by Barbara Goss
“I’m glad to hear your side of it. Hers was so different. She said you raped her and that she was going to press charges. You might need an attorney, Ben,” Cecilia said.
“Oh, no!” Ben’s hands flew to his head. “I can’t afford an attorney.”
“Then do as I ask and she can’t press charges. Even if she does, no one will believe her.”
Ben looked Cecilia up and down. “Do I get any extra perks? It’s been ages since I’ve been with a woman.”
“If you go along with my idea, I see no reason why we can’t become…um…friendlier.” She winked.
It took a week before Carter and Susannah fell into a routine at the clinic. The ads served to bring people in and Susannah was surprised at how quickly their business grew.
She loved seeing everyone’s pets, but the animals that brought in the bulk of their income were the large ones requiring house calls. Carter treated bulls, horses, sheep, and even one family’s pet rabbit. Susannah did the billing and managed the books so that Carter could concentrate on the healing of the animals.
Carter spent every morning seeing patients in the clinic. People brought in cats, dogs, and sometimes birds. In the afternoons, Carter visited his farm patients.
The evenings were all their own. They enjoyed quiet nights in front of the fireplace or romantic moments in their room. Each day Susannah grew to love Carter more. He treated her like a princess. Some days he brought her gifts. Other times he just said the right words to make her swoon. She doubted she'd ever have recovered from her shock or the loss of her family without Carter.
Sometimes, Susannah got a chill and a bit of anxiety if Carter was late returning from his visits. All she could think was what if something had happened to take Carter away from her? What if he'd died? What if he were in an accident? If that was the case, her world was sure to come crashing down. Just about then, Penny would nudge her and want to play and it would shake Susannah from such morbid thoughts. Susannah marveled at Penny’s ability to know exactly when she needed her the most.
A month after they’d opened the clinic, Carter’s family came for a visit. She met his parents, Mary and Charles Harding, and his siblings, Hugh, Cyrus, Wesley, and Elizabeth. They were a warm and friendly family and she thought they were as fond of her as she was of them.
Hugh was the studious one. He was single, in college, and studying to be a medical doctor. He wore wire-rimmed glasses and a serious look most of the time. Cyrus was a farmer, and brought his wife, Annie, with him, they seemed very down to earth. Wesley, also still single, was the family joker. He told jokes and amused everyone with his stories. Elizabeth was sixteen and showing signs that she wouldn’t be single for too long, as she was growing to be a beautiful, young woman.
Carter and Susannah, along with Seth and Meg, took the large family in between them, but in the evenings they all spent time together. Nathan brought a woman he was courting to one of the family gatherings. Boisterous and loud, Susannah could tell she ultimately wasn’t the one for Nathan. By the expressions he made at her behavior, Susannah could tell he knew it too. She liked Nathan and hoped he’d find someone he loved soon. Nathan was as handsome as Carter, but quieter, and according to Carter, too bull-headed and stubborn to find a nice wife, but Susannah doubted that. Love sometimes changed people.
Money wasn’t a problem for the couple as their house was paid for and the veterinary clinic was bringing in a regular flow of money, enough for them to bank each month. Carter had earned enough money to get Susannah a fine set of rings. He hadn’t been able to give her a wedding band when they'd married, so buying her a good set was a priority. He knew the anniversary of her family’s tragic deaths was approaching in September, and he planned to present the rings to her then to distract her.
Carter was so proud of Susannah. She took to the clinic job and excelled in every phase of it. She greeted the people, babied their pets, kept the books, and did the billing. He’d never have been able to handle the business without her.
He enjoyed veterinary work much more than treating mentally ill patients. At least he was able to see his furry patients recovering—usually. The pay was better, too. So far he’d only lost one patient, a horse with a broken leg. Thankfully, the owner shot the horse, so Carter was spared the horror of having to do it himself. Not being able to cure his patients was sad and depressing, but the ones he was able to help made the job worthwhile, since he was able to cure more than he had to kill or watch die.
His private time with Susannah was his reward at the end of the day. How he looked forward to his private time with her. He truly loved her more and more each day.
Effie, his housekeeper and cook, told him that Susannah often appeared sad and forlorn when he wasn’t home. That was when Carter told Effie about Susannah's past‒he thought she should know.
Carter’s family loved Susannah when they met her. He'd had to tell them how he met her in secret, but they all understood. So often families put people into mental hospitals just to be rid of them. They could tell there was nothing wrong with Susannah and she was the perfect hostess.
He just wished Nathan would find a wife of his own so he'd stop drooling over his wife. He seemed to always be smiling at her. For the first time in his life, Carter felt jealous, even though he knew his wife loved him as much as he loved her.
The couple anxiously hoped that Susannah would miss her monthly courses. They looked forward to becoming parents.
On weekends, they enjoyed the summer days going on picnics, hikes in the woods, and wading in the park fountain. Whatever they did, they enjoyed, so long as they did it together. So far they’d only had one argument. It was small and it didn’t last for long. Susannah had asked Carter to inquire at the hospital about Ben’s condition, and of course, Carter refused, and was angry that she'd even suggest it. As usual, Susannah retracted her wish to know of Ben’s condition and didn’t mention it again.
Seth and Meg surprised them by giving Susannah a small buggy of her own with a horse to pull it, so she'd be able to drive herself home after she'd closed the clinic for the day when Carter was on house calls. Carter was appreciative of the light Meg and Seth’s gift had put into his wife’s eyes. Seth claimed it was simply a wedding gift from him and Meg. It wasn’t new, but it was in fantastic shape. Seth claimed that not many people wanted to rent such a small buggy, so giving it to Susannah wasn't much of a sacrifice.
Susannah could now leave the clinic when Carter was doing house calls instead of sitting around, waiting, when often there wasn’t anything left to do.
Some days, Carter came home with a pocketful of money, and sometimes he brought ears of corn, a pie, or some other reward or payment he’d been given. The job was never boring and he looked forward to each day. Carter realized he’d never been that happy or felt that settled in his whole life.
Chapter 5
Carter’s family had returned home and things began to get back to normal. Carter had loved having his family visiting, but he missed his evenings alone with Susannah. The clinic had been busy, and he just hadn’t had any private time at all with her except in their bed at night, and even then, both were so exhausted, they fell asleep right away. He knew Susannah must feel the same, because when he returned home the day after their company had left, he found the house lit with decorative candles instead of oil lamps. She greeted him at the door in a frilly white transparent nightgown—and it was only five o’clock.
“What’s all this?” he asked while her arms were still around his neck.
“Tonight is for us only,” she whispered. “I let Effie leave early. We have the whole house to ourselves.”
“I love it,” Carter said, pulling her close. “I’ve missed you.”
“Not as much as I missed you.”
Carter picked her up and started to carry her up to the bedroom when she stopped him.
“Not up there.”
“Why not?” he asked as he nibbled her neck.
“Penny’s a
sleep on the bed, and besides, I don’t want to leave these candles unattended.”
Carter groaned. “But where, then?”
“The sofa.”
He changed his direction, carried her to the large sofa, gently laid her down, and then settled in next to her.
“This is a bit tight,” he said.
“Hmm, the closer the better,” she said.
“I’m thinking you just wanted to make love by candlelight,” he said.
“I do. Maybe this will be the one that does it.”
“Does it? They all do it for me, sweetheart.”
“I mean make a baby.”
“Oh, I’ll do my best then,” he murmured, and he tried to maneuver his arm around her without hitting the back of the sofa. Carter just couldn’t get himself in the right position, so he pulled her down onto the floor with him. He rolled her near the fireplace and stopped on a rug that was warm from the fire.
“Will this do?” he asked. He took her lips captive before she could answer.
The clinic was busy, as usual, and when every patient had been seen, Carter prepared to leave for three house calls. He kissed Susannah on his way out.
“Careful riding home, sweetheart. I’ll try to get home early. Maybe we can have another romantic evening,” he said. He kissed her neck and moving up to her lips. “I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too,” she said, stroking his cheek. “I’ll make sure I have another romantic evening awaiting you—and Effie loves going home early.”
After Carter had left, Susannah busied herself closing up the clinic for the day. Her usual routine was to lock the door, clear off her desk, put any cash in the safe, sweep the floor, straighten the examining rooms, and then ride home.
However, before she could get to the cleaning of the examining rooms, someone knocked on the street door. Susannah sighed. Evidently, someone hadn’t read the sign in the window stating their hours. She unlocked the door and peered out. It was Meg.
“Meg! What a pleasant surprise. C’mon in.” Susannah opened the door wide and Meg walked in.
“Has Carter left already?”
“You just missed him,” Susannah said.
“I just stopped by to invite you to dinner tonight. I was shopping nearby and got a brilliant idea‒I could make that chicken you liked so much,” Meg said.
“We can’t tonight, Meg. We already have plans. Can we do it another night?”
“Sure we can. How about the day after tomorrow then?”
“We’d love to.”
“How’s business?” Meg looked all around the clinic. “This is the first I’ve seen the place. It looks very professional.”
“Business is good. I don’t mind the clinic being busy, but I hate when Carter has so many house calls. Sometimes he doesn’t get home until late. I worry.”
“Oh, Susannah, don’t worry about Carter. He can take care of himself. He’ll be fine.”
“He’s the only family I have now and I’m so afraid of losing him,” Susannah said. She couldn’t help letting a tear roll down her face.
“You have the whole Harding family now. Everyone loves you. You are a Harding now, you have a large family,” Meg said, hugging Susannah. “I wish the rest of the Hardings lived here, but they don’t live far. Don’t ever think you don’t have a family or you'll wound us deeply,” Meg pouted.
“I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I know I have the Harding family. I meant immediate family, in the same household. He’s all I have and I love him so much. If anything ever happened to Carter—”
Meg hugged her tighter. “It won’t. You have to put your trust in God. Pray for his safety.”
“It didn’t do my family much good.”
“We talked about that, remember?”
“I know. They’re in a better place, but I want Carter here with me.”
“You love him deeply, don’t you?”
Susannah nodded, wiping a few tears from her cheeks. “I do.”
“You’ll soon get used to his house calls.”
“I’m sorry, Meg. I’ve been rather emotional lately.”
“Really? Could you be increasing?” Meg asked.
“I guess it’s possible. I haven’t had a monthly since we returned from our trip, but with the sudden marriage, the business, and new lifestyle, it may just be delayed.”
“I think having a baby would help you feel more like a family unit.” Meg hugged her again. “Well, I’ll be on my way, and I’ll make that chicken and dumpling dish for you on the day after tomorrow. Don’t forget, now.”
“I won’t. Thanks, Meg.”
Meg was, indeed, beginning to feel like family to Susannah. She was about eight years older than Susannah, and she had a way about her that always made Susannah feel calm. She also served to strengthen Susannah’s faith in God. She could easily think of Meg as a big sister, and that thought made her think about the sisters she’d had and that brought on more tears.
The very next day, as soon as Carter had left for his house calls, someone knocked on the door once more. Meg, again, she thought.
She unlocked the door, swung it open, and screamed. Two Indians in full war paint pushed themselves into the clinic. She screamed again, ran into one of the examining rooms, and slammed the door. Panicking because there was no lock on the examining room door, she shoved a chair in front of the door, and pushed it under the doorknob. The two wildly painted Indians were sure to get in and kill her. She felt the two Indians trying to push the door open while they made hideous noises on the other side. How she was able to put all her weight on the chair and keep them out, she didn’t know.
One of the Indians spoke in a low voice, “I come back for you.” Then she heard them leave the clinic. Susannah lay under the examining table, shaking with fear.
Carter noticed right away that Susannah’s buggy was not in the stable. He ran into the house to question Effie, and then rode to the clinic, where he found Susannah’s buggy parked nearby.
Surprisingly, the clinic door was not locked. His pulse began to quicken. He opened the door, knowing something had happened to his wife.
He didn’t see her in the reception area, but noticed one of the examining room doors was closed. He tried the door, but it wouldn’t open.
“Susannah?” he called.
When there was no answer, he threw his weight against the door, twice. It finally opened on the third try. He first looked at the broken chair that had been wedged under the doorknob, and then he noticed a piece of Susannah’s dress showing from under the examining table. He ran to it and found her trembling.
“Susannah! Thank God you’re all right,” he said.
She continued to shake and cry while huddled in a ball, and Carter grew worried. He pulled her out as gently as he could, despite her fighting him.
“It’s me, Susannah. It’s Carter.”
She looked up at him and then threw her arms around his neck. “They were here!” she cried.
“Who was here?”
“The Indians.”
He hugged her to him. Thoughts for her mental welfare ran through his head. Could he have been wrong? Was Susannah still in need of help in the hospital? Had discharging her so early in her treatment been a good idea?
He shook off those thoughts. She’d been fine up until now. Something she saw or heard must've set her off.
He carried her into the reception area, sat down in a chair with her on his lap, and rocked her like a baby. Her crying and shaking slowly subsided.
“They came for me,” she said with a shaky voice.
“Who? Why do you think that?” he said gently.
“The Indians. Two of them with war paint. One of them said he’d be back for me.”
He spoke softly and stroked her cheek as he spoke, “Are you sure you saw Indians, Susannah?”
“Yes. They knocked on the door and when I opened it, they pushed themselves in, and then I ran into the examining room and wedged the chair beneath th
e doorknob. They tried to get in.”
“What else were they wearing other than war paint?”
Susannah seemed to be thinking. “I don’t remember. All I saw was the war paint and then I screamed and ran.”
“They knocked on the street door?” he asked, still rubbing her cheek.
She nodded.
“Susannah, I don’t know who or what you saw, but there are no Indians around the city, and I don’t think they would knock, besides.” Carter kissed her forehead. “I’m not sure what happened here, but I want you to stop being afraid. Tomorrow you’ll come with me on my house calls, or else I’ll see you home before I leave. I don’t want you alone anymore.”
Susannah sat up, but still remained on his lap. “You don’t believe me, do you?”
“I believe you think you saw them‒”
“Two Indians were here.”
Carter held Susannah tightly, closed his eyes and prayed.
Chapter 6
After dinner that night, Carter sat with Susannah on the sofa, pulling her onto his lap. He was worried about her: was she regressing? Was she still in need of mental health care? If so, why couldn’t he treat her right there, at home? He’d just need to get some laudanum, though he doubted he’d be able to get the pill form, now that he no longer had access to the hospital. He’d have to sneak some into her tea, or something, if necessary.
“Are you still frightened?” Carter asked tenderly.
She nodded.
“Sweetheart, there are no Indians in St. Joe. I want you to just relax and forget about the incident. Can you do that?”
Susannah hesitated so long before answering that Carter grew restless and worried. “Can you?” he kissed her forehead.
