Orphan Train Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 4 Page 23

  “Might I ask why we are discussing plumping me up?” the laughter in her voice revealed that she had not taken offense.

  Katie quickly explained what had happened in as light a tone as she could muster. She was relieved to see that while Melanie’s brows furrowed with concern, she saved her questions for later.

  The afternoon and evening passed quickly while they kept the youngster occupied with quiet activities, enjoying the quickly assembled and cooled cake before they tucked her into bed.

  “Now you really must tell me why you are as pale as death. It seems to me that the child has come to no serious injury.”

  Katie flushed over her friend’s words. “If you had seen her lying there on the ground with everyone standing around her wringing their hands, you would not be quite so complacent.”

  “I dare say I wouldn’t, but it still seems to me that you are concerned about more than just the girl’s injuries. Did something else happen today? Did something go wrong with the client you went to visit?”

  Katie grinned. “No, I almost forgot about it, but the visit with Mrs. Bainbridge went very well. I think, if we please her with this first commission, we will get a good bit of business from her. The dear woman was almost beside herself with delight at the thought of someone else making her gowns and frocks. It seemed to me that while she had exceptional taste, her skills are merely middling. But since her husband seems to be doing quite well for himself, he shan’t begrudge her the expense.”

  “Well that is excellent news. I am certain we will please her. So what else is troubling you?”

  Katie chuckled, then sighed. “I do believe you have come to know me a little too well.” She paused, rubbing her neck to try to release some of the tension that had accumulated there. “Annie’s accident brought back a few too many unpleasant feelings. I’m sure you can relate. You never completely leave old grief behind, and new frights can bring them to the fore.”

  “That’s certainly true.” Mel’s soft, accepting tone prompted Katie to continue.

  She looked at Mel and felt heat creep into her cheeks. “The doctor was called before I got there.”

  “Oooo, the handsome, young doctor?” Mel teased.

  “I do believe this town only has the one doctor.”

  Mel laughed. “Perhaps so, but why does his having been called cause a crease to your forehead? I know Annie has an unreasonable fear of doctors — has she infected you with her concerns?”

  Katie laughed too but added a small shrug. “After seeing all the sickness and death we have seen, doctors don’t usually bring warm feelings to the heart.”

  Mel nodded but then added reasonably, “They do occasionally bear good news, such as when they assist with a birth.” Katie shot her a wry look, prompting a laugh from Mel. “Very well, I will agree that doctors are usually accompanying trouble. But since he’s so very handsome, it must help assuage the problem a little bit, or at least distract you from your troubles.”

  “I will admit, the doctor is one of the best looking men I’ve ever laid eyes on, but he seems to have taken me in dislike. I don’t think he approves of women who work.”

  Mel appeared to be taken aback by this statement. “All women work,” she replied firmly.

  “Well, of course, but I meant for pay, as in employment.”

  Mel sniffed. “Well, then you needn’t wrinkle up your forehead over such a ridiculous man. If he is so backwards as that, you needn’t bother considering his thoughts.”

  Katie chuckled. “That was exactly the conclusion I had reached myself, but I worry about how influential he might be in this size of a town.”

  “Never mind about him. Very few of the women, who we are hoping will be our clients, will pay him any heed if he starts spouting off about women working outside the home. Most women have the sense to realize that life is not so straightforward.”

  Katie agreed with her friend but still couldn’t put away the worry that buzzed around the back of her mind as she settled into her bed that night. Thankfully, the fresh clean air of Bucklin and all the walking she had done that day were more powerful than her troubled thoughts, and she quickly drifted off into a deep sleep.

  After waking Annie up a couple times during the night to ensure she was doing well, they all slept later than usual. But after a hearty breakfast and getting Annie settled with a small chalkboard, Katie hurried away from the small house to meet with one client nearby.

  “Mrs. Carter?” Katie froze in her tracks when she heard the incredulous tone of the familiar, deep, masculine voice.

  “Good morning, Dr. Jeffries,” she replied, keeping her tone light, as she wondered whether or not she should just brush by him or if she ought to stay and converse with the man. The disapproval clearly displayed on his face made her feel much inclined to do the former. She was about to do just that when he interrupted her thoughts.

  “I thought you said you were in a position to keep an eye on Annie for a couple of days. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours.”

  Katie bristled at his accusatory tone but tried to convince herself that she appreciated his concern for her daughter. “I woke her up every few hours through the night, just as you instructed, doctor. And I spent most of the morning with her. But I had to make one quick call on a neighbor today. I haven’t been gone long. In the meantime, Melanie is with her.”

  “What was so important that it couldn’t wait until you were absolutely certain your child is well?” the doctor scoffed.

  “Keeping food on her table and a roof over her head, doctor.” Katie bit out the words, trying, but failing, to remain polite. “Not that it’s any of your business what I do with my time.”

  “I don’t know how you convinced the ones organizing the adoptions to entrust you with a child, but it seems to me that you are unfit for the assignment.”

  Katie could feel the color drain from her face as she felt his insult all the way to her core. A part of her wanted to curl up in a ball in a secluded corner and wail her grief at all the injustices life had handed her. But another part of her refused to let another man speak to her in a hurtful way.

  “Dr. Jeffries, you do not have any right to speak to me in such a manner. Surely a man who has sworn to care for the well being of others would be sufficiently informed to realize that a woman on her own with a child has to do whatever it takes to care for all the responsibilities. While it would, of course, be absolutely lovely if I were somehow independently wealthy and didn’t have to be gainfully employed, that is not the reality I face. I need to be attentive to my clients in order to make sure that Melanie and I can have enough business to succeed. Thankfully, my business partner is a trustworthy woman who could sit with my child for the few minutes that I had to be away. I am not being derelict in my duties. And you are exceedingly foolish to have thought that I was, and unnecessarily cruel to have told me so, especially given the stress that I had to contend with yesterday and the less than restful night I dealt with last night. I pray I never require your services in the future.” If she was of a calmer mind, she would be happy to see that he seemed to have been struck mute by her words, but all she wanted to do now was be somewhere else. He seemed rooted in his place so she had to prod, “Now, if you would be so kind as to get out of my way, I will no longer trouble you with my presence.”

  ~~~

  Wyatt stepped off the path in order to allow her plenty of room to pass. He watched, dumbfounded, as she swept away from him with her head held high but her lips trembling. If he could, he would rip out his own tongue for the pain he had obviously caused her.

  It was this ridiculous attraction he felt toward her that had muddled his mind, he was certain of it. He was so torn up about his feelings for the lovely young widow. A part of him wanted to sweep her into his arms and care for all her worries. But another part of him balked at the thought of taking such a headstrong woman into his life. With all that he faced each day, he was certain he required a soothing presence in his home at the end o
f the day. While Mrs. Carter was more than pleasant to look at, he was quite certain she had too many thoughts of her own to ever be able to soothe away his cares.

  But Patricia had been a soothing presence, at least for the most part, and that didn’t work out so well, his subconscious reminded him. He chose to ignore that mocking voice and hurried on to his next appointment. But before he got too far away, he couldn’t resist turning back to observe the pretty brunette’s progress. It troubled him to see that her head was no longer held high, and her strides were not nearly so purposeful as when she had swept away from him. It looked to him as though she had drooped.

  The doctor had to fight hard to stop himself from running toward her. He fought the impulse that made him want to draw her into his arms and croon to her like a small child. She always seemed so strong; he doubted she would welcome such a gesture anyway. But she didn’t look quite so strong now. He really ought to have curbed his tongue. He resolved to speak more kindly to her the next time they encountered one another. Despite her desire to never require his services, he was most certain they would cross paths many times again in the small town.

  Chapter Nine

  W yatt was quite correct in his assumptions. It was barely two days later when they were forced into one another’s company once again.

  He knew he was meandering, but he couldn’t bring himself to hurry. Checking Mrs. Jenkins’ boils was sure to be the low point of his day. He would much rather enjoy the beautiful sunshiny day and allow his mind to wander to its favorite hobby of late – daydreaming about remarrying and starting a family. It troubled him slightly that in recent days the imaginary wife had taken on the features of Mrs. Carter, but he tried to ignore her face and just enjoy the imaginary sensation of having someone to come home to at the end of the day. And the imaginary enjoyment of the delicious scent of freshly baked bread or cookies. Wyatt chuckled as he caught himself inhaling deeply, as though he really could smell the delectable aroma. Shaking his head over his own foolishness, the doctor goaded his horse into a faster pace. He really ought to get on with the dreaded task.

  After tying his horse loosely in the shade of a large tree near the road, Wyatt made his way toward the house. He stopped for a moment to admire how tidy the yard was despite Mrs. Jenkins’ health problems. It was one more benefit of having a wife. Even an invalid was more benefit than trouble, he thought, remembering the good times with his dearly departed.

  Shaking his head again, he quickly approached the door and rapped decisively.

  “Is that you, Doctor Jeffries? Please hurry and come in.”

  Wyatt blinked. Had his imaginings conjured the woman? That sounded like Mrs. Carter.

  “Whoever it is, please come in. We need your help.”

  Wyatt pulled himself out of his sudden inertia and opened the door. He was unsurprised to see Mrs. Carter but was shocked to see her huddled over Mrs. Jenkins’ prone form.

  “What has happened?” he demanded. He had almost asked ‘what have you done,’ but caught himself before making such a foolish mistake. But his tone must have given away some of his thoughts because the lovely widow shot him another one of her fierce glares.

  “I cannot say for certain, Doctor Jeffries, what has happened to her, but she is bleeding quite terribly, which is why I wasn’t able to run for help. Thankfully, she had mentioned to me that you were to be stopping by today, so I was able to remain here without losing my mind completely. I can assure you, my daughter was in the pink of perfect health when I left her at school this morning. And Mrs. Jenkins’ bleeding was not my doing. Even if I had poked the poor dear with needles while checking her hem, there shouldn’t be this much blood.”

  She seemed to be rambling, no doubt caused by her fear, but his silence didn’t seem to be reassuring her at all. Perhaps she realized she was giving too much away. Her face hardened, and she offered him another glare. “I should actually be demanding of you what has happened to her. Why did you take so long in getting here? While it feels like I have been sitting here with her for several lifetimes, it has in reality been at least half an hour. And why is she not healed already? She was suffering from her boils the first time I visited her. Surely you should have fixed her up by now, shouldn’t you?”

  Wyatt grinned. He hadn’t been railed at by anyone in ages. He normally appreciated the respect afforded him by the townsfolk, but it was refreshing to be treated like a regular person. It was obvious to him that Mrs. Carter most certainly did not place him in any position of reverence.

  The young woman was looking at him as though he had lost his mind. He realized he was just standing there grinning like a simpleton when he should really be doing something to help his patient.

  “You are quite correct, Mrs. Carter, I should have gotten here sooner. I didn’t realize she was in such a bad way. When I was here last time, I thought her boils were almost better. Something must have happened to make her take a turn for the worse.” There was a moment of silence while Mrs. Carter absorbed his words and appeared somewhat mollified. “She’s most fortunate that you were here to lend her assistance. You did very well in staunching the bleeding.”

  “Imagine that! You are saying the poor soul is fortunate that I was visiting a client rather than sitting at home being a housewife.” The widow’s sarcastic tone made heat accumulate in Wyatt’s face. He offered her a wry smile.

  “Well, it was fortuitous that she was not alone,” he commented as he continued his assessment of the situation. “You say you have been here for half an hour, and it is still bleeding? That is very odd.”

  “The bleeding has slowed significantly, but whenever I would remove the towel, hoping I could go for help, it was obvious that it hadn’t stopped. I was concerned she would lose all her blood if I left her.”

  “You did the right thing in staying with her. Thank you for remaining calm,” he remarked.

  She offered him a crooked smile. “I did not say I remained calm, doctor. I remained present. Most of me wanted to scream with fear. It was the first time since I arrived in Bucklin that I wished we were still in New York. In the city, all I would have had to do is shout and someone would have heard me and come to our aid. All this beautiful space can be a problem when you run into trouble and are alone.”

  Wyatt frowned. “That is why it is best for women not to be alone, then.”

  The widow laughed lightly. “Well, you certainly don’t change your tune, do you?” Without allowing time for him to explain himself, she continued, “Now tell me what I can do to assist you. While a part of me wants to run out of here as quickly as my feet can carry me now that you are here to take care of her, I cannot bear to see the poor dear so pale. Surely there is something to be done.”

  Wyatt blinked, brought back to the task at hand. He was being daft, staring at the lovely young widow and forgetting about the poor woman on the floor. He focused his mind and started issuing orders as clearly as possible.

  “We will need lots of warm water and as many towels as you can find. If there is not enough water in the house, one of us will have to go out to the well. Poor Mrs. Jenkins doesn’t have running water in the house. If you’d like to stay with her, I can go fetch a couple pails of water.”

  “No!” she declared before blushing charmingly. She lowered her voice. “I am ashamed to admit, I cannot bear the thought of being alone here with her again feeling so helpless. I can manage the water. You stay with your patient.” Her flush deepened while she paused before adding, “But I thank you for the offer. I’m sure you meant to be chivalrous, but I am quite capable despite being squeamish.”

  Wyatt had to laugh despite the seriousness of their situation. The defensive woman was cute when she got flustered. He realized she resented his implication that she was less capable than he was, but she also resented her own weakness in admitting how afraid she had been while alone with the bleeding older woman. He ought to tell her how impressed he was with her presence of mind, but she was likely to consider his word
s to be condescension. Besides, she was already out the door. At least she wasn’t standing around wringing her hands. As much as he might think women ought to be tending to the home and the children rather than trying to be employed, he had to admit that Mrs. Carter was being quite sensible in this difficult situation. If he had been here by himself with Mrs. Jenkins, he would be almost as stuck as Mrs. Carter had been, despite his tools and training. Sometimes more than one pair of hands was necessary. That thought could be quite distracting in the context of thinking of the lovely widow, so he shoved it from his mind.

  ~~~

  The bucket made a loud splash as it hit the surface of the water. Katie gritted her teeth as she turned the winch that would pull the full bucket back up. She had been a little too full of bravado when she told the doctor that it would be no problem to fetch the water. But she would rather do it than stay with poor Mrs. Jenkins on her own. It was too bad, though, that no one had told her how to get the bucket to be only half full. Maybe if she had been faster. Katie sighed and tugged on the handle. There was no question that she would sleep like a log tonight after the fright she had and now the exertion. With a great deal of effort and more grunting than she would like to admit, she finally had two pails full of water. She carefully lifted them, desperately trying not to spill a single drop after all the effort it took to collect. Going as quickly as she could while balancing the buckets gingerly, Katie returned to the house in time to see Mrs. Jenkins regain consciousness.

  “Oh, my dear girl, I am so sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you. Look at your face, all red from fetching the water. You should have let the doctor do it, dear.”

  Katie laughed. “I am so glad to see you awake, Mrs. Jenkins. I’m sorry to admit to you that I had no wish to remain with you by myself in this house for another minute. When Dr. Jeffries gave me the choice of fetching the water or staying with you, I chose the lesser of two evils. I was terrified when you fainted on me earlier.”