by Addy, Alice
“Cassie! Come down here, at once. Something’s happening and I—”
She never finished her remarks, as her feet were flying toward the oncoming wagon. With her arms flailing through the air and her glorious red hair tumbling down from it’s elegant chignon, she was laughing and crying simultaneously.
Cassie took in the scene and was quick to follow Patty, with a barking pup running close behind. “What is it?” she yelled.
Patty ran to the rear of the moving wagon and saw someone completely wrapped in blankets and being held tenderly in Blake’s arms. He smiled from ear to ear and she cried all the more. “Emily?” she whispered, looking directly at the doc.
He nodded. “She’s hurt, but she’ll be fine after a few days rest.” He still couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t let go of Emily for one second since fishing her out of the lake. “Take us to my office, Whiskey,” he directed.
By this time, all the women were jumping up and down out of sheer happiness. They were going back to the hotel and preparing for Emily’s eventual arrival. The doc explained he needed to take care of her injuries in his office and hopefully she’d be able to sleep in the hotel, that evening.
“I knew she’d be found,” Cassie declared. “We’ve had too much tragedy here, for one year, and it wouldn’t be fair to lose her, too. She’s going to get married next Saturday.” Then, as she considered all the possibilities, her eyes rounded and her face lost all its color. “She will be getting married next Saturday, won’t she? She’s not going to have to delay it, is she?”
“Now, now. It’s too soon to be worried about a weddin’. I’m sure Emily and the doc will discuss it when the time is right. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it,” Dora said. “I’m goin’ to get busy fixin’ soft foods for Emily’s throat. Somethin’ easy to swallow.”
“That’s a good idea,” Patty agreed. “Cassie, would you mind going up to her room and see that everything is in order? She’s going to need a couple of extra pillows. She shouldn’t be lying flat for a while. Also, lower the shades. We need to keep the room dark. Lay out her softest nightgown.”
Cassie was already in motion, eager to help her friend. “I’ll make sure she has plenty of washcloths and towels, too . . . our very softest ones . . . and my own French soap. It’s gentle. She’ll need fresh water and so much more. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. Come Tippy. We’ve got work to do.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
As he placed a cool cloth across her forehead, Blake kissed the tip of her pink nose. He had dressed all of Emily’s wounds and checked for possible internal injuries and broken bones. She was fortunate. Aside from the blisters, slight smoke inhalation, and a possible concussion, Emily was doing remarkably well. She had smiled several times, before closing her eyes again. Blake knew she needed her rest, and in fact, that is what he would prescribe, but it was so difficult for him not to touch her, to stroke her, and convince himself that she was indeed here, safe with him.
Blake whispered words of love to her, while she slept. Who knew if she heard him? It made little difference. There were things he had to say. He would never be able to describe the depth of the despair he felt when he thought she was lost to him forever. Never had anyone, from the very beginning of time, felt such an overwhelming sense of grief, and now his heart overflowed with joy.
Occasionally, Emily would whimper softly, no doubt reliving her nightmare and feeling the discomfort of her injuries. For hours, Blake tended to her, willing her pain away . . . losing track of time.
He was unaware of when he fell asleep, but he was suddenly awakened by the sweet sound of an angel beckoning him.
“Blake,” Emily managed to say, just above a whisper. Her extraordinary blue eyes were open and she was trying to smile for him, although her lips were quite swollen. She put out her hand, not realizing the bandages made it impossible for her to touch him.
“Hush, darling. You shouldn’t try to talk just yet.” Blake could see the questions in her eyes. “You’re going to be fine in a couple of days. Everything is fine. Lucas is dead. We’ll never have to worry about him again.”
Her brows knitted together and her eyes beseeched him to explain. Blake knew what she was asking. “No, sweetheart. I did not kill him. He threatened Dora at gunpoint. Whiskey killed him.”
She smiled and closed her eyes once again, resting much easier than before.
Blake let her sleep for a couple of hours before he decided she would be more comfortable in her own bed. “Emmie, wake up, darling. I’m going to carry you to the hotel and put you in your own bed. Did you hear me, sweetheart?”
She opened her eyes and smiled. “Yes, darling,” she whispered. “I’d like that.”
Very gently, Blake wrapped the blankets around her and picked her up in his strong arms, as carefully as he could, so as not to cause her any additional discomfort. “You let me know if I hurt you,” he insisted.
Only a few people were out this late at night, so no one paid any attention to the doctor carrying a large bundle in his arms. The lights at the hotel were burning brightly, showing him the way, as the entire staff waited in the lobby for their arrival.
Cassie was standing by the window, eagerly anticipating the moment when Emily would finally be home. “She’s here! Doc’s carrying her across the street, now.”
Everyone got to their feet, anxious for the doors to open. Cassie did the honors and held them wide for Blake and Emily.
“Yay!” they all yelled, albeit quietly. “Welcome home, Emily.”
Emily forced herself to respond. She smiled broadly and waved one bandaged hand in a greeting for her friends. Tears began to threaten her eyes as she saw their lovely faces and felt the love they had for her.
“I love you all,” she croaked, and looked once again to Blake for his assistance.
He placed her down on the settee, making sure she was covered and comfortable. “Emmie is feeling better, but she needs a good and uninterrupted night’s sleep. I know she’s happy to be home and will see you all tomorrow. It still hurts her to speak, but soon, we won’t be able to shut her up.” He chuckled, at which Emmie gave him a little frown. “Sorry,” he said.
“I’ll take her up now, and you can sit with her if you like, or you can wait until morning. Dora, I’d like for her to take breakfast in bed, if that won’t be too much trouble. I’ll gladly carry the tray up to her.”
“Lordy, Doc. That’s what I’m here for. Don’t you worry about a thing. We, women, have got everythin’ under control. Emily’s in good hands with us. Speakin’ of hands . . . did you take care of yer own?”
Blake grinned. “Yes, ma. I did just what you said . . . and thanks. I’m turning in now. See you all for breakfast.”
He gathered up his precious Emmie and the two of them ascended the stairs, each to his own room.
* * *
Two days later, Emily was much improved, which was quite evident by her enormous appetite and grumpy nature. “Why can’t I go downstairs? My feet are better and I hardly cough at all.”
Blake laughed at his disgruntled patient. “You’re too weak and I don’t want to take any chances with your recovery. There could still be an infection.”
“You could carry me,” Emily teased. She reached out for him, wiggling her fingertips like a small child. “Please? I’ll go mad if I have to stay in this room one more hour!” She stuck out her bottom lip in the cutest pout Blake had ever seen, while crossing her arms over her desirable bosom. How could a man refuse?
“All right. You win,” he chuckled, knowing when to give into a desirable woman. “Two hours. That’s all, and I don’t want to hear you complain about it. You still need to rest. And I know you. You’ll be itching to water plants, walk around your gardens—thinking of spring—all sorts of things. Besides, we need to talk about what happened.” He grew serious.
Emily frowned at the thought of revisiting the events of that night. “Do we have to? You know what basically happen
ed. Lucas came to the farm in search of me. He found me and tied me up in the barn. I guess when we were struggling in the kitchen, he must have overturned the lamp and started the fire.”
“And?” Blake waited patiently for Emily to continue. She had said this much, before, but she never revealed more. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re leaving some things out?”
Taking a deep breath, Emily closed her eyes and threw her head back before continuing. “Fine! I’ll tell you everything. Lucas wanted a cup of coffee and I poured him a cup. It just so happens that I used the same mug that I had used only hours before to kill the mice in the cellar. It was possible that there was some arsenic still left in the bottom.” She looked directly at Blake and smiled.
“He started getting ill quite soon after that first taste, but not before he caught on to what I had done. He dragged me out to the barn and tied me up before he passed out. It was then I started smelling the smoke and knew the house was on fire.” She paused, her face suddenly falling terribly sad.
“Oh Blake. My house. My pretty little house is gone . . . just black rubble. I loved it so. I guess the whole farm is gone now, isn’t it?” Blake could see she was on the verge of fresh tears.
“Darling,” he said, taking her in his arms, “It was only a house and barn. It can all be rebuilt—bigger and better. We needed to add on to the house anyway. Our babies need rooms of their own.” A deep dark color settled along his neck and across his cheeks. He loved the thought of having babies with Emily. “And the barn needed some repairs, too. We’ve still got the land.”
Emily brightened. “And the lake. It saved my life, you know.”
“What . . . the lake?”
“Uhmm. I had been trying to get free from the ropes for what seemed like hours, breathing in all that black smoke. It was awful. It felt like my throat and lungs were on fire and it was so black, I couldn’t see Lucas lying right next to me. Suddenly the fire broke through to the interior, not far from where I was sitting. I knew I had to get out right then, or I’d die.”
Emily’s look of terror worried Blake. “You don’t need to say anymore, sweetheart.”
“No, I need to tell you. As if it were magic, the ropes miraculously dropped away and I heard my wonderful geese calling to me. I know it sounds unbelievable, but it’s true. I crawled toward their honking. They were angry, I can tell you. Some of the beams had fallen and I needed to crawl over them. That’s how I got burned. Everything was so hot . . . anyway . . . my geese kept honking and pecking the boards just outside the barn wall, making quite a racket. I simply reached out and a board, large enough for me to crawl through, gave way. I can’t tell you how glorious it was to draw a deep breath of clean night air.
“It was so good that I didn’t notice my skirts were on fire. The geese continued their squawking, flapping their wings, and waddled right into the lake. The bank was only a few yards in front of me, but I couldn’t walk any further. As I fell to the ground, certain I was going to die, I felt the cool, sweet water surround my ankles. Instinctively, I rolled toward that water and I guess that’s when I struck my head on a rock. The next thing I remember, you had fished me out of the lake and were rocking me in your arms. My lake floated me away to safety.
“When you rode out to the farm, did you see the geese? Are they all right?” Emily asked.
Blake smiled at her concern for those ornery birds, knowing full well that they would always have a place of honor on their farm and in their hearts. “Oh, you can rest easy Emmie. They’re there, ruling whatever is left of the place. As soon as you’re well enough, we might want to go out and see what we can do for them. After what they did for us, I guess we owe them a decent place to live.”
Emily was ecstatic at the thought. “Oh yes, Blake. And we’ll rebuild, won’t we? It will be bigger and better than before. It will be ours and our children’s, and we’ll put all of this behind us, forever.”
“That’s right, darling. Well, let’s get downstairs before I change my mind.”
The hotel lobby had a party-like atmosphere. Everyone wanted to come in and greet Miss Emily, once they heard she was up and out of her sickbed. It seemed the whole town had missed her and they wanted to pay their respects. The women were all discussing the upcoming nuptials.
“Will you still be getting married this Saturday?” they would ask. Or they would inquire about her gown. “Would her hands and feet still be in bandages?”
The women offered their services to the future bride. They’d help her in any way they could. They were a good group of women and dear friends. Emily should have felt tired, but in reality, she felt revived. This was life and she relished it, knowing she’d been given a second chance.
*
Saturday morning arrived and although cold, it was a beautiful sunny day. Emily had barely slept with all the excitement. She, Patty, and Cassie had stayed up late, altering her exquisite dress. Because of the season, it had long graceful sleeves that covered her still reddened arms. Patty gifted her with the most magnificent silk gloves to protect her hands. Cassie worked hard on some soft wedding slippers for her blistered feet. All in all, she was going to look as beautiful as any other bride, and one would have to look very closely to see any evidence of her injuries.
The wedding was being held in the hotel lobby. It was large enough to accommodate their guests and it was one of the most elegant rooms in all of Hays City. There were few flowers, but what they had managed to acquire were spectacular. Dora had outdone herself with the wedding cake. It was said to be even grander than Eve Birdsong’s cake had been, just a year earlier.
The men moved all the furniture out of the lobby and replaced the large, comfortable items with small straight-backed chairs, more suitable for a wedding. And even though it was still morning, the men insisted on preparing a special gentlemen’s punch.
Patty convinced some musicians that played for the barn dances, to play for the wedding. They would have done anything for her after she batted her long eyelashes at them. It never hurt to turn on the feminine charm, she thought.
Just before ten o’clock, a buggy pulled up out in front, stopping right in front of the steps. A tall young man, with soft brown hair, jumped down and ran to the other side to assist an extraordinarily beautiful woman, holding a blue bundle, down and onto the sidewalk.
“Eve!” Cassie shouted, as she ran out to greet the new arrivals. “Oh, my goodness . . . you had your baby! Is he a boy?”
Eve laughed. Cassie was so lovable and so very funny. “Yes, dear. He’s a boy.”
“And we need to get them inside and warm them up,” interrupted the very protective new father. “It’s cold out here.”
Dora and Patty opened the doors. “Well, look here,” Dora exclaimed. “This sure is a day to remember. Eve, Ty, and a baby boy. My lordy.” She held out her big arms toward the baby. Eve, very carefully, placed her son in her friend’s open arms, while his papa held his breath.
“You’ll have to excuse Ty, but he’s a nervous father.”
“Well, he wasn’t so easy to come by, if I recall,” he muttered. “I don’t know as how I can ever go through all that waiting again.” The grimace on Ty’s face caused everyone to laugh.
“Yes, Ty. I guess all that waiting was more than a man could bear. Next time, try having the baby and let Eve do the waiting,” Patty teased.
His face turned red. “Sorry, but it really was awful, just the same.”
Eve patted his hand and kissed his lips, lightly. “I’m sure it was, darling.”
Turning to Blake, who had just entered the room, Eve asked, “How is she? I wish I could have been here for both of you, but I was still recovering.”
“We were well taken care of by this group of people you see standing around us. Emmie and I will be forever grateful. Now, let me look at the baby. Sure hope he takes after his ma.” He chuckled. “Where’s little Carol? I miss seeing her pretty face.”
Eve teared up, a bit. “She’s got a cold a
nd we thought it wouldn’t be prudent to bring her. I miss her so much. This is the first time we’ve been separated, and even though I know she’s receiving the very best of care from Ty’s folks, I still worry.” Her face suddenly lit up. “You should see her around little Peter Bernard. She’s the best big sister a boy could have.”
“Did I hear you say that little tyke is named Bernard?” Whiskey asked, dumbstruck.
“Yes, Whiskey. We named him after my two papas. Pete and you—Bernard. I hope you’re pleased,” Eve said softly.
“Aw, shucks, I’m plum overwhelmed,” the old man gushed.
Blake cleared his throat and announced it was nearly time for him to get hitched and he’d be right obliged if everyone would find a seat, because he couldn’t wait a minute longer.
The music started playing and Patty and Cassie ran up the stairs to fetch the bride. As Blake took his place beside the preacher, all eyes were trained on the stairs.
On cue, Cassie and Patty proceeded down the stairs with slow and deliberate steps. Each woman was lovely and graced the room with her presence, but it was Emily who caused the guests to gasp and the groom to nearly lose his footing.
In her wedding finery, she resembled a glorious, ethereal angel, with her white silk dress trailing behind her. She appeared to float down the gracefully curved staircase. More elegant than a princess, more beautiful than any flower, Emily stole their breath away. Her blue-black hair, piled high in curls, shown with a light all of its own and her flawless alabaster skin shimmered with stardust. The blue of her eyes rivaled any sky and her lips were pink with love’s purest desire. As she glided across the floor, Blake noticed her hips swaying slightly and the curve of her bosoms just barely peeked above the neckline of her gown.
His mouth went stone dry. His eyes felt as if they were going to fall out of his head. She was magnificent. Emily was stunning . . . and she was all his.
