The Anatomist's Wife Read Online Free Page A

practiced slouch.
    Alana reacted no better. “Are you daft?”
    “Now wait.” Philip raised his hands. “Hear me out.”
    I kept my lips firmly shut, trying to suppress the quaking I felt in my stomach as
     I waited for his next expected words. Alana’s mouth was also taut, but more from anger
     than fear.
    Philip sighed. “No matter how tragic the circumstances, Kiera does have experience
     with this sort of thing.”
    “Philip!” Alana scolded.
    “I’m not forcing her to do it, Alana. I’m simply askin’,” he argued. “The local surgeon
     passed less than a month ago, and they’ve yet to replace him. Otherwise, I would’ve
     sent word for him to come. While Gage has often assisted his father, he has little
     experience with murder.” He gestured absently toward the man, who scowled. “If we’re
     gonna be trapped here for four days or more with all o’ these guests, and likely our
     murderer, I’d like to make every effort to catch him in case there’s a chance he intends
     to strike again.”
    I suppressed a shiver, straining to keep my reaction from the others’ notice. Would
     the killer attack someone else? I blinked slowly, remembering the gruesome sight of
     Lady Godwin’s body. What kind of madman did we have on our hands?
    Alana pressed her palms to her stomach and shook her head in bewilderment. “I . . .
     I hadn’t thought of that. I heard you say as much to the others, but . . .” Her troubled
     gaze lifted to her husband. “Are the children safe?” She suddenly looked frantic.
     Nothing could disturb my sister so except concern for her children.
    “Darlin’, they’re fine,” he said, bending closer to look into my sister’s face. “I
     promise you they’re safe, Alana. I placed two footmen outside the nursery door and
     instructed them and the nursemaids that no one outside of our family is allowed near
     them without my express permission.”
    Alana nodded, still looking shaken.
    I reached over to take her hand. “I saw them just a little over two hours ago,” I
     tried to reassure her. “They were being put to bed, and they all appeared to be fine.”
    “I . . . I should have checked on them,” she stammered. “I was just so overwhelmed
     by the guests . . . and their questions.” She shook her head. “I should have looked
     in on them.”
    “Stop that!” Philip took her face between his hands and stroked her cheekbones with
     his thumbs. “Our guests drove me to distraction just in the space o’ the ten minutes
     it took to deliver my instructions. You’ve been dealin’ with them for over three hours.
     O’ course, you were overwhelmed.”
    “Yes, but Kiera thought to check on the children,” she said.
    I squeezed her hand and smiled sadly. “Because I was hiding.” Alana knew I would never
     willingly associate with the guests, especially after the accusations flung at me
     in the garden and again in the parlor, so I didn’t bother to apologize for not assisting
     her. Perhaps I failed her in that regard, but my sister knew my shortcomings, and
     understood them.
    She squeezed my hand in return before taking a deep breath.
    “All right?” Philip asked, staring lovingly into Alana’s eyes. She nodded, and he
     leaned forward to drop a kiss on the top of her head.
    I glanced up at Mr. Gage. He was leaning against the wall once again, albeit less
     casually than before. His jaw was dusted with stubble, but the hairs were so light
     I could barely see them. I imagined they were as blond as the hairs on his head. He
     was an attractive man—my artist’s eye had to give him that—but the way he presented
     himself, his smug certainty that he was the most handsome man in the room, rankled
     me more than I wanted to admit. I had met good-looking men before, and most of them
     had been as aware of it as Mr. Gage, but they had always amused me more than irritated
     me.
    “Now,” Philip said, bringing us back to the matter at hand. “Kiera, I