The horses were spotted with white lather and out of breath when she pulled them to a stop in front of her uncle’s office. She set the brake and jumped to the ground. She rushed through the door. Sam towered over Victoria as he spoke softly, giving instructions on how to care for a patient he had operated on. His words stopped as he looked up. She paused for a moment; no longer capable of holding her sobs she threw herself into his arms. Blubbering words only her mind could understand.
Victoria presented her with a glass of water. Sam clenched her arms and forced her to sit in a nearby chair. “Take a deep breath, Amanda. When you’re ready you can tell me what has you in dire straits.”
She did as instructed and blew her nose on a handkerchief Victoria handed her. “It’s Grandmother, Sam. She sent me here to pick up a coffin! Her coffin.”
Sam ducked his head, when he glanced back up at her, his eyes filled with tears. He pulled a stool close to her, took her hands in his and spoke slowly. “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but she has malaria, Amanda. She didn’t want a bunch of pampering. With you helping her, I believe you should know. The best we can do is give her quinine, which she already has. There is nothing more to do for her except make her comfortable and keep her fever low.” He lowered his head then glanced back up at her. “Sometimes—sometimes being the doctor is worse than being the patient; you’re always the first to know the bad news. When it comes to family, it gets a little more complicated. At any rate, I will go with you back to Sanders Cross and see how bad she is this time.”
“What do you mean ‘this time’? Has she done this before?” Amanda stomped her foot and perched her fisted hands on her hips.
“Yes. It reoccurs from time to time. This time of year is stressful and she works herself too hard. She needs to slow down or she will…”
“No! You have to do something to stop this.” Her screams echoed in the room.
“I’ll go fetch the supplies she sent you after. You stay here with Victoria.” He nodded to his wife and vanished out the door.
Victoria pulled her close and let her cry until her eyes stung and swelled. An hour and a half later, Sam walked back into the office. She barely raised her head, her spirits and energy drained.
“Are you ready?” He gently laid his hand on her shoulder.
“I won’t ever be ready, but I suppose we should get going. She’ll never forgive me if I’m late.” Her feet dragged with each step toward the door.
****
Nicolas swiped the broom across the wooden walk in front of the mercantile. The hurried thuds of the horses and screeches of wagon wheels stirred up dust along the dirt street. The Sanders’ familiar wagon slid to a stop in front of the doctor’s office. His heart echoed in his ears, and he rushed to greet the long-haired beauty as she jumped from the seat. The door of her uncle’s office slammed shut before he could toss the broom and get to her.
He paused. The desperation about Amanda he’d never witnessed before worried him. At church or when she came to the store with her family, they spent time catching up on each other’s lives, as their courtship had grown deeper over the last year. He couldn’t help wondering about Amanda. From the frown on her face and tear stained cheeks, it couldn’t be good.
Mr. and Mrs. Sanders had made several trips in to see their son in the last month. He had noticed how Mrs. Sanders’ face had narrowed, her pace had slowed, and her posture slumped. A tight knot twisted in his chest. From the look on Amanda’s face, he formed his own opinion that it had to do with her grandmother’s illness. If it did, this wasn’t the time to intervene in family matters. He could wait until she came to him with whatever consumed her.
He lingered outside on the walk until the cold convinced him to re-enter the store. Then he busied himself stocking shelves with canned goods and bolts of material. The distressed look on the face of his fiancé dulled his senses. Amanda’s eyes had glistened, not from delight but from the tears streaming down her cheeks. He should go to her and hold her until she dispelled her grief.
His happy-go-lucky woman had turned into an emotional mess. Whatever ate at her was family oriented, and he wasn’t her family yet. In two days time this would change, and she would come to him with important matters. The bell on the door drew his attention from the table full of new trousers he was stacking.
“Nick, oh Nick.” Amanda ran to him and threw herself into his arms. “What am I to do? I have no one to turn to except you.”
“Tell me all about it sweetheart. We’ll work this out together.” She stood silent in his embrace a while longer, then pushed back from him.
“Grandmother is sick and my family wants me to act as if nothing is going on with her.” She stepped into his embrace once more. He closed his arms around her and pulled her tight against his chest. The warmth of his breath on the top of her head sent a few stray hairs fluttering across her cheek.
“The way one’s heart reacts in different situations is not always the way our minds tell it to. You know what your grandmother would want you to do, but you have to disregard what this in here is saying.” He pointed to her chest.
“I suppose you’re right. But Nick, I don’t think I’m ready to do that. This all came about too fast and I need time which I don’t have. The celebration for the veterans, our wedding, Christmas, and now this is all too much.” She swiped at the tears trickling down her face.
“Thank you Nick.” She placed a kiss on his cheek and headed for the door.