dangerously yours (masquerade)

Chapter eleven

"You don't need to smoke out the window." I said joining him. "This is your suite." I chuckled.

"Albert gets unwell often and I prefer to smoke out the window for his health."

"Health? I thought doctors recommended smoking?" I said, smirking.

"I am not a doctor." He laughed. "And if I was, I wouldn't recommend it."

"Really? Why?"

"Well... When I was studying for a while I took a great interest in smoking. From a young age I always thought that inhaling smoke into your lungs can't be good for your health so I researched it." He paused for a moment. "Do stop me if this bores you. I do have a tendency to go on." He laughed.

"Not at all, please continue." I smiled.

"The respiratory system extends from the nose and upper airway to the alveolar surface of the lungs, where gas exchange occurs. Inhaled tobacco smoke moves from the mouth through the upper airway and will ultimately reach the alveoli in the lungs. My theory is that having a foreign substance in the lungs such as tobacco can't possibly be good for your health. As it is becoming more popular I began trying to predict long term effects."

"And..."

"And well I didn't quite get that far." He laughed.

"I suppose it all makes sense." I replied. "My Grandmother worked in a factory full of smoke and never stopped coughing."

I froze for a moment, believing I had just exposed myself to not truly being a rich countess but too my delight Rudolph did not seem to notice.

Rudolph chuckled for a moment, "Y'know you are the first person to ever agree with me."

"Really? I doubt that." I said.

"No really." He laughed. "Everyone at school always says how stupid of a theory it is."

"Well, now you can go and tell them somebody agrees. Even if it is a woman." I said.

"That does not matter at all! You would make a better doctor than all of them combined. Does not matter at all that you are a woman. You are smart, caring, sympathetic, the list goes on!"

"Rudolph, please you are making me blush." I smirked.

"It's true!" He laughed.

"I do find medicine interesting though. I always have... However, you are the first man to speak to me as if I am an adult and not some mindless thing that has no clue about medicine."

"I'm sorry. It's really not fair." He looked down.

I smiled, "Please don't apologise. It's not your fault."

He gave me a sympathetic smile. I felt heat in my cheeks again.

"I do have a question about your research." I said.

"Oh no, I most likely won't be able to answer it." He laughed.

"All this information, yet you yourself still smoke... Why?"

He paused and then chuckled to himself, "I never said I was worried about my health... I know it's bad but I really don't mind cutting potential years of my life to help me sleep... It's really an addiction... I don't mind if I pass away prematurely." He laughed.

"Rudolph, don't say that! I would certainly mind if you were to pass away!"

He smiled at me.

"You should try and quit. Prove your research right! I don't want anything bad to happen to you."