Chapter 10

Today, the first Thursday in March, only Eugenia and four of the older girls sat with their books open as Caroline stood before them in the classroom. The other students were home, ill with fevers.

Her mother had had a fever as well, but now was much better, according to word Caroline had received from her family. The money she had saved had gone not only to help pay the family’s rent, but for visits from a local physician. Something they could not have afforded without her.

The classroom held fewer than half of the usual students who would normally be seated at their desks, ready to discuss The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The rather controversial selection had caused a bit of a to-do when Caroline proposed reading the book for the older girls’ class. Now, however, the students couldn’t wait to read and discuss the latest adventure in the book.

This morning, Caroline tried to keep her teeth from chattering. For some reason, she couldn’t stay warm, though she wore her extra petticoat beneath her skirt, the woolen one she saved for the coldest weather.

The warmth from the fire didn’t seem to reach her desk. Caroline strode closer to the fireplace.

“Please open your books to chapter 8. If you remember, we stopped there at the last reading. For this coming weekend, we shall read chapter 9 and discuss it next week.” She paused, then glanced at Eugenia, who had raised her hand while she was speaking. “Yes, Miss Ware?”

“Miss Parker, you appear quite peaked this morning. Are you all right?” The girl wore an expression of concern. Her concern had to be genuine, for this was the first conversation Eugenia had initiated since the conversation that she and Caroline and Stephen had had weeks ago.

“I feel a bit chilled this morning.” Caroline rubbed her arms. “Perhaps we’ll have another late winter or early spring snowfall.”

The last snow they’d had was two weeks ago, and a rain shower had washed it away.

“Now,” she said, opening the book she held in her left hand, “let’s discuss chapter 8. What, to you, was the main point of the action in the chapter? What purpose did Mr. Twain intend for the story?”

An invisible wave shook Caroline. She reached out for her desk, which was paces away from her. Her peripheral vision blurred, turned brown. She heard gasps as she struck the floor. It was her turn to gasp. She fumbled to put her hands on the floor, in an attempt to push herself up to a seated position. She managed to prop herself up on one elbow. Her book lay several feet away, where it had slid as she collapsed.

“Miss Parker!” Eugenia reached her before the others. “Are you all right?”

Caroline’s head continued to swim as she contemplated exactly how to get herself to her feet. She reached up for Eugenia’s offered hand.

“Oh, your hand is on fire, Miss Parker!” Eugenia’s voice came out as a muffled shriek. “You must have the fever too! I’ll fetch Mrs. Wickham!”

As if from a distance, Caroline heard Eugenia’s voice as the young woman stumbled from the room.

In less than thirty minutes, Caroline was tucked into her own bed while Cook dabbed cool compresses on her head and neck. Mrs. Wickham had already sent for the doctor.

“There you go, Miss Parker.” Cook’s voice was soft and low, the cloth applied to Caroline’s forehead equally soft. “Don’t you worry about anything. The doctor is on his way. Mrs. Wickham has declared classes closed for the next week. Another student has gone home ill. So all you have to do is get well again.”

Caroline nodded. Her first thought had been of the children. The blanket covering her held her down and made her feel even sleepier.

Just as she drifted off, her thoughts went to Stephen. How was he? During the prior week, she had barely seen him. And now, her eyelids heavy, she found herself wishing he was right here, right now, beside her.

Yet she didn’t deserve that, not after the last encounter they’d had.

She’d said some terrible things to him the day he’d followed her to her parents’ home in Holyoke. He’d flinched, and her words had hurt him. But she couldn’t bear that he’d seen her meager beginnings. She could never be the type of woman he deserved. She had no background to speak of, while he had known nothing but privilege.

The coolness of the cloth on her forehead began to disappear as the heat from her body absorbed it. She struggled to say something, but all she wanted to do was sleep.

“Rest now. I’ll check on you soon and see if you are up to having some broth.” Cook gave her one more glance, then left the room, closing the door behind her.

Caroline surrendered to the sleep that claimed her.

Stephen paced the hallway. He wanted to enter Caroline’s room, but propriety demanded he stay outside. Long shadows told him nighttime would fall soon. It wasn’t yet spring, and the darkest days were behind them. He hoped that was true in more ways than one.

It had become about far more than who would take the reins of Wickham Academy. It was much more than that now for him.

He’d regretted his decision to follow Caroline to her family’s home every day since he’d returned to Northampton. He wanted to tell her, so many times, but she’d avoided him.

He leaned against the paneled wall and waited. Surely someone would come and check on her. He dared not go in by himself.

“Oh Mr. Mason.” Charlotte approached him. “You need to take care of yourself, that you don’t fall ill as well.”

“I’m doing my best. I hope the school won’t be closed for long.” He watched her stop at the closed door.

“I share that same hope.” She nodded toward the room. “I’m going in. Would you like to come with me?”

“I’m not sure that I should, but I want Miss Parker to know I’m here.”

Charlotte gave him a reassuring smile. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll go in, and if she’s up to it, I’ll let you know, and we can visit with her for a moment together.”

“Thank you.”

The teacher entered Caroline’s room and shut the door behind her.

Stephen waited and tried not to resume his pacing as he did so. A few moments later, Charlotte peeked out the door. “Come in, she wants to see you.”

He stepped into the room, leaving the door open as he entered.

Caroline lay, covered with blankets, on the narrow bed. Her room was a bit plainer than his, but still boasted a cushioned chair and ottoman beside the window. There was a small shelf of books. He took in his surroundings then ignored them all, save for the woman lying on the bed.

“Hello,” she said.

“Hello,” he replied. “I, ah, I wanted to check on you. I’ve been praying for you, and for all who have fallen ill.”

“Thank you. That means a great deal to me.”

Right now, nothing else mattered save that she got better. “You just concentrate on resting.”

There was so much he wanted to tell her, but he realized now wasn’t the time. Instead, he sat while Charlotte spoke in low tones to her friend about the school being closed for the time being.

“It’s just a precaution,” Charlotte continued. “Mrs. Wickham believes if the school closes for now, the fever will have less of a chance to spread among the students.”

Stephen rose from where he’d been sitting on her cushioned chair. “I’ll come check on you tomorrow.”

Caroline nodded, giving him a slight smile.

That smile made his heart do a somersault. Please, Lord, let her get better soon—let all of them get better soon.