story.”
Victoria instantly liked Charity.
“I’m Millicent Atwood,” the other woman said. “A close friend of Quincy’s.”
“Right. Sorry, Millie.” Charity pursed her lips. “This is Millicent.”
“Her family’s farm neighbors ours,” Gwen grumbled. “Aren’t we fortunate?”
“Yes, we’ve lived there forever.” Millicent’s tight curls bobbed in time with her nod. “Quinn and I have been close our whole lives.”
“How nice.” Victoria glanced at Hannah in question.
“Well, I promised my mother-in-law some tea, so I should take a tray up now,” Hannah said.
“I’d be happy to do that for you,” Millicent said.
“No worries, Millicent. I’ve got it under control.” Hannah turned and moved toward the doorway.
“Wait, Hannah,” Victoria said. “You won’t tell him, right?”
Hannah sighed. “I won’t tell him. But I won’t lie to him if he figures it out.”
Victoria nodded and watched Hannah leave the dining room. She helped herself to some food and spent an uncomfortable hour in the presence of Millicent, who proved to be incredibly dull.
As Christopher had predicted, Stephen and his wife Christine arrived just before lunch.
The Butlers converged downstairs, finding Hannah and Victoria in the parlor. Victoria paced next to the window, while Hannah sat on the couch, smiling knowingly into her cup of tea. Christopher leaned over and kissed his wife.
“Did Stephen kick you out of the room?” Hannah asked.
Christopher nodded. “Yes, he’s assessing Quincy now.”
Hannah greeted the rest of the family while Victoria tried her best to stay inconspicuous, standing in the corner of the room, chewing on her thumbnail. She watched Hannah interact with Quincy’s family and experienced a small pang of longing, but quickly brushed it off.
“My family can be quite overwhelming, can’t they?”
Victoria turned, slightly startled by the question from Jacob. “Not at all. I think y’all are very nice.”
“My brother certainly thinks the same of you.” Jacob slid his hands into his pockets. “How did you meet him again?”
Victoria’s heart raced. “I found him during a battle.”
“In Virginia.”
“Yes.”
“I wonder, Miss Carrington, why would a woman be on the battlefield?”
Victoria bit her lip. “I was lost.”
“A southern woman lost on a southern battlefield,” he droned.
Victoria took a deep breath. “Are you implying something, Mr. Butler?”
“Not yet.”
Victoria shook her head. “Would you please excuse me?”
“Certainly.”
She moved quickly and made it out the parlor doors without being stopped. Hannah caught up with her in the foyer. “JoBo, what are you doing?”
“I need some space.”
“I’ll come with you.”
Victoria shook her head. “No, that’s okay. I’m fine.”
“I’m coming with you.”
Victoria rolled her eyes but let Hannah follow her upstairs, running into Stephen as he left Quincy’s room.
“Stephen, this is my friend Victoria,” Hannah said. “She was my college roommate.”
“Nice to meet you,” Stephen said. “Welcome.”
“Thanks.” Victoria sighed. “How is he?”
“He needs surgery, but you did an exemplary job keeping the area clean. There doesn’t appear to be any infection and his leg is also healing very well.”
Relief shot through Victoria. “Good.”
“Where did you learn to treat wounds?”
She shrugged. “My dad’s a surgeon, so I dabbled with the idea of medicine. In the end, I chose something different, but still had a little more than the average first aid training, I guess.”
“We could use you in our little hospital. You’d be an incredible surgery assistant,” he said.
Victoria raised an eyebrow. “That’s high praise, coming from you.”
“Thank you.” Stephen smiled. “We’re booked on the five o’clock train, so I’m going to get the bullet out and then I’ll leave instructions for care. The hospital had a new load of wounded come in
Victoria instantly liked Charity.
“I’m Millicent Atwood,” the other woman said. “A close friend of Quincy’s.”
“Right. Sorry, Millie.” Charity pursed her lips. “This is Millicent.”
“Her family’s farm neighbors ours,” Gwen grumbled. “Aren’t we fortunate?”
“Yes, we’ve lived there forever.” Millicent’s tight curls bobbed in time with her nod. “Quinn and I have been close our whole lives.”
“How nice.” Victoria glanced at Hannah in question.
“Well, I promised my mother-in-law some tea, so I should take a tray up now,” Hannah said.
“I’d be happy to do that for you,” Millicent said.
“No worries, Millicent. I’ve got it under control.” Hannah turned and moved toward the doorway.
“Wait, Hannah,” Victoria said. “You won’t tell him, right?”
Hannah sighed. “I won’t tell him. But I won’t lie to him if he figures it out.”
Victoria nodded and watched Hannah leave the dining room. She helped herself to some food and spent an uncomfortable hour in the presence of Millicent, who proved to be incredibly dull.
As Christopher had predicted, Stephen and his wife Christine arrived just before lunch.
The Butlers converged downstairs, finding Hannah and Victoria in the parlor. Victoria paced next to the window, while Hannah sat on the couch, smiling knowingly into her cup of tea. Christopher leaned over and kissed his wife.
“Did Stephen kick you out of the room?” Hannah asked.
Christopher nodded. “Yes, he’s assessing Quincy now.”
Hannah greeted the rest of the family while Victoria tried her best to stay inconspicuous, standing in the corner of the room, chewing on her thumbnail. She watched Hannah interact with Quincy’s family and experienced a small pang of longing, but quickly brushed it off.
“My family can be quite overwhelming, can’t they?”
Victoria turned, slightly startled by the question from Jacob. “Not at all. I think y’all are very nice.”
“My brother certainly thinks the same of you.” Jacob slid his hands into his pockets. “How did you meet him again?”
Victoria’s heart raced. “I found him during a battle.”
“In Virginia.”
“Yes.”
“I wonder, Miss Carrington, why would a woman be on the battlefield?”
Victoria bit her lip. “I was lost.”
“A southern woman lost on a southern battlefield,” he droned.
Victoria took a deep breath. “Are you implying something, Mr. Butler?”
“Not yet.”
Victoria shook her head. “Would you please excuse me?”
“Certainly.”
She moved quickly and made it out the parlor doors without being stopped. Hannah caught up with her in the foyer. “JoBo, what are you doing?”
“I need some space.”
“I’ll come with you.”
Victoria shook her head. “No, that’s okay. I’m fine.”
“I’m coming with you.”
Victoria rolled her eyes but let Hannah follow her upstairs, running into Stephen as he left Quincy’s room.
“Stephen, this is my friend Victoria,” Hannah said. “She was my college roommate.”
“Nice to meet you,” Stephen said. “Welcome.”
“Thanks.” Victoria sighed. “How is he?”
“He needs surgery, but you did an exemplary job keeping the area clean. There doesn’t appear to be any infection and his leg is also healing very well.”
Relief shot through Victoria. “Good.”
“Where did you learn to treat wounds?”
She shrugged. “My dad’s a surgeon, so I dabbled with the idea of medicine. In the end, I chose something different, but still had a little more than the average first aid training, I guess.”
“We could use you in our little hospital. You’d be an incredible surgery assistant,” he said.
Victoria raised an eyebrow. “That’s high praise, coming from you.”
“Thank you.” Stephen smiled. “We’re booked on the five o’clock train, so I’m going to get the bullet out and then I’ll leave instructions for care. The hospital had a new load of wounded come in
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