“I’m sorry I caused you so much trouble.” He looked at the room they were in and shook his head. “But I think I may have also placed you in even more trouble.”
Beatrice cocked her head to the side and put her hands on her hips. “What do you mean?”
“We are in a house of ill repute. If I’m understanding things correctly, you have been here with me making sure I recovered from my injury.”
“Of course. I had to watch for more bleeding or any signs of fever or infection in your wound.”
“Thank you,” Elias said. “Though unless there has been another person here in this room with us for the entire time, then your honor has been compromised.”
Beatrice snorted. “Not in your condition.”
Elias could understand her humor, and though he wasn’t offended, he was surprised she had said anything of the sort.
“That’s true,” he agreed. “But there will be talk. Someone here is bound to know my name, and then when they hear you’re a doctor and that you plan to have a practice in Birch Creek, the two of us will be connected with this situation, and there will be people who believe you have been tarnished.”
“Tarnished?” Beatrice scoffed. “I’m not some piece of metal that can rust. I can stand up for myself.”
“I’ve no doubt about that,” Elias said. “Though I would hate to be the cause of speculation about you. If anyone were to refuse your medical skills because of me, I would feel terrible about that.”
Elias could think of only one thing that might solve this problem, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to take that step. Or if he was man enough to even consider something that big.
Beatrice folded her arms across her chest and looked down at him as he sat in the bed. “Well, it’s not like you can do anything to change the past. Just tell people what really happened. Those who don’t believe it have no business being associated with me anyway.”
“I’m not sure how different things were in whatever place you came from, but here, this might very well ruin your chances to start your practice.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do then?” Beatrice asked, her voice raising for the first time as if she was finally coming to understand it all.
“You could marry me,” Elias said, shocking himself at the words.
***
“Are you out of your mind?” Beatrice asked. She’d never in her life been proposed to, though men had tried to court her. Now the man she’d only spoken to for a few minutes of consciousness was suggesting they get married?
“Not really,” Elias said. “I am not saying this will be a marriage of love and devotion or anything. This would be a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
“How?” Beatrice asked, knowing she looked skeptical as he stared at her.
Elias glanced at his shoulder. “I realized that if I were to die, my property would go to no one. In my line of work, I am in harm’s way at times. As you can clearly see.” He pointed at his shoulder and she frowned.
“That is not an enticement to marry someone.”
“Why not?” Elias asked. “You would be the one to inherit all my property.”
“I don’t want any property,” Beatrice said. “I want to start a medical practice out here. Not work some farm.”
“You could still have your practice in town. I don’t plan to go develop that property into a farm quite yet. My duties as the sheriff will take most of my time.”
“That is also not an enticement to marry you. If you were to be gone all the time, or putting yourself in danger, what woman in her right mind would want to get involved in something like that?”
“This wouldn’t be your typical marriage. I would like to have a place to come home to and have a meal. Sleep when I’m tired, and have someone help me with some wash on occasion. I don’t have any intentions of exercising any husbandly rights or duties. Besides, if we were to arrive in Birch Creek already married, no one would question you. Being married to the sheriff would quite possibly help you in your plan to open up your practice. People there already know and respect me. You would just benefit by having my name.”
Beatrice shook her head. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, and she hated to admit that it was reasonable. She had worried, though only briefly, at what people might think about her being here in this brothel with the sheriff. She was caring for an injured man for crying out loud! If only people could just mind their own business.
Of course, he was right that coming into the town as the wife of the sheriff would help the people there to see her in a better light. She would automatically have his backing and influence. Not that she would need it long, but it would be helpful to not have to fight from the ground up to clear her name. She could show everyone in town her success and medical knowledge because of the wellbeing of the sheriff.
“Fine,” Beatrice said.
“Fine?” Elias looked at her as if seeking clarification.
“Fine, I’ll marry you,” Beatrice said. “As long as you understand I will still be practicing as a doctor.”
“Of course,” Elias said. “You are apparently very good at what you do.”
The compliment surprised her. No man had ever had anything good to say about what she did. He wasn’t even going to throw a fit about it? She still didn’t trust it and continued with her stipulations.
“And I will not be doing your laundry, or sharing your bed. I will prepare meals at night if I’m home, but don’t expect me to be some homemaker that will take care of your house all the time. In fact, you might want to consider looking into getting someone to come in a few times a week to care for things.”
“You want a housekeeper?” Elias asked, his eyes going wide.
“Actually, on second thought, I want an assistant,” Beatrice said. “Someone that can come and go when I need her. Someone who will take care of the house as well as be available to help me in the clinic.”
“I don’t know if I could afford an assistant,” Elias said. “I don’t have a lot of money saved up since I bought my land.”
“I have some that will help me get my practice going. If you have a home already, then that would take care of my need to purchase a place to live. Or even relieve the issue of paying the boarding house fees.”
“I have a small place,” Elias said. “It’s not very comfortable though. In fact, I mostly just spend my nights at the jail.”
“We’ll start with your house and see what needs fixing. How far away is it from the center of town?”
“Not more than a mile.”
“Too far for me to have a practice at the house. I suppose I’ll have to ask around at what could be used. I think this could work out if you know people who might be quick to build what I need.”
Elias shook his head. “What was I thinking?”
“Don’t ask me,” Beatrice said. “If you’d like to remove your offer of marriage, I will have no problems with that. I’ll tell no one.”
“I’m not removing the offer. I’m just wondering what I got myself into.”
“You’ll have someone to feed you, wash for you on occasion, and inherit your property when you die,” Beatrice said with a wicked smile. She wanted to take that last part back because there was no way she wanted him to die any time soon. She was actually starting to like the man.
Elias laughed. “All right, but one more condition.”
“And what would that be?” Beatrice asked.
“You either learn to play chess, or poker with me. Because I believe I’m going to enjoy having conversations with you.”
“I already know how to play chess.”
“Perfect.” Elias grinned. “Now, I think we need to send for the preacher in Birch Creek. Because even though I’m the sheriff and can perform civil unions, I can’t marry myself.”
At the word preacher, Beatrice’s heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. Was she really going to do this? It wasn’t how she had ever thought of her life turning out. Marrying a man she di
dn’t love. Though he was an intriguing and downright handsome man. So much better than the options she’d had in New Jersey when her father had suggested she marry one of the doctors they practiced with. Of course, none of them would have allowed her to keep working as a doctor. Elias, however had even seemed supportive of the idea of her practicing.
Perhaps this might not turn out to be a bad thing.
***
Elias was still surprised at himself for bringing up the proposal of marriage. He hadn’t wanted her to suffer any kind of issues from the gossip in Birch Creek when word of their stay here got out. Then as they’d discussed the subject of marriage, and her straightforward response to it without any hint of backing down or acting like some shy and retreating female, he found he actually liked the idea himself.
It was true that he didn’t want his property to be lost to just anyone. If he did die in his duties as sheriff, he wanted to let someone benefit from it. Besides, having someone to come home to did sound appealing.
Of course, she had made it perfectly clear she would not be the domestic type. Still, she would keep the home as a place to come to and she’d even feed him on occasion. A whole lot better than what he had now.
He studied her in silence as she looked over his wound once she’d unbound it. She was incredibly intelligent and a definite power to reckon with. She would keep him on his toes for sure. Since she had no intentions of loving him or being involved in marital bliss, then she wouldn’t mourn him long if he did lose his life. Not that he planned to be careless or put himself in the path of danger. His close call with a simple gunshot wound to the shoulder had woken him to the possibility.
“It is healing rather nicely,” Beatrice said as she touched her fingernail to his stitching. “It will still be some time before you can fully use this arm, but once the wound is healed shut, I’ll show you some exercises to do that will help you regain strength and mobility in the limb.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
Beatrice smiled and the corners of her eyes crinkled making him realize he hadn’t seen her actually smile with pleasure yet. She’d liked it when he called her Doc. Was it because of the familiarity of it, or because it was a title she wanted to be referred to?
It would be difficult for her to get the community to accept her as a doctor. Not that they were backward people or anything, but who had ever heard of a female doctor? Of course, she was definitely better than no doctor. The closest thing the town had was the butcher who knew how to reset broken bones, and a midwife who helped deliver the babies.
Birch Creek was growing, and they would need a doctor. More people meant more chances for illness or injury.
“What made you decide to become a doctor?” Elias asked when she finished wrapping the bandage.
“My father was a doctor. My mother helped him as an assistant at first. It was just natural for me to be there with them as he saw patients. I loved seeing how he helped people, and he encouraged me to learn more.”
“You said was. Is he gone?” Elias asked as gently as he could.
“Yes, he passed away a few months ago. My mother died four years before that. I tried to continue working at the hospital I’d been in, but with him gone, they did everything they could to push me out.”
“Seems rather foolish of them,” Elias said. “You are obviously skilled and capable.”
Beatrice smiled again, and Elias knew if she kept doing things like that, he might actually find himself in some danger. If she wanted this marriage between them to be a business only arrangement, he would have to be careful to not get himself too comfortable with her.
***
Beatrice took the soiled bandages and washed the blood out, then placed them into a shallow bowl and poured the whiskey over them to soak.
Was she really going to do this? Marriage?
Before she could figure out a way to change her mind, or try to convince Elias there had to be some other way, she heard the sound of footsteps right outside the door and then a loud knock.
“Who is it?” she asked as she looked at Elias sitting up, more alert than before. He looked as if he was searching for his gun, but she’d put it on the other side of the room with his personal gear they had taken off his horse before stabling the animal.
“Hicks,” the voice from the other side said.
“Come in,” Elias answered before Beatrice even realized who it was.
The deputy entered the room with a giant smile on his face. “Good to see you alive, Mills.”
“Good to be alive,” Elias said. “Doc here fixed me up good.”
“Looks like,” Hicks said. He gave Beatrice a smile and a nod of thanks then moved closer to the sheriff’s bed. “Got the one in jail, and managed to get him to talk a bit. I’m going to take a few men out to where he said the group had been holing up. I had to make sure you was doing all right first, and wanted to see what you might need. Should I saddle your horse and ride back with you to Birch Creek?”
“No,” Beatrice said. “He can’t travel for another day or two at least. Not until I’m certain he won’t open that wound with any kind of exertion.”
Hicks looked at Elias as if her words meant nothing to him.
“What do you say, boss?” Hicks asked.
“You heard her. Besides, I need to take care of something before we go to Birch Creek. I wondered if you might help me with that.”
“Sure thing,” Hicks said. “Whatever you need.”
“Can you send Reverend Morrison here?”
“What do you need a preacher for?” Hicks looked him over closer. “You ain’t dying?”
“No, of course not.” Elias smiled then looked at Beatrice with a glance that made her belly tingle. “I’m getting married.”
“What?” Hicks asked, his voice rising with disbelief. Then as if he had understood the look Elias had given her, Hicks turned to look at Beatrice. “What is going on?”
“I asked Doctor Beatrice Jones to marry me, and she agreed.”
“Are you crazy?” Hicks shook his head. “Did she do something to you while you was healing?”
“Just made me realize what I’d been missing in life. So go send for the preacher. If you want to be here when he marries us, I’d like that. Of course, if you think heading after those men is top priority, you should do that.”
Hicks shook his head. “No way am I going to let you get married without me here to see it. I’ll go get the preacher here fast as I can. The posse will be here too. Then we’ll all go out hunting down those blasted men that scrambled your brain enough to make you want to get married. Someone’s going to have to suffer for this.”
He was out the door and down the steps faster than Beatrice could process what this meant. She would be getting married in just hours, not days like she had expected. Sometimes, it really was best to get things out of the way instead of dwelling on them.
She looked at Elias once more, studying him to see if there was anything about his person that gave her pause. She had never felt comfortable with the men her father had tried to encourage her to show interest in. Elias, on the other hand, had an honesty and pureness about him that seemed to radiate out.
Given his comments when he thought she was one of the women who worked here, she was certain he was a good sort of man. She didn’t fear him in any way. The fact that he was concerned about her reputation and wanted to make sure she didn’t suffer any kind of damage to her professional status by committing himself to her through marriage spoke volumes about the type of person he was.
“Are you certain you want to do this?” Beatrice wanted to give him any opportunity to change his mind before the preacher arrived. She would tell the preacher no if she thought Elias might prefer to get out of his offer.
“I am,” Elias said. “It will be a good thing for both of us. Even if I still have to wash my own clothes.”
Beatrice chuckled. “No, you won’t have to worry about that while you’re around home. First thing I’m going
to do after we reach Birch Creek and I find myself a place to set up my clinic is hire an assistant.”
CHAPTER THREE
Elias did his best to look presentable. Beatrice had helped him get his coat back on as they waited for the preacher to arrive. Elias had insisted on moving off the bed and onto the chair nearby so he could get married the right way.
His injured shoulder was barely covered by the coat and he wasn’t going to admit that it ached something fierce. He looked at the coat, impressed that the blood had been washed out of the fabric. It also looked like she had done her best to stitch it up after she had cut it off him in the carriage right after he’d been shot. She had argued that she wouldn’t do laundry or the like, but she was obviously capable of it.
Soon Hicks, four men, and a preacher entered the room and Hicks shook his head in exasperation when he saw that Elias was still completely serious about this.
They explained to the reverend that they were both very aware of what they were doing. Had promised it would be a lifelong commitment and they would do their best to learn to love each other as a husband and wife should.
Elias had felt a little uncomfortable with that promise at first, but when Beatrice had seemed comfortable and content with the conversation, he relaxed.
“Shall we proceed then?” Reverend Morrison stood at the side of the bed looking more comfortable and at ease than he had when he’d first entered the room.
“You really could sit down for this,” Beatrice said as Elias began to stand. “You lost a lot of blood. That will make it hard to stay upright.”
“No,” Elias said. “I will not get married sitting down. I don’t intend to take this easy. You deserve better than that, Beatrice.”
Beatrice smiled sweetly and Elias realized that she did have womanly feelings. She wasn’t all about being the tough doctor that only cared about her patient. She was a lovely woman that needed to be cared for the right way.
The Sheriff's Bride: A Golden Valley Story (Brides of Birch Creek Book 5) Page 3