The hospital was buzzing with activity, and Isobel realized that she had made a good choice in offering an extra pair of hands to make rounds today. Although it was tiring work, she relished the joy it gave her. In the first months after Matthew's death, she couldn't imagine ever being happy again. But here she was, almost a year later, smiling and talking with patients like she had before the accident. It was refreshing, in a way.
She looked up from the clipboard she was filling out and noticed a certain doctor staring at her openly. He very unsubtly had been making a point to be near her at all times, and if he couldn't, he would gaze across the room like a lost puppy. As she looked back to her clipboard, she gave him credit for at least being attentive, although not very tactful.
The second half of the day went even faster than the first. It seemed as if every child had in Downton had broken something. Most of the afternoon was a blur, except for light squeeze of her arm that he supplied as they passed to opposite ends of the room.
She wasn't surprised when at the end of the day he popped his head out of his door and called her over to his office.
"You know if you aren't careful, Dr. Clarkson, we'll be the talk of the younger nurses before too long."
"Actually, Mrs. Crawley, I have something completely different to talk to you about."
Interested, Isobel sat down in front of his desk.
"It seems that a chap in Canada has just discovered a way to produce insulin, and deliver it to those with deficiencies."
"That's wonderful!" Isobel exclaimed happily. They had dealt with very few cases of Diabetes mellitus, but the ones they had had made it quite an interesting talking point for them.
"Though of course we may not have the ability to implement such a medicine, but I thought I should tell you, since it has been something we had discussed."
"Well thank you for that, and keep me updated when you hear more."
"Actually, I have lot of the research with me, if you would like to discuss it over tea, perhaps?"
"Is that your idea of courting then? Studying medical journals over tea?" Isobel dared to tease.
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind." He muttered.
"And now you are quoting Shakespeare." She sighed, though sincerely delighted by the comment "All right then, get your things together and we can peruse this research in my sitting room."
There was no way that he could have hid the enormous smile that crept across his face.
And by the end of the night, although he hadn't come any closer to her than necessary and had politely tipped his hat to her when he left, she felt a strange sensation that Dr. Richard Clarkson was up to something.