Seated in the crowded office to which she’d been granted entry, Juliette wondered if she’d made a mistake by coming here. Following protocol, she had taken the precaution of bringing a maid with her. She had, however, neglected to relay the real reason for her outing to her brother. He was under the impression that she had gone to the British Museum, which she would do right after this meeting so there would be some truth to what she had told him.

Biting her lip, she glanced around at all the books and various objects strewn about.

“Is that a real skull?” her maid asked from the spot where she sat some short distance away.

Juliette looked at the item to which Sarah pointed and found a pair of empty eye sockets staring back at her. “Yes, I believe it is.”

“Good grief!”

The door burst open and the man Juliette had come to see walked in. “My lady.” Doctor Florian acknowledged her presence with a polite nod, then smiled at Sarah before making his way around his desk and sitting down. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“First of all, I should like to thank you for seeing me,” Juliette said. “I hope you will forgive me for coming like this without warning.”

He met her gaze and held it until a distinct edge of discomfort forced her to look away. “My profession does provide me with a busy schedule. I would appreciate it if you would tell me how I might be of service.”

In other words, he wanted her gone as quickly as possible so he could continue with his day. She decided not to keep him too long. “It is my understanding that there has been a recent outbreak of typhus in St. Giles. I have been following the news of it in the paper.”

Florian frowned. “That is correct. Yes.”

When he said nothing further, Juliette leaned forward slightly in her seat. She did not miss the way his eyes sharpened with interest or how his posture appeared to stiffen. Curious man, he’d intrigued her since the moment she’d first met him, his view of medicine so apart from the norm that she found herself drawn to a subject she’d never before considered remotely interesting.

“I would like to know what is being done about it.”

He did not flinch, but she could tell that he was thinking—dissecting her words and turning them over in his head. “You have an interest on account of your history with the place.”

“I know what it is like to be sick and unable to afford proper treatment. Fortunately, my ailments were never too serious. Others, like my sister, Bethany, were not as lucky.”

She might as well have told him it often rained when she was a child. His expression remained unchanged, though he did say what was required. “I am sorry.”

“Thank you.” She would not blame him for his indifference. Death had no doubt become such an ordinary part of his life that he failed to be affected by it.

“As to what is being done,” he said, moving on with the conversation, “the affected streets have been closed off in the hope of halting further contagion. Regarding treatment, however, resources are limited, the people suffering, too poor to cover the necessary costs. I believe there are even those who think it would benefit the City if we let nature take its course and allow the slum to perish.”

“Then it is as I feared,” she said, “which is why I would like to make a proposal.”

He gave her a steady look—one that blatantly assessed her. “Does your brother know you have come here?”

“No. I thought to acquire your help before going to him.”

He winced. “Even if you manage to do so, considering I have yet to discover your intent, I would prefer to avoid a duke’s wrath. Now that there are two dukes in your family, I wish you would have sought some approval.”

Nodding, she blurted, “I want to fund a health plan for the poor.”

He stared at her. “What?”

“A means by which to cover the cost of their treatment—any treatment—for the duration of their lives.” When he said nothing, she continued. “Fortune has smiled on me, Doctor, and I now have the means required to help. Please tell me you will allow it.” If he denied her, she would fail. Countless lives would likely be lost, which was something she wasn’t prepared to accept.