Dream Weaver (19 page)

"I see." She gripped the edge of the bed, her face as white as the sheet. "This surgery...'twill be painful, will it not?"

"I have a decoction that will put you to sleep." He thought for a moment. “Immediately after the operation, I'll fetch another woman to stay with you, tend to your needs. You'll need a period of recuperation, say, at least a month. I'll send a message to your home, so don't be concerned about that. If you awake to find me gone, you mustn't worry." He cupped his chin in his hands. "When do you expect your husband back from
Philadelphia
?"

"Within a week or so, I should think."

"Very well. I shall let him know when you have recovered sufficiently, and mayhap he can come for you." He looked around the room. "The table--" He forced a smile. "'Twould be the best place for the operation...."

Much later, the surgery successfully completed, Christian released a long sigh. He moved away from the table and sank onto a chair, raising a shaky hand to remove a sweat-soaked linen cloth from his forehead. His glance covered the room. Sighing, he saw blood everywhere, on his apron, the sheet, the floor. He couldn't take the time to clean the room now. His patient came first.

Even though the operation had gone well, Christian knew his troubles had only begun. What if she didn't recover? Had he given her too much anesthetic? He rose to his feet to take her pulse, finding it greatly reduced. That, too, was a normal reaction to an operation. Her breathing appeared normal, another positive sign. He stood to slip his apron off and leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths as he recalled all the things he must do.

Dear God, he was tired. Feeling as if he'd aged twenty years, he wanted only to lie down and sleep for hours. But no, he'd have to see about someone to stay here, he thought as he hurried outside to saddle his horse. His patient would need constant care, and Gwen came to mind. He hoped she'd be willing to spend time with the woman, if only for a day or two.

* * *

Afternoon sunlight brightened the schoolroom, the school day almost over. Gwen dabbed a handkerchief across her forehead while she sat on a mat and faced the children.

"Would you like to hear about Cinderella?" she asked after the children had finished with their hornbooks.

Everyone spoke at once. "Cinderella? Who's she?"

"Well, just listen and you'll find out...."

"When Cinderella ran from the palace," she said toward the end of the story, "she lost her glass slipper. But when the prince found the slipper, he knew--"

Someone knocked at the door. With a little jump, Gwen pushed herself from the floor, straightening her skirt as she headed in that direction....

"Christian, what a surprise!" Blinking her eyes in the bright sunshine, she strove to keep her voice steady. Wild fantasies teased her mind, but when she saw his somber expression, a trace of worry chased her pleasure away. Had something happened to Rebecca or Daniel? Stepping back, she opened the door wider. "Come on in."

Tricorne in hand, Christian spoke in a low voice as he stepped inside the schoolroom. "Gwen, I hate to interrupt your class, but something important has arisen, and I fear I must ask a favor of you."

"Okay, shoot."

"What?"

"I mean, tell me what you want me to do." Damn it, another verbal faux pas.

In terse sentences, Christian explained about his patient. "I know I have no right to ask this of you, but can you stay with her until she wakes up from the surgery? Just for today," he quickly added. "She'll need assistance, someone to comfort her. 'Twill take a month or so for her recovery, so I'll have to make further arrangements."

"Sure, I'll be happy to stay with her. I'd better discuss this with Rebecca, see if she has any other suggestions. Possibly she can spare Molly for a month." She turned to address the children, surprised they'd remained quiet. No doubt they sensed the importance of a doctor's visit to the schoolteacher. "Children, class is dismissed early today." Their groans of disappointment made her feel she was making progress. "I'll finish the story of Cinderella the day after tomorrow. Leave your hornbooks and primers here, like you always do. Remember, the younger ones must wait outside the big house for your older brothers or sisters to come for you. I don't want you going home alone."

While the children traipsed from the room, she turned back to Christian. "Let me talk to Rebecca and get a few of my things together. Then we can be on our way."

Hours later, on a chair close to the bed, Gwen dabbed a wet cloth across the woman's shiny forehead.

After Christian had checked on his patient, he'd ridden to the Chamberlains to stay the night--a lot of riding in one day. Obviously, he stayed at the Chamberlains for the sake of her reputation, but she didn't give a damn what anyone thought.

"'Tis best for your sake," Christian had said. "I don't want anyone to speak ill of you."

 
Gwen wrenched her mind back to the present. "Don't try to raise yourself, Mistress Baker. Might hurt you. Chr--Dr. Norgard asked me to stay with you, but he'll return to check on you tomorrow. He sent a message to your house, he wanted me to be sure to tell you. Besides that, he came here just a while ago to see how you were doing, but you were sound asleep."

"Ruth," the woman whispered. "You may call me Ruth. I--oohh!" She moaned with pain and gripped the sheet, writhing on the bed.

"Just wait, I have a sedative for you." Quickly, Gwen reached for a bottle of laudanum from the table to measure the required amount into a cup as Christian had instructed her, holding the bottle close to the oil lamp so she could see better. The woman's moans and thrashing on the sheet rattled her, making her spill a few drops onto the table, but she finally had the necessary amount.

"Please hurry!" Ruth cried. "Oh, my God, I can't bear the pain!"

 
"I've got it now." Gwen slipped her arm behind Ruth to help her sit up. After the patient swallowed the sedative, Gwen lowered her back onto the mattress. Ruth fell asleep within seconds.

Gwen leaned back in the chair, heaving a deep sigh, hoping the poor woman didn't have to go through that again. Semi-darkness and silence enclosed the small loft, with only a dim light from the lamp on the bedside table casting wavy shadows on the wall. Must be sometime in the early hours of the morning, Gwen guessed, and no breeze to bring relief from the stifling heat.

As always, she thought of Christian, hoping she'd see him again tomorrow.

* * *

Gwen looked up from the table as Christian opened the door to his house. A shaft of sunlight the room, then he closed the door behind him, dimming the house again.

He gave her a grateful smile. "Can't tell you how much I appreciate what you're doing for me." He held up a hand as he headed for the loft. "I'll return shortly. Have to check on my patient."

Within a few minutes, he hustled down the steps to the common room, where Gwen sat reading his copy of Fielding's Tom Jones...or trying to read. How could she concentrate with Christian so close?

Lines of exhaustion etched Christian's face as he pulled out a chair to sit down, stretching his long legs out. He rested his elbows on the table and leaned toward her. "First, I want to say how much I appreciate your help, especially cleaning up the blood. I was going to do that myself, but more urgent matters demanded my time, as you can well imagine." He shifted position in his chair. "Also, talked to Rebecca earlier today. She's enlisted the aid of a young girl who lives a few miles from the Chamberlains, so Molly can come here."

Gwen set her book on the table, never telling him how cleaning up the blood nearly made her sick. "If Molly stays with Ruth Baker, are you going to stay here, too?"

He drew back. "Are you daft? No, I'll stay at the Chamberlains."

Poor man, she thought, he's under such a strain. She'd never heard him speak like that before. "How long will you stay there?" She held her breath, waiting for his answer.

"As long as Mistress Baker needs to recover, probably a month."

Christian at the Chamberlains' for a whole month? Her thoughts spun out of control.

* * *

"How does your patient fare?" Daniel asked Christian two days later during the evening meal.

"Progressing quite well, I should say." Christian dipped his fork into the potato pudding. "I see no difficulties in her recuperation."

While Rebecca and Daniel discussed private business, Gwen caught Christian's gaze on her, those bedroom eyes she swore could see right through her. She had to put up with this for a whole month, had to be always on guard, afraid she'd do or say something to give herself away. Could she last that long, with him in the same house, while she tried to act as if he hadn't turned her world upside down?

She bit into a flaky biscuit, staring down at her plate, counting the hours until she could go to bed...and dream about Christian.

Luckily for her peace of mind, Christian spent much of the time away while he checked on the other settlers and the lady from
Bedford
. Gwen often wondered if he purposely kept his distance, or if his days were usually so busy. She tried to pretend it didn't matter to her either way, because she had better things to do than sit around and pine for him all day. Her classes and other diversions occupied her time, and she even had an occasional visitor....

Gwen opened the door onto a warm, sunny day, the air fresh and clean with the heady aroma of late summer flowers from the garden. "Lieutenant Shelbourne, how nice to see you."
 

Richard made a slight bow and stepped inside, sweeping off his tricorne.

She led him to the Windsor chair by the window where he set his hat on the table. Outside, robins chirped in the trees and flew from branch to branch, their antics visible from the open front door.

Closing the door, Gwen shifted her gaze to the officer. "How about cherry punch, lieutenant?"

"Aye, punch, I would appreciate that, madam. Sounds like a capital idea after a hot ride through the woods."

"I don't like being so far away from everything, either," Gwen said after she poured his drink and handed him the glass. "Things can get boring in the boon--er, out in the country."

Richard sipped his drink. "Miss Emrys, pray forgive me if I appear too inquisitive. But I've oftimes noticed that your speech is indeed strange, far different from anything I've ever heard."

Gwen framed her thoughts. "You see, I come from a strange place you've never heard of, and this is how everyone there talks. Can I get you any other refreshment, lieutenant--gingerbread cakes or corn bread?"

"Nay, but I thank you. Now, I wanted to ask you--"

The front door opened and closed, then Christian stepped into the room. His eyes lit on Richard, a frown creasing his forehead.

Gwen fixed a casual expression on her face, never wanting Christian to see the heart-stopping effect he had on her.

Richard looked up. "Norgard, what are you doing here?"

"I might ask the same of you."

"That's obvious, is it not?" Richard said. "I came to call on Miss Emrys."

"What a coincidence. So did I."

His face set in studied nonchalance, Christian joined Gwen on the settle, just like on Richard's last visit. While the lieutenant drained his glass, Gwen observed Christian out of the corner of her eye, noting his strong hands that rested on his thighs, the trim fit of his breeches. She drew a deep breath and stared around the room, an uncomfortable silence settling over the room like a thick fog.

"I thought you told me you had to make a few entries in your medical journal," she said in Christian's direction.

Christian waved his hand. "Plenty of time for that. A man needs to rest now and then, don't you know."

What was Christian up to? On second thought, she didn't want to know.

Chapter Twelve

The sultry days of summer segued into the cooler days of autumn, a strong wind blowing from the north, birds heading south for the winter.

From her bedroom window, Gwen looked across the fields to the forest beyond to see a brilliant medley of color, a myriad of oranges and browns and reds, glowing golden under the October sun. She'd heard that winters at this time could be mighty fierce, much worse than in her own time, when global warming broke all temperature records.

Enjoy these days while you can, she reminded herself, either because of or in spite of Christian's temporary residence at the Chamberlains. He'd made it plain that whenever his patient from
Bedford
recovered, he'd move back to his own house. She didn’t want to admit, even to herself, how much she’d miss him.