The Lady Who Lived Again (17 page)

He drew his gaze from the pleasing sight of her, discovering he wasn’t the only one enjoying the view. Daniel’s furtive glances at Maddie were beginning to irritate him. Lucinda strolled beneath her large, yellow parasol in the distance, and Daniel was taking full advantage of her absence to ogle Maddie—the woman whom he’d abandoned when she’d needed him most. If the fool harbored any regrets for what he’d given up, Jace hoped like hell he was choking good and hard on them now.

Jace also noticed the scene unfolding on the sideline. Philip had edged into Jace’s spot next to Maddie, refilling her claret glass and honeying up to her like a lovesick schoolboy. Throughout the afternoon, Jace had observed Philip and his strategic proximity, always at a distance, yet always close by. If Jace were a jealous man—which, of course, he was not!—he’d be greener than the grass beneath his boots.

Shaking off his sudden tension, he glanced to Maddie. Trapped by her smile, his angry pulse slowed to an even rhythm. Henry scored his first point, and she clapped and cheered with the others. She seemed different suddenly. Amid the friendly group she seemed more confident, more at ease as the game advanced. Jace was seeing her now as she might have been then. One of the Fair Five.

He should be pleased.

The point of their charade was so that Maddie might reclaim her reputation. Some semblance of it, at least. Jace was merely a means to that end. Judging from the male attention she was receiving, her re-entry into society was progressing better than expected. Why then, did he feel less than enthused?

Jace took a deep breath, trying to concentrate on the game. To his chagrin, Daniel glanced at Maddie yet again and was distracted enough by what he saw to miss his next shot. Jace felt his hands curl into fists as Daniel exhaled another muffled curse.

Jace stepped up for his turn and scored another point. Daniel took an angry swig of beer, then tossed his horseshoe. Close, but not close enough. Lester, on the other hand, missed by a mile but was taking their imminent loss in stride. Swilling his lager next to Jace, he cracked jokes, undaunted by his partner’s increasing agitation. Each toss Lester made became more aimless, more reckless, while Daniel’s pitches grew more and more precise.

The sound of Maddie’s laughter caught Jace’s attention, as did the intimate pose of Philip, reclining next to her on the blanket. As the game drew to its conclusion, Jace was glaring at Philip, Daniel was glaring at Jace, and Lester was three sheets to the wind.

Lester’s next toss flew high. Too high. And straight toward Daniel, who was so engrossed in ogling Maddie, he didn’t see it coming, until it struck him in the head.

“Daniel!” Lester shouted.

Daniel hit the ground like a sack of rocks.

Jace ran with the others to the unconscious man, then knelt at his side.

“Tell me I didn’t kill him, Doc.” Lester’s plea sounded deathly sober above him.

Jace checked Daniel’s pulse and breathing. Both were normal and strong. “He’s alive,” Jace assured him. “I need some ice,” he called out.

They all remained planted, gaping down at Daniel like a herd of startled deer.

“Ice!”

Maddie moved first. Hiking up her skirts, she ran—a blur of lilac—toward the table that held the pitchers of beer and lemonade. Grateful for her quick response, Jace proceeded to open Daniel’s eyelids and check his pupils. Maddie returned, forging through the crowd. She handed Jace an ice-filled glove.

Impressed by her resourcefulness, he placed the ice on Daniel’s head, where a lump the size of an egg had already formed.

Maddie hovered over Jace, clearly distressed. “I’ll get your bag.” She started away.

“Wait.” Jace considered the steep hill to the buggy and the tight nook behind the seat into which he’d stowed the bag for safekeeping. “I’ll go. I’ll be quicker. Hold the ice like this, and don’t let him move.”

Maddie nodded, taking over for Jace as he dashed up the hill toward his buggy. In the distance, he glimpsed Lucinda and Gertrude running toward the huddle around Daniel. Jace was confident Daniel had a concussion, and the longer he remained unconscious, the more grave the prognosis. The impact of the blow Daniel had sustained could prove fatal. Jace reached the buggy and pulled out his bag. Barely catching his breath, he turned and ran back down the hill toward the still unconscious son-of-a-bitch on the ground.

* * * *

“Daniel, can you hear me?” Maddie’s heart pounded. Over the last three years, she’d built a mountain of resentment toward Daniel, but even at her angriest, she’d never wished him ill. “Daniel?”

He remained dead to the world, his face alarmingly white. She had to do something. Slipping her fingers under the ice-filled glove, she lowered her head beneath the brim of her hat and closed her eyes. Even against the chill of the ice, she felt the heat radiating from the hand she pressed to the large lump on his head.

“Daniel!”

Behind her, Gertrude had arrived on the scene. The shrill sound of her voice made it difficult for Maddie to focus.

“What happened?” Gertrude screeched. “What did she do to him?”

“She did nothing,” Amelia snapped. “He was hit with a horseshoe.”

“Why is she, of all people—”

“Hush, Gertrude!” Amelia’s censure did little to calm Gertrude’s hysterics.

“What’s she doing?”

“She’s applying ice per the doctor’s instructions. Now calm yourself, and help tend to Lucinda. She’s about ready to swoon.”

Maddie closed her eyes tighter. The voices around her began to fade. Gertrude’s ranting faded, too. Maddie’s hands grew hotter. Ice thawed to water, seeping through the glove.

Daniel stirred. His eyes fluttered open.

Maddie drew a quick breath of relief. “Daniel, can you hear me?”

He blinked hard several times, staring up at her, dazed. “Madeline?” His eyes flashed wide with recognition or fear or both. She hoped the stunned look on his face was due to his injury and not her actions. Could he somehow know what she’d done?

“Oh, Daniel, thank God.” Gertrude crouched over Maddie’s shoulder. “Let him be, Madeline. He doesn’t want your—”

“Stand back.” Jace had his stethoscope out and ready to go. “Continue with the ice, Maddie,” he said as he maneuvered past Gertrude. “The rest of you, give him some air.” The circle around them expanded as Jace knelt at Daniel’s side. “Welcome back,” he said as he checked Daniel’s pulse. He peered into Daniel’s eyes, first one, then the other. “Can you tell me your name?”

“Daniel Hogle.”

“Do you know where you are?”

“Cousin Lester’s wedding picnic.”

“Very good.” Jace helped him sit up. “Any dizziness?”

“No.”

Jace held up a finger and instructed Daniel to follow his movements with his eyes. “How do you feel?”

“I feel…” He glanced at Maddie, and something in his eyes made her stomach lurch. “I feel fine.” He reached for the ice Maddie held to his head. “But the ice burns like hell.”

“We need it for the swelling. You’ve got quite a bump under there.”

Daniel pushed away Maddie’s hand. “It’s too hot.”

Maddie drew back, her heart pounding. Fear trapped in her chest, and she could barely breathe.

Jace examined Daniel’s head. Beneath the wet curls, the egg had shrunk to a bump that was barely visible. Jace’s brows narrowed as he leaned closer, manipulating the area with his thumbs. “The ice has helped. You’ve got a hard head.”

Maddie exhaled in relief.

“He should get extra points for taking a shot to the noggin,” Henry called out.

Everyone laughed.

“He should stop looking at the ladies when there are horseshoes flying,” Jace snapped.

Daniel averted his eyes. It was clear that Jace had noticed Daniel taking surprising interest in Maddie during the game. But for all his earlier attention, Daniel suddenly couldn’t stand to look her way. This did not bode well, she thought, as Jace carefully helped Daniel to his feet, listing instructions for him to follow.

Without so much as a thank you to Jace, Daniel turned toward Gertrude and Lucinda, disappearing inside their frantic embraces.

“Remember, Daniel,” Jace called. “No more beer or horseshoes for the day. Continue with the ice and keep still.”

Daniel stepped from the clinch of weeping women. He slapped Maddie’s soggy glove into Jace’s hand. “I’ll keep still, Doctor Merrick.” He jerked his chin toward Maddie without meeting her eyes. “As long as you promise to keep that woman the hell away from me.”

“Daniel!” Amelia gasped.

Maddie’s heart pounded.

“He’s right, Amelia,” Gertrude cried. “That woman is cursed, and everyone knows it. I warned Lester that inviting her would be bad luck—”

“That’s enough!” Jace’s voice boomed over the throng of startled faces. He took a deep breath, unfurling his fists. With a shocking degree of calm, he said, “Miss Hogle, you’re clearly distressed and concerned for your cousin. As a physician—and Miss Sutter’s fiancé—I strongly suggest you take both him and your hysterics home.”

Gertrude gaped in silence. Seeking support, her gaze flew to Lester.

“I agree, Gert,” Lester said, sounding more sober than he had all day. “Matthew, take Daniel and the girls home. Aunt Sally will see to him.”

Matthew’s derisive glare fixed on Maddie for an endless moment before he grasped Dolly’s elbow and ushered her away. Gertrude huffed, but to Maddie’s relief, she followed the group to the wagon, where they readied to take Daniel home.

Maddie’s erratic pulse calmed amid the air of awkward silence around her. Amelia gave a sharp clap of her hands. “All right, now, everybody, the day is still young. Let’s get back to enjoying it. Luncheon will be ready soon.”

Everyone ambled off in different directions. Philip ambled straight toward Maddie. He handed her the glove she’d discarded when she’d stuffed the other one with ice. “Are you all right, Miss Sutter?”

The concern in Philip’s soft brown eyes earned him a smile. Whatever he’d heard of her past, the dear man remained unaffected. “I’m fine, Philip. Thank you.”

Jace placed his hand on the small of her back. “Let’s put the unfortunate incident behind us, shall we?”

“Of course,” Philip agreed with a nod.

Jace led Maddie back to their spot beneath the tree. Her mind raced as she reviewed her actions. The fear that Daniel might suspect what she’d done—that Jace would find her out—tightened like a noose around her neck. Had Jace seemed surprised by how quickly the lump on Daniel’s head had shrunk? She hoped that, due to the ice, such progression was plausible.

Maddie wrenched the stray glove in her hand as they sat quietly. Too quietly. Jace’s lingering silence heightened her dread. She’d been lucky so far, but she was taking more chances. Yesterday, while Jace was treating patients in his examination room, she’d been particularly daring with two patients in the waiting area. Under the guise of applying her trusty “warm herbal compress” she’d relieved the severe pain in Mrs. Canfield’s arthritic knee, and then she’d silenced the chronic ringing in Mr. Schyler’s ears.

Maddie was drawn from the memory by Bitsy and Henry, who were spinning in front of her, trying to capture an elusive butterfly. She watched, entranced by the fluttering thing as it darted around the young couple. Henry finally managed to scoop it into his flailing net, and Bitsy let out a cheer.

Maddie sighed, sympathizing with the poor creature’s plight. This business of healing in public was risky. It was only a matter of time before she was caught, too. She inhaled a deep breath, breaking the unbearable stillness.

“Thank you for intervening with Gertrude, Jace.”

“It was a pleasure,” Jace deadpanned. “That woman is a complete and utter nuisance.”

“Pastor Hogle is her uncle. The trait runs in the family.”

“Ah, that would explain it.” Jace smiled warmly, and all at once, Maddie’s fears fell away.

“Luncheon is served!” With a sweeping wave, Amelia herded her guests toward the trestle table where the food was laid out.

Everyone crowded around the banquet, helping themselves to bountiful platters of smoked salmon and ham. Amelia had outdone herself with the bill of fare. In addition to scrumptious sandwiches smeared with caviar, trays of baked beans and tomato salad sat beside a souse of pigs’ feet and a variety of relishes.

A hodgepodge of tempting aromas drifted from their plates as they returned to their blanket to eat. Maddie swallowed a bite of her chicken sandwich. “Will Daniel be all right?”

“I’ll stop in to check on him later,” Jace said. “He sustained a concussion, but so long as he displays no symptoms of dizziness or vomiting, he should be fine.” He glanced up. “Thanks to you.”

She swallowed hard, nearly choking on an olive.

“The ice was instrumental in controlling the swelling.” His eyes sparkled with amusement. “Pity you had to ruin your glove to get it.”

“Not to mention a full jar of lemonade,” she deflected.

“In all seriousness, Maddie, you’ve a knack for keeping your head during emergencies. You’d make a fine nurse.”

She glanced to the departing wagon descending the hill in the distance. Her mood dimmed beneath clouds of doubt. She couldn’t shake that look on Daniel’s face… “Not many would agree.”

“Ignorant fools. Every last one,” Jace assured her with a squeeze to the shoulder.

Guilt twisted in Maddie’s gut. Jace was always so quick to defend her. She did her best to shake off her shame.

“Daniel’s outburst stemmed from jealousy,” Jace said. “And embarrassment for getting clunked in the head while distracted by you.”

Maddie stirred uneasily on the blanket. “Oh, I don’t think he’s—”

“Trust me, Maddie,” he said. “You were his fiancée.”

“But he didn’t want me.”

“That doesn’t mean he wants someone else to have you.”

Maddie considered this, realizing Jace might be right. Had her fear of discovery led her imagination astray? Perhaps it was Daniel’s jealousy, not his suspicion of her, that had caused his odd behavior. Men tended to be territorial, and Daniel had spent most of the day staring at her from behind Lucinda’s back. Didn’t Maddie, in her own selfishness, harbor the same possessive feelings for Jace?