medical attention in the next few hours he’ll die. I have to call Angus right away and pray he can make it all the way up there.” Jenny’s mind smoothly shifted gears.
“Take me with you. I’m a medical doctor. I’m fit to make the trip, and I’m an hour closer.” Now I’ve done it, she thought. The cat is out of the bag and all of Elk Gap will think they have a two-headed sideshow freak on their hands. But I had to own up. A life is at stake.
“You’re a what?” She watched his light eyes go wide with shock and surprise as he sat abruptly on the nearest kitchen chair.
“Medical Doctor. University of Virginia, Class of 1907. Internship at Atlantic Memorial, Arlington, Virginia, and Surgical Residence at Mount Hope General Hospital, New York City.”
“You are telling me the truth, aren’t you? If so, you’re a godsend!” The relief and gratitude in his eyes erased the misgivings she’d had only a moment before and loosed a return rush of gratitude in Jenny. Possibly Sergeant Adair could prove himself the exception to the jealous hostility she had experienced from every other man who knew of her academic and scientific achievements.
“I’ll show you my credentials, if you’d like,” she offered, extending professional courtesy.
“That’s not necessary. You couldn’t have me on about something that serious. Can you really help Jimmy? Do you have everything you need, then, or do we need to go to town and get supplies from Angus?”
“No, there’s nothing I need. It’s all upstairs.”
“Oh, Miss Weston, that explains so much!” She had no idea what he meant by that remark. “Would you come with me, then? Jimmy Richardson may not have much time.”
“I’ll go change clothes.”
He finally found his feet. “Wear whatever you have that’s warm. It’s cold out there,” he called as she flew up the stairs. “Mavis, I need to get Fleur saddled. If she comes down in the next minute or two, I’m in the barn.” This time it was Mavis who said goodbye to his retreating back.
Jenny took the stairs two at a time, and on her way to dress she stopped momentarily to stick her head into her uncle’s room.
“There’s a medical emergency at North Village. I’m going with Sergeant Adair.”
“So you told him?”
“Yes. I wouldn’t have, but it’s a traumatic amputation. That means there’s not a moment to spare. I have to leave immediately.” Without waiting for his reply, she ducked into her room, yanked off her skirt and petticoat, then pulled on two pairs of skating socks and her divided riding skirt. Two sweaters followed, and she reached beneath her bed for her black alligator medical bag. She rejected her wonderfully warm sable coat because she could not ride in it. That left only her somewhat unsatisfactory brown tweed jacket. It would have to do. At that moment Mavis came up the stairs with her own hip-length black fox coat in her hands.
“Here, Jenny. I know it’s too big, but put on another sweater. You’ll freeze otherwise.”
“Thank you, Mavis. I promise I won’t wear it out.”
“So you’re a medical doctor. I swear, I never! Well, then, good luck and Godspeed.”
“I only hope I can treat this case successfully. That’s how it’s done, Mavis. One case, one patient, one procedure at a time.” She put mittens on over her rabbit-lined gloves and let Mavis tuck her own heavy, knitted fascinator down the front of the jacket. By the time she was back downstairs, both Toby and Shane were outside with the horses. Shane took her bag and secured it in his saddlebag while Toby gave her a hand up. She gathered Fleur’s reins and followed Shane’s breakneck gallop down the lane and out onto the North Village Road.
Even at the pace he set, she paid attention to where she was going. In the fortnight she had been riding Fleur, she had seen the trailhead to North Village, but mindful of his warning to stick to the road until she knew her way around, she had not done
“Take me with you. I’m a medical doctor. I’m fit to make the trip, and I’m an hour closer.” Now I’ve done it, she thought. The cat is out of the bag and all of Elk Gap will think they have a two-headed sideshow freak on their hands. But I had to own up. A life is at stake.
“You’re a what?” She watched his light eyes go wide with shock and surprise as he sat abruptly on the nearest kitchen chair.
“Medical Doctor. University of Virginia, Class of 1907. Internship at Atlantic Memorial, Arlington, Virginia, and Surgical Residence at Mount Hope General Hospital, New York City.”
“You are telling me the truth, aren’t you? If so, you’re a godsend!” The relief and gratitude in his eyes erased the misgivings she’d had only a moment before and loosed a return rush of gratitude in Jenny. Possibly Sergeant Adair could prove himself the exception to the jealous hostility she had experienced from every other man who knew of her academic and scientific achievements.
“I’ll show you my credentials, if you’d like,” she offered, extending professional courtesy.
“That’s not necessary. You couldn’t have me on about something that serious. Can you really help Jimmy? Do you have everything you need, then, or do we need to go to town and get supplies from Angus?”
“No, there’s nothing I need. It’s all upstairs.”
“Oh, Miss Weston, that explains so much!” She had no idea what he meant by that remark. “Would you come with me, then? Jimmy Richardson may not have much time.”
“I’ll go change clothes.”
He finally found his feet. “Wear whatever you have that’s warm. It’s cold out there,” he called as she flew up the stairs. “Mavis, I need to get Fleur saddled. If she comes down in the next minute or two, I’m in the barn.” This time it was Mavis who said goodbye to his retreating back.
Jenny took the stairs two at a time, and on her way to dress she stopped momentarily to stick her head into her uncle’s room.
“There’s a medical emergency at North Village. I’m going with Sergeant Adair.”
“So you told him?”
“Yes. I wouldn’t have, but it’s a traumatic amputation. That means there’s not a moment to spare. I have to leave immediately.” Without waiting for his reply, she ducked into her room, yanked off her skirt and petticoat, then pulled on two pairs of skating socks and her divided riding skirt. Two sweaters followed, and she reached beneath her bed for her black alligator medical bag. She rejected her wonderfully warm sable coat because she could not ride in it. That left only her somewhat unsatisfactory brown tweed jacket. It would have to do. At that moment Mavis came up the stairs with her own hip-length black fox coat in her hands.
“Here, Jenny. I know it’s too big, but put on another sweater. You’ll freeze otherwise.”
“Thank you, Mavis. I promise I won’t wear it out.”
“So you’re a medical doctor. I swear, I never! Well, then, good luck and Godspeed.”
“I only hope I can treat this case successfully. That’s how it’s done, Mavis. One case, one patient, one procedure at a time.” She put mittens on over her rabbit-lined gloves and let Mavis tuck her own heavy, knitted fascinator down the front of the jacket. By the time she was back downstairs, both Toby and Shane were outside with the horses. Shane took her bag and secured it in his saddlebag while Toby gave her a hand up. She gathered Fleur’s reins and followed Shane’s breakneck gallop down the lane and out onto the North Village Road.
Even at the pace he set, she paid attention to where she was going. In the fortnight she had been riding Fleur, she had seen the trailhead to North Village, but mindful of his warning to stick to the road until she knew her way around, she had not done
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