“If I can’t come to Twiggs Manor and no one from there can come off the grounds, how am I going to know what is going on, or if there is anything Laina needs?”
Thad ran his hand through his hair, considering. “Send one of your servants to stand on the walk outside the fence by the pillar at the end of the drive at ten o’clock every morning and at five o’clock every night. I’ll get word to them. But be sure they don’t touch the fence or come on the grounds.”
Justin nodded. “A feasible plan.” His face tightened. “But we’re talking about my sister. I will be the one outside the fence.”
“Very well, Mr. Randolph. Until ten o’clock tomorrow.” Thad gave him a polite nod and walked off toward the street.
Thad stepped inside his dark, empty house, lit a candle, then climbed the stairs to his bedroom, threw his necessaries in a bag and hurried to his office. He would need the journal he kept his medical notes in. He lifted it off his desk, tucked it under his arm and walked to the front door to hang his Out sign in the window. That was everything. Except for Faithful. Faithful would be stabled at Twiggs Manor for the duration.
Thad shook his head in disbelief at the turn of events, then stepped out into the moonlit night and headed for the barn to get his horse.
Chapter Sixteen
Thad slid his chin to the left, pulled his skin taut and skimmed his razor down over his cheek, shaving the last of yesterday’s beard stubble from his face. That was it. He was finished. He rinsed and dried the straight edge, put it away in its case, then leaned forward and splashed the remaining soap from his face. The silence as he grabbed the ends of the towel hanging around his neck and dried his face was deafening. Where was she? It was getting late.
He dampened his toothbrush, shook on some tooth powder and scrubbed his teeth. Nothing. The silence continued as he grabbed his brush and dragged it through his damp hair. He hung his towel on the brass rod to dry, straining his ears to catch any sound from Laina’s dressing room on the other side of the wall. At last a door opened and closed.
Thad froze like a dog on point, listening. A pipe rattled as water rushed through it. Relief relaxed the taut muscles in his stomach. The scowl left his face. She was all right. He donned his shirt, tied his cravat around his neck, then shrugged into his suit jacket and left the dressing room.
“Thank you, Lord, for keeping Laina well.” Thad murmured the words he’d said every morning and every evening since the measles outbreak had occurred, and walked to the chair by the open window. His Bible waited for him. Lately he’d had the luxury of reading it without interruption at the start of every day. There were no fists pounding on the door, no scared voices calling for him here. The quarantine took care of that.
He glanced out the window. Dawn was dragging light into the night sky. There’s always a battle between darkness and light, and the light always wins. A smile lifted the corners of his mouth at the thought. He stood for a few moments watching the brightness of day arrive, then picked up his Bible and settled himself in the chair. “Lord, I pray You will open the ‘eyes of my understanding’ and reveal the truth You wish to show me today through Your word. Help me to grasp it, Lord, and cause the light of it to lead me to the path of Your choosing for me that I might better serve You. Amen.”
His marker was in the book of Psalms. Thad glanced down the page to where he had left off reading yesterday. Psalm 41. He read the entire psalm, then returned to read the beginning aloud. “‘Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive, and he shall be blessed upon the earth.’”
He sat back in the chair pondering the powerful words. It was quite a promise. He set the Bible on the stand beside the chair and rose. Laina should be ready for the day by now. It was time to go check on his patients. He tugged his jacket to straighten it and headed for the door, bracing himself for the rush of love that hit him every morning when he first saw her.
“Papa Doctor! Come see! I’ve got spots!”
The name tore at Thad’s heart. Emma had called him “Papa Doctor” ever since the day she had decided they were all a family because he and Laina took care of her and Billy. If only it could be true. He smiled at her and closed the door. “Is that right?”
“Yes!” Emma popped up on the bed like a jack-in-the-box. “Heidi and Billy gots spots, too!”
“Really?” He grinned and strode to Emma’s bed. Obviously it would take more than a case of measles to dampen her exuberance.
“See?” Emma jumped to her feet, sinking almost to her knees in the feather mattress, and lifted her gown to display the red patches on her tummy, then dipped her head forward, tugging her hair out of the way so he could see behind her ears.
“Well, so you do!” Thad lifted her into his arms, gave her a hug while he checked her back and legs, then laid her down, pulled the covers over her and tapped the tip of her tiny nose. “People with spots have to stay quiet and warm so they don’t get sick. Will you stay under the blanket for me, Sunshine?” Where was Laina?
Emma nodded. “Mama already told me, but I forgotted.”
“Well, you need to remember.” Laina was always with the children when he came in. He fought down a surge of apprehension and glanced toward the closed dressing-room door.
“I will, Papa Doctor. Heart’s promise.” Emma took a breath. “You gots—”
“To do a heart’s promise.” Thad smiled down at her as he spoke the words with her, then tapped her nose again, leaving her giggling as he stepped to Heidi’s bed. She didn’t look quite as jaunty as Emma.
“Hello, Heidi.” Thad smiled down at Doreen Chandler’s four-year-old. “How are you feeling today?”
“It hurts here.” Heidi’s lower lip pouted out as she pointed a pudgy finger at her throat. Tears welled into her blue eyes. “I want my mama.”
“I know you do, sweetie.” Thad lifted the little girl into his arms and cuddled her against him as he checked behind her ears and on her back and legs. “But if Mama comes to see you she might get sick. You don’t want her to get sick, do you?” He smiled as Heidi shook her head against his shoulder, then lowered his head and kissed her soft, warm cheek. “I’m going to give you some special tea to make your throat feel better. Will you be a big girl and drink it for me?”
She lifted her head and nodded.
“Good.” He laid her down in her bed. “Now, you stay under your covers.” He tucked them around her. There were footsteps behind him. At last. Relief washed over him.
“Good morning.”
The words ended in a small cough. Thad’s stomach muscles clenched. No! Please, Lord. Not Laina. Please don’t let her have the measles. He turned to look at her, his doctor’s eyes taking note of the flush on her cheeks, the unnatural glassy shine of her beautiful eyes. A shiver shook her, rippling the water in the large bowl she held in her hands.
She lowered her head and turned away. “It’s time for the children’s morning wash.”
“No, Laina, it’s time for you to go to bed.” Thad stepped forward, blocking her path as she moved toward Emma’s bed.
She looked up and shook her head. “The children need…” Her words dissolved into a fit of coughing. Water sloshed over the edge of the bowl, dampening the front of her gown.
Thad’s face went taut. He took the bowl from her trembling hands, set it on the small table between the beds, then lifted the towel off her shoulder. “I’ll take care of the children. I want you to go to your dressing room, put your nightgown on and get back into bed.” It was his doctor’s voice. At least that hadn’t deserted him along with his professional detachment.
Laina opened her mouth to speak—to protest, judging by the look in her eyes—and another fit of coughing took her. Another shiver shook her body.
Thad clenched his hands into fists to keep from grabbing her and carrying her to her bed. “It won’t help the children if you get sick, Laina. They need you well.”
&nbs
p; He could see her resistance crumble before his logic. She nodded, then turned and headed for the dressing room.
Thad forced his mind back to the business at hand and walked over to check on Billy.
“I’m coming in there!” Justin stalked to the end of the farm wagon parked sideways to block the entrance to Twiggs Manor Orphanage.
Thad moved with him on the opposite side of the wagon. “No, Mr. Randolph, you’re not. That won’t help Laina, or anyone else.” He took a deep breath. “Laina is all right. She’s more worried about the children than anything. The orphanage can’t keep running without your help in supplying us with food and other needs. You can’t do that if you’re quarantined along with the rest of us.”
Justin glared at him. “Don’t give me your reasonable arguments, Doctor! My sister—”
“Told me to tell you she loves you—and then send you home to your wife and children.” Thad braced himself. Justin looked ready to come over the wagon after him. “Laina’s right, Mr. Randolph. You need to go home.” He held up a restraining hand as Justin started toward him. “Think, sir! If you had been with Laina when she took ill, what would you do but send for a doctor?”
Thad took a relieved breath as Justin halted—he didn’t have time for a physical altercation. “I’m already here, Mr. Randolph. And I promise you, I will do everything possible for Laina. If you come in, all you will accomplish is to put yourself in danger and bring worry on your wife.”
Justin stared at him for a long moment, then scrubbed his hand over the back of his neck and took a long breath. He turned his back, walked away a few paces, then returned. “All right, Doctor, you win. I’ll go home. But I’ll have a servant posted here day and night, and I expect you to keep me informed of Laina’s condition.”
Thad nodded. “You have my word, sir, as long as I have yours that you’ll honor your sister’s wishes and not enter these grounds.”
“What choice have I?” The words were bitter, fraught with helplessness.
Lord, grant him Your peace. “None, Mr. Randolph. You have a wife and children who need you.”
Justin sucked in a breath. “Yes. Because of them, you have my word, Doctor.” He pivoted on his heel and strode away.
Thad’s heart went out to him. He knew exactly how Justin Randolph felt. He hadn’t wanted to leave Laina even long enough to come outside, but she had refused to go to bed until he promised to come tell Justin she had contracted the measles and elicit his promise not to come in to see her.
He turned and hurried to the house. Laina had been right to make him come—Justin Randolph would never have listened to a servant. He shook his head, pulled open the front door, then headed for the stairs. Thank heaven the man wasn’t as stubborn as his sister!
Thad pulled the drapes in front of the open windows to block out the bright afternoon sunshine, then glanced around the bedroom. That was everything. The children were settled in. Laina had wanted them to stay in her room, but he’d turned a deaf ear to her pleading. It wasn’t wise—for two reasons. Laina would never rest with the children there, and if he was right about that cough—
Thad broke off the thought, not wanting to put the other reason into words even in his mind, but all the same, he was moving into her room. Please, Lord. You know what can happen. Please protect Laina. He lifted his Bible from the table at his side, put it on top of his other personal belongings and carried his bag to the door. “I’m leaving now, Sally. Are you clear in your instructions?”
The maid looked up, pausing in her chore of making up the bed she would be sleeping in. “Yes, Dr. Allen. I understand what I’m to do.”
Thad nodded. “Very well. The children should be fine, but I’ll be in Mrs. Brighton’s room if you need me.”
Thad swept his gaze over the children in the beds. “I want you all to rest quietly and stay under the covers.” He stepped to the bed closest to the door and leaned down to whisper in Billy’s ear. “You keep Emma quiet for me, all right?”
The boy nodded. “I will, Papa Doc.”
Thad squeezed his shoulder. “That’s a good man.” That earned him a grin. He gave Billy a conspiratorial wink and left the room.
Laina woke when the door opened. Thad entered, carrying blankets, a pillow and his doctor’s bag in one arm and a large scuffed leather bag in his other hand. He looked over at her, smiled and lifted the bag in a sort of salute. “I’ve been dispossessed.”
Her eyes widened. “You put the children in your bedroom?”
He nodded. “There’s no other choice if we’re to contain the spread of the disease.”
It was true, but it didn’t make her feel any better. “I’m sorry—” she coughed “—for the inconvenience.”
“No need to apologize. You didn’t cause the measles. I’ll make a pallet for myself in the hall.”
His smile made her heart skip. Laina watched him carry everything over to the chaise along the opposite wall. He was somewhat taller than Justin and every bit as broad-shouldered, yet he moved with a quiet economy of motion her brother didn’t possess. He had probably acquired it from his years of tiptoeing around sickrooms.
She looked up at Thad’s thick dark hair and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. He must have run his fingers through his hair, dislodging his cowlick, for that stubborn lock of hair hung down on his forehead. Her fingers twitched. How wonderful it would be to have the right to smooth it back in place.
Laina frowned and turned her mind from such thoughts. “How is Billy?” The effort of speaking made her cough. She winced at the pain it caused in her head and forged on. “His head was still hurting him last night—” Another cough took her. She wiped her mouth with her handkerchief.
“Billy is fine. The rash has come out and his head has stopped hurting. Now, stop talking.” Thad came to the bed and stood looking down at her. “I want you to stop concerning yourself with the children and rest, Laina.” He laid one hand on her forehead and took hold of her wrist with his other hand, sliding his fingers to the inside to take her pulse. A frown creased his forehead.
Not surprising. Even in her present state of illness, his touch stole her breath and made her pulse race. Laina turned her head away so Thad couldn’t read her feelings in her eyes. The movement made her cough again. Her head throbbed. Did the children feel this miserable? Poor little ones.
Laina closed her eyes and snuggled deeper under the covers. She was cold and tired—very tired. She stole another quick peek at Thad. I know I must get over my love for Thad, Lord. I know he deserves a whole woman. But thank You that he’s with me now. His presence…makes me…feel…better….
The front door slammed. Rapid footsteps clattered against the polished wood floor of the entrance hall.
“Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth dropped her needlepoint, jerked to her feet and rushed across the drawing room to the door. “I’m in here, Justin. What is it?”
“Laina has the measles!”
“Oh, no! Oh, Justin, I’m so sorry.” Elizabeth ignored the icy chill spreading through her and ran to him, putting her arms around his waist as he pulled her into his embrace. “How is she?”
“Dr. Allen says she’s all right. But I can’t go in to see her.”
The words were a pained murmur against her hair. His arms tightened around her. Tears filled her eyes. Elizabeth pushed back her fear and concentrated on Justin’s need. Lord, help me to help my husband. Give me strength and wisdom, Lord. “I’m sorry, Justin. But it must comfort you that Laina knows how much you love her. That she knows you would come to her if you could.”
His arms almost crushed her. “She told Dr. Allen to send me home to you and the children, and to make me give him my word I wouldn’t come to see her.”
Bless you, Laina! Relief made Elizabeth weak. She lifted her head, her heart squeezing painfully at the look of helpless despair on her husband’s face. “We have to trust the Lord, Justin. We must pray and trust the Lord to keep Laina safe, to heal her and rest
ore her to us.”
“I know. But I keep remembering some of the people from church—Adam Greening and Elmer Westfield, Donald Smith and Mrs. Forbes. They all died of measles.” A shudder passed through him. “I may never see Laina again.”
Elizabeth took a breath. “You may not be able to see Laina, Justin, but you could do the next best thing. You could write her a letter. Dr. Allen has no objections to things going in to Twiggs Manor, only to things coming out. And I’m sure hearing from you would cheer Laina.”
She watched the shadow of hopelessness leave Justin’s eyes as she spoke. “An excellent idea, Elizabeth! I’ll do it right now.” His gaze warmed as he looked down at her. “Whatever would I do without you?”
“No, dear. What would the children and I do without you?” In spite of her best effort, the fear had crept into her voice. It was probably in her eyes, also. She laid her head against his chest, listening to the steady, solid beat of his heart. Please, dear Lord, grant us many, many more years together.
“Elizabeth…” Justin cupped her chin in his hand and raised her head until their gazes met again. “You don’t have to be afraid. I love you and the children. I won’t go in to Laina—” His voice caught. “She understands.” He cleared his throat. “Now…I have a letter to write.” He kissed her soundly on the lips and hurried off toward his study.
Elizabeth braced her hand against the wall, weakness overcoming her now that she needn’t be strong for her husband. “Dear gracious heavenly Father…dear Father—”
Her throat closed. She couldn’t say more. Couldn’t force a prayer from her quivering lips. All those people Justin knew who had perished from measles. Her mind stalled on the memory of her childhood friend Charlotte—her parents had both died from the dreadful disease.
What if—? A fit of trembling overtook her. Elizabeth sagged against the wall and covered her face with her hands, sobbing softly. Please, Father God, spare Laina. Please spare Laina!
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