The Fire's Center (12 page)

Lucien began to laugh himself then, and a quick glance in the pier glass confirmed her opinion. "You know something my dear, I think I agree with you. I’ll get in the tub now, if I may, and wash it off."

"That’s fine. You go first. It’s steaming, and in any case, they’ve left plenty of cans of hot water."

Lucien went behind the screen and stripped off his clothes, and once he was in the tub safely, Riona ventured over to pick them up and fold them, and then began to read the papers loud while he soaked in the tub.

"Unless of course you’d like to give me another bone test," she quipped.

"No you’ve passed the first part with flying colours. I still have yet to determine your reward," Lucien said with a sigh as he leaned back in the tub.

He enjoyed the sound of her musical voice as she read him each of the articles in turn, and the sudden thought came to him,
I’m happy.
He was startled, but began to analyse the feeling further.

For the first time in my life, I feel like I haven’t got a care or worry in the world. How very odd. Is it the girl’s fault, or is it just a coincidence? Perhaps it's just because it’s the first time in years that I’ve been away from Dublin and my medical duties?

Lucien pondered this thought as he finished lathering and rinsing his hair. He was just about to get out of the tub when he noticed there were no towels on his side of the screen.

"Um, Riona, if I might trouble you, are there any towels in the room?"

"Oh, sorry, yes, they’re here on the bed," Riona replied.

She moved over to the screen, and got a wonderful view of his bare torso and broad shoulders, all heavily muscled, his chest lightly furred with crisp dark curls.

She caught a tantalising glimpse of a narrow waist as the rest of his body disappeared under the water. She handed him the towel wordlessly, and scampered away over to the hearth, where she resumed reading the paper, with one eye on it and the other on the screen.

He emerged from behind the screen in his dressing gown a short time later. "Now that I’ve washed my hair again, you’ll have to put some more of your favourite lice lotion on me. I’ll just go get it, if I may."

"Fine," Riona nodded, secretly looking forward to making contact with his lovely hair again.

After she had administered the medication, she said, "If you don’t have anything to do yourself, you could sit and read the paper to me while I have a good long soak. I must admit I'm as stiff as a board after that long freezing coach ride."

"All right," he said a trifle hesitantly, "but I’ll dress first, and then I need to go out before the shops close to see if I can find you some warmer things to wear."

"Please, you’ve already spent more than enough on me," Riona argued.

"It's my pleasure. Now get in the tub."

Once he had finished dressing on the opposite side of the screen, Lucien took her vacated seat by the fire.

He read the paper to her as she bathed, and then at last, about an half an hour later, she came out from behind the screen in her dressing gown. She tugged open the door as the servant brought in the tea things and then cleared the tub and water cans away.

Riona poured out the steaming brew and then put some pie and cakes onto Lucien’s plate. She took a small slice of toast for herself and nibbled at it delicately.

Lucien put down the paper after a time and frowned. "You’re not eating very much, Riona."

 
"To tell you the truth, Lucien, my head aches, and my throat feels a bit scratchy. It might be a cold coming on."

"I just hope that’s all it is. But I suppose a walk in the pouring rain and your sitting in that freezing coach can’t have helped. I tell you what, we can stay over an extra day here, and then head on when you're a bit more rested," Lucien proposed.

"No really, Lucien, I'm sure you are anxious to get home, and staying at an inn is only costing you money, as well as being far less comfortable than having all your own things around you. At any rate, the weather might get worse rather than better. Please don’t concern yourself on my account."

"All the same, I'm going to go into my medical bag to get you something, and then I want you to get in that bed with as many hot water bottles as will fit, and stay there. Doctor’s orders."

"Yes, Doctor Woulfe," Riona said meekly.

"I’ll be back in a moment."

"Oh please, finish your tea at least."

But Lucien’s hand came up to touch her forehead. "You're a trifle feverish my dear, so no arguments. Get in that bed."

Riona did as she was instructed, pouring herself a cup of tea, which she placed upon the small table beside the bed.

Lucien was back several minutes later fully dressed, and with a glass of cordial which he made her drink down at a gulp.

"There now, get under those covers, and I'll look in on you again as soon as I come back from shopping."

Lucien pecked Riona on the forehead, and with a last tug at the covers, so that they were up to her chin, he left her.

Riona was overwhelmed by Lucien’s kindness and attention, and even more stunned when he came back about half an hour later with a thick flannel nightdress and robe, and a heavier black woollen cloak, as well as a thick pair of leather gloves and a fur lined black muff.

He had also purchased three more dresses, one a dark green with a high cream lace neckline and collar, one a deep wine gown which complemented her unusual hair, and the last a heavy woollen gown in black watch tartan.

Lucien banked up the fire until Riona feared it would set the chimney ablaze, and then proceeded to offer her selection of books of poetry, some stories by Poe and a novel by Dickens, ‘The Old Curiosity Shop,’ to read.

Riona turned the books over in her hands almost reverently, and offered him her thanks.

"No trouble at all, my dear. And now, if you will excuse me, I have some letters to write. Then I shall come back and check to see if you are still asleep. If you aren’t then I shall come read to you, if I may."

Riona once again thanked him for his kindness, and settled down to read the collection of Renaissance poetry he had brought her.

Lucien found Riona slumbering about an hour later with the book still open in her tiny hand. He picked it up and read:

Song, by Edmund Waller

Go, lovely rose!

Tell her that wastes her time and me

That now she knows,

When I resemble her to thee,

How sweet and fair she seems to be.

Tell her that’s young,

And shuns to have her graces spied,

That hads’t thou sprung

In deserts where no men abide,

Thou must have uncommended died.

Small is the worth

Of beauty from the light retired;

Bid her come forth,

Suffer herself to be desired,

And not blush to be so admired.

Then die! that she

The common fate of all things rare

May read in thee;

How small a part of time they share

That art so wondrous sweet and fair.

Lucien smiled softly. That had always been one of his favourite poems. It seemed very like Riona as well, so sweet and fair, yet shy, unaffected, almost as though she were unconscious of her beauty.

He placed the marker in the book. After checking Riona’s temperature and her pulse, and satisfying himself that she was not really ill, merely tired from the long bumpy journey on the icy roads, he went downstairs to order some hot vegetable soup with their dinner. Then he went down the road to post his letters in the now falling snow.

When Lucien returned to his room he wrote further missives to the papers about all he had seen the previous day, and determined that if Riona were at all up to it the next day, they should look at one or two more workhouses, stop at Ardee for the night, and reach Dublin on Friday.

Lucien tapped on Riona’s door at about half past eight, and saw she was up and looking much refreshed. She had changed into the warm green woollen dress he had just purchased for her, and was standing before the fire trying to redo her hair.

"It’s no matter, my dear, since we are dining up here," he laughed, watching her struggle to unknot the thick tresses. "Here sit in the chair and I’ll do it for you while we wait for the meal to come up."

Lucien took the brush out of her hands, and soon worked the tangles out and brushed her hair with long, lingering strokes. Then he applied the hair lotion, and deftly twisted her tresses into a long rope which he threw over her shoulder, with Riona reciting her bones all the while.

Soon the servant arrived with the meal, and set the trolley before her. Once they reviewed the bones in the hands, they went on to muscles and tendons.

Lucien was astonished at how rapidly she picked up the information, and how utterly lacking in squeamishness she was as she ate her soup heartily. She was so eager to learn that she even asked him about the functions of the liver and kidneys.

Lucien stifled a smile of amusement and answered her seriously, and again it was nearly midnight before they finally realized the time and broke off their discussion at last, albeit reluctantly.

"I’ll just roll the tray outside, and then head off to bed," Lucien said as he rose from the chair and stretched like a cat.

"Are you sure you wouldn’t like one more cup of coffee?" Riona asked, indicating the pot warming on a small brazier.

"All right then, but just one. I’m sure you're still tired. And make sure you dress warmly in the morning."

"We’re heading on then?"

He nodded. "But only if you’re sure you are up to it."

"I’m fine, really," Riona hastened to reassure him.