Chapter 8

Well. Things were not going the way Beatrice planned.

This was not what she had wanted to do today at all.

She just had not be able to say no.

The only sound right now was the beat of the wheels as the carriage rolled along. Beatrice sat, staring at the window. She hated riding in carriages—she far preferred to walk most places. She definitely did not like this particular carriage ride at all. Elspeth had insisted that Beatrice accompany Dr. Collins to deliver papers to a doctor and his wife, who lived several hours away in Shadrach.

Dr. Collins seemed just as thrilled about the arrangement. He sat across from her, his arms folded over his chest, what she thought was irritation on his far too handsome face.

She had not asked to do this. Not at all. But Elspeth had been quite upset—saying she had forgotten she was supposed to speak with this doctor and his wife at the same time she was supposed to speak with the minister at Coleson Life Hope Church. Agnes had offered to accompany Dr. Collins, but Elspeth had insisted it be Beatrice. Because she and Beatrice had discussed the topic of this visit many times before. Because Beatrice knew what Elspeth was planning and could answer all the doctor and his wife’s questions accurately.

And of course, someone from the hospital directly needed to go, to speak with that doctor. And naturally, that meant him.

Logically, that had made perfect sense. But Elspeth had insisted Dr. Collins and Beatrice had to do it today. For one thing, Elspeth had insisted it would get Beatrice away from that horrible Dr. Duvall who had insisted on making her acquaintance more fully at breakfast.

Until Dr. Collins had shown up with Dr. Coleson, anger on both men’s handsome faces. Elspeth had insisted she and Dr. Collins take the new carriage. Neither of them were too thrilled at that prospect. But they had done it, and it had gone well. The doctor and his wife had been agreeable to helping the Colesons find appropriate staffing for their hospital when the time was right. Why that could not have waited until the hospital was at least built, Beatrice did not understand?

Today’s discussion could certainly have waited.

Sometimes, she did not understand Elspeth at all. Elspeth had had that plotting look in her blue eyes again. She was quite a schemer, Beatrice had long supposed.

But Dr. Collins had barely spoken to her all day, just asking her questions about this task for Elspeth when they did speak.

Mostly, he just watched her, like he was lost in his own thoughts. Or…planning something. She had seen that exact look in Elspeth’s eyes before, after all. Now, they were on their way back and still had at least a three hour ride ahead of them. And it was too dark in the carriage for her to read this time like she had the entire journey to the doctor’s home.

Dr. Collins almost seemed to have been avoiding her since that confrontation with Dr. Duvall the night before. Beatrice was just fine with that. But three hours in total silence with nothing to do to distract herself was going to be very, very difficult.

Except when he had not been avoiding her—he’d been watching her. He…and that nasty man Dr. Duvall. She shuddered. That man…that man scared her.

Completely. No one liked him, but the man that Dr. Coleson wanted to help him get the business side of his hospital going—Mr. Ace Barratt, an investor out of Finley Creek—had brought Dr. Duvall with him. No one wanted to offended Mr. Barratt. He was from a very important family in Barratt County.

Even Dr. Collins, who seemed to know the two men quite well—Dr. Duvall and Mr. Barratt.

Elspeth had warned Beatrice and the rest of the girls to make certain never to be alone with either man. Dr. Duvall was not a gentleman—and Mr. Barratt was not well known to Elspeth. She did not know what kind of man Mr. Barratt was at all. But if one was judged by his associations—Mr. Ace Barratt was probably not a good man, in Beatrice’s estimation.

The girls were not fools—they knew better than to trust a man just because he had a pretty face. There had been men aplenty in Braeford after the explosion who had wanted to spend some time with a young orphaned woman. They had not been after good things at all. One had almost lured their Isobel into something bad, but Beatrice had followed and interrupted at the last moment.

None of the men at the Colesons were as handsome as Dr. Collins—even Dr. Coleson, but she was keeping that thought to herself. The man did not need anything else to add to his ego.

The silence was eating at her nerves. Beatrice kept her focus on the trees whipping past so quickly, even though it was making her feel slightly ill. Where else was she supposed to look—at him ?

Finally, Dr. Collins broke the silence. “You’re very quiet.”

“So are you.”

He leaned back, the leather seat creaking under his weight. “You’ve been avoiding me all day.”

Beatrice looked at him. The shadows from the low lamp light made him look rather sinister and frightening. Like something from a gothic novel. She shivered. He handed her another blanket then fussed over it himself until she was fully covered. She had gotten the impression the man was doing a heavy load of thinking. About something very important.

“I have not.” She had not deliberately avoided him, she had simply gone about her morning as she always had since arriving at Coleson Hollow. Her routine had not included speaking to a man like him.

His eyebrow arched. “Really? You wouldn’t even look at me at breakfast.”

“Perhaps I was preoccupied. Not everything revolves around you, Dr. Collins.”

“Is this about last night?”

Her fingers tightened around the quilt, one Elspeth had most likely made. She had such a fine stitch with the needle “I don’t want to talk about him.”

“You might not want to, but we need to. You should not have been outside alone. It wasn’t safe.”

“I have practically done everything alone since I buried my mama and brothers, save the journey over here. I can take care of myself just fine. You have no idea what it’s like to live my life, Dr. Collins. I suggest you stop taking it upon yourself to give me orders. It is not your place, nor your right.” She would never forget those days, tending her brothers after they’d been pulled from the edge of the mines, injured and near dead. They never had recovered fully and when the fever had come, they had just faded away right before her eyes. Her mama had not lasted much longer. Her last words to Beatrice had been an apology for leaving her to face the world alone.

Beatrice would never forget.

“No orders. And I suppose it is not.” He paused for a long moment. Beatrice thought the conversation was done, but then he continued. “My name is Oscar, Miss Beatrice. I would like for you to use it.”

“I prefer Dr. Collins, actually. I find it creates a more comfortable distance between us—one I suspect we both require.”

Before he could respond, the carriage lurched to one side and to a stop, sending her to the floor practically at his feet. She cried out.

Strong hands were there to lift her back onto her seat—which now sat at a strange angle. “How badly are you hurt?”

“My ankle, I twisted it and landed on it—but…what is happening?” Carriage accidents were quite terrifying. And dangerous. Another reason Beatrice just simply preferred to walk. Anything could happen in a carriage. Anything at all.

“I don’t know.” Dr. Collins stood, throwing open the door as the carriage listed to one side. “Stay here. We don’t have carriage robberies around here any longer—but there is always a first time if someone is desperate enough for money.”

“Aye. I understand.”

He stepped out of the carriage, but left the door open. Where she could hear.

Beatrice focused on what they were saying as she fought the pain radiating up her ankle. This was bad, was going to be very bad.

“The axle’s snapped clean through,” the driver said. “I’ll have to unhitch the horses and walk or ride back to Shadrach for help.”

“How far is that?” Dr. Collins asked. “How long will that take?”

“Farther than either one of us want to think about. But I probably won’t make it back with help tonight, even riding in. It’s late, and the roads aren’t great.”

Beatrice’s stomach threatened to roll at the driver’s words. She knew this was not good. Was not good at all.

“And us?” Dr. Collins asked, his irritation even more evident in his tone. She shivered, trying to alleviate the pain in her ankle by moving it around some. If anything, it just made it worse.

“There’s a barn just ahead,” the driver said. “It’s empty, far as I know. You both could wait there till morning. Or take one of the horses and ride the rest of the way to Coleson Hollow, but to be honest—these horses aren’t the greatest mounts. Better at hauling. Could be too dangerous for the young lady.”

“It would be best to stay here,” Dr. Collins said.

Beatrice froze. Her, Dr. Collins—and an empty barn. Until morning? Together? That would never work. They would argue all night. And it was cold here now, and it would be dark…and…she wanted to be with Elspeth right now.

“Go. Do what you need to. We’ll wait in that barn for your return in the morning.”

The driver hesitated, lowering his voice. “Sir, I could stay behind if you’d rather. Your companion—she’s young, unmarried—I got six girls around her age. I wouldn’t want one of them alone with—no offense meant, but around here…small town?—”

Beatrice could not exactly figure out what he was trying to say at all.

“No. I stay with her. I’m aware of the ramifications and am more than prepared for those. I’ll make sure to do nothing improper. She’ll be safe with me. Or Dr. Coleson would thrash me within an inch of my life.”

“I suppose he would give it a good try. Think you might have a bit of an advantage.”

“He’s thin, but wily.”

Then…Dr. Collins was back, looking at her—and the way she held her ankle.

“You’re hurt,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “More than you said earlier.”

“It’s hurt.” She would not lie about it—lying helped no one. “I do not now how badly.”

“Let me check to see if you’ve broken it. I don’t think the force of your fall was enough to break it, but there is always a possibility.” He knelt in front of her. She pulled back. “Let me see, Beatrice. I am a physician, after all. I have seen female limbs before. Including on x-ray machines. I will show you one someday. Iagan has agreed to purchase one for our hospital.”

There was a clear order in his tone she did not like.

He was a doctor. A good one—Elspeth had said. Beatrice just wanted her ankle to stop hurting. She lifted her skirt enough for him to see her ankle. Then he was touching her. She flinched as his fingers brushed against the swollen joint. And poked. She pulled in a deep breath. “Is it broken? I broke my arm once—this does not feel the same. I felt quite ill when that happened.”

“It’s definitely sprained, not broken,” he said grimly. “You’re not walking on it tonight. But we can’t stay in this carriage on the road all night.”

“I can manage.” Beatrice pulled herself up to her feet. His hands were on her waist, steadying her. He felt…strong. Healthy. Able to handle anything life sent toward his direction.

“No. You aren’t walking on it.”

“What do you suggest, then? Shall I sit here all night?”

“There’s a barn nearby. We’re going to wait there. I’m going to carry you there. Grab anything you want to take—and the carriage blankets. We’ll definitely need them to ward off the chill. Anything else we need out of here, and I’ll come back for it.”

Beatrice tried to take a step, just to prove to herself she could. But she almost fell into those strong arms. The man just scooped her right up like she weighed nothing at all. So strong, this laddie. She doubted he would just fade away from anything at all. Not him. He was too invincible for that.

But as he carried her away, one thought stuck in her head. It was like she did not have a choice once again.

She was starting to think a woman did not have much choice in America after all.