The Scarlet Wedding Read online

  Chapter 10

  Emma nearly bounded to the door when the knock sounded later that evening. “He’s here.” She threw the door open, and then her smile fell and her forehead wrinkled in confusion. “I’m sorry, can I help you?” On the other side of the door was not a man, but a kind looking woman with grey streaks in her hair.

  “I’m Willie Dixon. Dr. Dixon from Lisbon. Are you Emma Stewart?”

  Emma continued to blink stupidly at her as the information sunk in. “I am. So sorry.” She recovered her manners and smiled at the woman. “I was expecting a man.”

  Dr. Dixon’s laugh showed off the laugh lines around her eyes. “You would be amazed how many times a day I still hear that even though I’ve been Lisbon’s doctor for nearly a year now.”

  “Who’s this, Emma?” Benjamin asked coming up beside her. Emma turned to find William, Carrie, and Samuel behind her as well.

  “This is Dr. Dixon. Dr. Dixon, these are my brothers Benjamin and Samuel, my sister Carrie, and my fiancée William. Let’s step back and let her in.”

  Dr. Dixon smiled as she entered. “Don’t worry, I come from a large family myself. I’m used to the crowding.”

  Emma led the way to the dining room. “I wish there was more comfortable seating to offer you, but we are still finishing the house.”

  The woman doctor sat in the proffered chair. “Again, it’s fine. Could I trouble you for some water though?”

  Carrie hurried to the basin that had been filled that morning from the well and secured a glass. She set it in front of Dr. Dixon as William and Emma sat around the table as well. As Samuel leaned against the counter, Carrie took the last chair and pulled Benjamin onto her lap.

  “Thank you for coming,” Emma said.

  Dr. Dixon took a long drink of water before replacing it on the table. “I was delighted to. One reason I became a doctor ten years ago was that I lost one of my nephews to Scarlet Fever. Since then I have been studying it to try to understand it so I can work to eradicate it.”

  “I didn’t even realize women could be doctors,” Benjamin said.

  Dr. Dixon smiled at him and said in a kind voice, “Well, about forty years ago they couldn’t, but thanks to Elizabeth Blackwell pioneering the way, women can earn their medical degrees. Of course, it’s still mainly a profession for men, so women have a hard time opening up clinics. It’s why I moved out west. They typically have a greater need for doctors, so they are slightly more accepting of women doctors. It’s still an uphill battle. So, tell me about this patient.”

  “It’s my little sister,” Emma said. “She attended school yesterday and left early with vomiting and a rash. My pa, who is the doctor in this town, said it was Scarlet Fever and quarantined himself in the house with her, but I don’t remember Jennie having a sore throat or a fever before she developed the rash. When I asked Benjamin to tell me about their trip to school, he said she was sniffing flowers. I thought maybe she touched something like poison ivy or something that would cause the rash.”

  With a narrowed gaze and a slight smile, Dr. Dixon leaned forward across the table. “Do you want to become a doctor?”

  Emma felt a heat cover her face and she dropped her gaze. “I'm not sure. I helped my pa out in his clinic after my late husband, Joseph, died, but I hadn’t planned on continuing once William and I married. However, when Jennie got sick, I felt this need to be sure that it was Scarlet Fever and not something else.”

  “She was like a mad woman earlier.” William flashed a smile at Emma, and she ducked her head as the heat seared across her cheeks. “After telegraphing you, she tore through her father’s clinic until she found what she was looking for.”

  “Yep, that’s how it starts,” Dr. Dixon said with a knowing grin. “Well, Emma if you ever do decide to get your degree, I’ll put in a good word for you at medical school, and you’d always have a place working with me at my clinic.”

  “Thank you.” The thought had never occurred to Emma, but working with another woman in a clinic held an appeal she hadn’t considered. “I appreciate that.”

  “All right, well I’ve sat here long enough. What do you say you take me to your Pa’s house and let me look at little Jennie?”

  Emma nodded and everyone stood around the table. Dr. Dixon turned her focus to Benjamin. “I’d like you to show me what she was sniffing on the way. Think you can do that?”

  Benjamin pulled back his shoulders and puffed his chest out. “Yes, ma’am. I’d be happy to.”

  “Good.”

  The group headed outside and Samuel quickly readied the wagon. A few minutes later, he snapped the reins and urged the horses toward the schoolhouse.

  “Stop here,” Benjamin shouted as they passed the school. “It was somewhere around here.”

  Samuel pulled the wagon to a stop and the group clamored down. Dr. Dixon followed Benjamin and Emma fell into place behind her. Benjamin turned left, walked a few steps, and shook his head. Then he turned right, walked another few steps, and yelled, “Here. This is where I found her.”

  “Be careful not to touch anything,” Dr. Dixon warned.

  Emma stopped and watched as Dr. Dixon leaned in to examine the flowers. “This is leadwort, and if your sister was sniffing it, it could definitely cause her rash, but it wouldn’t cause the vomiting. You said she vomited as well, right?”

  Emma nodded. It was the piece that still perplexed her. Dr. Dixon turned around and scanned the other plants. Then she took a few steps farther in.

  “Benjamin,” she said, “is it possible Jennie ate some berries?”

  His eyes dropped to the ground and he turned his toe in the dirt. “I guess it’s possible. I didn’t come looking for her right away, but she should know better right?”

  Emma bit her lip to keep from scolding the boy. Yes, Jennie should know better, but Benjamin should never have left her alone in a field full of poisonous plants and berries either.

  Dr. Dixon looked to Emma. “This is Jerusalem Cherry. If she ate more than a few berries, this might explain her vomiting and possibly her fever. I think you might be right, Emma. I need to speak to your pa.”

  The group quickly gathered back into the wagon and continued toward Doc Moore’s homestead. As they approached, Emma noticed a plume of smoke rising from the chimney. Her heart constricted, but burning the clothes and bed sheets of someone with Scarlet Fever was common practice. They thought it would kill the germs and keep others from getting sick.

  “What’s Pa burning?” Benjamin asked.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing.” Dr. Dixon’s eyes connected with Emma’s. Were they wrong? Did Jennie actually have Scarlet Fever and succumb to it?

  “You all stay here,” Emma said when the wagon stopped. “I’m going to take Dr. Dixon up and see if Pa will let her in.”

  For once there was no argument from Benjamin or Carrie. William jumped down and offered his hand to help Emma and Dr. Dixon out, but then he too stayed by the wagon as the women made their way up the porch.

  Emma sucked in her breath as she glanced at the window and saw the white towel was gone.

  “What is it?” Dr. Dixon asked.

  “I had Pa put a white towel in the window to inform us everyone was okay. It’s gone now.”

  Dr. Dixon squeezed her arm and offered a reassuring smile. “We know nothing yet. Maybe there’s an explanation for it.”

  Emma nodded and tried to calm her racing heart and surging emotions. She knocked on the door and stepped back as she waited for her Pa to answer. It swung open a moment later.

  “Emma?” Doc Moore asked. “I told you not to come around. Has someone else gotten sick?”

  “No, and that’s why I’m here Pa. I'm not sure Jennie has Scarlet Fever. Has she gotten worse?”

  He shook his head. “No, the rash is bad and she vomited quite a few times yesterday, but she is resting now, and her fever seems to have gotten better.”

  “Why is the towel missing from the window then?” Emma asked.
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  Doc Moore leaned back and looked to the window. “I burned it when her fever lessened. My hope was that if we burned anything either of us had touched, we would not take ill again.”

  “Dr. Moore, I’m Dr. Dixon.” The elder woman put her hand forward. “I’ve studied Scarlet Fever profusely. Would you mind if I look at her?”

  “She’s the doctor in Lisbon,” Emma answered when her pa’s questioning eyes landed on her. “I telegraphed over when Benjamin told me Jennie was playing in some wildflowers on the way to school yesterday. It turns out she might have touched leadwort and possibly ingested Jerusalem Cherry.”

  “Please, can I examine her?” Dr. Dixon repeated.

  Doc Moore bit his lip as he looked from his daughter to the other woman. Then he stepped back and opened the door a little wider. “You can come in, but Emma I want you to stay outside until we are sure.”

  Emma nodded though every part of her wanted to be beside Dr. Dixon. She needed to see for herself that Jennie was okay, and if she wasn’t, she wanted to be able to tell Jennie she loved her before it was too late.

  As Dr. Dixon stepped into the house and the door closed, Emma turned around and headed back to the wagon.

  “What happened?” Carrie asked.

  Emma sighed. “She went in. Now we just have to wait and see.”

  The moments ticked on, and Emma stepped into William’s embrace needing some comfort while they waited in uncertainty.

  William caressed Emma’s shoulder as she leaned against him. He wished he had more comfort he could give her. Lord, please let Emma be right. This family has had enough tragedy. So had he for that matter.

  The cabin door opened and Dr. Dixon stepped out. Beside him, he felt Emma stiffen and heard her suck in her breath. Her hand curled into a fist and flew to her lips as she waited.

  “Emma, you were right,” Dr. Dixon hollered and a large smile erupted on her face. “She’s okay. Everyone can come in now.”

  There were shouts of joy and a few tears as the group rushed into the house. William stayed at the back, not because he wasn’t happy to see Jennie, but because he could tell the family needed to be there first.

  “I don’t know how I misdiagnosed it.” Doc Moore shook his head. “But I’m sure glad you kept looking Emma.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Dr. Dixon laid a hand on Doc Moore’s arm. “It would be easy to misdiagnose. She had a rash that looked very similar and because she ingested berries, she also had the vomiting and she even incurred a fever as her body fought off the poison.”

  “How are you sure then?” Emma asked.

  “There is a pattern that happens to a person’s tongue when they have Scarlet Fever. It becomes speckled like a strawberry. Your sister doesn’t have that, and after a closer look at her rash, it isn’t rough like sandpaper the way it is with the Fever.” Dr. Dixon turned her attention back to Doc Moore, “But if I hadn’t studied it as much as I have, I would probably have reached the same conclusion. Better to err on the side of caution and be wrong than not and have an outbreak occur.”

  A red rash covered poor Jennie’s face and her skin was pale, but her eyes lit up when William leaned in to her. “He burned my doll, William.” Though she tried to be brave, William could see tears welling up in her little eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Jennie, I thought I was getting rid of the sickness.” Doc Moore laid a hand on her forehead and smiled apologetically down at her.

  “What’s the treatment for her now?” William asked.

  “There isn’t much left to do,” Dr. Dixon replied. “Dr. Moore did well with getting her enough fluids. That will wipe out the poison from her tummy. I can give her some cream, but the rash should go away in a few more days.”

  “Will she be well enough to attend church on Sunday?” Wheels were turning in William’s head at a possibility he thought had been extinguished.

  “I don’t see why not,” Dr. Dixon said.

  Elation filled William’s soul. If she could attend church, they could still get married on Sunday. He needed to speak to the preacher and make sure the wedding was still on. “Can I borrow a horse? I need to go into town for a bit.”

  Emma looked at him in confusion. “Can’t it wait?”

  William bit back his smile. He would tell her later, but right now he had two things on his mind and he wanted both of them to be a surprise.

  With Doc Moore’s assent, William raced out of the house and quickly saddled one of the horses in the barn. He rode first to the mercantile. Mr. Brown regarded him with wary eyes as he entered, and William smiled as he stated, “It was a false alarm, Mr. Brown. There is no Scarlet Fever.”

  Relief flooded the man’s face and his eyes turned heavenward. “Thank the Lord. I was so afraid for her and for my own family. I’m sorry if that sounds awful.”

  William shook his head. “It’s completely understandable, but I’m hoping you can help me now. Doc Moore burned Jennie’s clothing and bedding, including her doll when he thought it was the Fever. Can you help me replace them and get her a new doll?”

  “It would be my pleasure.” Mr. Brown led the way through the store, grabbing sheets and a new dress for Jennie. Then he stopped rubbed his hand across his chin. “Dolls are usually hand made, but let me see if I have any in the back that my wife made. She does them for fun on occasion and our daughter has more than she needs.”

  William waited as Mr. Brown ducked into the back and returned with two fabric dolls. One was made with a blue gingham and the other just a brown muslin. He looked from one to the other but had no idea which Jennie might like more. “Would it be all right if I took both?”

  After settling the bill, William shoved the goods in the saddlebags and headed over to the church. Pastor Lewis was in his office looking over papers and his Bible. Probably preparing for his sermon on Sunday.

  “William,” Pastor Lewis said when he looked up, “what can I do for you?”

  “I don’t know if you had heard about Jennie Moore, but it turned out to be a false alarm, and I was wondering if you could still marry Emma and I on Sunday.”

  “Praise the Lord.” Pastor Lewis rose from the desk and clapped William’s shoulder. “I had heard, and I’ve been praying nearly all day for the family. I’m so pleased to hear that Jennie is okay, and I’d be honored to marry you and Emma.”

  “Thank you, sir.” The men shook hands and then William headed back out to the waiting horse.

  As he rode up to Doc Moore’s house, surprise filled him at the sight of Emma standing on the porch. Her hands were on her hips and a stern expression resided on her face. “William Cook, just where did you go running off to?”

  William chuckled as he grabbed his goodies from the saddlebag. “I went to get your sister a new dress, bedding, and a doll though I couldn’t choose so she ended up with two.”

  Her face softened. “You really are too good for me.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that.” He circled her waist with his free arm, “but I also stopped by the church. Pastor Lewis is still willing to marry us Sunday if you’re ready.”

  Emma’s eyes widened. “Oh, I had just assumed you would want to postpone it with everything happening.”

  “Absolutely not. I told you I wanted to marry you quickly. This just brought that idea home. None of us know how much time we have here, and I want to spend every available moment with you.”

  “Oh, William.”

  Emotion filled the words and her eyes glistened with tears as William leaned down and claimed her lips.

  Chapter 11

  “Can I help with anything?” Emma asked as she hovered near Carrie.

  “You can get out of my kitchen,” Carrie said. “The cake just needs to cool and then I can frost it, but I can’t get any of that done if you are constantly in my way.”

  “Emma, why don’t you come help us tie flowers?” Kate called from the living room. She had brought over Emma’s wedding dress after church and the two had finished the
last of the alterations. With Carrie on top of the cake and William and his sister taking care of decorating the church, Emma had nothing else to do, and she was driving everyone crazy.

  “Yeah Emma, come see what my dolls can do.” Jennie had been inseparable from the two dolls ever since William had given them to her Friday evening. Unable to pick a favorite, she dragged both with her everywhere she went.

  “I rather miss such a lively house,” Dr. Dixon said as Emma entered the living room. She had decided to stay a few more days to attend the wedding. Though Emma wondered if her decision to stay had as much to do with Doc Moore as it did with her wedding.

  The two of them had spent most of Saturday sharing medical stories and secret glances. Emma was glad to see her father happy again and hoped their mutual interest might develop into a relationship for him.

  “How many were in your family?” Kate asked. She wound a scarlet ribbon around the purple sage and tied it in a delicate bow. Emma had decided on scarlet as one of the colors to celebrate Jennie not having the fever.

  “Six. Five girls and one boy. That poor boy.” Dr. Dixon laughed as she finished her own bouquet of flowers. “He was also the youngest and we all took turns dressing him and mothering him. It’s no wonder he moved out as soon as he was of age.”

  “I don’t like it when people move out,” Jennie said with a pout aimed Emma’s direction. Her complexion was nearly clear again though a red line remained across her nose and cheeks where she had been closest to the flowers. “I wish you would stay with us Emma.”

  “I know Jennie Bean, but I can’t do that. However, you are welcome anytime in William’s and my house. There are plenty of rooms.”

  “Pretty sure those are for the children he’s hoping for,” Kate said with small smile.