about it. I have it in my mind that if I pull it out slowly and occasionally, I'll sort it all out."

McDaniel nodded, still watching Goliath, who approached him and nudged his knee.

"I can't pet you, old son. I'm sorry." Goliath just laid his head on the man's knee and looked up at him. "I tell you, he would have been good in the war."

"Goliath?"

"He's got a whole soldier's constitution." McDaniel's mouth quirked slightly, and David noted that despite his skepticism earlier, they should always bring Goliath with them.

"Well, if we ever go back, we can take him."

David's words hung in the air, as the two of them would likely never go back. Probably for the best, David thought, and besides, the war was over. He didn't quite know how to ask what he wanted to ask next, but he tried anyway.

"Do you think if you had something to do, you might think on it less? When I first met my wife, right after I had been injured, she said that to keep herself from sorrow, she always found something to do. I tried at the clinic where I went after the war to give myself small goals and tasks every day so that I didn't lose my mind. Maybe if you had something or someone?"

McDaniel twisted his mouth. "My family?"

"I know not all families are loving, supportive units." He thought of Michael and Henry, who had both been distant from their fathers. "But surely, someone in your family would support you. Help you find something to occupy your time? If I didn't have Elena and my sister and my aunt to think of, I don't know what I would have done."

McDaniel's mouth was a straight line, his jaw tight. But his eyes told a different story. David could see the yearning in his pale blue irises.

"If you dictated something today, I could frank it for you next week, and then they probably wouldn't receive your post immediately and come see you right away, perhaps not even until your wrist was better. That would give you some time to prepare yourself."

McDaniel looked at Goliath as if they were in some silent communication.

"The Laughing Lass," McDaniel muttered.

"Pardon?"

"I said, you can write my sister for me. She and her husband run a pub in Glasgow. The Laughing Lass. When we go back inside, I'll dictate something for you."

David tried not to smile, so he looked up at the sky and leaned back on the bench. Suddenly, the park felt greener and warmer, and the sun shined clearer. Sometimes, he realized, he was rather the incurable optimist his friends often accused him of being.

****

Elena had hoped she was not being presumptuous in assuming that Sophie would automatically take on Annamaria. She also did not want to crowd the poor woman, so she ensured it was just her and Sophie approaching the ward.

"Now, last time I saw her," Elena began, "she had sustained an injury, so she might not want to talk about that—"

"Elena, I will ask her all that I need to know. You may calm down."

"Yes, Aunt Sophie." Elena sighed.

However, when she reached the part of the ward where she had met Annamaria, her bed was empty, and she wasn't there. Elena felt the same panic she had seen cross David's face when his friend wasn't where he had been before. But Annamaria did not walk back into the room with a sling on her arm. Elena tried to quell her anxiety until she found a nurse on duty, Sister Mary Ellen, a small, bespectacled woman, and inquired after Annamaria.

"She was discharged a day after her arm was treated. She had no reason to stay here longer."

Of course, Annamaria had been discharged, Elena scolded herself. If she had a daughter at home, she could not have stayed at the hospital for a long period of time.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Sophie, I feel like a fool. I hope this wasn't a waste of your time."

"Not a waste, never a waste. Why don't you ask for a forwarding address?"

The thought had not occurred to Elena, but when she asked Sister Mary Ellen, Annamaria had left her address for when Elena returned. Her heart felt a little lighter.

"I'll send her a note to see if we can call on her sometime this week, yes?"

"That would be acceptable." Sophie's face was placid, giving away nothing of her thoughts on this turn of events.

Elena was eager to see how her husband fared now that she had done all she could do for Annamaria that day. They resumed their tour with Mrs. Raeburn, who appeared to fascinate Sophie. Elena had never seen her so complementary with anyone. Maggie did look at Goliath's leg and put on a much better splint than what Elena had fashioned. She agreed with Elena's assessment that he would compensate with the other three legs until it healed and that he needed rest and time to lie down.

David was quiet as they rode home, but Elena decided not to push him. He could come to her in time. Later that evening, he knocked on her door as she braided her hair at her vanity, and she called for him to enter. He wore a deep blue robe that looked crisp and clean on his broad shoulders. With a small jolt, she realized it was the robe she had been wearing in his bedchamber.

He set his cane down and sat on her bed, watching her as she finished braiding the ends of her hair. He had never come to her room like this before, and Elena felt a rush of awareness take hold of her body. As she finished her hair, she turned and looked at him.

"So?"

"So?"

"How did Goliath do today?"

"I think you were correct. He was, what did you say, a ‘calming influence'?

"I am indeed very wise." She tentatively stood and walked over to join him on her bed.

"And modest," he added. She playfully smacked his arm, and he responded with that boyish grin she liked so very much, but then his expression sobered.

"McDaniel wanted me to bring him back soon. I think he rather liked him. And…" He looked reluctantly pleased with himself. "And he agreed to let me write his sister for him. When we went back inside, he dictated a letter for me."

"Oh, David, that is wonderful!" She grabbed his hand, which he entwined in his own.

Looking down at their joined hands, he went on. "He was all alone, Elena. He's been living in his own mind all these years, with nothing, no loved ones to support him. No profession or industry to distract him. I don't know how he hasn't gone mad." He pressed his lips to her knuckles and held them there. While she felt the thrill of the contact between them, this moment did not feel erotically charged. It felt like he was trying to tell her something important.

"I found myself telling him about that day, that day you yelled at me—"

"It wasn't yelling so much—"

"Where you gave me a stern talking to and told me to find something to occupy myself. I hadn't realized how much I had taken it to heart, even in the clinic. How much giving myself small tasks and goals helped keep me from despair, especially in the early days when I was so frustrated with my body and with myself."

She swallowed and nodded. She did not remember everything she had said to him that day. In truth, she had been somewhat embarrassed for her outburst, but she was moved that he had taken her words to heart. He wrapped his other arm around her and pulled both of them back on the bed, not in heat, but in warmth and comfort.

"I don't know where I would be without you," he whispered as his head found the space between her breasts he seemed to like so well. She stroked his hair until she heard his breathing change, then lightly kissed the top of his head and joined him in sleep.