Brides of Copper Canyon Complete Series (Mega Box Set #34)

Chapter 1

The train ride out from a little village in Maine to the sweltering heat of Texas took a long time.

And although she felt she was adjusting to the change not only of scenery but also weather, Julie Tully knew there were things she would miss.

The smell of the ocean, the salty brine that tickled the nose and always smelled fresh, for one thing.

Her family was another, but there was no helping that.

They, and society in general, were a large part of the reason that she felt she needed to get as far from civilization as it was possible to be.

That ad in the Matrimonial News had been a true godsend when she needed to get away.

And now … now she was on this great adventure and could only pray God would guide her.

Chewing the inside of her lip, she watched the scenery go by.

It was very different. Where Maine was hilly and green even in a summer heatwave, this mostly flat landscape looked tired and parched, as though the rains had been a little long in coming.

The air was mostly warm and smoky due to the steam engine that chuffed and rolled at the front of the column of railcars.

“Are you going to sit staring out the window the whole way?” Martha asked.

She was short and plump, one of the ten women with whom Julie was sharing the ladies’ sleeper car.

Julie sighed. “I had planned to spend some time with my thoughts.”

“You spend entirely too much time with your thoughts and your notebooks,” Martha said derisively. “What’s in all of them? Recipes?”

“Some are recipes, yes,” Julie replied. People had such narrow minds.

A hand snatched the book she had been idly paging through before the scenery caught her eye. Julie cried out, startled. “Hey! Give that back!”

It was Anna. She was a lithe creature with jet-black hair and eyes to match. Her lips pulled into a sneer. It was the school yard all over again, and Julie was quite tired of it.

With her prize in hand, Anna opened the book and began to page through.

“What on earth is that?” she asked, holding up the book. “Why are you looking at such disgusting pictures?”

“They’re not disgusting,” Julie said, reaching for the book and missing as Anna jerked it away.

It didn’t matter—she had seen which page the woman was looking at.

“That is a diagram of the human pulmonary system. See, that is where the heart is in relation to the lungs and bronchi. There is the esophagus, which leads to the stomach and the digestive system?—”

Anna dropped the book and backed away. “It’s evil; it has to be. You’re a witch.” She pointed a trembling finger at Julie.

“Perhaps two hundred years ago that would have been an insult.” Mrs. Edwards looked up from her own book. “Really, Anna, would it kill you to read something more challenging than a magazine?”

Anna’s face turned scarlet. She pivoted on her heel and stormed back to her seat. Martha followed to comfort her friend.

Mrs. Edwards smiled at Julie. She returned the smile as she bent to pick up her book. It soon faded as she began to inspect the pages. Some were terribly bent and folded now. Drat that Anna. Julie’d like to punch that pretty button nose!

There came a knock on the door to the ladies’ car. Still seething, Julie answered. A young porter was there, a troubled look on his face.

“I was sent for the apothecary,” he said, looking past her into the compartment. “Is he here? I’m sorry to pull him from tending to someone—only it’s an emergency.”

“You needn’t look any further; you’ve found her,” Julie said, putting emphasis on the last word.

The porter looked skeptical. “But?—”

“Is there a problem?” Julie asked, one eyebrow raised.

She was getting tired of this. What was it about her that no one believed she was a medical professional?

Perhaps she should find some way of wearing her diploma, which was her license to practice, around her neck.

Then perhaps folks would stop questioning her.

After years of study and a long apprenticeship, admittedly under her father, who was also an apothecary, she was more than qualified for the position. “Is there a problem?” Julie repeated.

“No,” the porter said, looking guilty. “Well, yes. It’s one of the cooks. He’s burned himself real bad.”

Julie nodded. “Give me a moment.” She went to her berth and pulled her black medical bag from the compartment it was stashed away in.

“Duty calls?” Mrs. Edwards asked.

“It does indeed,” Julie said.

“Well, knock ’em dead. Or perhaps I should say, heal ’em good,” Mrs. Edwards said with a wry grin. “You show them what your generation of women can do.”

“I’ll certainly do my best.”

Julie followed the porter to the staff room, a little rest area where the porters and stokers and others who worked on the train could sit and catch their breath. A man lay on one of the beds that lined the walls. His face was ashen, and he was clutching his right arm.

“It was an accident,” the conductor, a burly name named Mr. Williams, said. “He was jostled in the front kitchen and bumped into the range. Got a pot of heated oil splashed on his arm.”

Julie crouched beside the poor man. “What’s his name?”

“John,” Mr. Williams said.

“Could you all step back a bit, please?” Julia asked. It was amazing how everyone would always crowd around the moment there was an injury.

“Come on, don’t you all have work to do? Go on!” Mr. Williams said, and the crowd of onlookers dispersed like flour tossed in the air.

Julie spoke softly to John, asking him his name and age. He answered her through gritted teeth. At least he wasn’t in shock. Not yet.

Then she inspected the wound. Thankfully, someone had had the presence of mind to wash the oil off his arm. Still, the skin was blistering terribly.

“I have a salve I can apply, but first …” Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a jar of honey and began to apply it to the injury.

It was good honey from her bees back home.

She would have to keep a hive in the new town.

Honey had so many medicinal properties and was so good for many ailments.

She didn’t think she could do her job without it.

While she waited for the honey to do its work, Julie spoke soft nonsense to her patient until he gradually closed his eyes and lay still.

“Is he okay?” Mr. Williams asked.

“The fact that he’s in pain is good; it means the nerves weren’t affected. The burns are only superficial,” Julie said. “There is healthy skin deep down, which will help him recover.”

“Oh good,” Mr. Williams said. “For how long will he be like this?”

“The pain will subside once we get some burn salve on,” Julie said. “I’ll need some water.”

Mr. Wiliams fetched water from a jug and, using a basin she found, Julie bathed the arm, washing the honey off.

She could now see that only a two-inch patch on the forearm was blistered.

The rest was just red and sore. So, the oil had landed on that two-inch area, burned deeply there, and the rest was little splashes.

They had done well washing the oil off swiftly. He would be fine.

She applied the salve and gave John some willow bark. She didn’t like using laudanum. It was such a strong medication that she saved it only for the worst injuries.

When her patient was feeling more comfortable, Julie went back to the ladies’ car. Mr. Wiliams walked her to the door.

“It’s a good thing we had you on board,” he said. “I can’t imagine what we’ll do after San Antonio.”

“I’m sure you’ll manage,” Julie said.

He shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. You’ve helped with so many things, my indigestion not least of all.”

“Just remember to drink your ginger tea before dinner and you’ll be fine.”

He nodded. “Well, thank you.”

Julie smiled. “It’s my pleasure.”

“We’ll be pulling into the San Antonio station in about thirty minutes. You’d better finish packing.”

She went inside, and Mrs. Edwards looked up and smiled. “How is the poor fellow?”

“Burned himself badly on a small patch of his arm, but he’ll be all right,” Julie said. She went to sit beside her friend. Mrs. Edwards had silver hair, but her cheeks were still smooth and her gray eyes bright and focused. “We’re almost at San Antonio.”

Mrs. Edwards took Julie’s hands in hers.

“Listen. I know that you’re excited about this new adventure, but should this Andrew Carter fellow turn out to be anything but what he said he is, you can come and stay with me.

I have a lovely house, courtesy of my late husband.

You can stay in my spare room and keep an old lady company. ”

Julie was touched.

“Thank you,” she said. “I will keep that in mind. I’m sure it will be fine though.”

“Are you?” Mrs. Edwards asked, frowning with concern.

“Only, he hasn’t told you much in those letters.

They’ve been anemic when it comes to details.

What does he do for a living? Why is he starting a town?

What does he expect of you? Why is he insisting that you get married right away?

Surely a little time to get to know one another would be prudent.

I think you should stand your ground and demand to know everything before you leave the city.

And for heaven’s sake, don’t marry the man until he agrees to respect your space and allow you to acclimatize in your own time.

It’s the least he can do, rushing you so. ”

“You make it all sound so contractual,” Julie said, a little shocked.

Mrs. Edwards looked at her kindly. “Take it from an old woman who has had two husbands. They work well when you let them know that you won’t be taking any of their nonsense. And as far as household bliss goes, the adage, ‘happy wife, happy life,’ applies.”

Julie chuckled.

Mrs. Edwards sighed. “I do wish you would stay with me, even for a few days, while this Andrew fellow explains everything he’s been so secretive about.”