The Scarlet Wedding

by Lorana Hoopes

  “Yes, go ahead,” Emma said, both to William and to Carrie.

  William leaned down and kissed her forehead before leaving the room, and Emma wrote as Carrie relayed what stock William already had. When Carrie finished, dismay covered Emma to see a rather short list. They would need much more food.

  A tiny sliver of guilt crept in as she realized how much this would cost. William hadn’t expected to have to be feeding her family - that was her Pa’s job, but he had the money now where they didn’t. However, Pa could repay him when he got out of quarantine and Emma would use the money she earned at the clinic to pay William until then.

  “Emma, are you okay?”

  Emma shook her head and looked up into Carrie’s concerned face. “Yes, sorry. Can you write down what ingredients you imagine we’ll need in the next few days. I just can’t seem to get my head focused.”

  Carrie nodded, and Emma slid the butcher paper to her.

  Benjamin climbed into Emma’s lap and placed his hands on her cheek. Something he hadn’t done in years. “Emma, is Jennie going to get better?”

  Tears pricked Emma’s eyes, and emotion swelled in her throat. She wrapped her arms around Benjamin and pulled him close as she whispered into his hair. “I don’t know, sweetheart, but we will pray as hard as we can that she does, okay?”

  “Can we pray again now?” he asked. “William prayed with us earlier, but I think it might be good to pray with you too.”

  “Absolutely we can. Do you want to do it?” Emma knew Samuel and Pa had been working with Benjamin, teaching him how to pray like a man of God.

  He nodded and a tremble accompanied his childlike voice as he began. “God, please don’t let Jennie die. I know she tries my patience sometimes, but she really is a good little sister, and we’d miss her terribly if she were gone. Keep her and Pa safe and the rest of us too. Amen.”

  It was a simple prayer, the prayer of a child, but somehow Emma believed God heard it all the same, if not louder. “That was a great prayer,” she said with what little voice she could muster. Emotions constricted her throat.

  “I hope it works,” Benjamin said.

  “Here, I believe this will be good.” Carrie shoved the butcher paper across the table before wiping her own eyes.

  Emma scanned the list and added pillows and blankets at the bottom. “I’m going to take this to William,” Emma said, hugging Benjamin again before lifting him off her lap. “I’ll be right back.”

  She made her way outside and towards the barn. Samuel was sitting in the wagon seat ready to go, and William was leaning against the wagon evidently waiting for her. She handed him the list and watched as he scanned it.

  “Did you get everything you needed written down?”

  “I think so.” Emma took a deep breath before continuing, “It’s a lot, William. I feel terrible asking you to pay for all of this.”

  “Money is simply that, Emma, money. It’s not mine. God gave it to me to manage, and this is how God would want it spent.”

  “You are an amazing man, William.” Emma’s her eyes brimmed with tears.

  “And you are an amazing woman.” William pulled her in for a kiss and then climbed up in the wagon beside Samuel. “We’ll be back soon,” he said as the wagon headed for town.

  Emma waved and watched the wagon until it was out of sight. Then she took another deep breath, squared her shoulders, and prepared to put on a brave face for her brother and sister.

  The ride into town was quiet, but William had no idea what to say. There just weren’t good words when your sister was sick and the stark reality was that she might not recover. Samuel pulled the wagon to a stop in front of the general store.

  “Here, take the list and get everything on it,” William said to Samuel. “I’m going to ask the sheriff to alert the neighboring towns and see if anyone can spare their doctor, but I’ll be right back.”

  Samuel nodded and took the paper from William. Without a word, he tied up the horses and headed into the store. William climbed down and headed to the sheriff’s office.

  Sheriff Johnson looked up as he entered. “What can I do for you William?”

  “Doc Moore suspects Jennie has Scarlet Fever.” Sheriff Johnson’s eyes widened in fear, but William continued. “Can we alert the nearby towns to warn them? Also, if an outbreak occurs, can we send word asking for another doctor? Doc Moore has quarantined himself in the house with Jennie.”

  “I’ll get right on it. Where is the rest of the family staying?”

  “With me. The house was almost finished since Emma and I had planned on getting married on Sunday. Course the wedding will be on hold until Jennie is better now, but they can stay with me as long as necessary.”

  “That’s good of you, William. I’ll be praying for you all.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff, I appreciate that. I best be getting back to the store. Samuel and I are picking up food and goods for the next few days. I’m not sure how often we’ll be coming to town until we know for sure we are safe, but Emma will probably come open the clinic as long as she shows no signs.”

  “Understandable. I’ll have someone check the clinic daily then and if two days pass where it’s not opened, I’ll send someone to check on you all.”

  William would normally shake the sheriff’s hand, but with no idea if he was infected or not, he kept his hand by his side and simply nodded. There were no more words needed.

  When he arrived back at the general store, he quickly found Samuel and helped gather the remaining items on the list. Then he grabbed several extra blankets for the boys. Though he looked for a mattress, there wasn’t one in the store.

  Mr. Brown, the owner of the store, looked up in surprise at the amount of goods in their basket. “Is there a get together happening I was not informed about?”

  “Not exactly.” William didn’t want to alarm Mr. Brown, but it wouldn’t be right to not make him aware. “Doc Moore believes Jennie has Scarlet Fever. He has quarantined himself in the house with her, so the rest of the family is staying with me. We also need to order a mattress and some cushions for the couch. Can you do that for us?”

  Mr. Brown swallowed audibly, and William could tell he was trying not to show his fear. “You bet. I’ll get that order done for you. Let’s add all this up and get you on your way.”

  With a speed William had never seen Mr. Brown display before, he totaled up the items and read off the amount to William. William handed over the money and tipped his hat as he and Samuel left the store.

  When they finished loading the wagon, Samuel turned to him. “Is this how it will be now? Everyone rushing to get rid of us?”

  William sighed wishing he had a better answer for Samuel. “They’re just scared, Samuel. Scarlet Fever is nearly impossible to treat.”

  “How do they think we feel? We were exposed to her longer than anyone. If anybody gets sick, it will probably be us.” He climbed into the wagon and picked up the reins.

  William climbed in beside him and adjusted his hat. If only he had words to comfort Samuel, but the boy was right and only time would tell if they got sick.

  Chapter 9

  The next morning dawned too early, and Emma rubbed her eyes as she got out of bed, not sure if she had actually slept or not. As Carrie was still sleeping, she tiptoed out of the room quietly.

  William sat at the dining table, but the rest of the house was still and quiet. “Good morning,” he said as she entered the room. His Bible was open on the table, and it was clear he had been doing his devotion.

  “Can I join you?” Emma asked.

  “Of course.” William looked up at her and smiled. “You never have to ask.”

  Emma sat in the chair and sighed. She had been up most of the night wrestling not only with Jennie being sick, but with a thought that had plagued her. While she didn’t want to plant any thoughts in William’s mind, she needed to discuss it with someone.

  “What’s on your mind?” he asked. “You look like you’re s
truggling with something.”

  Emma smiled slightly at how well he seemed to understand her even though they had only known each other a few months. “I was pondering last night. Do you wonder if God is trying to tell us we shouldn’t marry?”

  “Why would you think that?” William pushed the Bible to the side and grabbed her hands.

  “It’s just… first there was the thing with Holden and now this. I can’t get married until Jennie’s better and we have no idea when that might be.”

  “Emma, this is life. Things happen beyond our control, but that’s why we put our faith in God. And while God might use signs to keep us from sinning, I can’t see any reason why He would be against our marriage, can you?”

  Emma shook her head. “No, I simply don’t understand. No one else is even sick that we are aware of, so where did Jennie get Scarlet Fever?”

  “Is there any chance your father is wrong?”

  “I suppose it's possible. He didn’t let me see her, but from what I remember the rash is fairly distinctive.”

  “But has there ever been an outbreak here? Has he seen it up close?”

  “No, the closest one was a few towns over, and now that I think about it, Scarlet Fever usually starts with a sore throat and a fever. I don’t remember Jennie talking about either though Pa mentioned she had a fever.”

  “Then perhaps there’s a chance your father has it wrong.”

  Emma nodded, but her mind was a million miles away. “I need to speak with Benjamin as soon as he gets up.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t remember Jennie being sick before yesterday. I need to understand exactly what she did so I can look into it more.”

  Emma couldn’t stand the idea of sitting and waiting for Benjamin to wake. To pass the time, she busied herself making coffee and breakfast. With every sound of footsteps, Emma turned excitedly only to face disappointment when Carrie or Samuel entered. Breakfast was ready before Benjamin wandered into the kitchen, and Emma forced herself not to overwhelm Benjamin with questions before he had eaten.

  When the food disappeared from his plate though, she turned her attention on him. “Benjamin, can you tell me everything you and Jennie did on your way to school yesterday?”

  Benjamin’s head tilted to the side, and his voice was quiet as he spoke. “Why? Do you think something we did gave her Scarlet Fever?”

  “I think it might not be Scarlet Fever at all. Did Jennie complain of a sore throat or of being too hot the last few days?”

  Benjamin pursed his lips and scrunched up his forehead as he tried to remember. Then he shook his head.

  “Okay, those are two common signs of Scarlet Fever, so if she didn’t have those, she might have something else. Carrie said she vomited and had a rash, so what did you do on the way to school?”

  Benjamin’s eyes fell to his plate as he lower lip folded in. “I told her not to. I was mad that she was walking so slowly, so I led her into the fields. I figured she’d just get mad and cry a little, but she didn’t. When I didn’t hear crying, I went to find her and she was sniffing some flowers. I told her to stop because I wasn't sure if they were good or not. Is it my fault she’s sick?”

  Emma debated her answer. On one hand, she wanted to scold Benjamin for trying to make Jennie cry, but he was probably beating himself up over it already. “No, Benjamin, I don’t think it’s your fault she’s sick. I need to talk to another doctor, but I suspect she might have touched a poisonous plant.”

  His eyes lifted and a light of hope shone in them. “Does that mean she won't die?”

  Emma smiled and pulled the boy in for a hug. “I don’t know for sure, but it might not be as serious as we thought. Can you tell me what the plant looked like?”

  Benjamin’s face scrunched. “Um, they were light blue or white with some blue on them.”

  “Thanks Benjamin.” That wasn’t much to go on, but perhaps her father would have a book of poisonous plants at the clinic she could bring home and show to Benjamin. She turned her attention to William. “Can you saddle up two horses? We may be able to telegraph and get the answer we need, but it might require us traveling to another town to speak to a doctor.” As William nodded, Emma turned her attention to her sister. “Carrie, can you stay with Benjamin until we get back?”

  “Of course,” Carrie said. “Samuel and I will hold down the fort.”

  “All right, let’s go.”

  William knew better than to argue with Emma when she had a fire shining in her eyes. He didn’t know what was in her head, having no medical knowledge himself, but he trusted that she was onto something. He followed her outside and quickly saddled up their horses.

  Emma led the way into town, pulling her horse to a stop in front of the railway station. Her shoulders back, she marched into the station and to the telegraph office. William followed close behind. “Horace,” she said in a strong voice, “I need to send a telegraph to one of the neighboring doctors.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Horace removed the pencil from behind his ear and pulled out a pad of paper. “What would you like it to say?”

  “What else causes a rash like Scarlet Fever?”

  Horace’s large brown eyes shot up full of concern. “Someone has Scarlet Fever?”

  “It is possible Jennie does.” Emma waved her hand in dismissal, “but I'm beginning to doubt it. Who’s the closest doctor?”

  “Let’s see.” Horace tapped the pencil on the desk. “There’s a doctor in Lisbon and one in Belleville I’m fairly certain.”

  “Lisbon will be fine. It’s closer.”

  “Okay.” Horace looked back over the words he had written. “Since you have fewer than ten words, that will be twenty-five cents.”

  Emma reached for her pocket, but William pulled the money from his own before she could.

  “William, you don’t have to pay for this. I might be wrong.”

  “It doesn’t matter if you are.” He handed the money to Horace, who placed it in the till and then turned to the telegraph machine.

  “How long does it take to get an answer?” Emma’s fingers drummed ever so softly on the countertop.

  “Not long if their telegrapher is working and can reach their doctor.” Horace tapped out the code to send the message. “Okay, all done. Now we just wait.”

  “Great. We’ll come back. We need to check my father’s clinic.”

  As Emma spun and hurried out of the store, William flashed Horace a shoulder shrug. He did not understand what she needed at her father’s clinic, but there was certainly something on her mind.

  The horses remained tied up outside the stagecoach office, but William saw Emma’s figure barreling toward her father’s clinic. He jogged to catch up to her.

  “Not that I mind,” he said when his stride matched hers, “but what are we looking for in your father’s clinic?”

  “Medical journals.” Emma’s matter-of-fact tone matched her steps. “I spent some time studying them after Joseph died. I remember something about Scarlet Fever in them.”

  William blinked in confusion. “I thought that’s what we were telegraphing the doctor for.”

  “It is. The doctor should be able to tell me more about Scarlet Fever, but if I’m right and it is something else, I’ll need his knowledge to convince my father.” Emma pulled the key for the clinic out of her pocket and opened the door. “He may not take my word on it.”

  William followed her into the clinic and watched as she scanned the shelves. Medicines and bandages filled most of them, but one shelf held a row of books. Emma’s finger trailed across each one until she landed on the one she wanted.

  “I think this is it.” Emma pulled a book from the shelf and took it to the cot. She sat down and opened the book turning the pages and shaking her head. “Yes, here it is.” Emma pointed to words triumphantly a few pages later. “Scarlet Fever presents with a sore throat first and then a fever, but its distinguishing characteristic is a red rash like sandpaper that covers the body.” />
  “I don’t understand. How does that help us? Carrie said she had a rash and your pa said she had a fever.” Though he was trying hard, William could not seem to make the connection that Emma had.

  “Yes, but she didn’t say it was a rash like sandpaper. Lots of other things can cause rashes.” Emma flipped through the pages again.

  “So you suspect she sniffed a poisonous flower?” The pieces finally fell into place for William. “What about the vomiting and the fever?”

  “I’m not sure about that.” Emma bit her lip sending tiny crinkles across her forehead. “Maybe she ate something that didn’t agree with her. That could cause vomiting and a fever. It’s possible the rash came from a poisonous plant though. We know poison ivy causes a rash. What if there are other plants that do too?”

  William marveled at Emma. She had displayed little interest in continuing at the clinic, but now William wondered why. She seemed to have a gift.

  Emma set the book beside her on the cot and then returned to the bookshelf. Her fingers once again scanned the books, but didn’t choose one. “I see nothing else helpful here.” She turned to face William. “Let’s see if Horace has received a reply yet.”

  William nodded and stepped aside, allowing her to exit the clinic first. Her stride back to the stagecoach office was purposeful and William hurried to keep up with her.

  “I just received a response,” Horace said as they entered. He waved a piece of paper and Emma’s hands splayed on the counter.

  “What does it say?” she asked.

  “Arriving tonight.”

  “That’s wonderful.” Emma clapped her hands and smiled. “The doctor is coming here. Let’s just hope he knows about poisonous plants as well.”

  “Indeed,” William said. “Horace, will you send the doctor to my homestead when he arrives?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll make sure of it.”

  “Let’s check on Pa before we head back.”

  William nodded and mounted his horse as Emma did. Within a few minutes, they were at Doc Moore’s place. All was silent and still, but the white towel still gleamed in the window. William hoped Emma was right and Jennie was just reacting to a poison. Though there was still some danger in that, her chances of survival were much greater.