Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Two weeks had passed since Doris’s attack on Emily. Since the first night, she’d remained subdued. She didn’t pound the walls at night, but went to bed without any questions.
All they had to do was watch her for a few more days. The little house was almost done.
Ben and Rory took turns every day, watching Doris and keeping Emily safe. Today it was Ben’s turn to stay with the women while they did their chores.
Emily couldn’t wait for the companion to arrive for Doris. Ben took Maggie Black’s advice and advertised for one in the same publications where Maggie advertised for brides—basically all the big papers back east.
They’d gotten a response from a Miss Alexandra Grayson. She had experience caring for an older woman and sounded like a good match for Doris.
“I’ll be right back. Are you all right with Mother for a moment?”
Emily looked over at Doris who was loading a basket with clothes to go outside and hang on the clothesline.
“I’m fine. I’m all healed and she’s been acting normally for a couple of weeks now.”
“Okay.”
Ben turned and walked outside.
Emily returned to cutting the chicken for soup. She finished with the meat, put the cleaver aside and took the cutting board full of meat to the stove and it in the waiting stock pot.
She heard a step behind her, turned and saw Doris with the cleaver.
She slashed at Emily.
Emily, her hands on the pot of chicken and vegetables, turned, threw the pot and ran to the sink.
“Doris, you crazy bitch. What is wrong with you now?”
Doris ducked and swung the cleaver wildly, skimming Emily’s shoulder.
Emily screamed, turned and shoved Doris with all her might.
Her mother-in-law lost her balance in the chicken and vegetables spreading across the floor. She slammed into the hot stove, hitting her head and bouncing backward onto the floor. The woman landed on her back, a large, bloody gash across her forehead.
She lay still. Not moving.
Emily went to her mother-in-law and dropped to her knees next to the unresponsive woman, taking the cleaver still gripped in her hand and shoving it across the floor out of reach.
Blood ran down Emily’s arm, over her fingers, and mingled on the floor with the blood from Doris’s head wound.
“Doris. Doris. Don’t die on me. Please. I never wanted you dead.”
Ben will hate me. He’ll hate me. He’ll think this is my fault. I didn’t do this. It wasn’t my fault.
Emily got up and ran out the back door, headed she didn’t know where, just away from the blood.
Ben returned from the ice house with a large block for the icebox. When he entered the kitchen, he saw his mother on the floor amidst a mess of vegetables and chicken. Emily was nowhere in sight. And blood. Lots of blood.
He let go of the ice and ran to his mother. Ben dropped to his knees and checked her but found no heartbeat. He looked around the kitchen for some clue as to Emily’s location and saw the blood on the door. He ran out and looked down at the ground. Blood. Emily was bleeding she’d been wounded again.
Why did I leave her alone, even for a moment. I was supposed to protect her. What kind of husband am I?
Ben followed the blood to the barn, to Champagne’s stall.
Emily sat in the corner, Snowflake laid beside her, his white coat stained red where Emily held him. The two horses had probably been skittish because of the scent of blood, but Emily must have talked softly to them and they settled, letting her in.
She looked up at Ben, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Ben, I’m sorry. Her death was an accident. Please don’t hate me. It was an accident.”
He squatted in front of her. Seeing her injury, he closed his eyes and felt only anger at himself. She was injured because of him.
Emily pressed her back into the side of the stall.
“Please it was an accident. She hit me with the cleaver; I threw the pot at her and then shoved her. She hit her head on the stove…an…and I’m sorry. But she was trying to kill me. Please believe me.”
She cried harder and took great gulps of air.
Ben stood and put out his hand to her.
She took it.
He helped her stand and then wrapped her in his arms.
“Shhh. I saw the mess in the kitchen. I believe you. It wasn’t your fault. I know that. It was mine. I never should have left you, even for a moment.”
“I…I…I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry for protecting yourself.” He thought of his mother and her losing her mind the way she had. “This was probably a better way for her to go than living with her mind degrading a little more each day.”
Emily hugged Ben tightly and cried into his shirt.
“Come now, this upset isn’t good for you or the baby. Shh.”
Her tears slowed and soon she was just sniffling.
They began to walk back to the house.
“What do we do now?”
“Rory and I will take her body up to her bedroom. We have to get doc and the sheriff. Then I’ll take her to the undertaker”
Emily’s tears started again.
“Sh…sheriff?”
“It’s a formality. I have to let him know what happened. He already knew that mother was losing her mind and attacked you once. He may want to know in your own words what happened.”
“What about Doc? Why does he have to see her?”
“I want Doc to check you out and take care of your arm. I’m not sewing you up again.”
He shook his head and let out a long breath.
“The procedure is too hard on me. At least the cut doesn’t appear as deep as last time. And I want him to give you something to help you relax. We don’t have any more laudanum or I’d give you a few drops in some water.”
After they’d moved Doris’s body, Rory rode to town to get the sheriff and the doctor.
Ben cringed as he wrapped the wound on Emily’s shoulder and then he had her sit in the parlor with a cup of tea. How would she ever forgive him for putting her in danger. He should have built the damn house after the first incident with his mother, but he hadn’t…she was his mother.
“I want you to try to relax. The doctor will be here soon. In the meantime, rest.”
She nodded.
Emily had stopped crying; now her eyes were red and puffy. He didn’t like the hollow look there either. Ben knew killing anyone was traumatic but when it was your mother-in-law the aftermath was even more so.
When he got her settled with a cup of tea, he went back to the kitchen and cleaned up the mess, including all the blood. By the time the sheriff, the doctor and the undertaker arrived, he was done and sitting on the sofa with his arm around Emily.
Sheriff Wayburn entered the parlor, removed his hat and took a seat in one of the Queen Anne chairs.
“Why don’t you tell me what happened, Emily?”
She recalled for the sheriff all that had occurred. He made notes on a small pad with a pencil.
“Will you hang me?”
Sheriff Wayburn smiled. “No, I won’t even arrest you because you were protecting yourself. You’re allowed to do that, Emily. We’re all allowed to protect ourselves from harm.”
She nodded, clasped her hands in her lap, and gazed down at them.
Robert looked up at Ben, lifted an eyebrow and shook his head.
“This is a terrible situation, but Ben is here and will help you through this. You’ll help each other.”
Ben wondered if he could help her. He sure hadn’t protected her.
“Thanks for coming out, Robert.”
The sheriff put on his hat. “You’re welcome. I’ll see myself out. Rory is helping the undertaker. You just take care of Emily.”
“Will do.”
The doctor came in as the sheriff left.
“Let me see your wound, young lady.”
Emily scooted forward on the sofa and turned toward Doc who sat on the coffee table in front of her.
Ben would you close the door to the parlor so we have privacy, please.”
“Ben’s not leaving. Please let him stay.”
Emily’s movements were jerky but she managed to grab Ben’s arm.
“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. I’ll be right here. Let me close the door and then I’ll be right back.”
He returned to her side as the doctor took the bandage off her shoulder.
“This looks like it was a glancing blow. The wound isn’t too deep. About ten stitches will close this with no problem. I see you have another scar on this arm. It looks fairly recent.”
“Yes, Doris attacked me a few weeks ago. Ben sewed me up, but he didn’t want to do the chore again.”
“That’s right, Doc. Once was enough. I had to get her drunk last time and as entertaining as that was, I’d rather not do it again.”
“Well,” said Doc Martin. “I hope you still have that whiskey, because I want her to drink a lot of it, so these stitches don’t hurt as much.”
“I have news for you two,” said Emily. “The whiskey doesn’t block the pain; you just don’t give a darn about it.”
“That’s good enough,” said Doc. “Get me that liquor.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ben went to the kitchen and returned with the bottle of caramel brown liquid. He handed it and a glass to the doctor.
After drinking half a glass full of whiskey, Emily was ready and the doctor stitched her up. Instead of being talkative like she was last time, she sat quietly and cried.
Ben would rather have had her berate him for not loving her.
“What about the pain, Doc? Can she take laudanum with her expecting and all?” I never should have given it to her. What if I harmed the baby?
“I’d prefer she have white willow bark tea if she needs something for pain.”
“All right,” Ben patted her hand. “I’ll make sure we have some on hand.”
Emily looked at Doc.
“I’m tired. Can I go to bed now?”
Doc nodded.
“That would be the best thing. You’ve had severe injuries just weeks apart and need to rest. I’m sure you probably didn’t last time but…
” he looked over the top of his spectacles at Ben.
“You see that she gets plenty of rest. I want her and that baby to take it easy for a few days. No cooking, no laundry, no nothing. Can you manage that?”
“Yes, sir, I can. I’ll make sure she gets well.”
I should have forced her to rest last time. Doc says three days of rest for this injury and it’s not as bad as the last. I let her go right back to work last time. I’m a terrible husband. I wouldn’t blame her if she stopped loving me.
“Good.” Doc dug around in his medical bag and retrieved four packets of brown paper. “I’ve got enough willow bark tea for four cups, but you should send someone to town now, if you don’t have any. If you have to give her laudanum, no more than two drops in half a glass of water.”
“Yes, sir.”
Doc turned to Emily.
“All right now that I’ve got you bandaged up, you can put your blouse back on.
I’m speaking to both of you now. Keep the bandage and the wound clean.
You can put petroleum jelly on it if the stitches start to itch, but otherwise just make sure the injury stays clean and dry.
Change the bandage every third day. Come in to see me in ten days, and I’ll take out the stitches. ”
“Ben can do that. He did the last time.”
Doc snapped his case shut.
“I want to see your progress for myself; you’ll have to forgive me for being old-fashioned that way.”
“Okay, Doc. We’ll be there,” said Ben.
Emily stood up, swayed a little, and then steadied herself with a hand to the back of a chair.
“Whatever you say, Doc. I’m heading upstairs.”
Ben put a hand on her shoulder.
“Wait and I’ll go with you.”
She shook off his hand.
“I know the way on my own.”
Emily walked out of the parlor.
Ben watched her go, wondering if he should follow or leave her alone.
“What’s the matter with her Doc? She’s so sullen and acts like nothing matters.”
“Maybe that’s the way she feels. Taking someone’s life, even by accident and for good reason, is a very traumatic thing to have to do.
Give her some time, but not too long. I don’t want her drowning in her own tears, over this thing.
Doris was a hard woman to like, but even so she was your mother and I’m sure Emily wonders how you will act toward her now.
Just reassure her that you still love her and all will be well. ”
His shoulders slumped and he ran his hand through his hair. “But I can’t. I don’t know how to love, not after Melissa. I won’t be put in the position I was with her again.”
“Then you’re a bigger fool than I thought you were. I thought you’d lost your mind when you wanted to marry that Mills woman, despite her money. But then she jilted you and I rejoiced. Then you found Emily through Matchmaker & Co and I thought you’d struck gold. She’s kind, generous and beautiful.”
Doc picked up his bag and headed to the door, then stopped and turned back toward Ben.
“You don’t know how lucky you are to get that combination.
I would have said that she loved you up until today.
I don’t know what you’ve done to that girl, but you better apologize and get things back to normal right quick before you lose the best thing to happen to you.
Most of us don’t get second chances, son, take advantage of what you’ve been given. ”
Ben stood.
“Yes, sir. I’ll think on it.”
“You do that, son. You do that. And while you’re at it think about what life would be like if she was gone, because if you keep going the way you are, you’ll lose her for sure.”