Threads of Love

by Judith Mccoy Miller

  “After dinner would be better, I believe,” Tessie responded, setting two places at the table.

  “Since it appears I’m not invited to lunch, I’ll be back at seven o’clock,” he stated, trying to lighten the mood.

  When she didn’t answer, he backed out the doorway and left the house, not sure how a simple invitation to lunch had turned into such a disaster.

  For Tessie, the day quickly passed. She had several physicals for new railroad employees, as well as ailing townsfolk with a variety of complaints. By four o’clock she had seen her last patient, and she and Addie were on their way back to the Harvey House, both bundled against the declining temperature and cold winds.

  “Could I go see John in the kitchen?” Addie requested as they drew closer to the hotel. Tessie smiled and gave her permission, aware the day’s events had been stressful not only for her and Charlie but for Addie as well.

  “Looks like my patient has taken on his own course of treatment,” she stated, seeing Edward sitting in a chair with his leg propped on a stool.

  “I promise I didn’t place any weight on the leg. John and one of the other cooks helped move me. Mrs. Winter took pity on me when I complained of lying in bed all day and came back with the two men to help me into the chair. However, if it means you’ll cease being my physician, I’ll return to bed and not move an inch until ordered,” he answered, giving her a charming smile.

  “I’m sure it will do no harm. I had planned to make arrangements for you to be up in a chair by tomorrow anyway. I must say, you certainly seem to have captivated Mrs. Winter. She’s generally not so accommodating,” Tessie advised as she began unwrapping the leg.

  “So I’ve been told by any number of people. Perhaps it’s my accent,” he offered.

  “Perhaps, but most likely it’s your flattery that’s turned her head,” she surmised.

  “Flattery? And here I thought it was my perfect English and extraordinary good looks,” he teased.

  “I’m sure that’s helped also,” she affirmed, noting his well-chiseled features, sandy hair, and twinkling blue eyes, which seemed to laugh at her.

  “And have I turned your head, Dr. Tessie Wilshire?” he asked, lifting her chin so their eyes would meet.

  Tessie felt her face becoming warm and quickly looked down. “I’ve very much enjoyed making your acquaintance,” she responded, keeping her hands busy unwrapping the bandage and hoping he wouldn’t notice her fingers tremble.

  “That’s not much encouragement for a man who sits waiting for your visits each day, but I’ll not ask for more right now. Be prepared, however. Once I’m up and about, I plan to pursue you with vigor, Doctor,” he said, his words carrying a fervor of determination.

  “Let’s just concentrate on getting you well for now,” she replied, completing her ministrations and closing her black bag.

  “If that’s what the doctor orders, I’ll agree for now,” he responded, quickly placing a kiss on her fingertips before she could object.

  “Edward!”

  “Sorry. I’ll try to keep myself under control,” he replied with an unmistakable twinkle in his eyes.

  “I must be going. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. You may tell Mrs. Winter you have permission to be up in a chair for two hours each morning and afternoon and one hour in the evening if she can make arrangements to have you moved about,” Tessie formally instructed.

  “Yes, ma’am!” he replied, mimicking her formality.

  “Have a good evening, Edward,” she replied, unable to keep from smiling at his antics.

  “It would be better if you’d return and read to me, but I suppose I’ll have to make do with Mrs. Winter,” he announced.

  “You’ve convinced her to read to you?” Tessie asked, astounded by the remark.

  “Of course. Since the first night I arrived,” he told his incredulous visitor. “If you’d spend more time with me, you, too, would come to know just what a charming fellow I am.”

  “I don’t doubt your charm, Edward. It’s caused me enough problems already,” she remarked, pulling on her gloves.

  “Speaking of problems, you might put Mr. Banion on notice that unless he’s managed to put a ring on your left finger by the time I’m out of this room, he’s going to have some stiff competition for your affection,” he stated, giving her a knowing wink.

  “We’ll see, Edward, we’ll see,” she replied, picking up her bag and leaving the room.

  “Don’t hesitate to come back after dinner,” he called after her as she walked down the hallway, a smile on her face.

  She nearly collided with Mrs. Winter, who was turning the corner and carrying a huge dinner tray.

  “Just taking Mr. Buford his meal,” she told Tessie. “Isn’t he the most delightful gentleman? If I were thirty years younger, I’d set my cap for him,” she announced.

  “Mrs. Winter, you’re a married woman,” Tessie chastened.

  “Nope. My husband’s been dead over thirty years. He died a year after we were married. I wouldn’t be working at this job if I had a husband, Dr. Wilshire, and if you’re smart, you’ll find a husband before you’re too old! I thought I had time before I married again and decided I’d work awhile, spread my wings, but time got away from me. Before I knew it, I was too old and set in my ways to think about marrying again. Mark my words, you’ll be sorry. Doctor or not, you’d better think about a husband,” she earnestly counseled.

  “Thank you for those words of concern, Mrs. Winter. I’ve given Mr. Buford instructions regarding his care, and he’ll relate those to you,” Tessie stated, changing the subject. “If you can make arrangements for men to assist with moving him, I know he will be most appreciative. I must be going now,” she continued, making a quick turn toward the kitchen to find Addie.

  The two of them hurried home, and Tessie had just finished washing the dinner dishes when Charlie knocked on the front door. Fatigued, Tessie had hoped he wouldn’t return this evening and felt guilty when she opened the door only to be greeted by a huge bouquet of flowers.

  “I hope you’ll accept these with my deepest apologies,” Charlie said as he extended the bouquet to her and entered the house.

  “Thank you, but flowers weren’t necessary. Let me take your coat,” she offered as Addie came running across the room and wrapped her arms around his legs in a hug.

  Charlie dropped to one knee and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you for such a wonderful welcome,” he said, squeezing her in return.

  Tessie placed the flowers in a cut glass vase and turned toward Charlie. “Exactly what are you apologizing for?” she inquired.

  “Whatever it is that made you angry,” he responded.

  “There! You see, Charlie, you don’t even know what you’ve done to upset me. How can you apologize when you don’t even recognize the problem?” she asked, her voice becoming incensed.

  “I didn’t come here to argue, Tessie. I came to apologize and try to forget what happened earlier today,” he answered, not sure why she was becoming indignant.

  Sensing things were not going well, and making a childlike effort to calm the two adults, Addie pulled on Charlie’s hand. “Tessie’s going to get me operated on so I can hear again.”

  Charlie’s mouth dropped open as he stared down at the child. “What? What is she talking about, Tessie? Did she say you’re going to operate on her so she can hear again?”

  “No. I’m not going to perform the surgery. We’re not even sure about this yet, so it’s probably not worth discussing at this time. Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll make some coffee,” Tessie answered, not wanting to discuss the surgical plans.

  “Don’t bother with the coffee; I had some before I came. Why don’t we all sit down,” he said, his voice taking a note of authority. Clasping Addie’s hand, Charlie led her to the couch, where the child snuggled close beside him. Tessie would have preferred that Addie to go back to her sewing, but the child now seemed determined to insert herself in the middle of the
discussion.

  “About the flowers,” Tessie began as she seated herself in the chair across from Charlie and Addie.

  “Forget the flowers! What’s this about Addie having an operation? When did all of this come about, and why have I not heard anything? You’d think I was a stranger rather than a friend,” Charlie stated, the hurt coming through in his voice.

  Addie moved away from his side and was intently watching as he spoke, not wanting to miss anything he said. Her eyes darted toward Tessie, and she realized her attempt to distract the couple from their earlier argument had been a failure. It appeared they were going to quarrel about the operation. Disconsolate, she settled back on the couch as Tessie leaned forward in her chair.

  “Don’t try to make me feel guilty because I’m attempting to find help for Addie. It’s not as though I’ve been planning this for a long time. I was given information just yesterday regarding surgery that could possibly restore her hearing. The details are unknown to me as yet, and I shouldn’t have mentioned it to Addie until I knew more. I was so excited I couldn’t help myself,” she explained.

  “You didn’t seem to have any trouble keeping it from me,” he bantered.

  “I believe the majority of the time we’ve been together since you came to call at noon has been consumed with arguing,” she retorted.

  “Or the silent treatment,” he shot back. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I don’t want to ruin the rest of the evening. Please tell me about this surgery. How did you find out about it?” he inquired, hoping the discussion about Addie would calm their nerves.

  Tessie hesitated momentarily and then burst forth, “Edward’s brother-in-law is a surgeon in Chicago. He went to Europe to study the technique and has successfully performed the surgery several times. His daughter is deaf, or she was before the surgery,” Tessie hastily explained.

  “Edward. I should have known,” he said quietly. He felt as though his world was crashing in around him. Everything revolved around Edward.

  Nobody said a word. Addie leaned her head against Charlie’s arm. “I love you, Charlie,” the child said, looking up at him.

  “And I love you, sweet Addie,” he said, giving her a hug. He could see the pain in Addie’s eyes and resolved not to make matters worse.

  “So what do you know of this surgery and this surgeon except that he’s Edward’s brother-in-law?” he inquired.

  “Not too much. I’ve sent a letter to him today requesting additional information. I don’t know if he’ll even agree to see Addie or if she would be a candidate for the operation. I’m hopeful that I’ll hear from him soon,” she responded.

  “So that was the rush to see Edward at noon and get to the post office,” he surmised.

  “Yes. He told me last evening about his brother-in-law and the fact that his niece had been totally deaf prior to the surgery. He agreed to send a letter of introduction along with my inquiry to his brother-in-law. I wanted to get the letter posted as soon as possible,” she stated.

  “And what do you think about all of this, Addie? Are you excited about having an operation and perhaps being able to hear again?” he asked.

  She shrugged her shoulders, a sorrowful look on her face. “I’d rather have you and Tessie be happy,” she responded, causing the two adults to feel ashamed of their behavior.

  “Perhaps we can do that,” Charlie answered. “If we try real hard, maybe we can convince Tessie to go bowling and then get some hot chocolate. What do you think?” he asked.

  “Oh yes,” she said, clapping her hands and looking at Tessie expectantly.

  There was no way Tessie could refuse, and Charlie knew it. It appeared that he was going to have to use every tool at his disposal if he was going to outmaneuver Edward Buford—and he certainly planned to do that!

  With each passing day, Tessie would vacillate while walking to the post office. She wanted to receive a letter from Dr. Lundstrom, yet she feared what the contents would say. It was apparent he had received her letter because a wheelchair had arrived by train for Edward last week. As she and Addie made their way down the snow-covered sidewalk, she convinced herself that Dr. Lundstrom did not want to see them, and rather than write a letter of rejection, he was not going to respond.

  Entering the post office, Jed Smith called out that she had some mail from Chicago, and she felt her heart begin to race. Grasping Addie’s hand, she quickly moved to where he stood and extended her hand.

  “It’s here someplace—saw it just a minute ago,” he told her as he slowly checked through a stack of mail.

  Attempting to keep her patience, she watched him slowly go through the pile, letter by letter, all the while wanting to grab it from him and find the dispatch for herself. Be patient, she kept telling herself as she waited, her exasperation building with each moment.

  “Ah, here it is,” he finally stated, pulling out a cream-colored envelope. “Looks like it’s from a Dr. Lundstrom,” he said, reading the envelope before handing it to her.

  Once home, she quickly pulled off her wraps and sat down in a chair close to the fire. Finishing the letter, she glanced toward Addie, who stood staring at her, still bundled in her coat and muff.

  “He wants to meet with us, Addie,” she said, holding her arms out to the child.

  “Does that mean I’m going to have the operation?” Addie asked.

  “Dr. Lundstrom said if we will come to Chicago, he will examine you to see if the surgery would be helpful. If so, he is willing to operate,” she told the child. “It will be wonderful, Addie. We’ll have a nice trip, and maybe you’ll come back to Kansas able to hear again,” she said, her voice full of encouragement.

  “But what about Christmas? Will we have to leave before Christmas?” Addie asked. “Charlie promised that we would all go to Christmas Eve services at church, and he would spend Christmas with us,” she reminded.

  “No, we won’t go before Christmas. We’ll wait until after the holidays,” Tessie promised the child but inwardly wished they could leave tomorrow.

  Her last patient seen, Tessie bundled Addie in her warmest coat and the two of them made their way to the Harvey House. Addie was off to the kitchen for John’s beloved company, and Tessie rushed to Edward’s room, anxious for his magnanimous encouragement.

  “I’ve wonderful news,” she burst out upon entering the room. Edward sat in the wheelchair staring out the window at a group of young boys playing in the snow. Her appearance brought an immediate smile to his face.

  “You’ve heard from Byron?” he asked.

  “How did you know?”

  “Just a guess. I don’t know too many other things that would cause you to burst into my room without a knock,” he said, his voice filled with laughter.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, Edward. I didn’t knock, did I?” Her cheeks were now flushed with her own embarrassment as well as the chill winds.

  “I was only jesting with you, dear Tessie. You needn’t become unduly distressed with your behavior,” he advised, holding out his hand to her.

  “Are you going to permit me to read the letter?” he inquired when she merely looked at his extended arm.

  “Of course; I’m sorry,” she apologized, flustered that she hadn’t immediately realized he wanted to read the correspondence.

  “Tessie, you’ve done nothing but apologize to me since you entered the room. I must bring out your most conciliatory behavior,” he stated with a smile as she pulled the letter from her handbag.

  While Edward began to read, she removed her coat and hat, pulled off her gloves, and sat down in the rocker, watching his reaction as he read the letter.

  “Well, it sounds very promising, don’t you think?” he asked.

  “Oh yes. I’m delighted with the prospects,” she told him, leaning forward in the chair.

  Grasping both of her hands in his, he looked deep into her eyes. “This is going to work out wonderfully, my dear. When are you planning on going to Chicago?”

  “I’m not sure
exactly,” she stammered. “It’s not that I wouldn’t prefer to leave immediately, but Addie is looking forward to Christmas. I don’t think we could possibly leave until after the holidays,” she stated, careful not to explain Addie’s desire to spend Christmas with Charlie.

  “Oh,” he responded in a disheartened tone.

  “Why? What’s the matter, Edward?”

  “My sister and Byron would like for me to return to Chicago until I’m able to travel back to England. With the wheelchair, there’s no reason why I can’t take the train without fear of injuring my leg. I’ve told them I’d return,” he explained.

  “I see. Well, that certainly makes sense. There’s no reason you should be sitting around in this hotel when you could be enjoying the company of your family while you recuperate,” she concurred, when what she really wanted to tell him was not to leave, that she would miss him and needed him to stay and be her ally.

  “So you want me to go?” he asked, hoping she would reject the idea.

  “I didn’t say I wanted you to go. I said it was a sensible plan,” she responded.

  “Do you want me to stay?” he asked, hopeful she would give the answer he wanted to hear.

  “Your decision should not be based upon what I want. If you wish to travel to Chicago, it will not have an ill effect upon your recovery, and you would most likely be more comfortable with your family. If, however, you desire to remain in Kansas until you’ve further recuperated, that would be wonderful…medically sound, that is,” she stammered.

  “I see. Well, then, how medically sound would it be if I remained in Kansas until you and Addie leave for Chicago, and we make the trip together?” he questioned, a glint in his eye.

  “I would say that would be very, very medically sound,” she answered, thrilled that he would remain and travel with her, rather than enjoying the festivities with his family.

  “Then that’s what we’ll do,” he quickly responded, not wanting her to change her mind.

  Suddenly, she felt ashamed of herself. Here was Edward, cooped up in his room except for his trips to the dining room and occasional visits with other visitors in the hotel, and she was encouraging him to miss the warmth and love of his family during their holiday celebration.