by N. C. Reed
And so it was that Edema found herself carried to her suite by members of the House Guard of Soulan while Edward stayed to ‘talk’ with Prince Therron McLeod.
She settled in and went to sleep before Edward returned. Doubtless still talking about his roads and bypasses.
*****
Edema frowned to herself as the train set out from Nasil—on its way, finally, to Cumberland House. Edward had been rather distant since his ‘talk’ with Therron McLeod. He hadn’t been rude, exactly, but cold. She wasn’t sure exactly what the middle prince might have told him, but she couldn’t imagine what bearing it could possibly have on her.
Probably told him that his roadway idea wasn’t going to get any attention, she mused. Or that his taxes would be higher this year.
She would, she figured, find out soon enough. In the meantime she read through her journal again, adding notations that had escaped her initially. She wanted to have everything she could for Parno.
She was certain it was going to be important before it was over.
*****
It was a weary column that pulled into Cove Canton three days after departing Nasil. Parno had not intended to push so hard but weather seemed to threatening and he had no desire to have Dahlia out in those conditions. As a result he had pushed his men and horses harder than normal. It hadn’t been easy on Dahlia, either, but Parno had pointed out his reasons and she understood them. Her travel was far easier than theirs in any case and traveling faster meant that she would see her father that much sooner.
With darkness fast approaching, troopers from barracks were called to care for the horses, and to unload Dahlia’s possessions. Darvo was on his porch when the carriage and wagon arrived and he hurried to embrace his tired daughter.
“Hello, my daughter,” he whispered, nearly crushing her in a bear hug.
“Hello, father,” Dahlia smiled. “I’m so very glad to see you.”
“How was your trip? You look tired, pumpkin.”
“I’m exhausted,” the girl admitted, “but Parno wanted to push on because the weather looked to turn harsh. I’m glad we’re here and we seem to have beaten the weather.” She nodded to the west, where occasional flashes of lightning could be seen. A rare occurrence this time of year, but not unheard of.
“I have delivered your daughter, old man, safe and sound as promised,” Parno walked up, smiling. Darvo growled slightly, but embraced his charge as well.
“Your trip?” he asked.
“Very well, in fact,” Parno smiled tiredly. “I’ll give you the particulars tomorrow afternoon, but suffice it to say that things are fine, at least for now.”
“Why afternoon?” Darvo asked.
“Because you are not to report until one o’clock tomorrow afternoon, under penalty of. . .well, something ugly. Mucking stables comes to mind. I had a teacher once that told me mucking stables builds character as well as muscle.” Darvo grunted, recognizing his own words.
“Thank you, lad,” he replied gently.
“Bah,” Parno waved his thanks aside. “With you out of the way, maybe I can get some work done.” Darvo laughed at that, then placed an arm around his daughter.
“Come, daughter, I have had someone draw a hot bath for you and your bed is ready.” Parno watched them go, then turned to head for his own bath and bed after ensuring that his men were seen to. It had been a long ride and he was tired.
He had a lot to catch up on tomorrow, and worse, he had to speak to “her” about Memmnon’s idea. He’d need sleep for that.
*****
Parno rose early and took breakfast with his men as usual. He had announced early on that there was no rank in the mess, so long as civility was observed. That included him. As a result many of the men felt at ease enough to speak to him as if her were another trooper, something none of them ever thought about doing outside the mess hall.
Once he had eaten he dusted off his courage and started toward the hospital building to find Freeman-Corsin. He hated…hated…the idea of talking to her again, under any circumstance or for any reason. But, he admitted, Memmnon’s request was very reasonable and after all Memmnon was doing for him it was little enough to ask him.
He liked the look of the building, he decided, approaching it slowly. It wasn’t exactly what he had pictured in his mind. Indeed, it was actually better. An impressive structure that he hoped would inspire confidence in the men and their families.
He entered the building, mindful to stay out of the way of men still working to get the interior of the hospital finished. He found Stephanie Freeman-Corsin supervising the construction of what looked like a drainage system in a room off to itself.
“No, I don’t want to leave it like it is,” she was saying to the foreman. “This is an operating room, Mister Plank, not a common bath. Sterility and cleanliness are of the utmost importance in here. This drainage is a part of that and it has to be just as I asked for it to be. Understand?”
“No, I don’t,” the carpenter shook his head. “This drain is centered on the room, and large enough to provide adequate drainage for a room twice this size. I don’t see why it’s not sufficient.”
“Because she said it’s not,” Parno said quietly from behind them. Plank whirled at the voice, a look of fear crossing his features briefly.
“If she says it has to be a certain way, then fix it that way,” Parno ordered calmly. There was no mistaking the steel in his voice, however. “And, in the future, don’t argue with the Doctor. She has complete control over this building and every aspect of its construction. If she wants a bare hole in the floor, then you give it to her, and don’t question her about it. Now do you understand?”
“Of course, milord,” Plank was falling all over himself now. “I’ll see to it at once.”
“Don’t tell me,” Parno ordered. “Tell her. She is in charge here. Period. If that’s a problem for you, Mister Plank, then I’m sure we can find someone else for this project and let you get back to whatever you were doing before.” Plank reluctantly looked to the doctor.
“I’ll get right on it, ma’am,” he promised, face reddening at the dressing down.
“Thank you,” Stephanie replied stiffly, irked that it had taken Parno’s interference to get the work done.
“May I have a moment of your time, Doctor?” Parno asked, his voice still calm.
“Of course, My Lord,” she replied, a little stiffly. She walked to where he stood waiting.
“Please walk with me,” Parno asked and started out the door. With no choice but to follow, Corsin did so.
“I had the situation under control, you know,” she said in a huff, once they were outside.
“I’m sure you did,” Parno nodded, “but I run this camp. Everyone had strict orders that whatever you wanted, you were to get, without question or complaint. That bears directly upon me, not you. I don’t want him or anyone else, regardless of their position, thinking that they can ignore you at will, either because you’re a woman or because you have no military ranking. Come to think of it, perhaps we should issue you a rank. Something appropriate. You will be commanding a large staff before this is over.”
“I have never required any rank to do my job,” Corsin replied stiffly.
“You’ve never worked in the military either,” Parno pointed out reasonably, “and I have a request from the Crown Prince that will require you to have some authority now that I think about it.”
“What sort of request?” Corsin asked warily.
“Prince Memmnon was quite pleased with the idea of someone of your caliber instructing our field surgeons,” Parno informed her. “He asked me to appeal directly to you to consider a school here, on the Canton, for instruction of all the army’s surgeons. Not all at once, of course, but whatever size class you feel would be possible.”
Stephanie looked at him. Teach all of the army’s surgeons? Her? Alone?
“My Lord, I don’t know that I can undertake such a thing alone, let alone continue
to oversee the hospital here.”
“I don’t intend for you to do it alone,” Parno shook his head. “I don’t think it’s possible. I don’t even know how many surgeons there are in the army to be honest. I know that there’s one for every regiment, usually for every battalion…not to mention field hospitals, staff physicians, and so on. You’ll need to recruit staff to help you teach them. If I may suggest at least one grizzled old field surgeon veteran…I doubt he can teach someone with your background anything about medicine, of course…but what he can do is impart to you what trying to care for wounded under combat conditions might be like.”
Corsin considered that. She had absolutely no idea, whatsoever, of what such conditions would be like, that was certain. She couldn’t very well teach them as if they would always have the secure, sterile facilities of a hospital.
“That seems like sage advice,” she agreed finally. “I. . .I’ll need a couple of days, perhaps a week, to work out a staffing plan and make sure it’s adequate. As to class size, I’ll have to know what help I’ll have before I can plan that.”
“Very well,” Parno nodded. “I can inform Memmnon that you will do as he requests? It is a request, by the way,” he added. “You need not do so, if you don’t want to, but it would likely save a great many lives should we ever again find ourselves at war.”
“Of course I’ll do it,” Corsin replied at once, “with one proviso,” she added suddenly.
“Yes?” Parno asked.
“That you forgive me my impertinence on the day we met, My Lord. I really am very sorry about that. I’m afraid I allowed the rumors about you to dictate how I perceived you. You deserved better than that and I should have done you better.” Parno snorted in rye amusement at that and Corsin’s face reddened.
“You owe me no apology,” he surprised himself in saying. “As to the ‘rumors’, I fear they are all too true, in some cases. They do not call me the ‘Black Sheep of Soulan’ without due cause, Doctor. I’m hardly the sterling example of nobility.” She actually laughed outright at that, her face losing its earlier color.
“I can understand that,” she assured him. “Try being a doctor, and a woman. If not for my family’s history of medicine and our connection to the Crown I’d be nothing more than an ornament on some nobleman’s arm, Prince.”
“You’d be a very beautiful ornament, at least,” Parno shocked himself again with his reply. “Whereas I would simply be a brawling trouble maker.” Corsin flushed in spite of herself.
“Then I’ll teach your classes, Prince,” she promised. “I’ll try to have an idea of what I’ll need, and what I can do, by the end of the week.”
“That will be more than satisfactory, Doctor,” Parno nodded. “I appreciate your time. I will let you return to your hospital.” With that he walked on, leaving Corsin to watch him go, a new opinion of Parno running through her mind.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Parno learned of the Willows’ return by way of messenger. Edema’s footman, Benson, had ridden over to the fort to deliver her message, inviting him for dinner the next evening. Parno had sent a reply that he would, indeed, be glad to attend. He informed Berry that he would need to be prepared to stay overnight and then set out to the store to gather some things to welcome the Willows home.
The next morning he was in the saddle. It was cold and low lying clouds created a thick fog along the roads. By the time the small column was approaching Cumberland House, just after lunch, the day had cleared. It wouldn’t warm up much, but the sun was shining.
Edward was out of the house when Parno arrived and Edema wasted no time in ushering Parno into the study and closing the doors.
“You were right,” she said at once, going to the mantle and taking the journal she had kept during her travel. She presented the book to Parno, along with the map she had made careful notations on and a few sketches, including those of several men of the Wild Tribes.
“There’s nothing to indicate what, exactly, they’re up to, but their military is moving all the time…and they’re good, Parno. Very good, from what I’ve seen. Their horsemanship is first rate, including their care of the animals. They look more like soldiers than ever before. Hard, well trained, capable soldiers.”
“I feared as much,” Parno nodded, taking the journal she offered him. He glanced at it briefly before placing it in his small shoulder bag. He would study it in more depth when he was back in his office. He wanted no one to know that Edema had done this for him.
“I’m in your debt, My Lady,” he said quietly. “I will not forget it.”
“There’s something else,” she said just a softly. “We had dinner in Nasil with the King and your siblings. Afterward, Therron asked Edward to stay. I don’t know what he told him, but Edward has been in a funk ever since. Therron was particularly interested in the fact that you had often been a guest here.” Parno frowned at that.
“I see no reason for that to be a bother to him,” Parno admitted. “I would think that the fact that I’m out of Nasil would make him very happy.”
“Don’t take this lightly, Parno,” Edema warned. She had decided not to tell Parno of Edward’s small comments about how much attention she was giving the young Prince or vice-versa. “Don’t underestimate Therron’s hate for you. It’s. . .it’s almost palpable. Something one can almost touch.”
“Oh, I know that,” Parno actually laughed. “Of all three, his attitude toward me has always been the worst of the lot.”
“This is different,” Edema insisted. “I don’t know what he said to Edward but I’m willing to bet that it was about you. In what way, I can’t. . . .” She cut off as the door to the study burst open and Edward entered.
“Ah, Prince Parno!” Edward exclaimed. “How good it is to see you!”
“And you, Duke,” Parno smiled easily, rising to take the Duke’s hand. “Lady Edema was just telling me that you dined with my family on your return trip. I trust you had a profitable venture?”
“Fairly well,” Edward nodded, his glance going briefly to his wife. Edema knew her breath was short. Edward had startled her and he knew it.
“Not so good as in the summer months, of course,” Edward turned his attention back to his guest, “but still well worth the effort…and the cold,” he gave a shudder. “How have you been?”
“Cold,” Parno laughed, “though not so much as you, I suspect. It will soon be winter, though, without doubt. I suspect that there’s snow on the wind, even now, the way it felt on the ride over.”
“I was thinking the same thing, myself,” Edward agreed. “I see you brought us yet another house gift. You know that isn’t necessary, Milord.”
“Perhaps,” Parno shrugged, “but you and the Lady Edema have been very kind to me, Duke. It is little enough I can do to repay your hospitality. Tell, me, though, did you mention the roadway changes Memmnon whilst you were in his company?”
“I did,” Edward nodded, “and I’ll be delighted to tell you of the discussion over dinner. You are planning to stay the night are you not?”
“If you have no objection, that would be grand,” Parno smiled. “I would love to hear of your travels. I’m especially interested in your news of trading from the north. I’ve given some thought to it, myself, if I remain here. Perhaps buying land of my own and raising horses. I’d like your advice, however, if you’d be so kind.”
“Delighted!” Edward agreed at once. “Always happy to help an enterprising young man. Come, let’s discuss all this over a table of good food, and then, perhaps, some brandy.”
“That sounds agreeable.” Parno followed his host’s wave out of the study. As he left, Edema happened to glance at Edward. The look in his eyes made her breath catch. Edward smiled at her, but it wasn’t a pleasant smile. More like a viper preparing to strike.
Dinner was far from enjoyable for her.
*****
“What say we adjourn to the study, Prince Parno?” Edward invited as the servants cleared away the
dishes.
“As you wish, Duke,” Parno agreed, rising. Edema made as if to follow, but Edward’s voice stopped her.
“Edema, dear,” his voice was cold to her. “We won’t bore you with talk of business if you’d prefer to retire.” Unable to think of a reason to stay, she smiled.
“Of course, dear. Good night, my dear boy,” she said to Parno, giving him a matronly kiss on his cheek. “It is good to see you. Your mother would be very proud of you, you know,” she added.
“Thank you, milady,” Parno said softly, bowing to kiss her hand. “Thank you for the dinner. It was lovely.” Edema gave her husband a kiss as well as a brief embrace, then departed. As she went, the two men walked to the study.