Peccadillo at the Palace

by Kari Bovee

  “I’m not saying that. All I’m saying is, I think the doctor is not who he says he is.”

  “I don’t think we can make judgments about people based upon how they talk,” said the colonel. “I’ve dealt with the man and think he is a fine doctor. I think you might be a little distressed about Frank, and perhaps it’s clouding your thinking.”

  “Perhaps you are right.” Annie’s stomach lurched again, and she remembered why she had come in the first place, to ask to see a doctor. Keeping Dr. Adams close would give her an opportunity to explore the nagging feeling she had about him. Especially now, since Miss Brady was clearly innocent. She’d been wrong about her, and was probably wrong about the doctor. She didn’t want to make the same mistake twice.

  “Could you please see that he comes to examine Frank, again? He said he would check in, but I want to make sure he comes,” she said.

  “I’ll get right on it, Annie.” Mr. Salisbury said. “I’ll have a message sent to him right away.”

  “Thank you.” Annie turned to leave. “And please send the police to my tent as well, the moment they arrive.”

  Annie handed Frank one of the bowls of broth she’d retrieved from the dining tent after leaving Mr. Salisbury. She set her own on the night-stand and sat down on the bed next to Frank. His clothes were spread across the covers, and he had put his nightshirt back on.

  “Sitting in the chair didn’t last long,” she said, smoothing his sandy blond hair away from his eyes.

  Frank shook his head. “Nothing I do makes me feel better.”

  “Here.” She lifted the spoon from his bowl and held it to his mouth. “Take some soup.”

  Frank was able to drain the bowl, and then he settled under the covers and fell asleep. Annie forced herself to drink her broth, and when she’d finished half of it, Dr. Adams announced himself at the entrance of their tent. Annie stood and walked to the opening, pulling the tent flap back for him to enter. She was surprised to see Mr. Everett standing there. Dr. Adams stood behind him.

  “Mr. Everett! How are you?”

  “Miss Oakley. It’s good to see you. How is your sister?” Mr. Everett removed his hat and looked at Annie expectantly.

  “She is well, thank you. Quite busy with the show starting in a few days.” She hoped she would dissuade him from seeking out Hulda.

  “I ran into him while he was checking the horses.” Dr. Adams slapped Mr. Everett on the shoulder. “I decided to bring him along to see Frank. I don’t know if he told you, but before becoming a veterinarian, he was a physician. I wanted his assessment of Mr. Butler’s situation.” His gaze travelled to Frank, who lay sleeping. “So tell me, how is Mr. Butler feeling?”

  “The same, I’m afraid, if not worse,” said Annie. “He was able to drink some soup and keep it down, though.” She felt encouraged about Dr. Adams by the fact that he brought Mr. Everett along for his opinion. If he had nefarious motives, why would he do such a thing?

  “How long has he felt this way?” Mr. Everett asked.

  “Since before we got off the ship. The vomiting has gotten worse. He seems very weak,” Annie said, looking over at Frank, her heart heavy with worry.

  Frank opened his eyes and blinked, surprised to see them standing over the bed. The doctors greeted him and repeated the question.

  “She’s right, since the voyage,” said Frank.

  “Did you feel this way before going overboard?” Mr. Everett asked. “I felt a little seasick, but didn’t have this bone-crushing malaise. I feel I hardly have the energy to move.”

  “Why do you ask, Mr. Everett?” Dr. Adams asked.

  “I can’t be certain, but this reminds me of an incident that took place in my family years ago. One of my ancestors, a sailor, on an expedition of the central Pacific coast in 1793, suffered similar symptoms after eating mussels. I’ve done some research into this, and we still don’t know what caused the illness, but when Buck and Mr. Butler were in the water, Miss Oakley mentioned the water looked red. I later remembered the story. The captain recorded in his log that the water surrounding them had a curious red hue. Several of the crew came down with the same symptoms exhibited by Mr. Butler. Others’ limbs became paralyzed.

  “Could the mussels have been tainted?” Annie asked.

  “I can’t be certain, but I believe a bloom of algae created a poison, infecting the mussels. I’ve observed that when plankton grows rapidly, its massive numbers turn the water a reddish color.”

  Annie inhaled sharply. “I thought Buck had cut himself while jumping overboard.”

  “But I haven’t eaten mussels, ever.” Frank pulled his body up to rest his back on the headboard. Annie rushed over and fluffed the pillows behind him.

  “But you were submerged in the water,” Mr. Everett said. “You could have ingested some.”

  Annie suddenly had a sinking feeling in her stomach, which did nothing to make it feel better. “Mr. Everett, I, too, plunged into the water. Buck was there as well, and he hasn’t been ill either.”

  “Horses may not be affected like humans. And, perhaps you did not ingest as much water, or any at all.”

  “You haven’t felt well of late, dear,” Frank said. “You try to hide it from me, but I can see it in your face.”

  “If Miss Oakley had this malady, I think she would be much more ill, exhibiting the same symptoms as you.”

  “I have felt like vomiting, but haven’t so far,” Annie admitted.

  “I’ve been watching you, Miss Oakley. I have a feeling your symptoms might be indicative of something else entirely,” Dr. Adams said with a smile. “And I think Mr. Everett might be of help.”

  Confused, Annie looked up at both of them with a frown on her face.

  “How can Mr. Everett help?” she asked. She hoped she didn’t sound rude, but what could he possibly do to help with her nausea.

  “He has access to rabbits,” said Dr. Adams, laughing.

  “I don’t get your meaning, Doctor.” Annie had already tired of this game, and of the expression on Dr. Adams face.

  “I’m joking Miss Oakley. What I’m saying is you might be with child.” The room blurred, and a deep, deafening hum filled Annie’s ears. She stared at the two doctors, their faces beaming. Her chest caved in on her, pressing all the air out of her lungs. Time slowed, and the steady beat of Annie’s own heartbeat filled her ears. She felt as if she were swimming through a cascade of water, pelting her with its weight. She could barely move, and slowly she turned to Frank, who stared at her with fevered but dancing eyes.

  With child. Pregnant. Responsible for the life of another human being. It can’t be true. It mustn’t be true.

  “Miss Oakley?” She heard Dr. Adams’s voice, thick and drawn out, as if he were under water. Her heart beat faster, and her limbs began to shake. She had to get out of here, away from these men, away from her own dread. She stood and fled from the tent.

  Chapter Twenty

  Annie ran as fast as she could past the tents, past the large exhibition building, and toward the stables. She ran through the barn and out to the open pens where Buck stood, his nose buried in a pile of fresh, green hay. She climbed the fence and landed on the ground with a thud, making Buck look up from his meal.

  Annie approached him softly and wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned her chest into his muscled shoulder and buried her face in his mane. Buck turned his head to look back at her and wrapped his neck around her body, his nose nuzzling her lower back.

  It couldn’t be true. She couldn’t be pregnant. She didn’t want to be pregnant.

  And that was a sin.

  What a hypocrite she had been. Preaching to her sister about living by their beliefs. A child is God’s greatest gift to a couple. But Annie didn’t want that gift. She didn’t want the burden. She wanted to be free.

  Buck nickered, the sound coming low from his throat.

  “I can’t think about this right now, Buck. I have to make up for the horrible mistake I made in accus
ing Becky Brady of murder. I have to find a way to protect the queen from an assassination attempt. I have to help my husband become whole again. I have to provide guidance for my sister. I have a career.” She dug her fingers into Buck’s thick black mane and made a fist around the course hair. “I don’t have time for a baby.” Annie swallowed down her anger, released Buck’s mane and stroked his long golden neck.

  She had barely been able to keep an eye on Hulda who, at thirteen, was relatively self-sufficient. How was she supposed to raise a child who would be dependent on her for everything?

  Dr. Adams said pregnancy was a possibility, not assured. He didn’t know anything for sure. He didn’t even know what was wrong with her husband. Mr. Everett knew more about what could be causing Frank’s illness than Dr. Adams, and he was a veterinarian, for God’s sake!

  And then there was the business of the fake English accent. She thought she could definitely hear the lilt of Irish in his voice. He obviously didn’t want people to know he was Irish, and why was that? Maybe he had been or was still involved in the Fenian movement that was so violently opposed to the position of the Crown.

  His appointment as the ship’s doctor gave him access to the Wild West Show, which would give him access to the queen. He said he didn’t have enough snake venom on board the ship to kill, but could he have lied?

  Annie inhaled a deep breath and let it out, trying to center herself, trying to figure out what to do next. First, she needed to go back to her husband. She shouldn’t have run away like a spoiled child. Right now, he needed her.

  She let go of Buck and he lowered his head to continue eating while Annie gathered her thoughts.

  “Miss Oakley?” A sturdy man with a hawkish nose approached Buck’s stall. His tweed suit and wool overcoat seemed a size too small as the buttons of the waistcoat strained against the width of his belly. The hem of his pants hung well above his ankles. A diminutive, uniformed police officer stood next to him, small notebook in hand. “I’m Inspector Grange, and this is Constable Markus. I’ve just spoken with Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody concerning the murder on board the S.S. Nebraska. We met your husband when we went to your tent, and he gave us the vial that contained the viper poison, and the notes you received on the ship and at the recent party. We have been and will continue to question all those who were on board. Do you have any other information for us?”

  “I don’t think so, Inspector, but I believe Miss Brady to be innocent.”

  “Is there anything other information you can give us? Anything at all?” he asked, ignoring her assertion.

  Annie thought about mentioning her suspicions about the doctor, but she had no reason to do so. Faking an English accent seemed hardly criminal. She needed to have more to go on before accusing yet another person of a crime.

  “No.”

  The Inspector handed Annie a calling card. “Please let Colonel Cody know you’d like to see me if you can think of anything else. Rest assured, we will take all precautions—alert the queen’s guards.”

  Annie took the proffered card. “Thank you, Inspector.”

  The man tipped his hat and turned to go, but he hesitated and then turned back to face her again.

  “And Miss Oakley?”

  “Yes, Inspector?”

  “We are thrilled that the Wild West Show has come to England. Everyone is so fascinated by the Wild West of America. I’ve heard that you are very good at what you do—and so am I. Why don’t you do your job of riding your fine horse, shooting clay pigeons and glass balls, and leave the detective work to the professionals, would you? We don’t need any more mistakes.”

  Although embarrassed and remorseful about accusing Miss Brady, Annie felt some sense of relief knowing the police had more information. With any luck, they would find the murderer of Mr. Bhakta soon and prevent an attack on the queen. Then she, Frank, and Hulda would be safe.

  Still stinging from the Inspector’s reproach, Annie took her time heading back to her tent. She didn’t want to burden Frank with her emotional ups and downs, her self-doubt and self-loathing. She had behaved like a child, running away at the news of a possible pregnancy. She should be overjoyed, but as much as she tried to look at the situation in a positive light, all she could see was darkness. She had never considered that she would marry, much less have children.

  As she neared her tent, Bobby approached at a fast clip.

  “The colonel and Mr. Salisbury are calling a practice in thirty minutes. Can you be ready?”

  “It’s rather short notice, but yes, I can be there.” She had never missed a practice, and as much as she wanted to make a visit to the asylum to see Miss Brady and Miss Parnell, her job took precedence.

  “I’ll tell Mr. Post to get Buck ready.” Bobby jogged away from her toward the stables.

  Standing at the entrance to her tent, Annie took in a deep breath and then let it out, forcing all of the negative thoughts from her mind. She had to be strong for Frank.

  After a few minutes of deep breathing, she stuck her head back into the tent. Both Dr. Adams and Mr. Everett had gone.

  “Annie. Are you all right?” Frank was still sitting upright in bed.

  “Yes, I am, darling. I’m sorry I ran out like that.” Annie walked over to the bed and kissed his forehead. It didn’t feel as hot as it had before, to her relief. She sat down on the bed next to him.

  “Dr. Adams says it’s normal for a woman to be overwhelmed by the idea of pregnancy. Especially the first one.” Frank took her hand. She noticed a spark in his eyes that she had not seen in weeks. Annie shook her head.

  “I’m not pregnant, Frank. Don’t you think I would know if I was?”

  “But—”

  “Dr. Adams said there was a possibility of pregnancy.”

  “Yes. That is why he wants to examine you.” Frank’s grip tightened on her hand.

  How could she tell him she didn’t want this? She couldn’t bear the conflicting emotions surging through her. She wanted Frank to be better, but she didn’t want to be pregnant. At least, not now.

  She stood up. “Well, I have other matters to tend to first. Like taking care of you, and I have practice in thirty minutes. What did the doctors suggest?”

  Frank’s face fell a little. “He gave me this.” He held up a dark brown vial. “Said it was a tisane. It’s making me pretty sleepy. But before I nod off, we should talk about the possibility of your being pregnant. You’ll have to slow down. We should inform the colonel and Nate.”

  “No, Frank.” Annie dropped his hand and immediately regretted the bite in her voice. “We must wait and see before telling anyone anything. Promise me you’ll keep quiet about this until we know for sure.”

  “But you must be examined.”

  “Not now. I have too much to do.” She wished he would stop pressing. Her head felt like it would explode.

  “Annie, please.” Frank’s eyes implored her with such sincerity and concern that she could feel her resolve melting.

  “I will, Frank. Just not today, besides, Dr. Adams has left already.”

  “He said he would be back later today. And Annie, the police came by, too.”

  “They found me. Frank, please rest. I’ll be back in a few hours. Do you need anything?”

  “No.” She knew he was disappointed in her attitude toward the possible pregnancy. She could tell from his expression the moment Dr. Adams mentioned it that Frank was delighted with the idea. Of course he would be. It would have no effect on his daily life, his aspirations, or his dreams. Only hers.

  She kissed him on the forehead and pulled the covers up around his neck. He closed his eyes as if shutting her out. A fissure of regret cracked the edge of Annie’s heart, but she ignored it and walked away from him, determined not to let his disappointment fracture her determination.

  The minute Annie got into the saddle, all her thoughts and worries vanished. It felt so good to be riding again. She trotted Buck around the arena to warm up his joints and muscles. When he b
egan to canter, Annie knew he had loosened up. She melted into the saddle, feeling Buck’s energy, and let him run.

  Once Lillie and Bobby arrived—Bobby on a new sorrel horse the colonel had given him—the crew set up the mounted course. Annie pulled Buck to a stop next to Lillie, who sat on the fence railing smoking, her rifle in her lap. They watched Bobby and his horse start the course.

  “Buck looks good,” Lillie said. Compliments from Lillie were few and far between, and they always made Annie suspicious.

  “He feels good. Much better than I thought, given the situation on the ship.” Annie adjusted the pistols more squarely on her hips and checked her rifle in the scabbard that lay flat against Buck’s side, beneath her leg.

  “You on the other hand, don’t look so good. You look tired.” There it was—Lillie’s one-two-punch.

  “I have a lot on my mind.”

  A whistle pierced the air, and Annie turned to see Mr. Salisbury waving her onto the mounted course. She steered Buck to the fence railing on the other side of Lillie and urged him into a canter. She shifted her torso to the right, pulled one of her pistols, and turned Buck onto the course. Their bodies moved in perfect unison they weaved through the first stage of the course while she successfully shot each of the tripod-mounted colored glass balls into sparkling confetti.

  Buck knew the routine of the course, making Annie’s job a lot easier. Still at a canter, Annie holstered her pistol and laid the reins on Buck’s neck while he veered toward the second stage of the course. She pulled her rifle from its scabbard and continued steering Buck with her hips, shooting all her targets with ease.

  For the final stage, Annie took Buck wide, while securing her rifle and taking out both pistols. Buck turned and gathered speed as they thundered between the straight line of tripods. Annie shot the targets on either side of her with both pistols at the same time. While she secured her pistols back into her holsters, Buck came to a stop and reared into the air—their grand finale.

  “Good boy!” Annie said as he came down. She leaned over his mane and wrapped her arms around his neck.