If he had known who deeply he had wounded her then without saying anything about her waiting for him, he would have done everything in his power to make her know that she meant the world to him.  She had been the only woman in his heart while he had been aboard.  Of course, he had taken a lover or two in his wilder days but his affection for them paled in comparison to his hidden love for Catherine.  But the awkward silence that followed between her words and her introduction of him to her ailing father weighed heavily on his heart and he wished he had said something, done something to show her how much she meant to him.<br/><br/>"Hello, Lord Cartwright.  I wish our meeting once more was under better circumstances..."<br/><br/>In due time.  For now, her father was his main concern.  The young doctor gave a polite nod to the aging patriarch of the Cartwright family and he approached the bed side.  The air was stiffling and he could see the illness etched plainly on the old man's face.  He was breathing hard and shaking, the sure signs of a flu or similar illness.  He took out his stethoscope and laid it on the man's chest, listening to his rattling breathing.  His heart beat was slow but he was fighting for his life.  William looked up at Catherine and smiled softly, waving one hand towards the windows.<br/><br/>"Can you open the windows, let in some fresh air?  He needs to get some bed rest and I will give him something to help with this nasty flu.  If he keeps on it and in bed, he should break the fever in a few days and be on the mend."