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Natalie said from the buggy, “She’s probably dead, Rhine. Now you can tell the truth and we can get married.”
Another buggy drove up. The driver was Lyman Greer. His daughter said, “Hello, Papa. Everything’s okay now. She’s dead and Rhine and I can have our wedding.”
Lyman’s eyes widened.
Doc Randolph stood up and shook his head sadly. “He’s dead, Blaine.”
Lyman stared at his smiling daughter. “My God, Natalie.”
Sheriff Blaine said, “Mr.Greer, your daughter is under arrest.”
“She’s ill, Blaine. You can see that.”
“Ill or not, she’s under arrest.”
She said, “No. I’ll wait for Rhine. He’ll drive me back. We have to go by Vera’s and pick out my wedding costume.”
“Hand me the gun, MissGreer,” Blaine said quietly.
“Is she dead?”
Tight-lipped, the sheriff lied, “Yes.”
“Good.” And she handed over the Colt.
Doc said, “Rhine, we need to get Eddy back to town.”
Caught between fury and heartbreak, Rhine said, “Lyman, I’m taking your buggy. You drive your daughter back with Blaine.”
He nodded hastily. “Sure, Rhine. Sure.”
Rhine picked Eddy up gingerly and carried her to Lyman’s buggy and laid her on the seat. Doc said, “Keep pressure on those towels.”
“Rhine!” Natalie screeched. “Where are you going?”
Jim quickly tied his and Rhine’s horses to the back of Lyman’s buggy. He then got in, picked up the reins, and headed Rhine and Eddy back to town. Rhine prayed the entire way.
While Doc and Sylvie were up in Eddy’s room performing surgery, Rhine sat in the kitchen with Jim, still caught between fury and heartbreak. Natalie was indeed ill but he never wanted to see her again for as long as he lived.
“Doc’s good at his job. If anyone can pull her through it’ll be him.”
Rhine knew that, but the thought that she might be beyond Doc’s skill terrified him.
A man wearing a train conductor’s uniform entered the kitchen. Rhine and Jim went still. “I’m sorry to interrupt but I knocked and nobody answered.” There were two girls standing beside him. Their shabby dresses were stained and both girls appeared tired and wan. “I’m looking for an Eddy Carmichael. Does she live here?”
Rhine stood and studied the girls. “Yes, she does, but she’s unavailable right this minute.” The two favored Eddy so much the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, so he asked, “Regan and Portia?”
They nodded, albeit warily.
“How did you get here?”
The conductor explained, “Their mother mailed them here by the train.”
Rhine was stuck dumb by that. “Your mother’s not with you?”
Portia, the older of the two, shook her head and said, “No. She’s at home.”
“I’m Rhine Fontaine. Your aunt had an accident. She’s upstairs in her room with the doctor.”
