Dickie paced back and forth in front of the large bay window in the drawing room. He took out his pocket watch and angrily clicked it shut, seeing as only five more minutes had passed since the last time he'd looked. He needed a distraction, though he was sure nothing would keep him from worrying.

It had been almost an hour that Dr. Thompson had been examining Isobel. While Isobel had insisted that she was fine and no doctor necessary, he had taken a chance and called the young physician anyway. For the first time since they had been married, he realized the fire dancing in Isobel's glare was now directed at him. Dr. Thompson had asked him to wait down here, so that he would be able to go over Isobel's history and symptoms without many interruptions. Elsa had stayed in the room, making sure Isobel had all the help she needed and that her integrity remained intact.

Dickie sighed and sat heavily in the arm chair beside the settee. Rubbing his chin, he kept going over the symptoms Isobel had described since her horrid headache last evening. Fatigue…pain in her neck, back and eyes…dizziness…imbalance…

He tried not to think of the commonalities between her symptoms and other illnesses he'd read of while she'd slept last evening. It could simply be that she was overtired from their lengthy honeymoon and the stressful business with Larry and the police. But something in him said this was more than a headache…and that was why he was adamant about bringing Jonathan Thompson to Cavenham that afternoon.

Dickie was startled out of his thoughts when the drawing room door opened and the young doctor walked in.

"Lord Merton…"

Dickie stood quickly and met the doctor in the center of the room. "How is Lady Merton?"

"Just fine. She's resting now, but I'm sure she will feel much better within a day or so."

"Splendid. Have you any idea as to what the trouble is?"

The doctor motioned for Dickie to sit. The young man rubbed his hands together before sitting on the settee and meeting Dickie's eyes.

"Lord Merton, I believe Lady Merton is overtired and simply requires a few extra hours of rest every day…another week or so of this should help rebuild her stamina."

"And that is why the headache occurred last evening? She is fatigued?"

"Perhaps. I have asked Lady Merton to keep a log of her symptoms over the next few weeks. I would like to be sure of all that is going on before sending her for unnecessary testing or putting her on medication which will be of no benefit to her."

Dickie sat back in his chair and clasped his hands in front of him. The young doctor seemed a bit too timid for the elder Baron's liking. "Dr. Thompson, I would remind you that Lady Merton is my wife, and I am privy to information regarding her health. Please tell me the whole of her condition as you see it."

Sighing, Dr. Thomson nodded slowly. "Lord Merton, while I cannot be sure, I find that Lady Merton's symptoms are consistent with a neurological disorder…rather, there is a problem within that we cannot yet see."

"Neurological? You mean…?"

"Yes…within the brain. Because of this, I find that it is affecting her neck and back…the spinal cord in particular."

"And you can know all of this with one simple examination? I do not understand how you can possibly…."

Dickie moved to stand, clearly angered and upset by this new revelation, but Dr. Thompson held up a hand.

"Please, Lord Merton…allow me to finish."

Dickie held in his temper and took a moment to stare the young man down. He wanted to be sure this physician was speaking the truth, not trying to throw his education and medical knowledge in the face of someone who had no medical training. So when Jonathan Thompson did not back away, Dickie felt the man to be competent and motioned for him to continue.

"While I cannot be sure at this time, Lady Merton's headaches, fatigue, imbalance and neuropathy seem to signify there is an issue with the nerves in her vertebrae, stemming from the base of her skull. It is complicated…very difficult to diagnose anything definitively until we have more information…which is why I have asked Lady Merton to track these symptoms and their causes. The more information I can gather, the more I have to work with to find the best treatment for your wife."

"I see….but you said 'neuropathy'," Dickie responded, looking off in thought. "What do you mean by that?"

Dickie looked back to see the young doctor look down, a frown on his face.

"Dr. Thompson…I would appreciate the truth."

The doctor nodded but would not meet the baron's eyes. "Neuropathy is the loss of feeling. Lady Merton indicated that she loses feeling in her right leg and foot at times."

"But she…she has never said anything of this. You must have heard her incorrectly," Dickie replied, standing to head for the door. He needed to speak with Isobel…now. But Dr. Thompson leaped to his feet and grabbed Dickie's arm, stopping him quickly.

"Please, milord…I understand you are upset, but she did not want to worry you. It seems both of you are more concerned with taking care of the other's emotions." Jonathan dropped Dickie's arm and took a step back, his head dropping once more.

Dickie took a moment to collect himself before turning back to regard the doctor. "Might I be of any help to her during this time?"

Dr. Thompson chanced looking at the elder man and smiled sympathetically at the obviously distraught Lord Merton. "See that she gets a proper amount of rest and does not take on too many projects…at least not until she has regained some strength and the number of headaches per week has decreased significantly."

Dickie nodded and crossed back to the bay window, clasping his hands behind his back. The young doctor gathered his medical bag from the floor and was about the leave when he heard the Baron speak once more.

"Why would she not tell me? "

Stopping at the drawing room door, Dr. Thompson turned and answered quietly, "Because she loves you too much to hurt you in any way. Or so her lady's maid told me."

And with that, the young doctor quickly left Lord Merton to his thoughts and fears.