“Where did you get such an insane idea, Mr. Johnstone? I would not marry any man, even one I loved, while I mourn my father.” She hoped he understood the implication behind her words. How could she state her feelings any more plainly?
Mr. Johnstone steepled his fingers and stared at her over their tips, as if he were studying an interesting insect. “I don’t think you understand, Madeline. You have no say in the matter.”
His words, encased in iron, pierced her heart, stealing her breath. How could he be so calm and matter-of-fact about her life? If what he said was true, he’d ripped apart her world and turned it completely upside down. She quaked inside, afraid she would lose her fragile hold on her emotions. She didn’t want Johnstone to know how much his words affected her.
“I don’t think you understand, Mr. Johnstone.” She stiffened her spine and didn’t try to keep the disdain out of her tone. “I will not dishonor the memory of my father by shortening my time of mourning to only one more week.”
Frank gave an approving nod. Maddy was glad she sat where she did, because Mr. Johnstone couldn’t see her servant.
Johnstone relaxed his grim expression. “All right, Madeline, I will give you one month. A month from today. We. Will. Wed. Understood?”
Maddy didn’t answer. If she said one thing, she’d lose all control and collapse. Instead she stood and swept from the room before tears betrayed her. Frank left right behind her.
“One month. Not a day longer.” Mr. Johnstone’s final, threatening words followed her and wound around her heart, almost strangling the life out of it.
Although Frank stopped at the bottom of the staircase, she continued up and didn’t turn to look until she heard the heavy footsteps recede and the outside door close behind her tormentor. Crumpling onto the top step, she dropped her head into her hands and sobbed.
“Sarah, come in here!”
Maddy had never heard Frank raise his voice, but this bellow reverberated throughout the entrance hall.
Sarah must have been close, because she immediately clambered up the stairs and dropped beside Maddy, pulling her into her arms. “It’s going to be all right, dear. We’ll think of something.” Soothing words accompanied soft hands as they rubbed her back and snuggled her into a warm, safe haven.
She melted into the woman’s embrace as if Sarah were her mother. A rushing torrent of tears soaked the shoulder of Sarah’s dress, but the servant didn’t seem to notice as her gentle whispers and crooning continued to console Maddy.
When Maddy finally stopped crying, she stood and took a deep breath. Frank’s hand rested on the banister a few steps down from the women. As she perused the worry on his face, she remembered he’d taken the doctor to check on her friend Loraine that day.
“I’m sorry, Frank. I’ve been so immersed in my own troubles that I didn’t even ask what the doctor said.” She mustered a brave, though wobbly, smile.
Balancing against the wall with one hand, Sarah rose from the step. “Let’s go into the kitchen. We can talk by the stove, and I’ll fix a cup of chocolate for you.”
Sarah led the way, and Maddy and Frank followed. They settled on two kitchen stools beside the worktable while Sarah bustled around preparing the hot drink.
“What did the doctor say?” Maddy studied his face.
“He’s afraid for her and for the babe. That shanty isn’t a place for a dog, much less a woman in her condition. He said she should have a midwife on hand at all times at this late stage of her confinement, especially in her weakened condition.” Compassion colored his deep brown eyes.
Maddy sat for a moment contemplating his words. She had to do something, and taking food or paying Loraine’s rent wasn’t enough. “Let’s bring her here. There’s plenty of room, and no one will have to go out in the weather to check on her. We can even have a midwife move into the bedchamber next to hers.”
Frank relaxed a bit. “Are you sure, Miss Madeline? It’ll mean a lot of work.”
“I’ll take care of her.” The more she thought about it, the more she realized that’s what she needed. Serving another would help take her mind off her own problems. Isn’t that what the Bible told everyone to do? Serve those who needed help?
Sarah gave an unladylike snort. “It won’t be too much work for me. We can both care for her—and for the wee one when it arrives.”
A tiny spark of hope entered Maddy’s heart. “I’m exhausted. I’ll take my chocolate up to my room.” She arose and, when she swayed, caught hold of the edge of the table.
“Can you make it upstairs by yourself, Miss Madeline?” Frank stood beside her, ready to help.
She took a deep breath. “Yes, I can now.”
Frank nodded. “I’ll bring up the tray when Sarah has it ready.”
As Maddy made her way upstairs, the flicker of hope began to grow. The problem with Mr. Johnstone hadn’t gone away, but she didn’t feel so desperate about it now. Somehow she would get out of marrying that terrible man. Even if she had to go work somewhere as a governess…or a housemaid.
Sarah stood by the stove stirring the chocolate drink to keep it from sticking and burning. “What’s wrong, Frank?”
While her husband told her about all that went on with Horace Johnstone, Sarah grimaced. “What are we going to do? We promised Madeline’s dear father we’d always take care of her. And I don’t believe a word of what Mr. Johnstone said about Mr. Mercer wanting her to marry him.”
“I’ve never liked the man myself.” Frank paced the floor. “Now I like him even less. If I weren’t a Christian, I’d say I hate him. And you’re right. Something’s false about all of this. What he told Madeline has to be a lie. Her father was a shrewd businessman—”
“Well, we know he made one mistake.” When Frank gave her a quizzical look, she continued. “He did make the man a partner. That doesn’t sound like a good decision to me. But did you ever hear Mr. Mercer call him ‘a partner’? I never did.”
“You’re right. And it shouldn’t have taken this long for the will to be settled. I wonder if Johnstone is causing the delay. Tomorrow morning, I’m going to see Mr. Sanderson. Maybe he’ll tell me something, since we’re all Madeline has left in the world.”
Sarah set the pan on a trivet and slipped her arms around his neck. “You’re a good man, Frank Sneed.” She gave him a quick kiss before fixing the tray for Madeline.
A smile lit his face. “And you’re a good woman.” He gave her a playful pat on her posterior. “I’m thinking I shouldn’t wait until tomorrow morning to go for Loraine. After I take the tray upstairs, I’ll go fetch her.”
No wonder she loved that man. His thoughtfulness and thoroughness had carried them a long way together. And she knew she could trust him to take care of their sweet girl.
“You go ahead. I’ll take this on up to Madeline.”
The cold night wind kept Frank huddled under a lap robe as he drove the enclosed surrey toward shanty town, but the cold didn’t feel as bitter as last night. And the moon’s silvery light painted the landscape like a fairyland.
He hoped the warmth of spring would soon arrive. The closer he got to the hovels hunkering in the mire, the fewer signs of life he saw around him. A hard crust of ice covered everything, masking the usual malodorous scent.
When he stopped the horses, he couldn’t detect even a glimmer from inside the thrown-together, tar-papered shack. Usually in the evening, flickers from the fire peeked between the boards on the windows and door.
He hurried to the door and knocked. In the stillness of the night, he didn’t hear a sound from within. Not a creak of timber, and certainly not a whisper of a voice.
“Miz Loraine, it’s Frank Sneed. Miss Madeline sent me. Miz Loraine, I’m coming in.”
As he opened the door, he saw that the open stove held only dying embers. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimness of the room. He searched the shadows for the woman, at first not finding her. Then he realized that what he thought was a cast-aside q
uilt wadded on the floor beside the stove was actually Loraine.
He rushed toward her and grabbed her bony frame up into his arms. She felt so light, as if she was wasting away. And what of the babe she carried? Could the poor thing possibly still be alive?
Without shutting the door behind him, he stomped out, moving quickly toward the waiting vehicle, glad he’d put in several blankets and heated bricks. He wedged the limp woman on the floor between the seats and placed the bricks around her. After covering her with everything in the surrey, even the lap robe he’d used on his way there, he pulled the heavy leather side curtains closed and fastened them down. He hoped they would keep most of the frigid air out of the enclosed space.
“Lord, please protect her until I can get her to the house.” With that prayer, he climbed into the driver’s seat and clicked his tongue at the horses.
Trying to avoid the many rough patches in the road, he drove as fast as he felt he should toward home, keeping in mind his passenger’s safety. Sarah must have been watching for him, because she opened the front door before he stopped the carriage.
“She’s in a bad way.” He jumped down and began shoving the curtains aside. He unwound most of the covers and lifted the young woman into his arms.
“I prepared a room near Madeline’s.” Sarah stopped wringing her hands and pushed the door open wider as he approached the front porch, then hurriedly closed it behind them.
Madeline stood at the top of the stairs. “Is she all right?”
Frank shook his head. “I couldn’t tell.” He took the stairs two at a time. “She was lying on the floor beside the dying fire. I just grabbed her and got here as soon as I could.”
He brushed past Madeline, careful not to jar his burden. He hurried into the room and laid her on the bed. Both Madeline and Sarah followed on his heels.
Sarah started pulling the filthy quilt away from the girl. “She’s breathing, but it’s shallow. You go ahead and get the doctor. Miss Madeline and I will try to warm her up.”
He ran back downstairs, knowing Loraine was in good hands.
Maddy helped Sarah remove Loraine’s tattered rags. Maddy’s heart broke when she saw her skin, fragile as the thinnest china teacup, with each bone underneath defined. Why hadn’t she brought Loraine here sooner? She had been so concerned for her own welfare. It didn’t matter that the girl hadn’t wanted so much charity. She should have insisted.
Lord, please don’t let us be too late.
She hurried into her own bedchamber and rummaged through the bottom drawer in her wardrobe. Her heaviest flannel nightgown was buried under everything else. She jerked it out, not bothering to straighten the mess she’d made.
When she returned to the other bedroom, she helped Sarah slip the gown over Loraine’s body and ease the unconscious woman under the thick bedcovers. “Is she going to be all right?” Concern laced the words together.
“She’s alive,” Sarah said softly. “And the babe moved when I gently pushed against the wee one.” She brushed Loraine’s matted hair from her face and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Rest now, dear, and let the warmth soothe you. I’ll be back soon.”
“I’ll stay beside her until you return.” Maddy pulled the chair close to the bed and took Loraine’s hand, rubbing it to get more warmth into the chilled fingers.
“I’m going to heat some broth and bring it up. We need to get nourishment into her, and it’ll help warm her from the inside.” Sarah hurried out.
Maddy continued massaging her friend’s hand while she stared into the yellow, orange, and blue flames dancing in the fireplace across the room. If Loraine didn’t warm up soon, maybe they should move her closer to the fireplace. They could shift the chaise longue from her own bedchamber and set it near the heat source. When Frank returned with the doctor, he could help them lay Loraine on it. Maddy knew she wouldn’t spend the night in her own room. She would stay right beside Loraine until she started to recover.
Maddy climbed up on the bed and cradled her friend in her arms, hoping the warmth from her own body would help. Father God, please help Loraine and protect the baby she’s carrying.
What would Maddy have done if she were in Loraine’s shoes? But the very idea that her father would disown her for marrying someone he didn’t approve of was inconceivable. She wouldn’t have ended up a ramshackle hovel in shanty town. So she had no idea how she would have handled a situation like Loraine’s.
Soon she was very warm herself and nodded off to sleep.
“Miss Madeline.”
Frank’s voice, coming from the hallway, awakened Maddy. She wondered how long she’d slept. Even in slumber, her arms hadn’t released their hold on the fragile woman with child. She eased away from Loraine, leaving her sleeping on her side. Just as she sat up, Frank entered the bedroom.
Dr. Thomas followed close behind. He set his black medical bag on the bedside table and extracted his stethoscope. After studying Loraine briefly, he gently pulled back the covers, turned her onto her back, and pressed the black cone of the instrument to her chest.
Loraine’s eyes fluttered open for a moment. She moaned and closed them again.
The doctor turned toward Maddy. “Things aren’t looking good.”
Her heart ached for her friend. “We’re going to keep her here at the house. Do you think good food and tender care will help Loraine?”
He ran his fingers through his snow-white hair, leaving some strands sticking straight up. “Of course it will help. I just can’t tell you if it will be enough.”
Leaning forward, he gave a light tap on Loraine’s swollen belly. An answering movement brought the hint of a smile to the doctor’s face. “The baby is alert and reacting to stimulus.” He pressed the stethoscope on the spot where the baby had moved. “The heartbeat is stronger than the mother’s.”
Sarah bustled in carrying a tray, which she set on the table near the fireplace. “I’ve brought some nice beef broth and weak tea for our patient.”
Dr. Thomas returned the instrument to his bag and turned toward Sarah and Maddy. “Go ahead. Try and wake her. See how much of the broth and tea you can get her to take. Then allow her to sleep for at least four hours before you try again. She needs to warm up and have nourishment to gain strength.”
“Would it help to bring the chaise longue from my room, so she can be closer to the fireplace?” Maddy started pulling the covers up around Loraine.
The doctor moved back toward his patient. He slid his hands beneath the quilts. “Her extremities are warming up, and I think she’d be more comfortable in the bed. She wouldn’t roll off if she turns over in her sleep.”
Maddy watched the doctor leave, then turned to help Sarah try to awaken Loraine. She would do all she could for her friend, and while she sat with the ill woman, she’d come up with a way to foil Mr. Johnstone’s plans for her. She just had to. The alternative would be inconceivable.
Chapter Five
Frank didn’t want to upset things for Madeline, but he had to find out what was really going on so he could protect her. Sanderson Law Firm occupied the entire second floor of the National Bank building. After climbing the stairs, he stood before the door and read the gold letters on the frosted glass window. Dressed in clothes he usually wore only to church, he felt he looked more like a businessman than a servant. He hoped Mr. Sanderson would see him that way too. Frank had to get to the bottom of what was going on so he could help Madeline. He gave a quick rap on the gleaming mahogany door.
“Enter,” an impersonal-sounding voice called.
He took a deep breath before grasping the doorknob. A law clerk or secretary, Frank wasn’t sure which, sat behind the desk that matched the wainscoting around the room. Even the bookcases lining one wall were mahogany. Must have cost a pretty penny. And some of that money probably came from the Mercer estate. Frank was here to see that more of it went to the only heir. Wasn’t right for Madeline to have to dismiss the other servants. What was Sanderson thinking?
“I’d like to see Mr. Sanderson.”
“Would that be Mr. Isaiah or Mr. Henry?” Not one gleam of interest lit the man’s eyes.
“Which one is handling the Mercer estate?”
“That would be Mr. Isaiah.” He shuffled papers on his desk as if he were looking for something. “Is he expecting you? I don’t see an appointment on his calendar.”
Frank cleared his throat. “I don’t have an appointment, but I won’t take much of his time. Name’s Frank Sneed.”
The other man stood, gathering some of the papers in his arms. “Wait here. I’ll see if he has time for you.” He went through the doorway behind his desk, pulling the door shut with a snap.
Frank dropped onto one of the chairs. He hoped he wasn’t making a mistake, but he needed to know details about some things. Nothing made any sense right now. Madeline needed answers, and he planned to give them to her.
After almost an hour, the man returned. Good thing no one else needed to see either of the Sandersons. They’d be sitting here beside him, too, probably as impatient as he was.
“Mr. Isaiah will see you now.” He dropped a stack of papers on his desk. “Follow me.”
Frank took in the surroundings as they walked down a long hallway. Closed doors lined each side at regular intervals. Luxurious, polished-hardwood floor covered with a fancy runner, flocked wallpaper above the mahogany wainscoting, even electric lights with cut-crystal shades. He shook his head. All this abundance when some people had so little.
The man in front of him opened one of the doors and waited until Frank entered before closing it, leaving the two men alone.
Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico Page 4