"I'd be eternally grateful."
A smile tugged at his lips.
"That smells heavenly. Although after lying around here all day, I'm not sure I should be allowed to eat it."
"Come now." He sent her a wink. "Mending tendons and ligaments is a challenging business. As your physician, I prescribe rest and good food." He couldn’t resist a grin. "Which is why I brought food from the café instead of forcing my own cooking on you. Do you like fried beef and gravy?"
"I like whatever's giving off that wonderful aroma."
Interesting to note she didn't argue the disparaging comment about his cooking. He couldn't blame her. After eating his gruel four mornings now, it was a wonder she hadn't lost her appetite.
A short while later, Alex and Bryan had pulled in chairs and sat around the table. They'd scooted it close enough to overhang the bed, so it was almost like Miriam sat at the table with them. He'd been pretty sure she might have trouble cutting the meat from her lower position on the bed, so Alex had asked the girl at the café to cut their steak portions before packing them. Did she notice the extra attention? Not that he wanted her to.
Conversation soon turned to their patients, as it usually did. Bryan relayed those he'd seen in the clinic that day.
"Mrs. Malmgren seemed rather put out that she had to see me instead of 'that charming Doc Alex.'" Bryan shot him a withering look. "I remember the day she was perfectly happy to be seen by an old boring chap like me."
"I suppose it's my charms she can't resist." Alex shot Miriam a grin, ducking to avoid the hand cloth Bryan aimed at his head.
"It certainly isn't your looks. It appears her vision is completely gone now."
Alex sobered. "Yes, I noticed that the last time she came in. She said her mother lost her sight at an even younger age. Sweet lady seems determined to make the best of it, though."
Bryan nodded. "I was surprised at how well she gets around. She's gotten good at using that cane you gave her. I'm still concerned about her staying by herself now that her husband's passed." He scraped the last bite from his plate, wiped his mouth with a cloth, and leaned back in the chair. "Best meal I've had in weeks." He smiled at Miriam. "If having you here means we get to eat decent food, Miss Bryant, you're welcome to stay on permanently."
The pink that stained her cheeks was a good color on her.
Bryan tossed the cloth on the table. "I need to catch up on case notes. You okay here, little brother?"
Alex tried to ignore a prick of annoyance at the old nickname. "Got it covered."
After he'd stacked the used dishes, Alex carried them to the next room over. Having their only cook stove in the primary exam room wasn't the best layout for their clinic. It kept the room warm for patients in the winter months, but tended to stir up dust and debris in an area that he tried to keep as sterile as possible. Maybe they should do something about that.
He made quick work of scrubbing the dishes in the pot of water on the stove, allowing his mind to wander back through the evening. Miriam had seemed to enjoy the meal, especially the company. Too bad it ended so soon.
And then a new idea crept into his thoughts. Maybe there could be a legitimate reason to extend the evening. Did Bryan still have that box of dominos on the shelf in their room? But what was he thinking? It wasn't his job to entertain her. Only to make sure her injuries healed correctly. But wouldn't a pleasant evening help her mental health, which might help her body mend more quickly?
A few minutes later, he knocked on the wooden frame of Miriam's open doorway, domino box in hand. "Sorry to disturb, but I've a favor to ask."
She looked up, smoothing the covers over her legs. "Of course."
"I have an intense hankering for dominos, but I can't seem to pull Bryan away from his notes. Would you be interested?" He held up the carved wooden box.
Her eyes widened, reflecting the glow from the lantern. "That'd be wonderful. The perfect end to a perfect evening."
Warmth washed through his chest. His goal accomplished.
They divided the wooden pieces, and it soon became clear Miriam was having an unusually lucky evening.
After she won the third set, she gave him a narrow-eyed stare. "You're not even trying."
Alex raised his hands, palms out as if to ward off the accusation. "I am. To be honest I've never seen such a lucky streak." He raised his brows. "But I would never accuse a lady of cheating." He let the implied insinuation hang in the air for a moment, then winked to make sure she knew he jested.
Her eyes went wide, feigning extreme innocence. "Why, sir. Have you considered I may be just that talented?"
His mouth begged to grin, but he fought it as long as he could. Dominos weren't exactly a game of skill, but of anyone, she was clever enough for talent to be the reason behind her winning streak.
Alex won the next game, then of course Miriam triumphed in the one after that. As he flipped the dominos face down, her hand stole up to cover a yawn.
"Looks like I've overstayed my welcome." He began to line the dominos in the box. "Thanks for a delightful evening, though."
"Oh, no." She truly looked disappointed. "I don't know how I could be tired after lying in bed all day."
She was adorable, with that pert little nose and the way she got so frustrated with herself.
He gave her his most calming smile. "I shouldn't have stayed up so late myself. At the moment, sleep is what this doctor recommends for us all."
With the game put away and the table pushed into an empty corner, Alex stepped to the work counter where he'd stored a few medicines. "I'll prepare your arnica, then leave you in peace. Do you need anything for the pain?"
"No, my knee already hurts less."
Thata girl. No need to worry about Miriam becoming addicted to the laudanum. She was tough.
As he brought the small tincture of arnica to Miriam, his eyes drifted to the beautiful blonde curls sneaking from her braid. Did they feel as soft as they looked?
She handed the empty tumbler back to him with a smile. Her eyes shone a dark green. "Pleasant dreams, Alex."
He swallowed. Everything in him wanted to lean down and touch his lips to her forehead, or her soft hair, or better yet…
Forcing himself to turn away, he strode to the door. "Goodnight."
~~~
Miriam lay still, listening to the sound of male voices in the next room over. Doc Bryan's voice easy to pick out, so calm and methodical. It was probably reassuring to his patients, easing their fears with his unruffled manner. But how different he was from Alex, whose easy way of communicating disarmed and cheered everyone he spoke to. Even the burliest of miners. She nibbled her lip to hold back a smile.
The man whom Doc Bryan spoke with now had a working class accent, but it was hard to tell what they said. Coughs interrupted every minute or two. They'd been in there for a while. Shouldn't they be done soon? She glanced out the window, where dusk had settled over the street. Each day now seemed a little shorter than the last.
Peering as far down the road as possible, she looked for Alex. Men passed both directions, mostly miners, along with a few businessmen. But not Alex. Since his brother came back to the clinic early today, Alex had left to run an errand. She allowed a sigh. All this waiting was driving her crazy.
Of course, it wasn't the Donaghue men's job to entertain her. Still, the last two evenings when they ate dinner together had become her favorite part of the day.
A few minutes later, the men's voices grew louder as Doc Bryan escorted the patient into the hallway toward the front door. The outside door opened, and Miriam strained to hear better. This laziness sure had made her nosy.
Another voice added to the mix, lilting with the smallest bit of an accent. Alex. Miriam's stomach flipped. This infatuation developing in her couldn't be good. But at least it helped pass the days, looking forward to Alex stopping by her room for a visit between patients. Soon, she'd be back up on the mountain where she could at least be useful.
&nb
sp; And then in the spring…their trip East. Another sigh escaped. This one developing from happy thoughts. Traveling by boat and then train. Seeing all those fancy cities. Staying in hotels with servants to do her every bidding. Eating meals she never had to cook. It would be all her dreams come true. Thank You, Lord.
Footsteps sounded in the hall, jerking her out of the happy thoughts. Alex appeared in the doorway, his thick brown hair mussed from the wind. "I'll have dinner ready before you can sing 'Good-bye, Liza Jane.' Fried ham and eggs okay?"
"Perfect." A grin stretched her face. She should do a better job holding in her excitement.
Chapter Eight
Miriam raised a bite of ham to her mouth and eyed the brothers. As usual, their dinner conversation revolved around patients. The two of them were so different, hearing and watching them interact never failed to captivate her.
"Two more men from The Original came in with trouble breathing." Bryan loaded a forkful of eggs into his mouth.
Alex's head jerked up. "Sound like fluid in the lungs?"
His brother nodded. "Mostly the same symptoms we've been seeing."
A fist slammed on the table, jerking Miriam's gaze to Alex. "Enough, Bryan. We have to find what's causing this."
Bryan gave him a long, calculating look. "Have you been down in the mines? Really seen the conditions? The men work a thousand feet underground. The tunnels start off cold, but when the men start working the temperature gets so hot they're dripping sweat. Then they come up to the surface at the end of the day, and the cold air freezes their clothes solid." Bryan's words gained momentum and volume as he went. "No wonder they're all sick. It's part of the job."
"That doesn't make it okay." Alex looked like he might leap from his chair and storm off to track down the mine owners.
"I know." Bryan emphasized every word. For the first time, she saw his calm façade start to slip.
"But what are we going to do about it? We have to help."
The breath left Bryan in a long stream. "I've talked to some of the mine barons, William Farlin and W.A. Clark. They didn't seem opposed to helping, as long as it doesn't affect their profits."
Alex braced his hands on the table, leaning forward. "What'd you tell them to do?"
Bryan shrugged. "Let the men come to the surface a couple times throughout the day, for one. That'd give them clean air to breathe every few hours." His forehead wrinkled. "It's not that easy, though. I talked to a couple of the miners, and they say riding the elevator is worse than staying locked underground. Said they don't wanna go up or down any more than necessary."
Miriam was doing her best to follow the conversation without interrupting, but Bryan's words might as well have been French for all the sense they made. "What's an elevator?"
He glanced at her. "The cage they use to bring the miners and the silver up and down. They cram a half dozen men in, then lower them down about a thousand feet into the main shaft. The whole time, the cage is rattlin' and shakin'. It's enough to make a man start praying." After scrubbing a hand over his face, his gaze settled far away. "I suppose I understand not wanting to ride the elevator too often. But there has to be another way."
Alex drummed his fingers on the table. "Do you think it's what they're breathing? What if we built some kind of mask that would purify the air before they inhale it?"
Bryan raised both brows at him. "And how do you suggest we do that?"
"I haven't the foggiest notion, but it'd be worth a try." Alex scooted forward, excitement rolling off him. "I'll write some men I knew in Montreal. They were creating special masks for patients to breathe ether during surgery. Maybe we could use the same idea to help here."
"I guess it's worth a try." Bryan still looked skeptical, but a tiny ray of hope also shown in his face.
Alex was almost beaming. He stood and stacked dishes. "I'll go start the letters now. Bryan, any chance you'd be interested in helping clean-up?"
Bryan pushed to his feet, offering Miriam a tight-lipped smile as he answered his brother. "Certainly."
~~~
The next day, Miriam only saw Alex for a quick greeting in the morning. Bryan stayed close to the clinic, busy with correspondence when he wasn't talking with patients. Another long, lonely day for her, cooped up in her little chamber.
It had been a week since the accident. A very long week, but her leg felt so much better. She still hadn't left the bed, except for awkward attempts to use the chamber pot. And that one time she'd hobbled to the door after Mick Langley died.
But if she didn't get up and move around soon, she may very well go out of her mind. She'd never gone so long without doing something useful. Maybe she could limp around the room and wipe the dusty work table and shelves. Or if she could get to the stove in the other room, it would be like heaven to cook again. Why had she ever hated that task? Alex's fare was edible, but after Leah's cooking for the last couple years, she craved something warm and savory. Not burnt and leathery.
A pretty pink color was just starting to stain the edge of the evening sky when Doc Bryan knocked on the door frame of Miriam's chamber. "I've been invited to dine with friends tonight, Miss Bryant, so I need to leave now. Alex should be back directly. Can I get you anything before I go?"
She forced her mouth into a smile. "No. Thanks, though." She picked up a well-worn copy of Joseph Maclise's Surgical Anatomy from her bedside table. "I'll do some light reading while things are quiet."
That brought a chuckle, which was an unfamiliar sound from Bryan. "All right then. Good evening."
But as soon as the front door closed, she tossed the book back on the table. If she saw another diagram of the human body, she might scream.
It wasn't long, though, before Alex arrived, coming to her relief as he'd done so many times these last few days. He stopped in her doorway, and she shared a pleasant smile. "Good evening."
But he didn't smile back. Instead, his mouth formed a grim line under the black smudges covering his face. His once-white shirt was streaked a muted gray, and his shoulders slumped in a way that made her breath catch.
"What's wrong?" She sat up in bed, wanting with everything in her to go to him. Wrap him in a hug and tell him it would be all right. What had him so defeated? And how could she help?
He leaned against the wooden door frame, as if he had to prop himself up. "I visited mines today." Even the simple statement seemed to wear him out.
She hesitated. He'd done that before hadn't he? Did he mean… "New mines?"
Alex shook his head. "No, the Alice and the Original. I went down in the shafts. I'd never done that." His tired eyes raised to meet hers, and the anguish there brought tears to sting the back of her throat. "It's awful, Miriam. The mines are so deep, it's like going to the center of the earth. When all the men start working, shafts must heat to over a hundred degrees, and there's dust everywhere. And this black coal-like powder gets on everything. No wonder the men are all sick." His whole body sank lower.
He was going to collapse right there if she didn't do something.
Miriam patted the edge of the bed beside her. "Come sit down."
He looked for a long moment at the spot where she pointed, as if debating whether he had the energy to reach it. Finally, he shuffled forward and sank onto the blanket. "I can't imagine working there day in and out. What a miserable life. And it's killing them."
Reaching for his hand, Miriam folded hers around it. "Is there anything we can do to change it?"
He raised his head, allowing her to stare into the bleakness in his dark eyes. "It would take a better man than me."
She squeezed his hand. "There can't be such a man in all the Montana Territory."
Their eyes locked for a long moment, and Miriam willed him to believe her words. He was such a good man. The depth with which he cared for others amazed her. How he took their struggles on himself, and did what he could to make things better.
Alex raised her hand to his lips and laid a gentle kiss on the curve of her
fingers. "M'lady. If only it were true."
Miriam's chest constricted. What was it that made him think the worst of himself? If only he could see himself through her eyes.
~~~
The next morning, Alex poked his head in Miriam's room after he finished with his first patient. "You warm enough in here? The weather's dipping pretty chilly outside."
She'd been staring out the window, but turned those beautiful green eyes on him. "I'm watching the snow clouds roll in. I think it's going to be a bad one."
It was then he noticed the twin lines between her brows. Was she worried they wouldn't be safe here? They had enough food to last a few days, and surely they could walk to either the café or the dry goods store if the need arose.
She spoke again before he could set her mind at ease. "I wonder if Gideon and Leah are already on their way down."
The thought showered over him like a bucket of cold spring water. Her family might be out in this mess. And wouldn’t the weather be worse up on the mountain?
Alex stepped into the room and perched on the edge of the chair beside her bed, hands clasped on his knees. "Do you think they would travel with bad weather coming?"
She nibbled her lower lip. "Gideon knows better, but I'm afraid he might try to make it through the pass before it closes off."
Closed off? Did that mean… "How long does it take for the pass to open again after a snow?"
Her teeth worked harder on her lip, and the fingers on one hand clasped those of the other in a nervous action. "It depends. Sometimes a few weeks. If we have more storms, it may be all winter."
His fingers itched to reach out and untangle her worried hands. Not only was she concerned for her family's safety, she faced the very real possibility that she might be separated from them the entire winter.
Reaching out for her right hand, he pulled it onto his lap. "Your brother's one of the smartest mountain men I've ever met, Miriam." It didn't matter that he hadn't met that many yet. Bryan had told fabulous stories about the man's knowledge and skills. "Gideon won't take unnecessary chances. But I know if he can possibly come to you, he will."
Mountain Dreams Series: Books 1 - 3: Mountain Dreams Box Set 1 Page 31