Fated Memories (21 page)

K
itty dreamed she felt someone brushing her hair. The sensation of the soft bristles being drawn across her scalp, felt so warm and comforting it made her sigh with pleasure. But a deep breath made thunderbolts of pain explode through her body and her eyes flew open in shock. Kitty lay under a thin quilt, in a somewhat comfortable bed. The room had a sloped roof and a sunny window with chintz curtains. A good deal more pleasant than the dark, dank prison cell at Fort Monroe. She scoured her recent memory, but had no recollection of the smiling woman sitting beside her holding the brush. Only the desperate escape attempt came to her.
Did they catch me and deliver me as promised? Is this woman my cellmate or was I lucky enough to get a kind nurse?

“Your gentleman will be happy you’re awake,” she said. “He’s been so worried about you.”

Gentleman? Trying to breathe hurt, words were almost impossible. “Who?”

“I’m Mrs. Bailey. Or Sarah, you can call me Sarah, and you’re resting in my home. Just a moment, I’ll go get him.” Sarah patted Kitty’s hand and disappeared.

Oh, dear God, what version of hell did I fall into now? And why does my back hurt so much?

Sarah’s light footsteps went down stairs, then heavier, quicker ones returned. Afraid to confront this newest horror, she kept her face towards the wall as ‘her gentleman’ approached and knelt at her bedside.

His breath sounded ragged and Kitty felt what might’ve been a tear as he held her hand to his cheek. “Catherine, thank God, I thought I’d lost you forever.”

That voice lured her attention to a pair of startling blue eyes shining with tears. “S… Sam?”

“Don’t talk now, I know it hurts.” His thumb moved to wipe away the tear that escaped from the corner of her eye. “Those bastards shot you and left you for dead. You were lucky. The bullet hit a rib, so the wound isn’t fatal, but that’s why breathing is painful. Don’t worry. The Doc said you’ll heal up just fine.”

Sarah had come back up with a bowl of soup which Sam gratefully accepted on Kitty’s behalf. He moved his chair closer, explaining the events that brought her to this place while he fed it to her.

After only getting halfway home, Sam had returned to beg Kitty one more time to leave with him. He got thrown out of the fort when he tried to bribe the officials into letting her out of prison.

He shook his head and chuckled. “Did you really tell the attendant you’d cut his balls off and stuff them down his throat?”

The memory made her smile. “… was angry.”

Sam wiped the soup that dribbled down her chin with a napkin. “Remind me not to make you angry.”

Sam continued. “When I found out the doctor had arranged your commitment to the asylum in Washington, I searched after the prison wagon to free you. You were a day ahead of me so I had some catching up to do. I’d just gotten close when I saw you bolt out the back door of the wagon.” He stopped for a moment, spoon in mid-air, and his eyes distant with the memory. “I heard the shot, watched you fall, and my heart exploded. This farmhouse was close by and the good people inside agreed to help.”

Kitty waved the soup away and motioned for him to bring his head closer. His soft lips on hers were all she needed.

***

Sarah and Mr. Bailey were kind hosts and cared for both of them until Kitty recovered enough to be on her feet. When everything started, Kitty hadn’t even changed out of her nurse’s whites yet. It now hung in filthy tatters. Kind Sarah exchanged it for one of her dresses. Sarah frowned seeing the dress didn’t even reach her ankles, but Kitty didn’t care that her mended stockings and army boots stuck out from under it. She’d start a new fashion trend. The Baileys’ showed them overwhelming compassion and generosity. At first they balked, then accepted, the few dollars Sam offered as payment for their hospitality. Kitty wished she could offer more. 

***

Sam sold his horse in Richmond to buy their train tickets and, less than a day later they were on the streets of Washington. After buying the tickets and keeping a sum of cash aside for food, they had enough money left for a deposit on a comfortable hotel room.

They had two errands to complete. Sam had to arrange for a bank note transfer so they could pay for the hotel room, and then they planned to send a telegraph message to Maggie and Simon to assure them Kitty was safe.

Sam stopped and turned, searching the crowd for the familiar voice coming from behind him. “Listen. I think someone’s calling ‘Kitty.’ You said people call you that, right?”

Surprised and wary, Kitty searched as well, clinging to Sam’s arm for reassurance. A short woman with blond curls hurried along the crowded street and waved her arm to get their attention.

They recognized her at almost the same time. “Carole Brunswick, oh my heavens, it’s such a surprise to see you here. You look wonderful, as usual, how are you?”

Out of breath from running to catch up, she hugged them both, panting. “Sam, Kitty, I didn’t realize you knew each other, but I’m so glad to see you both, and just in time.”

“In time for what Carole?”
Crap, are they looking for me? Are they coming to take me away again?
Kitty’s eyes scanned the street for possible threats.

“It’s Maggie, she’s sick and they’ve quarantined her at the hospital. She needs you.”

Sam’s face was just as surprised as they both did a double take. “What? I mean, what? She’s here in Washington? Where’s Simon?”

“You haven’t seen him? He’s been going every day to the insane asylum to get you released. When I saw you I thought he’d succeeded. He told Jerome and me what happened to you. It must’ve been awful.”

Sam slipped his arm around Kitty’s shoulder. “It was sheer luck I found her in time.”

With Maggie sick and nearby Kitty couldn’t stand around any longer. “Sam you go on to the bank and take care of your business. I’ll go with Carole to the hospital and we’ll meet up at her hotel later.” Directions given and arrangements made, she hurried off with Carole to the hospital to check on Maggie.

***

A male attendant sat at a desk outside the door with the quarantine sign on it refusing to let them enter. “Why is she quarantined?” Kitty demanded. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I can’t let you in there, Miss, it’s smallpox. She’s highly contagious.”

“Smallpox?” Kitty didn’t know whether to laugh or cry with relief. “She can’t have smallpox, she’s been vaccinated. We both were when we worked at Camp Curtin.”

Leaving Carole outside the door to be safe, Kitty pushed past the attendant and found Maggie behind a screen at the end of the ward. She had several red blisters on her face and her hands had been tied to the bed so she couldn’t scratch.

With her eyes shut tight, Maggie flinched as Kitty knelt and touched her hand. “Are you okay there, Lucy?”

Someone had used their code. First only one eye opened, then both, followed by a waterfall of tears. “Kitty, oh my God, you’re safe. I’m not hallucinating, am I? Tell me you’re really here.”

Kitty laid her head across Maggie’s chest and hugged her. “It’s me, I’m here. We’re all safe now.”

Maggie’s voice squeaked out through the sobs as Kitty dried her face with the sheet. “They say I have smallpox and they keep trying to force their medieval treatments on me that’ll wind up killing my baby, but it can’t be, can it? We were immunized for Christ’s sake, remember?”

“You do have blisters, but they don’t look as severe as the other cases I saw at the hospital. Mags, did you ever have chickenpox when you were a kid?”

“No, but I’m too old for that. Only kids get chickenpox.”

“Hmm, it doesn’t seem as if that’s the case.” Kitty examined the blisters on Maggie’s face and upper chest. “At least it isn’t as serious as smallpox. I’m not sure how long the rash is supposed to last, but many of these blisters already have scabs. I think that’s a good sign you’ll recover soon. What are they giving you for the itch?”

“They tried to give me opium, but I wouldn’t take it. My baby’s in enough jeopardy without doping it up, too. I thought for sure she’d die if I had smallpox. What will chickenpox do to her?”

“I don’t know, Mags. We’ll have to check with the doctor on that one.”

Kitty pulled the sheet back up to Maggie’s neck. “When I got into a patch of poison ivy once, my mom made a paste of baking soda and water. That might help your itching. You rest and I’ll try to find some.”

Kitty met Carole at the door and gave her the good news. Yes, Maggie was sick, but she’d live.

After buying the baking soda at the apothecary next door, Kitty sent Carole back to the hotel. Everyone would be relieved to hear Maggie’s condition had been misdiagnosed. Kitty promised to meet her at the hotel before dark.

Kitty could tell her mom’s remedy had helped right away when Maggie’s whole body relaxed. She stayed at her bedside for hours, applying cold compresses to her head for the fever and headache while they caught each other up on their recent harrowing experiences.

Helping her eat the soup the attendant brought made Kitty’s stomach growl so loud Maggie made her leave. “Thank you, Kitty, for taking care of me, you’ve been so helpful. And I feel so much better now that I’m sure you’re safe and well. Um, you know you still have work ahead of you to bring Sam and Simon together. Maybe with everything you’ve told me about Sam saving your life, Simon will be more forgiving of Sam’s war service.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Kitty patted her hand as she stood to leave. “Anyway, I’ll be back tomorrow to tell you how it went.”

***

Joseph, the butler, met her at the door to the Brunswick’s room and showed her into the large suite. Sam and Simon had been on opposite sides of the parlor when she entered and now they both rose to greet her.

They hadn’t killed each other yet. She took that as a good sign.

Sam held back, allowing Simon to embrace Kitty with one arm while the other balanced him on his cane. “Oh God, Kitty, I’m so glad you’re safe, I was so worried about you. To say I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you through just isn’t good enough.”

Kitty’s eye caught Sam’s smiling face as she assured Simon everything was good between them. “How’s your leg, Simon? Is it healing okay?”

“It hurts like a bugger, but the cane helps.” He motioned for Sam to come closer, struggling with a range of emotions as he embraced them both. Even with the cane, Simon needed help to a chair before his leg buckled.

The butler appeared with a tray of drinks for each of them and Kitty downed hers in one gulp. The alcohol hit the bottom of her empty stomach and killed off the butterflies swarming there. “Simon, are you okay? You seem… emotional.”

“Emotional?” Simon’s voice cracked. “You mean just because the man who saved my life is involved with the woman who saved my leg? Why should that make me emotional?”

Kitty signaled for another drink. Her injured rib had been killing her the entire day, but now her body felt numb as she turned to face Sam. “That was
you
?”

“It’s an amazing coincidence, isn’t it?” Sam said.

Kitty lowered herself into a chair, took the glass from the butler and downed the second drink.
Sam, my soulmate, is the man from Simon’s dream? The one who saved him from the flood?
“Yeah, coincidence.”

The Brunswicks interrupted their discussion as they emerged from their bedroom all dressed for dinner. They were relieved to hear Maggie’s condition had improved and commented that Kitty’s surprising reappearance must have been the catalyst.

In the midst of their polite chat Kitty’s stomach issued another embarrassing roar for nourishment making the Brunswicks insist they join them for dinner. Carole and Kitty each linked arms with her husband as they entered the dining room. It was gratifying yet spooky as hell to watch Sam help Simon with his cane. At least the worry about them getting along had passed.

“How fortuitous it is that we’re all here in Washington at the same time,” Carole gushed. “Jerome had business here, and I tagged along to show my dresses at Lady Jane’s Dress Emporium. Jane’s a dear friend. She said the dresses should sell with ease.”

Simon and Kitty nodded to each other. Yes, this day was chock full of coincidences.

Their entrée dishes removed, the waiter placed a thick slice of warm apple pie in front of Kitty. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had apple pie. The crust, thick with caramelized sugar, topped the warm juices that ran into the scoop of melting whipped cream next to it. Kitty stared at it with tender delight.

As Kitty sat panting and staring at the dessert, her imagination running wild, Sam took her hand and whispered in her ear. “Catherine? Shall we tell them?”

She tore her eyes away from the pie, gazing up into his beautiful blues. “Hmm? Oh. Yes, this is a perfect time.”

Sam waited until he had everyone’s attention. “Dear friends, we want you to be the first, well the second, to know that Catherine and I are engaged. Simon has already given us his blessing.”

Kitty whipped her head around, her eyes bulging out of her head as Simon smiled and raised his glass to them. “May you both find the happiness that Maggie and I have.”