Elias hadn’t thought the place all that bad, but looking at it now, with his new wife seeing it for the first time seemed to open his own eyes to what was missing.
She turned to him and the look of utter disappointment in her eyes combined with the attempted smile on her lips made him decide then and there he owed this woman a lot more than what she was getting right now.
“As you can see,” Elias said. “This is no place for us to stay. I think its probably more important for you to spend your time and energy focused on setting up your practice rather than attempting to make this place livable. I’m sure there are open rooms to let at the boarding house. We’ll head over there immediately, take a room for a while as we look for a more suitable location.”
As the fake smile turned a true smile, a genuine breath of relief escaped her throat. Elias knew he had made the right choice.
“Now, let’s put that trunk back inside the wagon and head into the main part of town. I’m sure there’s got to be someone looking for a temporary place to stay that I could offer this little spot to.”
***
Beatrice could have cried with relief. She had about come undone at the thought of setting up a home in this place with only an open hearth fire to cook on and dirt floors with only minimal furnishings, and even that wasn’t the worst. She hadn’t seen any sign of a water pump, just a small creek in the distance. She had felt horrible to think he might consider her a snob, but this was so different than anything she had ever experienced back home.
And she had thought the amenities at Jim’s place had been lacking.
“Thank you, Elias,” Beatrice said. “I appreciate your understanding of how important beginning my practice is.”
He nodded. “I would hate for the good folks of Birch Creek to suffer on account of me.” Elias stepped outside and took one side of the trunk, waiting for her to lift the other side.
They carried it to the wagon, then Elias quickly returned to the house and locked it again then untied the horse and handed her the reins where she sat waiting on the wagon bench.
“You could either turn around and go the same way we came in, or we could make a loop and see the town from the side on our way to the boarding house.”
“Whichever will be a smoother ride.” Beatrice looked at his shoulder. “I’ve heard a couple of grunts of pain when I’ve hit a rough spot.”
Elias shrugged his good shoulder. “They’ll be about equal in terrain. So may as well go the back way and around the outside. Might help us avoid a bit of gossip from everyone through town.”
Beatrice met his eyes. Was he embarrassed to be with her? Did it bother him that she was the one driving? She was certain he hadn’t minded given the fact he had passed the reins to her the moment he’d untied the horse. Not sure if she should bring it up or not, she just remained silent while he explained where some of the different shops and services were located. She studied the area, trying to decide where a good location for her practice would be. It made the most sense to put it in the main part of town. Right along the center road that went through Birch Creek.
There were a few houses set up in a row along another path that could possibly be considered a street. It would take some getting used to, but she thought Birch Creek looked nice enough. There weren’t a lot of trees like back east, but the residents had done a good job of planting some near the houses, and there were places where clusters of trees grew close together. Probably nearby the creek that ran along the edge of town.
“Turn here,” Elias said.
She did as instructed and once they had passed the few houses in front of her, she caught sight of a large building with architecture similar to what she’d seen back home.
“That’s Michael and Susan Clark’s boarding house. We’ll check there to see if they have some rooms. Then go from there.”
“It’s a beautiful building,” Beatrice said. She hoped there would be space for them, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up. If things didn’t work out here, she’d make do at the other place until they could find other arrangements. She pulled the wagon up to the side of the building where an open area with a wooden post and bar were set up to tie the horse to. Elias climbed down again and tied the horse up before she managed to get off the wagon.
Even with his injured shoulder, he was still a very efficient and active man.
Beatrice appreciated the fact that he waited for her to join him. She glanced around the area and saw a few people off a ways looking toward them, but they soon went about their own business. Beatrice and Elias walked slowly to the front entry of the boarding house but before they reached the final step of the front porch, the door opened and a lovely woman with dark hair and smiling eyes opened the door.
“Welcome to our place. I’m Susan Clark.” She first looked at Beatrice, then Susan looked at Elias and her eyes lit up. “Well hello, Sheriff Mills. This must be your new wife then.” Susan offered her hand to Beatrice. “I understand you’re a doctor.”
Beatrice smiled at the openness and ease with which the woman referred to her profession. Not even a hint of censure or surprise.
“I am a doctor. Elias and I have discovered we are in need of some lodging for a time. Any chance you have some rooms to let?”
“Of course,” Susan said. “Come on in and we can show you what’s available. Do you have any particular requirements?” She didn’t ask in a nosy kind of way, but Beatrice wondered how to express her wishes for separate beds. Or even rooms if possible without giving anything away about this odd marriage of hers.
“Because of his injury, its important to have separate beds.”
“Not a problem.” Susan motioned for them to follow her. “I’ll give you a tour first, then let you decide.”
As Susan went over her room rates and the boarding options for food and washing schedules, Beatrice tried not to meet Elias’ eyes.
But when she saw the size of the rooms she smiled. There was enough space in here that it would be all right to share. There was even a privacy wall meant for dressing behind. That would be perfect for placing between the beds to keep things separate between them. She wouldn’t need to spend any extra money on a second room, allowing her to get things gathered and prepared for her practice.
“We’ll take this one,” Elias said.
Beatrice nodded, eager to seem in agreement with him to Susan. “It will work perfectly.”
“Wonderful,” Susan said. “I have a young man that can bring up your items from your wagon if you and the sheriff would like to rest a moment. Lunch has already been served, but if you are hungry, I can get something brought up to you in no time.”
“A meal would be wonderful,” Beatrice said. “But we could come down to eat it. I’d like to ask you some questions about the area. I believe you would know a lot of the people in Birch Creek.”
“I’d be happy to answer your questions. I don’t know everyone, no. Not since it’s started growing so much lately, but I’m fortunate enough to know many.”
“Have you ever met Grace Owens?”
“Grace! Yes. She was going to work here for a while. Excellent cook. Then Mr. Owens took one look at her, and one taste of her incredible cooking and asked her to marry him.”
Beatrice smiled. She knew the way they had come to an agreement for marriage was slightly different because of the letters she had shared with her cousin, but Grace had always been a good cook and it was no surprise a man would love it.
“Grace is my cousin. She was the one who mentioned Birch Creek might benefit from having a doctor in the area. So I decided to come out and set up a practice. I was hoping you might have some suggestions on places I might look to either rent out some space in a building, buy something that’s available, or even how to get ready to build something to suit my needs.”
“I would love to talk to you about that,” Susan said. “Michael and I built this place to fulfill a dream of mine. I will probably have way too many ideas or suggestions,
but I’ll give them to you anyway.”
Beatrice smiled. She liked this woman immensely. There was just something so vibrant and self assured about her. In fact, Beatrice felt as if Susan was one of the few people who could understand her drive to become a doctor.
***
Elias sat down at the edge of the bed while Beatrice and Susan left the room to head down the stairs. He hated to admit that he was still worn out. The trip wasn’t difficult at all, but staying upright and dealing with the pain of the shoulder had taken a lot out of him.
He looked around the room for a moment. It would work for a week or so until he could find a place of his own to take his wife to. His proposal had been all about keeping her reputation safe, but he realized he really would like the option of having a home to return to each night, and a wife who would be happy to see him.
The one and only kiss they had shared on their wedding day had felt incredible, and he was certain it wasn’t just because he had been experiencing lots of pain and weakness and any small pleasure was heightened.
If they had a place of their own, hopefully, eventually, she might come to feel like they could become a true family.
He stood up and worked his way down the staircase and came face to face with a young man who was hauling up Beatrice’s trunk. Elias initially pressed himself against the wall, but the building was designed with more space than many places he’d been in. That was a nice change.
Once he’d reached the bottom of the stairs, he turned toward the sound of voices and found Beatrice and Susan in the kitchen talking. His wife was admiring the cooking stove and the indoor water pump while Susan worked on putting together some food.
“How hungry are you, Sheriff?” Susan asked.
Beatrice turned around quickly and smiled at the sight of him.
“More and more every day,” Elias said. “Beatrice kept me drinking plenty of water and broth, but was kind of stingy on the food rations.”
Beatrice shook her head. “Didn’t want you getting sick to your stomach because of the pain and issues you’d been dealing with. Too much food at first can cause problems. I didn’t want the man who had helped me out of that awful situation to suffer needlessly if I could help him.”
Elias liked the way she sounded concerned about him. It was a nice surprise that she cared about his wellbeing, but he also figured she was going into all that detail in order to sound like they were happily married.
“Not to worry,” Susan said. “I’ll make sure to feed you up just right. Dinner will be served at six, so if this doesn’t fill you up now, then you won’t have to wait too long for more.”
The same young man who’d hauled up the luggage poked his head into the kitchen. “Got the trunk and the other bag. Should I put the horse in the stable?”
“Did you want to drive around the area more?” Elias asked. “To look for places to build your practice?”
“I think maybe we should walk up and down main street first, if you feel up to it,” Beatrice said. “We can look at how the other shops and places are set up and decide how big of a room I’d need. I don’t expect to be overly busy at first and could probably make do with something smaller to begin with.”
“I think I can handle the walk.” He didn’t relish the idea of riding on a bumpy wagon bench, and the main street they’d be walking down wasn’t overly long.
“Go ahead and put the horse in the stable, Robert,” Susan said.
“Yes’m,” Robert said as he hurried away.
Beatrice took the plate Susan had offered her and the two women walked over to the table and sat down. After a quick offer of grace over the meal, they continued talking while Elias ate and Beatrice nibbled in between talking.
What was it about women that they felt such a need to talk to other women? And the conversation wasn’t anything all that important either. More of just casual talk of things they enjoyed doing, the types of food they liked cooking or eating, and the best way to find the right kinds of clothing.
Of course, Elias was grateful she wasn’t talking to him about that.
***
Beatrice hadn’t realized how incredible it would feel to have another woman there to be a friend and a confidant. She had rarely interacted with other women once she had decided to actively pursue a medical degree. Most women didn’t understand her desire to do something that was considered a man’s job.
Yet how could caring for people who were unwell or injured fall only to a man? It didn’t make sense. Throughout history, women had always been nurturing and longing to comfort and ease another’s suffering.
Susan seemed to understand that in the same way Beatrice did.
Elias sat quietly without interfering with their conversation and he just ate what was on his plate without complaint. She also appreciated the fact that he was known as a decent enough fellow that Susan knew of him and had no problem with him being in her boarding house.
“If you do decide to build a place to house your clinic instead of finding something already set up, there are quite a few people who might be willing to help.”
“That’s good to know,” Elias said. “There are a few men I know that helped build the jail house. As long as it isn’t in the middle of them working their farms, they would be available as well.”
“How long would it take to get something built?” Beatrice asked.
“Depends on the size of place you’re talking about,” Elias said. “The jail took less than a month. Part of the problem with that was making sure it was strong enough to hold the actual iron jail frames.”
“Did you say you had to have your lumber shipped to you on the train?” Beatrice asked.
“Most of it, yes.” Susan nodded. “But since we built this, there has been a sawmill built not too far from here. You could have it transported by wagon if you choose. There is now a brickyard if you want to go that route. Or a combination of both.”
“That would help to save on the cost of transportation.” Beatrice really had no idea how much it would take to build a place. If she was lucky, she could find something already built that she could rent or purchase. She hadn’t been terrible with money, but most of her time and attention had been focused on her medical skills and learning.
“Let’s go see what’s out there, Doc. Then we can talk with Mr. and Mrs. Clark more tonight.” Elias stood slowly, and thankfully without obvious pain or struggle and offered his good hand to her.
“An excellent idea, Sheriff.” Beatrice placed her hand in his and bid Susan farewell.
CHAPTER FIVE
Elias was surprised at how wonderful it felt having Beatrice walking by his side as they went down the main street of Birch Creek looking at the different buildings and checking out a place that would work for her.
No one purposely came to them to talk, but those who passed by on their way about their own business were quick to say hello and bid them good day. A few paused for a moment or two and offered them congratulations on their marriage. None of them were close friends or acquaintances of his so none questioned the reason for the quick marriage.
However, when they neared the mercantile, Beatrice insisted on going inside. “I want to know what kinds of supplies they have, and find out if they have the ability to order things if I find I need something.”
Elias held the door open for her and prepared himself to face Mrs. Howard. She would be the one to question them the most.
“I’ll be with you in just a moment,” Mrs. Howard said from the far wall where she was busy putting things on the shelf. She grabbed the last few cans from her apron and turned around. “Well hello, Sheriff. This must be your new wife. A doctor, so I understand.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Elias said. “This is Beatrice. Or Doctor Beatrice Mills now.”
Beatrice looked at him with a hint of widening eyes. Had he done something wrong in the introductions? He wondered if he’d ever feel completely comfortable with this woman who was his wife.
“How do
you do?” Beatrice asked.
“I’m doing fine, thank you,” Mrs. Howard said. “It really is wonderful to meet you. It’s too bad we couldn’t all be there with you at the wedding, but I suppose things happen the way they do for a reason. That doesn’t mean we can’t throw together a celebration for you now that you’re here.”
“Oh no,” Beatrice said with just a hint of alarm, “a celebration isn’t necessary. We would like to just slip into town and fit right in with everyone else as soon as possible.”
“That’s what this kind of celebration will do.” Mrs. Howard smiled at Beatrice, then at him. She didn’t seem upset in the least that Beatrice had told her no. It didn’t seem like the no would stick anyway.
“What we came in for is to see what kinds of materials you might have that I could use in my practice. I’ll need certain containers to hold the medicines I’ll mix. I’ll need some fabric for bandaging and some alcohol for sterilizing. I’d also like to know what kinds of catalogs you have that I could order from.”
“Oh, of course, dear. Let me grab the book and you can look through it. Also, if you just write me up a list, I’ll gather everything I have on hand.”
“How long does it take to get things shipped here once you make an order?” Beatrice asked.
“That depends on where you place the order. If they have it on hand in their warehouse, most times we can get it here within the month. Other times, it’s been known to take two or three months.”
Beatrice nodded slowly but didn’t respond as she wrote down a list of items she’d like.
“So, when will the doctor begin practicing?” Mrs. Howard asked, looking at Elias while Beatrice worked.
“She’s hoping as soon as possible. Of course, we need to find a suitable building to hold it in. She wanted to see if there were any places already established she could rent, or if she’d need to build from the ground up.”
The Sheriff's Bride: A Golden Valley Story (Brides of Birch Creek Book 5) Page 5