The Fire's Center (23 page)

But soon her eyelids felt heavy, and she paused mid-sentence, her head lolling sideways, her auburn hair tumbling down over her face.

It was in that posture Lucien found her a short time later. He had seen a light under the door on the way to bed, and had gone to investigate.

"Riona? Riona!" he called softly but got no reply.

Finally Lucien put one of her arms around his neck, and took her tiny form up into his arms.

Lucien stroked Riona’s auburn hair back from her cheek, and planted a kiss there.

"Poor lass," he sighed, as he carried her up the stairs to her own room. He laid her down on the bed gently, gazing at her lovely face in repose.

Then Lucien pulled the covers up to her chin, and bent once more to kiss her.

"Good night, dearest girl. Sweet dreams," Lucien whispered.

Blowing out her lamp, he reluctantly shut the door behind him.

The rest of the week passed in a frenzy of activity as Riona tried to keep up with her studies and various tasks, and still help Lucien with all his plans for the new clinic.

She carried out her toilette and reading from six until nine every morning, when Lucien usually found her in the library or medical study and insisted she come in to breakfast with him.

He saw patients from half nine until about two on most days, and after dinner, at around three, Lucien went to the clinic to see how the renovations were progressing, and to keep abreast as to whether or not all the supplies were on site yet.

The clinic was a rather depressing two storey building which had once served as a linen factory. Thus far they had only refurbished the ground floor, cleaning it and placing two rows of wrought iron beds along each of the two long walls. They had also partitioned off several areas for a proper bathroom, with cold water running from a tank on the roof, an office, kitchen, storerooms, linen cupboards, and a private room for particularly sensitive cases or for surgery.

Riona scrubbed, cleaned and organised despite Lucien’s insistence that she shouldn’t do any physical labour. She was determined to prove her worth and show Lucien that there was no task she wasn’t willing to undertake to help him and the needy people the clinic was designed to treat.

She also diligently checked the lists of supplies, but commented to Lucien that in some cases she believed he had been overcharged for the food and other necessities he had ordered.

Lucien told her to make a note of the prices and write it all down, and he soon determined that the men who had promised unlimited help for the clinic had actually been planning to line their own pockets.

"It’s a disgrace, taking advantage like that." Lucien shook his head. "Well done, Riona. I’m very proud of you," he had praised after investigating the matter further.

"I’m glad I could help," Riona had said modestly.

Riona also counted the sheets, dresses, shirts, trousers, and all the other items they had bought specially for the patients, and she looked carefully through all the medicine cupboards.

Riona also couldn’t help but notice that whilst Dr. Kennedy and Dr. Briggs were always on hand to help in any way they could, Dr. O’Carroll and Dr. O’Shea had never once turned up to offer any assistance.

After spending about three hours helping to prepare things, they would go home for a bath and a light supper, and then over coffee in the drawing room, but also in the medical room study, Lucien would teach her about the human body.

He fished out his old microscope from his student days, and some of his samples and slides, and exposed Riona to the wonders of the tiny world which normally remained unseen to the naked eye.

Sometimes they would finish the night with a bone test or a game of anagrams, or even of cards, and though Lucien was always reluctant to part with Riona company he always insisted at eleven, "Time for bed, lass."

Riona was also reluctant to separate from Lucien, for she loved every moment they spend together. Never had she felt so alive as in his presence, or when his warm golden gaze rested upon her.

But she also knew she had to get some sleep, since she was up every morning at six, and sometimes even earlier if something special was happening or she was absorbed with some particularly difficult studies.

On the following Friday, a week to the day after Riona had arrived in Dublin with Lucien, the clinic was opened with a small inaugural ceremony. All the committee members and new doctors assembled for the auspicious occasion.

Riona had helped make the arrangements for a splendid tea in the afternoon for any one passing the area, and tried to make sure that none of the food was too rich for some of the travelling skeletons who came out of the Liberties to partake of it.

Fortunately she and Lucien had both agreed that no strong spirits should be served to anyone, for some of the people were quarrelsome enough at the sight of all the food, without adding liquor to the equation.

Riona had to admit to herself that she had been right about Dr. Kennedy and Dr. Briggs, who both seemed dedicated and personable if somewhat shy young men. They at least made the effort to try to mingle with everyone at the celebration.

But as for O’Carroll and O’Shea, they were a different story entirely. Dr. O’Carroll in particularly was an extremely good-looking young man, in a glamorous sort of way, with rather long hair, jet black, which he wore heavily scented and pomaded.

He strongly resembled one of the lizards she had viewed in a natural history book she had seen in Lucien’s library, so smooth and suave did he appear.

She could see him looking almost leeringly at every woman who went past, though he seldom spoke to anyone other than Lucien and the most socially important of the committee members.

When Lucien had introduced Riona to him, he had clutched her hand possessively, and commented on her eyes, hair and gown all in one breath in a manner which made her decide then and there to give him as wide a berth as possible.

Dr. O’Shea was little better, for though he was not quite as sophisticated as Dr. O’Carroll, he was obviously one of the arrogant country gentlemen’s horsy set, with his loud braying laugh.

He was no doubt fond of drink, since he had turned up obviously inebriated, and was spiking his tea with brandy from a small hip flask whenever he thought no one was looking.

He also had an extremely reprehensible habit of thumping all of the women workers soundly on their rumps. Riona had only barely managed to escape from his rollicking assault by placing a warming pan behind her back. The young gentleman had soundly thwacked what he had though was her posterior, only to find his hand throbbing and everyone in the room staring at the huge crashing sound which had come from his general direction.

Lucien laboured to keep an unconcerned countenance, but all the same, he decided he would put O’Shea on the night shifts if at all possible in order to keep him well away from Riona.

He had missed O’Carroll’s suggestive comments, and though he certainly didn’t warm to him upon closer acquaintance, he knew he had to give him a fair chance and put up with him for a month at least.

Lucien also decided to pair up O’Carroll and Kennedy and O’Shea and Briggs to try to force them to get along, and to make sure the doctors he trusted would be there to support those he didn’t.

The remainder of the staff were introduced around to everyone. There were day and night porters, Seamus and Sean, and the day and night boys. Then they had a woman in for the breakfasts and dinners, Breda, and another for suppers and getting the patients ready for bed at night, Emma. The clinic was also employing two nurses, Ursula and Angela.

Riona had remained Lucien that they would need reliable laundresses, and Riona said she would ask Mrs. Kinsella and see what could be done. She had come up with two of her nieces, Anna and Colleen.

Riona, dressed very becomingly in her pale grey linen dress, circulated through the throng, making sure everyone was introduced and had enough to eat and drink in a quiet, unobtrusive way.

Lucien marvelled at how good she was at remembering everyone’s names, and making every person feel welcome.

At one point Quentin and Antoinette put in an appearance. Riona greeted them graciously and offered them the guided tour.

But Antoinette remained stubbornly outside, sipping at some fruit cup with a grimace of distaste, while Quentin trailed after her. Riona noticed as she led Quentin through the entryway that Dr. O’Carroll didn’t waste any time in making a beeline towards Antoinette to get better acquainted.

She frowned worriedly, but Quentin took her arm and led her inside.

By God, but Lucien was a lucky man, came his unbidden thought, as Quentin trotted along with Riona like a frisky puppy. Secretly he had always been envious of his older and more handsome brother, hence his decision to marry Antoinette even though he had never possessed even the slightest illusion that she cared about him.

But now he could see Lucien’s point. Why marry someone just for the sake of propriety, for status and wealth rather than love? Antoinette had never cared about Lucien either, of course. She had just been looking for a good marriage, and a home of her own, with lots of social prestige. The only person Antoinette had ever really loved was herself.

Yet as he observed Riona, he could see that she was willing to make an effort to get along well with everyone, from the visiting dignitaries down to the lowest of the poor people who had come for the free food.

Riona patiently served an elderly woman unable to stand, and even made sure she wrapped up some oatcakes with the butter sandwiched in between them for the old woman to take home.

Riona listened to the younger women as they complained about their children’s and their own health, and didn’t even seem remotely repelled when some drunks appeared looking for free whisky.

"There’s no whisky, but plenty of tea and even coffee," she had said calmly, and led them to a bench to eat and drink their fill.

Quentin had gagged at the smell of their unwashed bodies, but Riona had even touched them.

"The girl is a saint, Lucien," Quentin said to his brother, as he followed Riona with his eyes.

"I know, I know, and I thank God daily for sending her to me,"’ Lucien said with a completely straight face.

Quentin couldn’t decide whether his brother was joking or not. He had certainly never been a religious man so far as Quentin could make out.

"But seriously, Lucien, did you really meet her on the road?"

"The whole thing was exactly as we told you," Lucien confirmed with a laugh, looking at his brother’s incredulous expression.