Chapter Five

L exi was mortified. As if it wasn't bad enough that Mrs. Dove-Lyon had given her an ultimatum, she'd sent her to the dentist, who found not only one but five holes in her teeth. A cold sweat and nausea had washed over her when he'd said it. And it sounded so much worse coming from him. A diagnosis of such an affliction by a man as handsome as Dr. Fitzwater; it was indeed too gruesome to bear.

And she couldn't escape. Nor could she close her eyes. She watched him, his head low over her mouth. Without looking back at the tools on the tray on his side, he reached for what he needed in the order in which he needed it. He was gentle, indeed. Anyone else, she imagined, wouldn't have been so careful. The dissonance of the prince's dexterity and his skill clashed with his refined demeanor as if he were a prince and a pauper in one. Somehow, he didn't belong here in this dentistry profession. And yet his motions were so sure, he was indeed an expert.

He'd placed a muslin roll into her cheek and wrapped his left hand in another soft towel to catch her saliva. Lexi was embarrassed that she drooled, but she couldn't even blink. So raw and vulnerable as she was in this chair, something else was the matter, and she couldn't quite pinpoint it. Yet, she couldn't peel her eyes off the prince.

He used the little sharp spoon-tipped tool to scrape clean the cavities in her teeth. It sounded like nails on a blackboard. But at the same time, she knew some of the nasty rot came out every time he wiped the tool on the towel he'd wrapped his left hand around. It had bothered her for a while now, but she didn't want to admit it to herself. With her sister's recent scandal, any imperfection of her persona had become a sore point.

No matter what she did from now on, Lexi had fallen from grace and lost the prospects of a good match. Her sister had made a mess of her future and made her lose hope for love in a marriage. She didn't want to lose her smile, too. She supposed she should be thankful for this prince, helping clean up the mess.

It was a cleansing encounter and not just for her teeth. It brought Lexi clarity. She had to grow up, be realistic, and face the imperfections in her life rather than ignore them. Without a diagnosis, there was no treatment. And without treatment, the symptoms would worsen. Lesson learned.

She'd been stupidly in denial and had no choice but to fight the next problem in her life: a loveless marriage. It was a disease looming over fallen girls, and once she solved the problem of the pain in her mouth, she needed to clean that mess up next. Lexi decided she wouldn't just accept any suitor Mrs. Dove-Lyon presented her, especially not for the fees she charged.

No. She wanted the perfect man, the perfect kiss, the perfect life. After all, she was still a Worthington and perfection was part of their family code. So she might not be exactly perfect, but she certainly could keep up the appearance of it no matter what happened.

Thinking about the problem of how one tooth passed the disease on to the next made her stomach turn. It was just how one sister had spread the doom of the Ton's scorn to the other. The rot could spread throughout her family and soil her father's good name. She wouldn't allow the problem to continue untreated, lest it worsen. She'd seen many people vastly more afflicted than her, with cavities and the Ton's scorn—both rampant problems in Lexi's life. Even worse, the rot from the ton seemed to spread to her, and only the prince now hovering over her could stop it.

Dr. Fitzwater continued his work, and Lexi was surprised at how gentle he was. She had never been so close to a young man, especially not for long. While he worked, a million thoughts swelled her mind. He was too handsome to fit into the frilly evening attire the aristocrats wore at Almack's. His shirt and waistcoat were of a simpler cut, fitting his shape and emphasizing perfection rather than masking the layers of imperfection underneath.

Her sister had told her some men wore corsets to tuck in their big bellies. This man here wouldn't need it. He was everything the ton was not, and Lexi warmed as she considered it. She wondered how the prince-doctor's laugh might be if he held her in his arms, waltzing over the parquet at Almack's for everyone to see. Swirls of sheer fabric came to her mind again. From the picture of Princess Leela melting into her groom's embrace, Lexi imagined she'd fall onto a four-post bed covered in silky pillows in bright jewel tones. A dish with dried rose petals and a cast-iron teapot with fragrant Indian tea would give off steam as they did in her favorite book.

Lexi sank into the chair and closed her eyes for a moment. The scratching had stopped, and Lexi relaxed. In her imagination, she was Princess Leela, and the scents of mint and clove mixed with the unfamiliar exotic fragrances she'd imagined from the story. She'd often pretended to be the main character, Leela. But Prince Jai had never had a face—until now. She felt his hand cupping her cheek and nestled into the warmth of his touch. It was comforting and safe and sent a tingle across her body.

Instead of towering over her with sharp tools, Lexi pretended he wore a shiny sherwani coat. He leaned over her and closed the distance. His lips pressed against hers, and Lexi let out a moan.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did this hurt?" Dr. Fitzwater asked, and Lexi opened her eyes. He'd sat up, squaring his broad shoulders, placing his hand on the one she'd placed on the armrest. She blinked a few times as her mind returned to reality.

Oh, how she'd wished this encounter to be different. But it was too late now. He removed his hand and she instantly felt an unexpected longing for his touch.

Then her eyes fell to the little balls of gold on the tray beside him. They were meant for her.

She'd never have a chance to be like Princess Leela, for who would want to kiss her with gold fillings? Certainly not the doctor who'd diagnosed her with five cavities.

Men at the Lyon's Den got away with such things. Each gold or silver tooth was a trophy for them, and every scar was a story of their victories. The ton was notorious for their double standard, where vice and virtue took turns like night and day. Yet, with gold fillings, it was clear she was not untouched; her mouth was not virginal enough for the aristocrats who wished…whatever it was they wanted to for in a wife when they were done with their mistresses. Lexi gulped; her sister was one of those mistresses now, a lover of the prince, the highest-ranking man in England, but a fallen woman nonetheless. Perhaps it was true that the higher one climbed, the deeper one fell.

Contrasting notions of society's rules clashed with Lexi's feelings. She couldn't help but snort at the irony of her dilemma. The one furthest from reach was the first man ever to affect her so profoundly as to earn a place in her dreams. He might be touching her mouth, leaving the signs on her body of their contact as gold marks on her teeth, but none of this encounter was as she'd wished. None of her life was. Perfection eluded her even though she wanted nothing more.

"You may rinse your mouth." He withdrew and unwrapped his hand, placing the dirty towel in a metal basket to his right, away from her.

She'd seen what was on it and cringed.

She rinsed her mouth, then asked, "What's the yellowish part?"

He eyed her curiously. "This?" He lifted the spoon-tipped instrument that had some of it—whatever it was—clinging to its edge. "It's the part just beneath the black cavity, Miss. The tooth structure is not hard beneath it, so a cavity is usually much larger than you may see before it's opened."

She gasped, and her tongue darted to the— oh!

"Don't!" He called, but panic rose within her, and she saw her reflection in his pupils.

It felt as though a third of her back tooth—what had he called it—her molar , was missing. She gripped the armrests and stared at him through eyes she knew were wide and probably huge in her face.

"Please," he said as he laid his hand on hers, "trust me."

Her heart pounded as her tongue explored the other spots where he'd scratched the cavities clean. More giant holes! "I'll be ugly," she whispered more to herself than anyone. Phlegm rose to her throat. Tears pricked her eyes.

"Miss, I promise they will not be visible. The way I place fillings is absolutely the most delicate method. Felix taught me—"

"This shouldn't have happened. I wish it had never happened to me," she wailed.

"I promise it will be all right."

"I'll be scarred, Doctor, and nobody will ever want to kiss me."

"What?" He leaned back to stare at her with wide, luminously green eyes.

"I've never been kissed and who will ever want to if I have gold teeth? I've been touched…compromised. I'm ruined."

He inhaled. Then exhaled. He scrunched up his forehead and pursed his lips. Then he seemed to shake himself and began to scold her, "First of all, you will not have gold teeth. I will make sure the fillings are delicate. I said that already. They probably feel bigger than they will be when you look in the mirror."

She sniffled. "But still. If I'm found out. No one will want me. No one will kiss me."

"And second, who wouldn't want to kiss a beautiful woman like you?" His voice was low, full of boyish sincerity.

She wailed. She knew she was growing blotchy, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered, anymore. She had giant holes in her teeth and she'd allowed them to be dug. What had she done? But then the meaning of the dentist's words occurred to her. He thought she was beautiful? He'd kiss her? No, that couldn't possibly be true. "You are too nice."

"I'm not nice at all, remember? You came with a cavity, but I found five." He gave her a crooked smile, and she laughed through her tears. How could he rattle her so?

"I don't believe you, but thank you for saying that."

"You have to tell me your name, please."

"Lexi."

"Just Lexi?"

She bit her tongue. If she gave away her full name, he might know the scandal was attached to it. And she was vulnerable enough already. He knew more about her imperfections and insecurities than anyone else. And she minded very much, for she had a deep sense she wanted to be as perfect in his eyes as he was in hers.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Fitzwater, I shouldn't have said—"

"Don't apologize, Miss…" he cleared his throat, "Lexi. When a patient confides in their doctor, we are obligated to maintain utmost confidence. I won't ever tell your secrets."

She pinched her lips, afraid to send her tongue back to the gaping hole. Yet, when she saw his eyes, another void pulsated deep inside her. And then he locked his eyes with her as if he could send pure comfort to her through his handsome gaze alone.

"I wouldn't ever tell a soul outside of this practice. Not about that, nor about the kiss," he said in a low voice that made her shiver.

"Which kiss? I've never had one and never will. Who would want to kiss me?" Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Lexi, I have to leave in two weeks. If nobody has kissed you by that time and you still don't believe you are one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen, come back, and I'll do it."

"Do what?"

"Kiss you."