Blood Blade Sisters Series (26 page)

The music came to an end and, true to his word, Dr. Oliver led her to a group of women that included her mother-in-law, Lucy, and Mrs. Jacobs, who were deep in conversation, and several other friendly looking faces. And Mrs. Morey. Who immediately pounced upon the poor man.

“My dear Mrs. Morey. Would you do me the honor?” Dr. Oliver bowed and extended his hand. Mrs. Morey simpered and blushed like a woman a third her age and took his hand. He led her onto the dance floor, catching Brynne’s eye with a quick wink over his shoulder.

“Ah, my dear. Are you enjoying yourself?” Cora asked.

“Yes, I am,” Brynne said, surprised to realize it was true. The good doctor had made what had been a disastrous night rather pleasant.

Cora drew Brynne in to her side and introduced her to the women in the group. A few excused themselves as soon as they politely could. But a couple stayed and chatted with Brynne. Mrs. Jacobs brought over her sister-in-law and niece, who were both as friendly as she. It was refreshing to discover not every woman in the city harbored a cruel prejudice toward her, though Brynne still felt more like an exotic animal on display than a potential friend. Perhaps in time they would thaw.

And to be fair, she hadn’t always been very open to meeting new people. After the first few disastrous attempts, Brynne had taken to declining any invitations that did come her way and thwarting any effort Cora made to draw her into her social circle. Brynne supposed the fault didn’t entirely lay with others.

As the Forresters thanked their hostess for a delightful evening, Brynne found that she was glad that she had come. Despite the many whispers and snubs and subtle insults that had come her way during the night, she’d still found a few friendly faces with whom she’d passed a pleasant evening. And an intriguing doctor who had nearly convinced her that he might deserve a second chance before she rendered judgment.

When he sought her out before leaving in order to say goodbye and press a chaste kiss to the back of her hand, she decided perhaps he wasn’t as hopeless as she’d originally deemed.

“I will see you on Monday, Mrs. Forrester. Good night,” he said, bestowing a smile on her that would have charmed the knickers off a cat.

“Good night, Dr. Oliver.”

Brynne wasn’t sure what the next week would bring, but she was curious to find out.

Chapter Six

“All right, I believe we are ready to bind this for you,” Richard said. The poor fellow had slipped while carrying his pocket knife and now sported an impressive gash on his arm. Richard had stitched him up, but wanted to keep the arm immobile for a few days to ensure the man didn’t re-open the wound.

“Is it necessary to bind it to my chest, doc? I promise I won’t move it. I can’t stomach the notion of my arm being tied down.”

“Well, it really is important to keep it steady. It will only be for a few days.”

“But I won’t be able to work with my arm bound so.”

“Don’t you worry none,” Brynne said, reaching across the man to tie a large square of cloth around his neck to form a sling. “There now. This won’t be at all uncomfortable. It’ll lie here, all nice and cozy like.”

She arranged his arm in the sling and the man gave her a grateful smile. Richard had intended to bind the arm to the man’s chest much more securely, but Brynne’s sling would do the trick as long as the man was careful, and he looked as if he was much happier about the arrangement.

“Thank you, ma’am. I sure appreciate it.”

“No problem at all. Now you get on out of here and no more running about the house with knives in your hand. Keep that apple peeler in your pocket where it belongs.”

His patient chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”

Richard smiled at her as she straightened the exam area. “You definitely have a way with the patients.”

Brynne shrugged. “They simply want to be patched up so they can go about their lives. I’ve always found it’s best to make things as easy as possible for them, especially if I want them to follow directions.”

“I agree. Well, you seem to have a lot of experience working with stubborn patients.”

Her lips twitched. “My sisters, mostly.”

“A bit accident prone, were they?”

The smile widened a fraction. “A bit.”

“I suppose there are all sorts of mishaps that can occur on a ranch.”

The smile disappeared. “Yes.”

Interesting. The more personal the questions he asked, the shorter her answers became. “You must miss your old home.”

Brynne glanced up at him, meeting his eyes. Richard froze. She’d been working side-by-side with him for several weeks, but she so rarely looked him straight in the eyes that Richard wasn’t quite sure what to do. He was afraid any sudden movements might spook her. He held absolutely still, waiting to see if she’d answer him.

She gave him a curt nod of her head and turned her attention to gathering the soiled linens from the bed.

A personal question, a no-word answer. The woman had talent.

Before he could say anything else, she murmured, “Excuse me,” and bustled out of the exam room with an armful of dirty linens. And spent the rest of the day avoiding him. Again.

No matter what he did, he couldn’t seem to draw her out. She went about her work at the clinic with meticulous precision. And while she appeared to enjoy her work, as soon as she was finished, she bolted from the premises as if her skirts were on fire. When he addressed her, she answered him with short, to-the-point sentences, never deviating from the topic at hand.

He had to find a way to draw her out. He increasingly wanted to be the one to erase that haunting, sad look from her beautiful brown eyes. He wanted to see them sparkling in happiness, hear her laughter ringing through the room. She was a good woman. She deserved—

“Dr. Oliver,” Mrs. Birch said, for what Richard feared was not the first time. He realized he’d been standing staring at the doorway through which Mrs. Forrester had disappeared for what must have been several minutes.

He cleared his throat, trying to hide his embarrassment at being caught mooning over some woman. He hadn’t been this preoccupied with a woman since…well never.

“Dr. Oliver?”

Richard jerked his gaze from the doorway yet again. “Yes, Mrs. Birch. Pardon me, I must be a bit tired.”

She patted his hand. “I was asking if we should go ahead and close up for the night. There aren’t any more patients waiting to be seen and it’s nearly time.”

“Yes, of course. That would be—”

He caught a glimpse of Brynne near Mrs. Birch’s desk. Leaning over the book where they recorded the names and addresses of all his patients. She glanced around, then quickly looked down, her finger skimming down the page. She paused for a moment, then stood and marched purposefully to the door.

“Yes, Mrs. Birch, please close up,” Richard said, hurrying to the hall and grabbing his coat. He glanced out the window as he pulled on his coat, hat, and gloves. Brynne was having a word with her driver—who then nodded and drove off without her. Brynne started down the street, in the opposite direction from which she lived.

Richard waited a moment, then slipped outside.

What in heaven’s name was the woman doing?

He followed her down several streets, through the bustle of the marketplace as the vendors packed up their wares for the evening, ending up in a narrow alley. Richard waited until she’d turned the corner and then ran down the length of the alley, peeking around the corner until he caught sight of her again. She was a few feet away, standing in front of the doorway of one of the rundown homes that marked the lane.

She glanced around and he ducked back, careful not to let her see him. When he peeked back around it was to see her depositing a small leather bag at the door, nudging it as close to the door frame as she could manage. She slipped a small rose from her hat onto the bag, raised her fist, and banged on the door. And then sprinted back toward the alley as quickly as possible.

Richard didn’t have time to vacate his hiding place. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway as Brynne had apparently been aware of his presence. She showed no sign of surprise to find him lurking in her alley. Instead, as soon as she turned the corner, she shoved him against the wall and clapped a hand over his mouth, glaring at him and bringing a finger to her lips. He nodded and she released him.

Moments later, they could hear a door being opened.

“Is anyone there?”

Brynne again motioned to him to be silent. He nodded impatiently. He wasn’t sure what game she was playing at, but he was willing to follow along for a moment, if only to find out what she was up to.

“What’s this?”

A few moments of silence, then a gasp. “Bess! Bess, come see!”

The door closed.

Brynne peered around the corner. Richard followed suit, ignoring another glare she aimed at him. The bag she’d left on the doorstep was gone.

“What was in—hey!”

Richard had turned to find Brynne already heading toward the other end of the alley. He jogged to catch up to her. He pulled on her arm, just enough to get her to stop. She turned to him with an impatient sigh.

“What?”

Richard’s eyebrow rose a notch. “I catch you in one of the worst parts of town, leaving mysterious parcels on strangers’ doorsteps, and you really have to ask, ‘what’? What are you doing here? What was in that bag?”

Brynne’s lips pursed together and for a moment, he didn’t think she’d tell him. Finally, she blew out the breath she’d been holding. “Not here.”

“What?”

“Come with me.”

She didn’t wait for him to agree, but turned on her heel and exited the alley. He followed her to the corner of the block where her carriage waited for her. If her driver was surprised at Richard’s presence, he didn’t show it, but merely opened the carriage door for them to enter. As soon as they were inside, he continued.

“Now, what is going on?”

“That was the home of Mr. Greene. The man whose arm you stitched today. He was worried about not being able to work. I simply left him something to help alleviate his worry.”

Richard’s eyes widened. “Such as?”

“A bit of money. It’ll keep his family comfortable until he is able to provide for them again.”

Richard would bet his best hat that there had been more in that bag than she implied. But that wasn’t the issue of the moment.

“That is very noble of you to try to help him, but why couldn’t you have given it to him at the clinic? Traveling unaccompanied in this part of town is dangerous.”

Brynne snorted. “He wouldn’t have taken it at the clinic, especially from me. Men are proud, Dr. Oliver, in case you were not aware. Besides, I prefer to remain anonymous.”

“Well, that is all well and good, but it is still too dangerous for you to be gallivanting about on your own. Do you do this often?”

Brynne opened and closed her mouth a few times as if she were trying to come up with the right thing to say. “Not as often as I’d like.”

Before he could say another word, she continued. “You don’t need to worry about me, Dr. Oliver. I know how to take care of myself.”

Richard was going to argue, but the carriage rumbled to a halt and the driver opened the door. Richard was surprised to find he was back at the clinic.

“Good evening, Dr. Oliver,” Brynne said, clearly dismissing him.

“We’ll discuss this later. In the meantime, please promise me you won’t go out alone again. The next time you feel the need for this…activity, please let me know. I’d be very happy to accompany you.”

Brynne looked as surprised at his words as Richard was to have said them. He hadn’t meant to offer to be a party to her anonymous charity drops. He had to admit, it had been a bit thrilling to be a part of such a clandestine act. Especially one that brought so much joy to the receiver, if the tone of Mr. Greene’s voice had been any indication.

Brynne hesitated for a moment and then gave him a curt nod.

He got down from the carriage. “Good evening, Mrs. Forrester.”

Brynne nodded again and the driver closed the door.

…

Richard watched Brynne over the next few weeks. She never complained, never shied away from any task. And Mrs. Birch certainly set her to the worst of them, trying to get her to leave, quit. But Brynne went about them all with a smile on her face, often humming or singing to herself quietly as she went about emptying bedpans, cleaning up all manner of bodily fluids, and tending to festering sores. Despite the sometimes ghastly tasks, Brynne enjoyed her work. Even Mrs. Birch thawed when it was apparent that Brynne really was there to help and had no hidden agenda. And no designs on Dr. Oliver.

Richard frowned a bit at that. He didn’t enjoy the constant attention of every unattached lady in the city. But he was accustomed enough to it that Brynne’s total lack of interest in him was…noticeable. They hadn’t spoken in private again since he’d caught her in her act of charity. She hadn’t asked him to accompany her on any more drops, and he hoped she wasn’t going on them alone. He hadn’t had the opportunity to ask, as she was very careful not to be alone with him and seemed to go out of her way to avoid him.

And that simply wouldn’t do.

It took him a few days to find a task that would require them to spend some time together, but once he did, he lost no time in putting his plan into action. At the first available opportunity, Richard asked for Brynne’s assistance. She looked around for someone else who could help, but she was the only one available. She squared her shoulders and came toward him as if she were gearing up for battle. Curious. Was he that much of a threat?

He led her back into his office. Her gaze darted about as if she was marking her exits and he resisted the urge to laugh. Something told him she would take his amusement badly.

“What can I help you with, Dr. Oliver?”

“Please, sit down,” he said, gesturing to one of the chairs before his desk. She perched on the edge of the chair, only relaxing when he settled in behind his desk.

“Would you care to join me for a bit of refreshment before we dig into details?” He gestured to a scrumptious spread of tea, delicate little sandwiches, tiny cakes, and triangle toasts with small bowls of jam. Mrs. Birch spared no effort when preparing his afternoon snack. A bit too fancy for his tastes, but for once, he was grateful for her exuberance. He wanted to make a good impression.

Brynne surveyed the items before her, her mouth already open to refuse. Richard jumped in again before she could. “Please. You’ve been working all morning. I’m sure you could do with a bit of food.”

Brynne gave him a slight nod and accepted the cup of tea he held out to her. She selected a small cake and took a bite, her tongue darting out to catch a crumb. His eyes riveted to her mouth, to her plump lower lip that still bore a tiny smear of icing. He wondered what she’d do if he reached out and tasted it. Tasted her.

“Dr. Oliver?”

Richard blinked, bringing himself back to the task at hand. “Yes, sorry. Seems I could do with a bit of refreshment myself.” He forced a chuckle and buried his nose in his teacup.

“I asked what it was you needed my assistance with.”

“Oh. Yes. Well, it’s a rather mundane task, I’m afraid. Some of my files were damaged when part of the roof leaked last spring and it really is vital that I transcribe them before they deteriorate to the point where they are illegible. I’ve been attempting to do them myself, but it’s taking much longer than I’d hoped. If you’d be willing to assist me, I’d be forever in your debt.”

“Couldn’t Mrs. Birch? I’m sure she—”

“Mrs. Birch is always willing to lend a hand at whatever task I might have, however her penmanship is somewhat…less than desirable,” he said with a small smile.

Brynne was silent and for a moment, he feared she might refuse. Thankfully, she nodded. “If I can be of some assistance to you, I will do what I can.”

“Excellent. Well then, that is settled. Perhaps we could get started after I’ve seen my patients this afternoon?”

“I’m afraid I can’t this afternoon. I must get home to my daughter.”

“Ah yes, I’d heard you had a child. How old is she?”

“Coraline is almost three,” Brynne answered. She fidgeted with her skirts, plucking non-existent lint from their folds.

Her daughter apparently fell into the “too personal to discuss” category. Well, he’d have to try and change that.

“Coraline. Named for her grandmother I presume?”

“Yes.”

Richard waited for a moment, but as Brynne didn’t seem to be forthcoming with any additional information and didn’t seem interested in more refreshments, he decided to ease up on his prying. For the moment.