A Fresh Start in Kirkham: a nineteenth century western romance

by Susan Thomas

  "No one here," he muttered to himself. At that point, he heard a stealthy sound directly above him.

  ---oOo---

  Henry barely waited for the boy to get his message out that Mrs. Hoctor was in the general stores, before jumping to his feet, and making straight for the door. He was surprised at being grabbed around his middle, and swung around back into the surgery, by Dr. Davies. The action itself surprised him but more was the sheer strength of the man.

  "What the devil!"

  "Slow down man. This is a very dangerous woman. She seriously injured two lawmen back in her home town. Wouldn't it be better to get some support?"

  Henry paused. "Well, you're right, of course, but she doesn't know that we have found out who she is. Perhaps I can trick her into coming to my office."

  "I'll come with you in that case. Perhaps she'll trust me."

  Marta was forbidden to come with them but she waited until they were half way there and hurried across to stand just outside the door.

  "Oh, Mrs. Hoctor," Henry sounded extremely casual and relaxed, "I'm so glad I found you. I understand you're Miss Tannock's housekeeper. I've had a complaint about an unpaid debt. Not your fault of course as this is an old matter, however, I wonder if you would mind coming to my office and I can give you all the details. Perhaps you'd be able to sort it out with Miss Tannock for me."

  Marta heard Mrs. Hoctor say, "It would be my pleasure, Sheriff Flight," and thought Henry had done it. He had tricked her into coming to his office and once there he would draw a gun and get her into a cell. That thought disappeared the next second as, in a movement so fast it was hard to recall, a knife was heading for Henry's stomach.

  Henry also moved fast and the knife slashed his side and harmlessly on into mid-air. Henry twisted to grab the knife but the frenzied woman stabbed him in the shoulder and then again before he could stop her. Henry staggered back, blood pouring from his wounds, and she went again to stab him in the stomach but Dr. Davies stopped her. He literally grabbed the woman from behind, lifted her bodily into the air, and threw her against the counter. He then punched her hard in the jaw and sent her crashing to the floor.

  The few customers in the store fled and Joe Barnes stood shocked and still at the violence. Dr. Davies turned to look at Henry and found Marta already there trying to staunch the blood.

  "Barnes, scissors, quick man." Dr. Davies cut away clothing to get at Henry's wounds, and was beginning to work on staunching the blood, when Joe Barnes screamed, "Look out!"

  The doctor moved fast enough that the knife missed his neck, which is where it was aimed, however, it slashed into and across his shoulder. Screaming obscenities, Mrs. Hoctor made to drive the knife deeply into her enemy's neck when Marta grabbed her from behind. She held the arm with the knife with one hand and wrapped her other arm around Mrs. Hoctor's neck and pulled her away. Marta was no weakling. She was farm girl born and bred and had been used to hard physical work all her life. Mrs. Hoctor was not a big woman, but Marta was shocked at her strength; with the woman hissing like an animal in her ear they wrestled with each other. Marta was desperate to get the knife from her and overpower the mad woman. Her fiancé was injured and she needed to see to him.

  The struggle went back and forward and still Joe Barnes stood shocked and white. Marta screamed at him, "Help me!"

  Joe was galvanized into action. He grabbed a pick axe handle from a barrel full of them and hit the hand holding the knife. It wasn't a hard blow but it did the trick. The knife flew out of her hand and away into a corner where it could no longer be seen. Marta tried to wrestle the woman to the ground screaming all the while at Joe Barnes, "Hit her head. Hit her head," but Joe simply stood dithering.

  Then with a huge effort Mrs. Hoctor got free of Marta's grip. She screamed into Marta's face, "I'll make you all pay," and with her amazing agility she leapt, turned, and ran out of the door.

  Marta turned to Dr. Davies who was working on Henry. Blood could be seen spreading into the doctor's clothing but he was ignoring his own wound and only treating Henry. He looked up at Marta and said, "I need to operate on him."

  "Right," was all she said and she ran out into the street, grabbed four bewildered men, made them improvise a stretcher from blankets in the store, and carry Henry to the surgery. By the time they had done that, the town was buzzing, and a disorganized hunt was on for Mrs. Hoctor. Dr. Davies was all for beginning to work on Henry but Marta wouldn't let him.

  "It's no use if you faint half way through. Let me dress your wound first."

  Her fiancé saw the sense and Marta took off his jacket and cut away his shirt and under-shirt. He was far more muscular than she had imagined, but, as she dressed the vicious laceration, she saw he had some deep and nasty scars on his back and shoulders.

  "Iestyn! What happened here?"

  "I was sent to work down the pit when I was twelve. There was a roof fall and my older brother and I were injured. He died in my arms. That is why I struggled to become a doctor. There are still twelve-year-old children in mines back home. My father now, he went down when he was six but the law changed after an accident."

  Dr. Davies, with Marta assisting, worked on Henry. As always, Iestyn worried about infection, but pronounced himself satisfied that, barring an infection, Henry would live. He was weak and faint by the time he had finished.

  "My love, this will be hard but you must stitch my wound."

  "It will hurt you Iestyn."

  "It must be done. I'll talk you through it."

  Marta washed his back and then cleaned it with alcohol. She heard him hiss at the pain. He directed her fingers into each stitch. She tied off each one she did and tried to keep them neat and close together. She was shaking by the time she finished and Iestyn was fainting. She made him lie down and wondered just what was happening outside.

  ---oOo---

  Liam froze at the stealthy sound. The damn woman was up above! He'd forgotten there was a loft. He looked around and spotted the strange staircase that led upwards. It was like boards built into the wall... a sort of integral ladder. If he went up there he'd be very vulnerable but she must be up there. Why would the elderly servants creep about? They were probably murdered. Well, he didn't want to go up, but he figured it was his duty, so he climbed quietly only to find a bolt across the hatch. It couldn't be her! She wouldn't be bolted into the loft. It simply wasn't possible.

  Liam threw open the hatch and called out, "Deputy, Liam Ahearn here. Who's up there?" The four elderly and rather irate servants were relieved. They had heard movements downstairs and thought Mrs. Hoctor had come back to murder them. It turned out their food had been drugged and they had awoken to find themselves prisoners, although how she'd carried them up was a marvel. They had been fed from time to time and not hurt. Mrs. Hoctor, it seemed, had no grudges against them, just wanted the freedom to move around as she liked.

  Liam escorted them all back to the main house. Miss Tannock quickly organized food for them all and gave everyone an opportunity to wash and change their clothes. Liam gave Miss Tannock strict instructions to keep all of them together and remain in the house until he sent word it was safe.

  "I have to go back to town. If she's not here then she must be there or on her way. Henry Flight will need my help."

  ---oOo---

  Sam was sitting in his tiny office at the livery stables. He was in a state of near despair. His chance of happiness was gone. There was no way under God's heaven Cecelia could be persuaded to live in sin even if no one else knew his wife wasn't dead. He had hurt her most dreadfully and that had not been his intention. He had genuinely thought of Abigail as being dead. She was permanently confined and that was a form of death. He was aroused from his depression by the sounds of shouts outside. One of his employees burst in.

  "Mr. Hoctor! Mr. Hoctor! Henry and the doctor have been stabbed. That mad woman is on the loose."

  Sam hurtled out of the stables and down the road toward Mayor Spencer's house. Julia and Alic
e were with Mary Spencer and he was taking no risks with the children. As he got near, Mary Spencer erupted from her house screaming, "She's taken the children. She's taken the children." Sam's heart began to race. She'd always been jealous of Julia and might well kill her. He thought quickly; Abigail hadn't seen Julia for two years and now she had two children. Would she know which child was which? Would she murder them both?

  Sam was desperate. He had to save the girls. He couldn't lose Julia but he couldn't let Alice die either. Apart from the fact that he had come to love her, it would destroy Cecelia. Suddenly he spotted his wife dragging the two children and heading out of town. It seemed everyone else was searching in the other direction.

  "Abigail!" His scream made her turn. "Give me the girls. Let them go."

  For a moment, she stopped and he thought she was going to do what he asked. They stood looking at one another and her expression softened. He held out his hand but then a shutter came down on her face and she turned and dragged the girls into the nearest house. He reached the front door only to have it slammed in his face and to hear a bolt drawn.

  "Abigail, come on dear. You can't do this. Give the girls back. No one will hurt you I promise."

  There was no reply, but then he heard the girls begin to scream, so, without a second thought, he began to kick and batter at the door. As he did so he became aware of smoke creeping out of the house. She'd set it on fire! Sam was horrified. It had been a hot dry summer and in a town built of wood this was a disaster for everyone.

  He stepped back into the road and screamed, "Fire! Fire! She's set the house on fire." He waited only long enough to see people turn and begin running in his direction before returning to batter the door. It seemed to disintegrate under his anxious fury and he crashed through ignoring the many small injuries inflicted on him. Getting the door open fueled the flames. Abigail had piled anything combustible in the center of the room, poured oil from lamps on top, and then set it on fire. The whole room was already well alight. She stood on the stairs a most curious expression on her face.

  "Come up to bed, Sam," she called seductively.

  "Where are the girls?"

  "Never mind them... come to bed."

  The fire was spreading with terrifying speed and Sam was panic stricken to find the children. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he saw a movement under a chair. He dashed forward, flames already licking at him, and knocked the chair over. A cowering little Alice was underneath. He grabbed her and turned for the front door. Everything seemed on fire. The heat and smoke were beginning to overpower him. He pulled from the table a baize cloth, wrapped Alice in it, and dashed towards the flames that were engulfing the front door.

  Cecelia had been in the Spencer's small and cozy parlor in a state of such deep misery she was unaware of anything else. All she could think was that Sam was married. She loved him so very much yet his betrayal was far worse than anything Ralph had done. She'd have to leave although where or how was beyond her.

  The shouts and screams from outside only percolated through to her very slowly. Then Mary Spencer smashed open the door and screamed at her, "That mad woman has the girls. Sam has gone after her."

  Cecelia was out of the house in seconds and it took only one glance to see where everyone's attention was directed. A house was on fire and already bucket chains were being organized. The town was in danger... and the people had forgotten Sam and the children. Cecelia instinctively knew the burning house was where the girls were. Skirts held high she ran toward it. She arrived in time to see Sam crash out through flames a burning bundle in his arms. He threw the bundle on the ground and Alice rolled out. Sam lay on the ground trying hard to breath. Alice was clearly alive, but where was his daughter Julia?

  "Where's Julia?"

  Sam waved his arm at the house but could not reply. Cecelia ran at the front door and was through it, and through the flames, in a second. She came to a full stop at the foot of the stairs to see Abigail Hoctor at the top looking at her with hatred. The woman hissed at her. "You!"

  "Where's your daughter? Where's Julia?"

  Her question seemed to change the woman all over again. She lost the look of hatred and seemed puzzled.

  "Daughter?"

  Cecelia thought quickly. She'd heard children hide when there is a fire. Where would Julia hide? Cupboard! She glanced around, feeling the heat and smoke getting to her. A small cupboard under the staircase! She hurried and threw open its door. There was Julia. Cecelia hauled the little girl out but the front room and the door were now a sea of flames. Kitchen! Cee turned and, through a curtain, found herself in the kitchen. The flames were already spreading, even in here, but a back door was free. Clutching Julia to her she tried the door and found it mercifully unlocked. The summer's day felt cold to her after the heat of the house.

  Cecelia, clutching the whimpering child to her, rushed around the side of the house to find Sam being restrained from re-entering by several men. "I have her," she screamed and thrust Julia at him.

  Chapter Twelve

  Long before Liam arrived back in town he could tell something was amiss, but when he rode down Main Street the true horror became clear. A fire was raging at one end and there were people running everywhere. Mayor Spencer spotted him and waved him over.

  "Are you willing to be Town Sheriff?"

  "Oh Lord, is Henry dead?"

  "No, stabbed. So is Doctor Davies. That damned mad woman did it and set fire to a house. It's spread to Henry's half built hotel and two other houses. Charles is organizing the fire fighting and he needs help."

  "Well I can do that as a deputy."

  "Beth's resigned him. Handed back his badge. Pointed out he was only meant to be sheriff as a temporary measure. Do you want the job or not?"

  "Sure, I'll do it. The Tannock household were all prisoners. She'd not killed them. I'll go find Charles."

  As Liam hurried towards the fire he could see the firefighters were losing the battle. It was better to damp down the nearby houses and sacrifice the burning buildings. He found Charles and spoke to him. Charles agreed and the two men began the job of directing efforts to save what was still not alight.

  ---oOo---

  Carl Hartman was angry. This was the first morning that Marta had gone to prepare herself to be a doctor's wife. The very first, and he had made it clear she must be back by midday. It was now mid-afternoon and the wretched girl was nowhere to be seen. He saddled his horse. Riding with his bad leg was hard but it was quicker and he needed to get his daughter back. He vowed she would not sit for a week when he found her and he would speak his mind to the doctor too.

  As he neared town he began to know something was wrong. The smell of burning drifted toward him on the wind and as he got within sight he could see a large fire burning at one end of town. He urged his horse into a gallop. Entering town, he saw for the first time what the English expression 'kicking over an anthill' really meant. Men and women were running in every direction with shouts and curses. There were human chains with buckets at the site of the fire frantically trying to stop it spreading. More buckets, axes and long poles were also being rushed down by just about anyone fit enough to do it.

  He stopped one of the busy ants. "What has happened?"

  "Damned lunatic stabbed Henry and started a fire."

  "Have you seen my daughter?"

  "Church hall."

  Carl hurried, his anger now replaced by anxiety. He burst into the church hall and stopped dead with shock. It looked as if Kirkham was at war and this was where they were bringing the casualties. There were makeshift beds along both walls. In the nearest he saw Henry Flight stretched out unconscious, his upper body was naked, except for bandages which already showed blood leaking through. In the next makeshift bed was Dr. Davies. His upper body was also naked and Carl was surprised to see the man was extremely muscular. He too was bandaged. He was conscious and sitting up but in pain.

  As his eyes roved around he saw Sam Hoctor. The man was di
rty, smoke stained and with hair partly burnt away. He was coughing a great deal while his fiancée was in much the same state. Their two children, also looking as if they had been hurt by the fire, were sleeping between the adults. There were another ten or so in various degrees of distress with burns, problems with breathing and a range of relatively minor injuries. In the midst of this was Mary Spencer and his daughter Marta. He was surprised to see that Marta looked as if she was in charge. She saw him.

  "Papa, what..."

  "You need help I can see, daughter. I shall return with two of your sisters. I shall hurry."

  Carl was as good as his word. He took the cart Marta had used with his horse hitched to the back. He returned in very good time, the cart laden with a huge pan of soup, loaves of good farm bread, farm cheese, apples and Marta's two sisters Matilde, who was seventeen, and Erna aged fifteen. The three fresh members of the Hartman family set to work and Carl, to his huge surprise, found himself taking orders from his own daughter.

  Marta returned periodically to Dr. Davies to get advice and guidance but would not allow him up. As the evening merged into night they were all kept busy. The fire had not spread but four buildings were engaged and efforts were made to keep it that way. Smoke inhalation and sheer exhaustion brought a constant stream of casualties, who when recovered enough, returned to the battle. Dr. Davies got up but his injury would not allow him to do many things. Carl and Marta, under his close direction, had to reset a broken arm. The poor man had fallen from a ladder while trying to dampen down a shingle roof. It was Carl's strength that did the manipulation but he was unnerved by the man's distress and pain. Marta though remained cool and kind throughout. It was she who saw to the splint.

  Carl, when he had a moment, watched Marta. He saw she was no longer his young daughter but a grown woman. No longer a farm girl but a cool-headed leader able to direct, encourage and work, apparently tirelessly, to help the community. He saw too, just how much she loved the good doctor, and just how much the doctor loved her.