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Chapters (90)
  1. PROLOGUE
  2. 1849
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. EDINBURGH
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. FIFTY-FIVE
  59. FIFTY-SIX
  60. FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. FIFTY-NINE
  63. SIXTY
  64. SIXTY-ONE
  65. SIXTY-TWO
  66. SIXTY-THREE
  67. SIXTY-FOUR
  68. SIXTY-FIVE
  69. SIXTY-SIX
  70. SIXTY-SEVEN
  71. SIXTY-EIGHT
  72. SIXTY-NINE
  73. SEVENTY
  74. SEVENTY-ONE
  75. SEVENTY-TWO
  76. SEVENTY-THREE
  77. SEVENTY-FOUR
  78. SEVENTY-FIVE
  79. SEVENTY-SIX
  80. SEVENTY-SEVEN
  81. SEVENTY-EIGHT
  82. SEVENTY-NINE
  83. EIGHTY
  84. EIGHTY-ONE
  85. EPILOGUE
  86. HISTORICAL NOTE
  87. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  88. Extract from A Corruption of Blood
  89. 1850
  90. ONE

‘I have endured quite enough of the pompous prigs of my profession,’ Archie said. ‘And though I will surely not live to see it, my sense of mischief is tickled by the thought of their outrage on the day that a woman intrudes upon their so fiercely guarded domain. If any woman could, it would be Sarah.’

Raven was unsure exactly what was meant by this. Was Sarah planning some kind of battle with the medical profession in Edinburgh? If so, was her defence of Simpson imagined as a shot across the bows? He thought the notion fanciful but that didn’t stop him worrying about his potential role in it.

‘Don’t you have any other relatives?’ Raven asked. ‘Surely they would contest such a bequest?’

‘I have nobody else to leave the money to. No blood relatives. Or at least, none that I’ll live to see.’

Archie’s expression was curious. It seemed wistful and yet there was something proud, satisfied in it. Raven was about to disregard this last statement, thinking it a throwaway remark, when he realised what Archie meant.

If he did die, he would be leaving Sarah with more than his money. His legacy was going to be greater than that. Archie was under the impression that his wife was with child.

TWENTY-NINE

logo missingarah was replenishing the dressings drawer when Dr Simpson entered the consulting room carrying a sheaf of papers. He had just returned from his trip to Lanarkshire and had barely crossed the threshold before throwing himself into more work.

‘Ah, Sarah. I am currently in the process of writing up some notes for the Monthly Journal on the analogy between puerperal fever and surgical fever, and I thought that Archie might like to take a look at them?’

‘Thank you, Dr Simpson. I think that he would like that very much. Although I may have to read them to him. He is so easily fatigued these days.’

‘Then you must tell me what you think.’

‘Me?’

‘Yes. Why not? You have read half of the contents of my library; you have tackled Gregory and Christison. Surely something I have written would not be beyond your comprehension.’

Sarah took the papers he held out to her.

‘Thank you,’ she said again, and wondered if he meant it. Did he really consider her opinion to be worthy of note? She had indeed read many of the books in Dr Simpson’s library and, she thought, understood them, but often doubted she would ever be able to put the knowledge she was acquiring to any use. In such times she consoled herself with the adage that self-improvement was its own reward.