Chapter 23

“Chincough!” Olivia practically screeched after Eliza told her what everyone was whispering about behind fans. They may wish to speak quietly, but she did not care who heard her. “Dr. Sinclair would doze on the settee until he was called to attend one of the children. He got little sleep and only left long enough each day to change his clothing and return. His hours were long and grueling as he saw to their care, and it is because of him that none of the children died. That is why his appearance may have been less than proper, but certainly not what others have insinuated.”

“Lower your voice, you are drawing attention to yourself,” Victoria hissed.

“I do not care. The truth should be known, and I am insulted that those who have known you and me for years think so little of me, or Dr. Sinclair. He has been nothing but a gentleman and a doctor.”

There were those who watched her, eyes wide and a few sheepishly.

Good! She hoped they regretted spreading such false rumors.

“If that is what everyone chooses to think of me, than I shall take my leave. Enjoy your evening, Victoria.”

Olivia swept out of the ballroom without a backward glance then stepped out onto the walk.

She and Victoria had arrived together and had walked since they did not live so far away, so she would also walk home.

She did not care what others thought of her. What concerned her was that the rumors and gossip could harm Westbrook House. They relied on donations to support the home, but if those stopped because Society thought she and Dr. Sinclair had been carrying on an illicit affair, Olivia wasn’t certain what she would do. Further, it could hurt Victoria.

The two of them had worked so hard to make the home a success and now it might all be destroyed because a surgeon had spent the night treating ill children.

Oh, she was angry. So very, very angry. More so than she had ever been in her life but wasn’t certain what she could do to repair her reputation.

Though, her response and loud denial may help, she feared that it wouldn’t be enough to quash the ton’s speculation of what had occurred within Westbrook House.

Just as she was about to set off for home, a hackney pulled before the Willoughbys’ home and Xavier hopped out.

“Lady Olivia, I am so happy to have found you.”

She blinked at him. It had been a fortnight since he walked out of Westbrook House so she could not imagine what would be so pressing this evening.

“Tonight I was made aware of some ghastly rumors involving the two of us.”

At least she wasn’t the only one to be surprised. “And you came to find me so that I would know?”

“Actually, I had an invitation, though I had not intended to attend, but after hearing what was being said, thought to make an appearance to silence the gossip.”

“I fear that further protestation on the part of either of us will only fuel, not douse, the rumors.”

“We must try. I will not have your reputation called into question,” he insisted.

“It already has been,” she reminded him.

“Then there is only one thing that we can do to save it,” he announced.

“What would that be?” Olivia knew that once gossip began, it would likely not end until a more scintillating scandal was discovered. She could only hope that it happened soon.

“Marry me,” Xavier announced.

Olivia took a step back. “On the account of gossip!”

“To save your reputation,” he argued.

“Rushing to the altar will only prove that what they have been saying is true when we both know that it is not. I will not give the ton the satisfaction,” she rebuked. “You and I both know what occurred while the children were ill and I will not marry because someone saw something, or believed a story that was not true.”

More people were arriving and leaving the ball and she hoped that they continued on their way, but it was likely they would mention that she and Xavier were together outside of the house, which would further fuel speculation.

“You are being rather shortsighted, are you not? What of Westbrook House and how it is viewed?”

Olivia gasped! How dare he mention one of her fears because of the gossip.

“We did nothing wrong, and certainly nothing that warrants marriage,” she insisted, even though if anyone knew of their one night of indiscretion, everything that she cared about would be destroyed. “Further, I will only marry for love and as I never expect to find it, I will remain a respectable spinster.” With that, she turned on her heel and marched away from Xavier.

Two marriage proposals from him, and all on account of one night of indiscretion, and not because he loved her. As much as she had missed him this past fortnight, and ached to share not only intimacies with him again, but dinner and comfortable evenings in conversation, she would not marry without possessing his heart as well. He had already seized hers, but she would not enter a union at such a disadvantage or for the reasons he proposed.

Lady Olivia, a most obstinate and disagreeable woman. That had been his first impression of her and despite everything that had occurred between them, that had not changed.

For a fortnight he had worked until exhaustion to purge her from his mind, but he had not been successful because each moment that he was not concentrating on a patient, or a journal or medical text, he was thinking of her. Then, when he saw her last night outside the Willoughbys’ home, he had wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her deeply before sweeping her away to make love to her again.

She had soundly rejected him—Again!

Xavier was determined to stay away from Olivia and Westbrook House and managed to do so for two days following the Willoughby ball. However, that was all he could manage and as soon as he finished with his patients in the morning, Xavier announced to Valentine that he would be the one to visit the children who were still recovering from their illness.

As avoiding her had not helped Xavier forget her, nor could he forget how it felt to be with her…in her, he knew that he must find another way to purge her from his mind. Perhaps if he were rejected enough, Xavier would stop wanting her.

When he presented himself to Westbrook House, Fern gave him an update on the children’s recovery. Xavier thanked her and said that he would see them, but only after he spoke to Lady Olivia.

“If you will wait here, I will see if she is available.” Fern turned and hurried to the closed door of Olivia’s office, quickly knocked, entered, and then closed the door swiftly behind her. Xavier did not need to be clairvoyant to already know that Olivia would not be at home to him. Therefore, he marched forward and opened the door without knocking.

“Lady Olivia, it is so nice to see you again.”

She stood suddenly and glared at him “Did you wish to set tongues wagging again by presenting yourself to Westbrook House?”

“I promise not to leave disheveled again and will also leave at a reasonable hour.”

“Lady Olivia…” Fern waited for instructions.

“You may go.” Olivia let out a sigh and sat.

Fern ducked out of the room and shut the door behind her. Without being asked, Xavier took a seat across from her, hating the expanse of desk between them.

“What do you need, Dr. Sinclair?”

“I am no longer Xavier?”

“The time of crisis has passed and upon reflection, I realize how much of a mistake it was to allow such closeness.”

“I don’t believe anything that we did was a mistake,” he countered.

“Rumors and gossip could not only harm Westbrook House but also my sister’s reputation when she has been innocent of everything. I will not see either harmed.”

“Most of what they are saying is not true.”

“It does not matter. Since when does Society care as to the truth of the matter?” she demanded.

“Very well,” he agreed. “What can we do to rectify the matter?”

“For one, you should not return to Westbrook House,” she suggested.

“There are times when Valentine cannot attend those who are ill or injured here so it will fall to me.”

“That cannot be avoided but hopefully those instances will not be so often that Society speculates.”

“There must be another way or something else we can do to quiet the rumors,” Xavier insisted.

“There is another option,” Olivia offered after a moment. “We documented everything we did even before we realized the children had contracted chincough. I thought to write a paper on the matter and have it presented to the Royal Society of Medicine. Only then, after those with knowledge realize how involved you were, and not as they presumed while in this house, it might bring about a change in how we are viewed.”

“You cannot write such an article. You are a woman, nor are you a physician.”

Olivia stiffened as her eyes grew hard. “My first impression after meeting you was that you were dismissive of me, arrogant and autocratic. I was mistaken in believing perhaps you have changed.”

“You misunderstood my words,” Xavier bit out.

“I heard you clearly.”

“If the paper were delivered, having been written by Lady Olivia Westbrook, it would be dismissed because those male doctors would not allow themselves to believe that a mere woman could comprehend, let alone understand the complications of a physical ailment and the treatment of such,” he tried to explain. “They are too foolish to realize that your intellect matches theirs and may surpass some. You are a woman, and that is all they’d see and close their minds to anything you might write or say.”

“Yet, you would not be dismissive?” she demanded.

“How can you even ask me such?” Xavier was affronted that Olivia would put him in the same category as small minded men. “We first solved an attempted murder, though you were the one who reached the correct conclusion, then worked to determine what ailed the children before it became obvious. We then worked together to keep them alive. You do not have to prove anything to me. I am well aware of not only your intelligence but tenacity.”

Olivia studied him for a moment before he noted that some of her anger slipped. “It angers me, you know.”

“I am certain it does. I also apologize for being guilty of the same in the past.” This he meant with all sincerity. Had he known her as well as he did now back when they were trying to cure Elaina of her amnesia, Xavier would have taken her suggestions more seriously.

Though, maybe he would not have. He had been stubborn in believing that only he could cure his sister.

“I will write the paper,” she said after a moment. “You will present it. As it comes from the esteemed Dr. Xavier Sinclair everyone will listen, whereas the same words from a spinster would be ignored at best.”

“I am sorry that it is this way, Olivia.”

“You will allow me to write it?” she asked.

Xavier would like to write the paper himself as he enjoyed writing his medical findings, but this he would give Olivia since it was all she was allowed by the learned men of the Royal Society of Medicine. “Yes.”

“You will not edit?” The corner of her mouth quirked.

“I will try not to do so but can make no promises.”

“The final say is mine,” she insisted to which Xavier nodded his agreement.