Moving from Maryland

by Christine Sterling

  “The fever is down. I need to get to the clinic. I’ve been here for four days and I need to get some fresh clothes.”

  “How about we go right after supper?”

  “Thank you very much. Did you find what you were looking for?”

  “I know it is in this stack,” he said.

  “How can you tell?”

  “See these symbols on the corner?” Gracie picked up one of the papers. “Wright created a system where I could come in and find exactly what he was looking for. This symbol here are bills of sales. Problem is, I don’t know which one it is.”

  Gracie poured herself some coffee and sat down at the table. She started looking through the receipts. Most were for the sale of calves and a few heifers. She found a receipt for a bull at the bottom of the pile. “This might be it. Says here he sold the bull to a Mr. Roop in California.”

  “That’s it.” He took the piece of paper from Gracie. “I’ll give this to Tuck. Thanks, Gracie.” He tucked the piece of paper in his pocket.

  Before he could gather up the other papers, a cry sounded through the house.

  “Darling! Barrett! You’re awake.”

  Chapter 12

  It had been three weeks since Barrett woke up from his coma. He remembered everything up to falling off the horse. He remembered bits and pieces while he was recovering.

  He remembered the boys talking to him. He remembered Louisa holding his hand. He was extremely grateful she took care of him while he recovered.

  He even remembered Gracie being there. Yes, Louisa told him, she stopped by several times to check up on him.

  It seemed like so much more, but Gracie didn’t say anything to correct his impression. He saw the hurt in her eyes and an emotionless mask slip into place.

  Go away, Barrett. He remembered the last words he heard her say to him. So, he did, and he threw himself into working on the ranch. He worked harder and longer than some of the ranch hands. But no matter what he did, he couldn’t drive the demons away.

  She couldn’t even have been bothered to care for him while he was convalescing. Instead, she gave him a quick examination and told him she’d be back the following day with some new medicines to help with the pain. It was going to be a long road to recovery.

  Barrett finally got out of bed a week later. He could walk short distances before his feet were killing him and his muscles throbbed. Gracie told him to practice a little each day, but not to overdo it.

  She even brought a wheelchair so that he could spend more time outdoors. Barrett fought her on that. She borrowed it from Reverend Brown. She cajoled him to use it for the congregation that was praying for him.

  He relented, but now he was done with the blasted thing. He didn’t want anyone to think of him as an invalid. Even the ranch hands wouldn’t let him do anything around the cattle yard. “We got it, boss,” they would tell him.

  The boys had wheeled him under one of the trees and left him sit there. He could see them in the distance playing some game with sticks. It looked like they were fighting each other and using the branches as swords.

  Barrett shook his head. John told him all about the story Gracie told him of The Three Musketeers. He hoped that his children would learn to love to read as much as Gracie did.

  He heard the door to the house open and Louisa came out holding two glasses of lemonade. “I thought I might find you out here,” she said, handing him one of the glasses. She sat on the bench underneath the tree and looked at him.

  “I was thinking how much I just love it here,” Louisa said.

  Barrett raised his eyebrow. Louisa hadn’t spent any time outdoors since she arrived. In fact, she appeared to be spending most of her time in bed or in the kitchen eating.

  “It grows on you. The land. The house. The boys.” Barrett still didn’t say anything. “Talk to me, Barrett.”

  Barrett drained his lemonade in one gulp. He looked at Louisa. Her hair was a mess. She couldn’t keep it pinned on top of her head. She had definitely gained weight but wore larger clothes to try to hide it. Her skin appeared sallow and her eyes were sunken in with dark circles underneath them.

  “I was wondering when you might be heading back home,” he told her.

  Louisa gave a little cry. “Home? I was hoping this would be my home.”

  “You came out here to visit, but now you want to stay?”

  “Yes, Barrett. I do.”

  “Why?”

  Louisa looked at him. Her face displayed a range of emotions – sad, angry, and then just hopelessness.

  “Because I love you?” It was a question, not a statement.

  “No, you don’t, Louisa. You are looking for something. What is it?”

  “Don’t you think you could love me?”

  Barrett laughed. “If it was a different place, a different time, maybe. You remind me a lot of Eliza.”

  “Don’t you miss her?”

  “I do. More than I can ever say. But that part of my life is done. I need to move on and focus on my family.”

  “I can be a part of that, Barrett.”

  “How, Louisa? What part do you want to play?”

  “Let’s get married, Barrett. We don’t have to do anything formal. We can just get Reverend Brown to come out and do the blessing.”

  Barrett looked at her, his heart turning to stone. “No, Louisa. I can’t marry you. You really should return home. I’ll get you a train ticket next week.”

  Louisa dropped to her knees and grabbed his arms. “Please, Barrett, you can’t send me back there.”

  “Why in Heaven’s name not?”

  “They’ll take him from me.”

  “Louisa, you aren’t making sense. Take him? You can’t go back. What is going on?”

  Louisa took a deep breath. “I’m in a delicate condition.” She placed her hand on her belly. “I can’t go home because the baby’s father’s family will murder me.”

  “You’re just being dramatic.”

  “I didn’t know I was pregnant until right before you sent me the train fare. I was simply trying to get out of town before they found me.”

  “Why? Does the baby’s father know?”

  “No. But as soon as they find out … I can’t even say it.”

  “So, you came out here?”

  “I had to. You don’t understand. They are one of the most powerful families in South Carolina.” She took his hands in hers and held them to her chest. “Barrett, they would never find me if I was married and had a new name. Please, I’m begging you.”

  “But what about the father of the baby?”

  “He won’t come looking for us.”

  “How do you know?”

  “The father was my husband. No one knew we were married. On either side. My family would disown me, so we never told them. I witnessed his brother and cousin murder him. He was killed the day before I sent you the telegram.”

  It made sense. Louisa mentioned the family name and Barrett remembered Eliza talking about how wealthy they were and that they seemed above the law.

  He was sitting in the kitchen wondering what to do when Jasper came in. “You feeling ok, boss? You don’t look too good. Maybe I should go get the doc?”

  “No. I’m fine. Just thinking.” Barrett cupped his coffee mug. The boys were in bed already and Louisa was asleep in the guest room.

  “I asked Louisa to go back home today.”

  Jasper’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”

  “I told her she needed to head home. That it was time for her to leave.”

  “How did she respond to that?”

  “Not well. She begged me to let her stay. Told me I owed her for taking care of me.”

  “Boss, I don’t know how to tell you this, but Miss Louisa didn’t take care of you at all. It was all Gracie. She never left your side, apart from taking care of the boys. She stepped right up and closed her practice to come out here. Didn’t even go home to get changed. Spent every night on that uncomfortable chair you
have in there. Didn’t complain once.”

  “She slept in my room?”

  Jasper nodded. “The door was open at all times. Mrs. Parker kept her door open and I slept in the library. We wouldn’t do nothing to see her reputation ruined.

  “I thought I heard her, but it all seemed like a dream.” Barrett looked at Jasper. He was as true a friend as he had ever had. “She’s with child.”

  “Who?”

  “Louisa.”

  “Well, I’ll be…” Jasper said, scratching his head.

  “She needs to get married. To protect the baby.”

  “Boss, you need to be marrying Gracie. Not your wife’s sister.”

  “I keep asking myself what Eliza would do?”

  “I think she would want you to be happy.”

  “You know she told me to go away.”

  “Gracie?” Barrett nodded. “You are the biggest fool. Do you know why she told you to go away?”

  “No.”

  “Because Louisa told her to leave you alone. I bet she told Gracie she was in the family way. Gracie wouldn’t do anything if she thought you were having a child with Louisa. She has some interesting thoughts about love and marriage.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “Remember that night we had dinner at Miz May’s? You and Louisa joined us at the table?” Barrett nodded. “She was fit to be tied. I knew then that she loved you. But you know what really made me think it?”

  Barrett swallowed. Did he want to hear this? He was half hoping what Jasper said was true. “What?”

  “She has never been kissed.”

  “How would you know?”

  “She said she is saving her kisses for the man she is going to marry. I’ve never heard of that.”

  Barrett looked at him in disbelief. “I need to get to town.”

  “Not tonight. It is dark out there and winds are whipping something fierce. Wait until daybreak and I’ll drive you out in the morning.”

  “What about Louisa?”

  “Don’t you worry none about that. I’ll take care of her.”

  Jasper drove Barrett into town. They pulled in front of the clinic where Barrett saw Jacob Winthrop standing on the wooden walkway. He had a piece of paper in his hand.

  “Wright! How are you feeling? I heard what happened.”

  “Much better, thanks to Gracie. I just stopped by to see her.”

  “Well, I was looking for her myself. Seems she is leaving us and heading back to Maryland.”

  “She can’t,” Barrett said. “How do you know?”

  Jacob waved the piece of paper in the air. “Wrote me a letter and dropped it off yesterday. I didn’t open it until this morning.”

  Barrett looked at the sign on the clinic. Closed until further notice was written in Gracie’s elegant penmanship.

  “Did she say when she was leaving?”

  “No. Just that she would wrap some things up and then be gone.”

  Barrett felt Jacob’s eyes on him. “What?” he asked.

  “Did something happen between you and Dr. Pickett? Are you the reason she is leaving?” Barrett didn’t have an answer. “How could you, Wright? I know you hated having a woman doctor in town, but couldn’t you at least play nice for once?”

  “It’s not like that, Winthrop.”

  Jacob took off his hat and slapped it against his leg. “Then how is it, Wright? Tell me why my doctor is going all the way across the country when we need her right here?”

  Barrett ran his hand down his face. “She’s leaving because I love her.”

  Jacob let out a laugh. He looked at Barrett once more and started to guffaw. He placed his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath. “That’s good, Wright. It really is.”

  Jacob stepped down from the walk and headed towards the mercantile.

  “Where are you headed?” Barrett called.

  “Going to see Olivia Handley. If anyone knows where she is, that old gossip would.”

  “Wait up.” Barrett grabbed his walking cane and gently eased himself down from the wagon. Jacob still had a bit of a lead. Barrett hobbled as quickly as his bandaged feet would carry him. It hurt like the dickens, but he needed to find Gracie.

  When Barrett entered the store, Jacob was already at the counter talking to Mrs. Handley. “The stage came through about an hour ago. I didn’t see her on it. She didn’t buy a ticket either.”

  “Do you know where she might be?” Barrett asked. A lump formed in his throat. She had to be close. He didn’t know what he would do if he missed her.

  “Did you check the parsonage? I know Mrs. Brown was having a fit of the consumption.”

  “Consumption?” Jacob said. “That is serious.”

  “Contagious too,” Mrs. Handley responded. She gave a tsk and shook her head.

  “Barrett, wait!” He heard Jacob call after him. Barrett paid him no mind. He hobbled down to the end of the walkway. Jasper was there with the wagon. Barrett was thankful as he felt his legs might fall off.

  Jasper hopped down and walked around to assist Barrett up. He still couldn’t put too much pressure on his feet. Once he was up, he leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes for a moment.

  The world was spinning, and he thought he might retch. Why did he think coming to town was a good idea? Gracie was right, it was going to take him much longer to heal.

  “You okay, boss?” Jasper asked, worry evident on his face.

  “Let’s just go home. I need to get back in bed.”

  “What about Gracie?”

  “We can leave a note at the clinic.”

  Jasper ran into the mercantile and got a slip of paper and a pencil from Mrs. Handley.

  Barrett scribbled on the paper and handed it back to Jasper. “Put that on the window and let’s go home.”

  Gracie thought she saw Jasper drive by. There was someone in the seat next to him, but she couldn’t see who it was. She raised her arm and called to him, but he must not have seen her or heard her as he continued towards the ranch.

  Gracie had just come from visiting Mrs. Brown. Her chest cold was starting to turn and she even taught Gracie about the healing properties of mustard poultices.

  Gracie continued up the street. She looked around, taking the town in. She was going to miss it when she left. She turned in her resignation the day before but hadn’t heard anything from Mr. Winthrop about it. She figured that three weeks would be enough time to arrange for a replacement physician.

  She couldn’t stay knowing that Barrett was marrying Louisa and having a child with her. She placed her hands on her own belly. She wished she was having a child with him.

  Her mother would be mortified at the thoughts running through Gracie’s head. Emotional Gracie was thinking of Barrett now. Clinical Gracie… well she wasn’t sure where Clinical Gracie disappeared to.

  She walked up to the door and noticed a folded piece of paper in the window. She nearly dropped the note when she read the words printed on the piece of paper.

  I need you. Come quickly to the ranch. B.W.

  Her hands shook as she tried to enter the key in the lock. After several unsuccessful tries the key finally turned and Gracie ran inside.

  She went to the examination room and grabbed her doctoring bag. This time it was ready to go and all she needed to do was grab her wrap and hitch up Chessie to the wagon.

  Mr. Luddington from the livery came over and gave her lessons on how to hitch and unhitch the horse to the buckboard. Gracie practiced the task when she wasn’t seeing patients or lamenting her love for Barrett to Mr. Bonesy.

  She had just guided Chessie out of the lean-to when Mr. Winthrop waved her down. “Dr. Pickett, I wanted to speak with you.”

  “I can’t talk right now, Mr. Winthrop. I need to get to the Wright ranch. Something has happened.”

  “I can tell you what happened. Wright came into town looking for you.”

  “He did?” Gracie squeaked.

  “I lambasted
him for running off my town doc, but if you stay, I’m sure the town council can make it worth your while.”

  “I’m most appreciative. May we discuss this as soon as I get back?”

  “Of course,” he said stepping aside. “How is Mrs. Brown.”

  Gracie tilted her head. “She’s fine. Why do you ask?”

  “Mrs. Handley said that Mrs. Brown had consumption.”

  Gracie sighed. It didn’t matter what she told Mrs. Handley, the woman put her own spin on things. “She has a bad chest cold. It isn’t consumption.”

  “Glad to hear it. I would hate to have to quarantine the town.”

  Jacob held the reins while Gracie climbed into the buckboard. As soon as she was situated she gave the reins a slap and with a giddy-up they were off.

  Barrett swung his legs over the side of the bed. He pushed himself up and stood next to the bed until he felt comfortable enough moving to get his cane.

  Taking little steps, he walked to the kitchen. Gracie was sitting there with Jasper, Louisa and the boys at the table. Mrs. Parker had just taken a tray of cookies out of the oven.

  “I thought I timed that correctly,” he said, swiping a warm cookie from the tray.

  “Am I going to need to treat you for burns as well as broken bones?”

  He handed Gracie half the cookie. “You can treat me for whatever you’d like.”

  Gracie had been at the ranch for two days. She made sure he wasn’t in pain and that he was staying off his feet. She insisted on him using the wheelchair again until he was strong enough to walk on his own.

  “Aunt Louisa is getting married,” John said.

  Barrett really needed to talk to the boy about eavesdropping. “Do I want to know how you know this?”

  “Jasper told me,” he said, pointing across the table. Louisa blushed and turned away.

  “Congratulations, Louisa. May I ask who the lucky man is?”

  Jasper stood up. “It’s me, boss.”

  Barrett staggered back, but Gracie caught his arm and pulled him to a chair. “When did this happen?”

  “Last night. While Gracie was taking care of you, I came across Miss Louisa crying. She told me everything that happened. So, I’m going to marry her, and that child will be a Williams.”