As she pivoted, Niall sighed sadly. “You’ve got another one on the way, Murphy. Did you know that?”
“What?” The man squawked the question, bringing Milly back to the door. “You on the nest again, girl?”
She only shrugged and whirled away. Before she took more than a step, her father grabbed her. Bringing her close, he softly crooned to her.
“It been just the two o’us since yer ma left this world. Ain’t I always been good to yer?”
Sinking deeper into his embrace, Milly nodded as she let out a small sob. The man surprised Niall then by pushing her away slightly and giving her a tiny shake.
“Then, by all that’s holy, tell me who’s got yer under his thumb, girl.”
As Niall watched, the girl blanched and shook her head. Pulling out of her father’s arms, she ran off, leaving a trail of sobs behind her.
With a groan of heartbreak, the blacksmith ran shaking hands down his face. Niall hoped the man noticed the fear on his daughter’s face. That he was as concerned about that as Niall.
“You know, my father was sure he knew who the father was. He wrote as much and even told Reverend Potter that.”
Murphy looked from Niall to the minister, obviously hoping for some revelation. That man shook his head sadly. “No matter how much I urged him to tell me, Angus MacKenzie refused to give up his secret. Said he was waiting on a letter from New York.”
That was the first mention of such a letter. At least, Niall couldn’t remember the minister saying anything about it before.
With his brows knit together, Murphy shrugged. “Ain’t so many men ‘round here that I can’t take a guess. With that hair color, must be the shopkeeper’s son.”
Niall watched the man, working hard to keep the pity from his face. Murphy was a faithful church goer, and so was Milly. Something truly had gone wrong for her to become so involved in a secret affair.
“Hmm.” Reverend Potter’s wrinkled face showed bewilderment. Niall didn’t know the man well. Even so, he thought it appeared that Potter had a sudden revelation. One that made no sense but had to be the truth.
The man muttered, “Yes, the mail. That’s the key.”
Both men waited for the minister to explain. Without a word, that man walked away, heading in the direction of the town’s stores.
Pushing the strange behavior out of his mind for the moment, Niall asked, “How about that little one? May I see her now, Murphy?”
It didn’t take long for Niall to confirm Alice’s suspicion. Colleen had rubella.
As he explained about her care, Niall cautioned, “Don’t let Milly take her places. Not until this is past. We don’t want an epidemic on our hands.”
The blacksmith nodded. “No problem there. She ain’t been goin’ out much. Suppose this new baby’s the cause o’that.”
When Niall arrived home, he left the horse and buggy waiting and entered through his surgery. Odd that it was his. He’d worked here prior to this, yes. But it had been his father’s office.
Grief didn’t vanish in a month or two. That fact proved itself true to Niall often each day.
Pushing the emotion aside, he busied with cleansing. Before Niall saw Alice, he wanted to wash well and change his clothes. She’d been different these last two weeks. More careful about being exposed to anything contagious.
And tired. The woman fell asleep on the sofa most evenings. He’d look up from a book to see her knitting fallen to the floor, her sweet face relaxed in sleep. While he usually carried her up to bed, more than once he stood and enjoyed watching her. Something about this woman tugged at his heart.
Was that love? He didn’t know. But, if she were to leave him, the beauty and goodness of life would go with her. Thank God, Alice was a loyal and committed wife.
Loyal even if she didn’t love him. At least, she never told him she did.
There’d been a night when he’d insisted on leaving the lamp burning. He’d inched up her nightgown and examined the scars on her left leg. She’d protested, shame making her pale.
“Let me,” he’d insisted. “I want to see. It doesn’t make me any less attracted to you, but I want to understand your limp better.”
He’d traced the scars. Without conscious thought, Niall remembered lowering his lips to the worst of them. What a silly thing to do.
When he’d raised his head, a tender emotion radiated from Alice’s dark eyes. Without even touching him, she seemed to reach out to him. As if she caressed him, hugged him with that gaze.
Was that love? Whatever motivated her look, Niall still felt it to his very soul. From that time on, he’d felt a completeness and contentment.
A line from a John Donne poem flitted through his memory. “And true plain hearts do in the faces rest.” He was sure her heart had been in her eyes that night. And several times since. This was love, something a man devoted to science like himself never expected.
As he rinsed off the carbolic soap, Niall thought again about his tired wife. As a doctor, he easily guessed what had caused the recent changes. Their little one would be very welcome. A child with Alice’s eyes and smile.
Pulling out the set of clean clothes he kept in the surgery closet, Niall hurriedly dressed. With her so much in his thoughts, he was anxious to see Alice. He wanted her to confirm his suspicion.
A baby!
Chapter 10
Etta Larson and Miss Steele looked up as Niall entered the kitchen. Alice smiled in greeting and rose awkwardly.
“I’ll get you a cup. Join us for tea.”
She sank back into her chair when her husband waved
