The Surgeon and the Princess by Karin Baine (ebook reader with android os .TXT) 📕

Since the incident in his office they’d been careful not to be alone together. As agreed, they hadn’t referred to it again. It didn’t mean his lips weren’t still imprinted on hers or that her brain would let her forget how incredibly hot it had been when he’d kissed her.

‘Of course.’ Her mother set aside the book she’d been reading and gave Georgiana her full attention. She was out of her sick bed now, a little delicate but well enough to get around indoors at least.

Georgiana cleared her throat, anxiety having taken up residence there and threatening to block her airways. In talking to Ed about his family, telling him to reach out for help, she’d have to do the same. To move on she was going to have to confront the past. With her parents. Asking them to acknowledge their mistakes in order to help her.

‘I’ve been sneaking off to Mr Lawrence’s clinic to use the gym equipment there.’ She thought honesty was the best way to begin.

‘Oh.’ Her mother formed a perfect ‘O’ with her lips.

‘I hope that’s all you’ve been doing.’ Her father was frowning at her from his armchair, his newspaper now abandoned on his lap.

This conversation had been easier in her head when she’d been rehearsing it.

Georgiana swallowed hard as illicit images flashed guiltily into her mind of the other thing she’d got up to with Ed at the clinic. ‘Not all, no.’

‘We don’t need any scandal.’ He scowled at her, his reaction making her all the more eager to have this conversation.

‘Everything’s entirely above board. I’ve been helping him out with a patient, that’s all, but it has made me think about everything that’s happened since my surgery.’ She was building up to say things she’d been holding inside for years. The air in the lounge was thick with anticipation, as though the very walls of the palace were waiting for her to speak her truth. Her parents were silent, listening for whatever she had to say. The clock on the mantelpiece behind her ticked away the seconds and the fire crackled and spat in the hearth, urging her to get a move on.

‘We’re very proud of you, my dear. Everything you’ve achieved since coming home is, quite frankly, remarkable.’ It was unexpected praise from her father, not known for outbursts of sentimentality, but it wasn’t what this was about.

‘That’s the first time you’ve said that to me.’

‘I’m sure it’s not, Georgiana. We are astounded by the progress you’ve made.’ Her mother chimed in but the praise was offset by the cast-upon look on her face. As though she were the one who’d been wronged.

‘But you’ve never said it. That’s my point. We haven’t actually sat down and had a conversation about how this affects us.’

‘I think we’re managing fine. You’re back on your feet and, with Mr Lawrence’s help, I’m sure you’ll fully recover.’

‘No, Mother, I’m never going to fully recover. My leg isn’t going to grow back, is it?’

‘Don’t be facetious, dear.’ Her mother sniffed.

‘I’m serious. It’s gone and I’ll have to wear a prosthetic leg for the rest of my life. There’s no point in pretending otherwise. We have to accept that or at least acknowledge it.’

‘There’s no need for that, Georgiana. We know perfectly well—’

‘Then for goodness’ sake talk about it.’ She cut off her father’s scolding, years of pent-up emotions breaching all notion of civility. ‘I had to hear it from Ed that you were concerned about me enough to ask him to intervene. Why not come to me and ask me what I need from you instead of going behind my back?’ Georgiana hadn’t realised how much it had hurt to hear that until just now. All that time she’d been here believing she was all alone in her recovery, her parents had kept up that façade of cold indifference to cover their concern. At a time when she’d needed comforting, needed them, more than ever.

Her mother was fidgeting with her hands in her lap, unwilling to meet Georgiana’s eye. ‘You didn’t seem to want us anywhere near you and you’re so strong we knew you’d pull through.’

‘That didn’t mean I didn’t need you to tell me you loved me, that you’d be proud of me no matter what happened.’

‘It goes without saying, Georgiana.’ Her father wasn’t any better at understanding her point than her mother.

‘No, it doesn’t. Did you ever say that to Freddie? No. None of us did. He took it as confirmation we were ashamed of him and his sexuality. To the point he believed we wouldn’t miss him if he took his own life.’

‘It’s not our way to be demonstrative with our feelings. You know what’s expected of us, and you, in our position. Blaming us for whatever was going on in poor Freddie’s troubled mind isn’t going to bring him back.’ Her mother was dabbing at her eyes now. Lord forbid she’d be seen shedding a tear over the son she’d lost. Georgiana was beginning to think she was fighting a losing battle instead of making reparations with her parents.

‘What’s more important to you? Keeping up appearances or your family? You’ve already lost a son because you wouldn’t face up to reality. Freddie was gay and he killed himself because he knew you could never accept it. There, I’ve said it.’ She was breathless as the words poured out of her on a tide of emotion. These were things that should have been dealt with long ago but she was as guilty of hiding from the truth as they were, when she’d joined the army and left the country rather than face this.

‘I know, I know.’ Her mother was openly weeping now and Georgiana’s father went to comfort her.

‘The loss of your brother was unbearable, Georgiana, and we didn’t see the point in dragging his name through the mud by releasing the details. It didn’t mean we were ashamed of him. We wished we’d done more for him, been more,