Frank cleared his throat. “I am afraid not. He came expressly to complain about the expense when, to him, it served no purpose.”
“If there had been a hospital—if she had not given birth in a dark, stuffy, and dirty room.” Jane covered her face with her hands, pressing her fingers against her forehead. He was a terrible man. All his concern had been about the expense, and none for the lives that had been lost. Dropping her hands, Jane lifted her chin. “I told the doctor that I would inquire about having a hospital built, and I have done nothing beyond inquire.”
“Jane…” Vincent shifted in his seat. “There was nothing to be done.”
She stood, clasping her hands in front of her again to hide their shaking. “The doctor made some very sound economic arguments about improved recovery rates and reduced sick days.”
“I know.” Frank nodded. “She has presented the same ones to me, but Mr. Pridmore convinced his lordship that we were spending enough on medical care and that converting land from agriculture to a hospital would be a poor return.”
“So, let us look at land that is not suitable for agriculture.”
“Muse, I do not want you to upset yourself over this.”
“I am already upset!” She swallowed her rising shrillness and took a shuddering breath before she attempted speech again. The doctor had not been enough to keep Amey alive. Would a hospital really have made the difference? Jane turned again to Frank. “Are there maps we might look at?”
He looked past her to Vincent before he answered. Her husband must have nodded, because Frank turned to a set of long flat drawers. On another day, she might have been annoyed that he felt the need to get permission from her husband, but it was a petty concern today.
Pulling open a drawer, Frank said, “I have the plan of the estate, but since there are not enough house slaves to justify more than a sick room inside the house, a hospital will principally relate to the field hands. Its construction is likely to belong to Mr. Pridmore’s budget.”
“If we must, then we make the argument that a hospital is necessary for my health and the health of Lord Verbury’s heir.”
Frank laid the paper out on one of the broad desks. “He will still want to see numbers.”
“Why must we continually indulge that man!” Jane slammed her palms down on the table. “He cares for nothing but profit and power. People are but tokens for him to spend upon whatever he desires and—and … I am sorry, Frank. I know that your family is one of those tokens for him, and at risk. I know why we must indulge him.”
Letting his head drop forward, Frank leaned on the table. “I should acknowledge that my experience with his lordship has been very different from yours. Before the stroke, he was a demanding master, but liberal so long as you met his expectations, and not arbitrary. He could even be generous.” His fingers flexed on the table. “For instance, my wife was a lady’s maid on another plantation. We met in the course of events held around the island and began a doomed courtship. Lord Verbury took note and bought her. She has never been required to work on the estate. So … so it is important for you to understand that I follow his wishes not only because my family is hostage.”
Behind Jane, Vincent said, “And when you did not meet his expectations?”
Frank lifted his head. “As a slave, you expect to be beaten. He is methodical and careful not to cripple or leave scars. It was never without cause.”
Jane could only stare at him in horror. “How can you possibly—”
“Because I cannot say the same for Mr. Pridmore.” Clearing his throat, Frank pushed the map towards Jane. “After the stroke, Lord Verbury has been exceedingly arbitrary, and Mr. Pridmore was given full leave to run the estate as he sees fit. Since your arrival … Lord Verbury has been almost constantly angry. He is in conflict. On the one hand, he wants to punish you both for not acceding to his wishes. On the other, you represent his only hope to preserve his legacy.”
Vincent gave a cold chuckle and walked a little away from them. “So he will want to deny the hospital simply because we ask for it, but also wants to ingratiate himself in order to be close to the child. How lovely.”
“Just so. Presented with numbers, it might remind him to reply with rationality rather than emotion.”
“I can attend to that, since I am having no success in finding anything to help us against Pridmore.” Vincent crossed to the ledgers. “If you will provide me with the doctor’s notes about the economic benefits of a hospital, then I can compare that to the current cost to the estate.”