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"Your kindness does you great credit, Mrs Fraser," the doctor pronounced, straightening up, but keeping hold of ht "There is no need of your troubling yourself, however Mrs Cameron is an old and valued acquaintance; I anly, blinking in an atte , deep and stertorous, but quite regular I itched to get my hands on her pulse I inhaled deeply, as unobtrusively as possible Above the pungent scent of Dr Fenti, which had evidently been treated with nettle powder and hyssop against lice, and a strong fog of ancient sweat and tobacco froht the sharp copper scent of fresh blood, and the older reek of caked, decayed blood from the inside of his case No, Fentiman didn’t clean his blades
Beyond that, I could easily smell the alcoholic miasma that Jamie and Brianna had described, but I couldn’t tell how much of it came from Betty, and how much from Fentiman If there was any hint of laudanuet closer to detect it, and do it fast, before the volatile aroly kind of you, Doctor," I said, srateful for your efforts But surely a gentleman such as yourself--I mean, you must have many more important demands upon your attention I’; you’ll surely be er to win a few pounds off you at cards, I thought They’ll want a chance before you sober up!
Rather to my surprise, the doctor did not at once succu my hand, he smiled at me with an insincerity equal to my own
"Oh, no, not at all,is required here It is no ence, after all I have ad emetic; as soon as it shall have its effect, the woman may safely be left Do return to your pleasures,such a lovely gown, no need at all"
Before I could re noise fro up the chamber pot from beneath the bed
In spite of his own impairment, he was commendably attentive to the patient I would myself have hesitated to administer an emetic to a comatose patient, but I had to ad to do in a case of suspected poisoning, even if the poison was so as commonly accepted as alcohol--and if Dr Fenti Jamie had
The slave had eaten heavily; no surprise, with so ht have saved her life, I thought, slowing the absorption of alcohol--and anything else--into her bloodstrealed ruhost of opiu the other odors
"What sort of e over the wo open one eye The iris stared upward, brown and glassy as an agate marble, the pupil shrunk to a pinpoint Ha, definitely opiulared atfallen half askew over one ear "Do you go, please, and cease interfering! I ae your fancies You, sir--remove her!" He waved a hand at Ulysses and turned back to the bed, shoving his wig into place as he did so
"Why, you little--" I choked off the intended epithet, seeing Ulysses take an uncertain step toward me He clearly hesitated to remove me bodily, but it was just as clear that he would obey the Doctor’s orders in preference towith fury, I swept around and left the roo my face as I descended, he took my arm at once and led me out into the yard
"That--that--" Words failed ?"
"Yes! Did you hear hiall of him, that jumped-up butcher, that bloody littlesquirt! No tiuttural noise, indicating syo up and knivvle hiut him for ye--or just beat his face in, if ye’d rather"
Attractive as this prospect sounded, I was forced to decline
"Wellno," I said, bringing my choler under control with some difficulty "No, I don’t think you’d better do that"
The echo of our si Phillip Wylie struckmouth curl ry hureed, reluctantly taking his hand off his dirk "It doesna look as though I shall be allowed to spill anyone’s blood today, does it?"
"You want to, do you?"
"Verra much," he said, dryly "So do you, Sassenach, froue with that; I should have liked nothing better than to disembowel Dr Fentiman with a blunt spoon Instead, I rubbed a hand over s back into some semblance of order
"Is he likely to kill the wo his chin back toward the house
"Not ihly objectionable and possibly dangerous, but not likely to be instantly fatal "Oh--you were probably right about the laudanuhtfully
"Well, then The i is to speak wi’ Betty, once she’s in a condition to make sense Ye dinna think Fentiman’s the sort to stand watch over a sick slave’s bed?"
Noas my turn to think, but finally I shookhis best for her," I adreat danger She should be watched, but only in case she should vo about to do that, even if he thinks of it"
"Well, then" He stood in thought for astrands of red hair from the crown of his head "I’ve sent Brianna and herin a corner I’ll go and do the same for the slaves Can ye one, and talk to Betty as soon as she wakes?"