Miss Hazel put her bowl down and then rushed to join the conversation. “And then she told him that she hopes he gets a boil on his backside, so he can go heal it in the springs.” She shook her head. “Your wife is going to get herself killed. Why haven’t you gotten control of her yet?”
“Control? Do you have any idea who you sent here to marry me? She has no idea of the meaning of the word careful! I asked for a wife who would be happy to stay home, and you give me this woman!” Matthew shook his head. “I can’t promise that I’m not going to kill her myself!” He’d spent the entire day worried about her, and she was wandering around, meeting with the orneriest men in town. What was she thinking?
Sinead put her hand on her hips and glared at him. “You have a bad attitude, Matthew Montgomery! I’m doing what I think is right, and I’d think you’d back me up and be proud of me for that, instead of yelling at me in your office when I’ve just brought you supper. Supper I actually had a hand in making, thank you very much!”
Matthew sighed. “I’m sorry I yelled, Sinead. I hope you can see that I’m just worried about you.”
Easton leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, obviously enjoying the show. “I’ve never seen him frown before she got here,” he told Miss Hazel. “He was this happy man who wandered around with a silly grin on his face all the time. Now look at him. Marriage is going to be good for all of us. I can see it.”
Miss Hazel mimicked his pose. “I guess showing new emotions is good.”
“Oh, definitely. I don’t think he was able to get upset before she got here. Now he’s displaying a whole range of emotions. It amuses me.”
“Well, I guess as long as you’re entertained, I will assume I did a good job with the match.”
Easton laughed, still watching to see what Sinead and Matthew would do next. “I’m very entertained. I’m not sure she’s not going to be killed, but I’m entertained for now.”
At his words, Sinead turned on Easton. “I don’t know you at all, but the only reason, I haven’t brought my frying pan down on your head is because you’re married to my friend Molly. I’d love to have to sew you up right about now.”
Matthew laughed at that. “She’s threatening to do you bodily harm, Easton. I think you deserve it.”
“You deserve it more,” Sinead snapped. “Everyone in this town is crazy. Do you hear me? Absolutely insane! You let a man who no one believes is truly a doctor practice medicine here. And everyone acts like I’ve done something stupid when I stand up to him. Someone has to, or he’s going to run this town into the ground! What happens when someone comes here for a cure, and they end up dead? What happens to your little town then? Those springs are not going to cure anything, and any intelligent person knows it!”
Matthew stepped forward and kissed Sinead, and it wasn’t a light peck on the lips like he’d given her at their wedding. It was a deep, soul reaching kiss, and she clung to him. When he finally lifted his head, she had a dazed look in her eye. “What was that for?”
“Seemed like the thing to do at the time. I sure do like kissing you when you’re mad, Doctor.”
She laughed. “I guess I did get a little carried away, didn’t I?” Shaking her head, she put the food and the plates and eating utensils they’d brought with them on the desk. “Are you eating with us, Easton?” It felt odd calling him by his first name, but she was done with formalities. She’d threatened to hit the man with her frying pan, so certainly he wouldn’t care if she used his first name.
Easton nodded tentatively. “You didn’t put any poison in that food, did you?”
Sinead shrugged. “Why don’t you eat the first plate, and we’ll find out.” She smiled sweetly at the man, hoping to scare him just a tad bit.
Miss Hazel hooted with laughter, elbowing Easton in the side. “She got you there, didn’t she?”
“I guess she did, Miss Hazel.” Easton took a chair, wincing as he watched everything on his desk get swept to one side.
Matthew saw his wince and grinned at him. He was definitely finding Easton’s discomfort with the situation very amusing. He prayed for them all, and then he turned to his wife.
“Sinead is an Irish name, isn’t it?”
Sinead nodded. “Yes, it is. My mother is full-blooded Irish, and she wanted me to have something that reminded her of her homeland.”
“Do you have brothers and sisters?” Easton asked.
“I have one brother. He took over my grandfather’s farm. He loves farming.”
“Was your family surprised when you decided to come out West and marry a Mountie?” Easton asked.
Sinead shrugged. “I think they were until they realized there was a health institute right here in town. They knew pretty fast that I was going to try to make my mark here, medically speaking.”
Matthew tilted his head to one side. “Have you found any patients yet?”
“I helped Amanda at the general store earlier today. She wasn’t feeling well and trying to hide it.”
“That’s great,” Matthew told her. Perhaps if they could keep her busy with patients, she would stop pestering the local doctors. Even as the thought crossed his mind, he realized it wasn’t fair. Doing what she thought was right could never be wrong. Never.
“You just want me so busy with patients that I don’t cause any more trouble for you and the other Mounties. I’m not stupid, and I even understand where you’re coming from.” She took a bite of her roast and smiled. “I’m a good cook, Miss Hazel.”
Miss Hazel kindly didn’t mention the fact that the little of the meal she hadn’t cooked herself, she’d given very explicit instructions on how to make. “You certainly are.”
The men didn’t argue, because the food really was good, no matter who’d made it.
At the end of the meal, Sinead and Miss Hazel packed everything up. Matthew got up and put his hand on Sinead’s shoulder. “I think I’m going to walk you home. I don’t know what kind of surprise you’ll find waiting for you inside.”
Sinead shrugged. “I have a feeling I can handle it.”
“I have a feeling you’re right, but I would still feel better if you let me accompany you home.” He’d search the house before letting either of them inside. He’d probably do it with his gun drawn. He knew she’d made way too many enemies to admit to that day.
As they walked, Sinead pointed off into the distance. “I think that’s our reindeer again, Matthew! I wonder if he has a name.”
“Why would a reindeer have a name? No one names reindeer.”
“I beg to differ, Constable Montgomery.” Miss Hazel couldn’t keep quiet. “I think giving names to wild creatures is a wonderful way to include them in your lives. Why, in the community where my son lives, there was a moose we named Monty. Monty was always getting into some trouble or another. Then, in the last community where I took brides to marry Mounties, one of the brides found an injured baby cougar and took it home with her. While I would never encourage someone to take a dangerous creature home, that worked out very well for everyone involved. So I think we need to come up with a name for this reindeer. Maybe Rocky? Or Rascal? Or even Rasputin. You know I’ve heard there’s a priest named Rasputin who has complete control over the tsarina of Russia. Maybe that wouldn’t be a good name for our reindeer after all…” Miss Hazel shrugged. “I think Rocky is the perfect name for the reindeer.”
“That works for me,” Sinead agreed, wondering what the older woman was going on about. Sometimes she acted downright daft.
As they reached the house, Matthew told them to wait outside for him. He pulled his gun, and went in to make sure the situation was safe. Once inside the cabin, Matthew realized it was clear. There was no one there to threaten his wife, which was good. He wasn’t sure he could allow a man to live if he found him lying in wait for Sinead.
“Come on in, ladies. It’s safe.” For now. He couldn’t believe his wife had made enemies in less than forty-eight hours in Cougar Springs. It always took him at l
east a week!
He kissed Sinead softly. “I’ll be back when my shift is over in about two hours. Stay out of trouble for that long, would you?”
“I’ll stay with her and make certain she doesn’t do anything she oughtn’t.”
As soon as Matthew was gone, Sinead scoffed. “I haven’t noticed you staying out of trouble yet!”
“Well, I know that, and you know that, but I don’t think he knows that.” Miss Hazel shrugged. “I am going to stay with you for as long as you’re alone tonight.”
“That’s fine. I’d love the company.”
Sinead heard the sound of a dog growling, and then a small child crying, so she rushed out into the street to see what was happening. There was a small child who had been caught by his diaper in the dog’s mouth. The baby whimpered to try to get away, and the dog wouldn’t let go.
Sinead hurried back inside and got her frying pan, rushing out and lightly whacking the dog on the haunch with it. The dog dropped the diaper and ran off, and Sinead stood looking at her frying pan. “I’m going to get a reputation for violence if I keep using this thing for other than its true purpose.”
“Are you all right?” Sinead asked, dropping to a squat in front of the boy. “Are you hurt?” There was a cut above the boy’s right eye, and she looked at it carefully, trying to determine if he needed stitches. “Miss Hazel, would you go fetch my medical bag? This boy needs a little bandage above that eye.”
Miss Hazel hurried off and returned, and the toddler sat on the ground, regarding Sinead curiously. “I’m going to put a bandage on your cut, all right?”
The baby just kept looking at her, so when Miss Hazel came back with her bag, she opened it and cut a small piece of linen. Within moments, she’d cleaned and bandaged the boy. “There. You’re as good as new.”
A woman came rushing toward them, scooping the boy up in her arms. She was obviously slowed down by the child she was expecting. “What did you do?”
Sinead got to her feet, closing her bag as she did. “I heard a dog growling and a cry, so I came outside. I found a dog pulling the boy around by his diaper.”
The woman shook her head. “You did a good job bandaging him. Are you a nurse?”
“No, but I am a doctor. I couldn’t let him run around cut that way, so I fixed it.”
“I appreciate it. Do you deliver babies?”
Sinead shrugged. “I do if there’s a problem. For the most part, I think baby deliveries should be left to the midwives.”
The woman’s face fell. “Stella’s retiring. She says she’s too old to keep on delivering babies.”
“Is that so?” Sinead couldn’t help but wonder if Molly had heard the local midwife was retiring. She knew her friend would prefer delivering babies to being a maid at the hotel. “My friend Molly married Easton. I’m not sure of his last name, but he’s the leader of the Mounties. Anyway, she’s a midwife. I think she’d see you if you’d like.”
“But if there’s a problem, you’ll help me?”
“Are you worried there will be a problem?”
The woman shrugged. “Dr. Jenkins told me that if I didn’t drink his elixir, I could lose the baby. I refused to drink it because I don’t drink alcohol, but now I’m worried that I hurt my baby.”
Sinead wanted to get her hands around the good doctor’s neck. “You did the right thing by refusing to drink it. I believe that drinking spirits while you’re pregnant can cause your child to be very ill.”
“Well, I’m glad I refused then. You think your friend will help me?”
“I know she will.” Sinead tapped the baby on the nose, before returning to the house to finish the dishes. “I like this town. I may not like that evil doctor who thinks he knows everything, but I like the people here. I think I’m going to be happy to make it my home.”
“I can see why. It’s a quiet little place, other than the health institute. And we know why the health institute is quiet. I have to wonder if they do more than just swindle the guests there.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, but I had a brooch missing after they cleaned my room this morning. I met the maid as she left the room. I asked her about it, and she looked mortified. I know it couldn’t have been her.”
Sinead filled the sink with the hot water she’d boiled, adding just enough cool that she could put her hands into the water to wash the dishes. “Are you sure you’re not imagining things, Miss Hazel?”
“Are you saying that I’m so old my memory is going?”
For a moment, Sinead was aghast that Miss Hazel would take her words that way, but then she realized the old woman was just trying to get her goat. Well, it wasn’t going to happen. Not now and not ever.
Chapter Six
On his way home from work, Matthew was stopped by one of the Pinkerton Agents who worked for Dr. Jenkins. “Your wife is about to be in serious danger if she doesn’t back off, Mountie.”
Matthew looked at the man, shaking his head. “You realize that you are threatening the wife of an officer of Canada, don’t you? Maybe you should think twice before you do that.”
“I’m not threatening you or her. I’m warning you. You need to tell her to back off so she doesn’t get hurt.”
Matthew sighed. “I will protect my wife. Go tell Jenkins that his ploy didn’t work this time.”
The man nodded once, disappearing into the shadows. Matthew continued walking, thinking there hadn’t been this much drama in Cougar Springs since he got there. Three days with his wife, and everything was different. Maybe she was the troublemaker after all.
As soon as the thought entered his mind, he dismissed it. Sinead was truly a doctor trying to do what was best for the people around her. No one could fault her for that, though he wished she could keep her opinions to herself some of the time.
When he got to the cabin, he saw that Miss Hazel had stayed with her as promised. The two of them were playing some sort of card game, and he didn’t want to think about what it could be. Miss Hazel wasn’t exactly a good influence on his wife, and he had a feeling that the more he knew about his wife, the more he would realize she wasn’t exactly a good influence herself.
Miss Hazel stood up when he walked into the cabin. “I’ll walk back to the hotel now. Thanks for the lovely evening, Sinead.”
Matthew shook his head. “I’ll walk back with you.” Then he looked at Sinead. “But I don’t want you staying here alone, so you’re walking back with us.”
Sinead jumped to her feet, picking up her medical bag. “Are you going to carry that with you everywhere in this town?” Matthew asked, surprised she’d want to take it with her.
“I am. I want people to get used to the fact that there’s a real doctor in town now, not just someone who calls himself a doctor.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “I’m glad you’re home, safe and sound. I worry a little about how dangerous your job is.”
“My job? You’ve taken it upon yourself to go up against the most powerful man in town, and you’re worried about my job being dangerous? You have the most dangerous job in town at the moment. You’re the doctor people are going to want to see.”
“Do you really think so?” Sinead’s whole face lit up at the comment. “I love the idea of being the one people want to see. That’s never happened to me before. No one wanted to go to the female doctor who also happened to be a Negro.”
Matthew wrapped his arm around her as they started walking, Miss Hazel on her other side. “Have I told you that my grandmother is Japanese?”
“No! Really?”
He nodded. “I don’t look Japanese, but my sister does. It makes it hard for her.”
“How many sisters do you have?” she asked. He hadn’t talked about his family much.
“Just one. She’s several years younger than me. My mother died when she was born.”
“That’s sad. I wish I’d been there to help her. Well, Molly and me. I think between the two of us, we could have saved her.”<
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“Molly? What would she have to do with saving an expectant mother?”
“Molly’s a midwife. Didn’t you know that?”
“I’ve barely met her. How am I supposed to know she’s a midwife?” Matthew stopped in front of the health institute and waited as Miss Hazel hurried inside. “I hope they don’t treat her badly because of your stance against them.”
“I don’t mean to cause so much trouble. I just want to stand up for what I know is right. Is that so wrong?” Sinead deliberately raised the pitch of her voice as she asked the question, hoping it would make her sound innocent.
“It’s not wrong really. It’s just different. Women don’t usually give medical opinions, and they certainly don’t argue with what men do and say. I think you’re a breath of fresh air…one that’s in danger of being killed for her opinions, but a breath of fresh air.
Sinead laughed. “I like you Matthew Montgomery. I’m so glad you were the Mountie who was waiting for me, and not one of the others.”
“I’m glad I was too. As soon as you stepped off the train with the three other brides and Miss Hazel, I knew you were the one I wanted for myself.”
“It really doesn’t bother you that I’m not all white?” She had been worried about that since the first moment they met.
He shook his head adamantly. “Not at all. I think dividing ourselves by races is silly. We’re all God’s children, so why do we make distinctions among ourselves?”
As they walked he kept his eyes peeled for trouble. He saw several men lurking in the shadows, and though he knew most were drunks and always lurked in the shadows, he saw a few he didn’t recognize as readily. His wife was going to need twenty-four-hour protection for the next month. It might even be smart to send her back East, though that was the last thing he wanted to do.
When they reached the house, he shut and locked the door. “I’m getting a little bit paranoid about your safety. How would you feel about getting on the train with Miss Hazel and going back east for a visit with your family?”
Bride for Matthew Page 5
