Chapter Three
It was early the next morning when the train pulled into the station in Boston. Michaela had fallen asleep in her seat and was curled up with her shawl wrapped tightly around her. She felt something else lying on her, however, and she looked over to see Sully sleeping in his seat without his suit coat. She realized it was draped over her, and she couldn't help but smile. He had apparently put it over her after she'd fallen asleep.
His azure eyes opened when he sensed her staring at him. She blushed and looked toward the window as she sat up.
"We're here," she said with a smile.
"Here?" he asked groggily. She nodded and took a deep breath.
"Home." Sully sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"What time is it?" Michaela pulled her pocket watch from her medical bag.
"It's nine," she replied. She felt the final jostle of the train as the engineer scooted it into place. She watched as folks hurried past the gates to await their entrance onto the train. It was amazing how alike Boston and New York City were. They were both so busy, and it seemed there was never a slow moment. Michaela usually didn't mind, but there were times when she would want to stop and catch her breath, but she would be pushed forward by the mainstream.
Michaela stood, and she started to move out of the compartment, but the train gave one more shudder, sending her stumbling back. She called out, but she felt two strong arms holding her up. She swallowed hard and looked up into his blue eyes as he held her up.
"You okay?" he asked, still holding onto her.
"Yes. Thank you." Sully nodded, but he didn't let go of her. She felt her skin growing warm under his touch. One arm was wrapped around her waist while the other was just under her knees. Her arm had swung around to drape across his shoulders, and they were both feeling the tension now. Michaela smiled a little. "I think I'm safe now, Sully." Sully nodded and let her down gently. He handed her the medical bag and followed her out of the compartment and toward the exit of the train.
Josef was waiting on the platform, and one of the conductors already had their luggage ready to haul to a carriage. Josef smiled when he saw his daughter and Mr. Sully.
"I see you two made it," he joked. Michaela smiled at her father's joke. Sometimes he had the worst ones, but he tried. Sully chuckled though, and Michaela found it sweet. She couldn't help but notice people staring at Sully. It angered her to some point, because he was dressed in their fashion and looked like one of them. The only difference was his long hair mixed with the short beard that gave him more of a rugged look. She shook her head and pretended not to notice their rude stares and whispers to one another. Sully noticed though.
He was surprised when Michaela slipped her arm through his. He looked down at her, but she was looking straight forward, following her father and the conductor.
"Keep up," the conductor called to them. "This train departs in ten minutes, and I'm on it!" They hurried out of the train station and toward the street. Luckily, a carriage was just dropping a family off. The conductor caught the driver's attention, and the man waited.
"Thank you," Josef said, tipping the conductor after he put the luggage in the trunk of the carriage. The man nodded, tipped his hat and started off toward the train. Sully was about to help Michaela up into the carriage, but he saw her stopping and looking up, taking in everything around her as Josef climbed in. Sully's hand instinctively moved to the small of Michaela's back, and she felt her heart skip a beat at his touch. She turned to him, looking up at him. His eyes stared into hers, and he quickly looked away. He felt like a fool, but he couldn't help it. Being near Michaela and smelling her sweet perfume seemed to stir feelings in him that he never knew existed. Now he was blushing. Thank God for the beard to mask most of the rouge that crept up his neck and into his cheeks.
"Ready to go?" he asked her with a sheepish smile. Michaela blinked in response, and he nodded toward the carriage. He boosted her up, and she sat beside her father this time. Sully took a seat across from them, and he cast a glance at Michaela. She was rummaging through her medical bag, trying to keep her mind on something other than Sully.
"Beacon Hill," Josef instructed the driver. The carriage started off, and Josef looked at Michaela.
"Mike? What's the emergency?"
"What?" she asked, looking up from her task.
"You're looking through that medical bag in an awful big hurry."
"Oh," Michaela replied with a nervous laugh. She glanced at Sully, and his eyes locked on hers. She quickly looked away, and Josef smiled knowingly to himself. Sully decided to speak up and break the silence.
"Dr. Quinn, are you sure your wife won't mind me stayin'?" Josef had a twinkle in his eyes.
"Please, call me Josef," he said with a warm tone to his voice. "If there's one thing I know about my Lizzie, it's that she's a stubborn woman. She likes to get what she wants and when she wants, but she certainly will not refuse a guest." Michaela looked at her father.
"Perhaps we should have told her," she said, her hands gripping her medical bag. Sully noticed this. What was she so worried about? This had been her idea in the first place. If she was having second thoughts, Sully figured that it might be best for him to go back to New York.
"I don't wanna be a burden," Sully spoke up. Michaela quickly turned her attention to him.
"Oh, I didn't mean it to sound that way, Sully. Mother is just rather set in her ways." The wind began to pick up, and snow began to fall down on the carriage. Michaela shivered and pulled her shawl snugly around her shoulders. Sully looked up at the beautiful buildings. The architecture was magnificent for some buildings, but something about the place didn't feel like home to him. Honestly, he'd rather be somewhere less busy and less populated.
"What do you think of Boston, son?" Josef asked, pulling out his pipe and lighting a match. Michaela shook her head. She hated when her father smoked that thing, but he too was set in his ways, and he wasn't going to stop enjoying his pipe once a day.
"It's 'bout as busy as New York," he said, not wanting to flat out say he didn't really care for it. Michaela sensed the tone in his voice, however, and she knew that he wasn't very comfortable. She hoped he would grow to love the town long enough to pick himself up and start a life.
It wasn't long before the carriage was turning toward Beacon Hill. Josef gave the driver directions to the Quinn house, and Sully noticed Michaela tense up again. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he knew it wasn't the time, especially with Josef in the carriage with them. He noticed by her stiff posture and the way her lips were set in a firm, rigid line that home wasn't the happiest place on earth for Michaela Quinn. He noticed a look in her eyes, and he was trying to figure out exactly what it was. It wasn't quite fear or dread. It was more like a look of exhaustion, when just the night before, she had a fire in her eyes that he couldn't explain. Did she dislike being home that much?
"Ah, here we are," Josef said with a pleased smile as the carriage stopped in front of a beautiful three-story brick town house. It caught Sully's eye right away, and he noticed how it was the prettiest house on the street. The walkway was adorned with holiday pine garlands, and the house seemed to have a rather welcoming feel, and this was the first time he'd felt welcome since he'd arrived. Josef climbed out of the carriage first to pay the driver, and Sully looked at Michaela nervously. Her tense exterior broke for a moment, and she gave him a reassuring smile. She gently touched his arm.
"Sully, everything is going to be alright." For a moment, he wondered if that was a warning, and he felt the butterflies doing flip-flops in his stomach. Nevertheless, he stepped out of the carriage and held his arms out to Michaela. She bent down and rested her hands on his shoulders. His hands encircled her tiny waist and lifted her out into the cold pavement. When her feet touched the ground, her eyes met his, and they stood that way for several moments. His hands were almost touching her hips, and she was oblivious to the fact that her hands were now resting on his muscular chest.
Feeling his hands on her this time seemed even more intimate than when he'd caught her on the train. They were standing so close, and his cold hands felt surprisingly warm to her. She felt her body heat rising from the smallest touch, and she silently reprimanded herself for letting her body do this to her. There was no stopping it, but she scolded herself anyhow.
Sully saw something flicker in Michaela's eyes. What was it? Desire? Longing? Fear? No. It wasn't fear. He saw millions of thoughts flash before her eyes, and the final result was her eyes clouding over and her cheeks growing crimson.
"Shall we?" Josef asked as he handed the last bill to the carriage driver. His voice reeled them both back into reality, and they pulled away from one another just as Josef turned around. Michaela smoothed out her skirt and nodded. She cast Sully another glance, making note of the smile that had caressed his lips. She knew that being near Sully was having this effect on her, so she quickly moved to link her arm through her father's, and they started up the path to the front door. Sully followed behind, taking in the sights around him.
As the door opened, a butler clad in a suit nearly as fancy as his stepped into view.
"Welcome home, Master and Dr. Quinn," he said with a cheerful smile. That was his way of showing respect to both the master of the house and Michaela. He had supported her as well, though as a butler, he always kept quiet.
"Thank you, Harrison," Michaela and Josef said in almost perfect unison, as if they did this every day of their lives. Come to think of it, they did! Sully stepped into the large home behind them, and the first thing he thought of was that he was stepping onto the stage of a play. The characters were already set. The butler was at the door, the housemaid was dusting the foyer table. The chandelier made a slight tinkling sound overhead from the breeze outside. The staircase wound up to the second and third floors, and the soft sound of piano music was heard coming from the parlor.
He looked up to see a brilliant mural positioned on the wall at the top of the landing. It seemed to speak wonders about the artist with the bright colors hidden underneath the dark. Somehow, he thought of Michaela. Inside of that quiet and proper exterior was a freeborn and exciting soul waiting to get out. She wanted to burst through and forget about propriety and everything she'd been taught about Boston society. He could see that fire in her eyes, and he didn't think it would be possible for anything to take it away.
"Elizabeth?" Josef called out. The piano music stopped, and everyone turned to see an older woman walk out from the parlor. She was about Michaela's height but much more plump, and she had eyes that seemed to be able to cut through glass. She had a sweet smile, but something about her told Sully he needed to watch his step!
"That's mother," Michaela whispered into his ear. He shivered at the feel of her breath on his ear, and he cleared his throat.
"Elizabeth," Josef said with a smile, moving toward his wife. He gave her a simple kiss upon the cheek, and she embraced him.
"Welcome home," she said, putting on her best smile for a good first impression, Michaela knew. She moved to hug her daughter and finally turned to Sully. "Elizabeth Quinn." She extended her hand to him. Michaela felt her heart beating a mile a minute, fearing that her mother might scare him away.
"Byron Sully," he replied, putting an emphasis on his last name, hoping Mrs. Quinn wouldn't insist on calling him Byron.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Sully," Elizabeth said with a smile, seeming to look past his un-shaven face and his long hair. She glanced between her daughter and Sully, and she gave them both a warm smile. Judging by the look of his attire, Mr. Sully seemed to be an upstanding citizen, probably from New York. Perhaps he was a doctor too. She really didn't mind what he was, but she knew he looked wealthy, and he looked good next to her daughter!
"Mr. Sully is from New York, mother," Michaela said, starting to place her hand on Sully's arm but thinking twice and stepping farther away from him.
"He'll be staying with us for a while, Lizzie, until he's ready to move on," Josef said, kissing his wife's cheek. Elizabeth looked at her husband, and she noticed how proud he looked when he saw his daughter and Mr. Sully. Perhaps Mr. Sully would be like the son that Josef never had. She certainly couldn't deny him of that relationship. Elizabeth nodded.
"I hope your trip was comfortable, Mr. Sully."
"It was, ma'am. Thank you," he said quietly. Michaela looked at her father, and he simply gave her the "don't worry, I'll take care of your mother" look.
"Harrison, why don't you take Mr. Sully up to the first guest room?" Elizabeth asked. Sully looked at Michaela.
"How many guest rooms do ya have?" he whispered. She smiled a little.
"Four," she whispered back. "I can assure you that the first one is much larger. Mother likes you."
"Your luggage, sir?" Harrison asked, picking up the suitcase Sully had brought in with him.
"Thanks," Sully said quietly.
"Please, follow Harrison up the stairs, Mr. Sully. I'm sure you'll find your room accommodating." Sully nodded, and Michaela watched as he followed the butler away. Elizabeth immediately looped her arm through her daughter's as Josef went to help Sully settle in. Michaela was surprised. Her mother never paid her this much attention. She had given up on that years ago.
"Mother?" Michaela asked curiously as Elizabeth led her into the parlor.
"Is there anything you want to tell me, Michaela?" Michaela furrowed her brows.
"No," she said slowly. "Should there be?" Elizabeth let go of her daughter's arm and turned to face her.
"About Mr. Sully?" Michaela's cheeks felt hot at just the mention of his name. She swallowed hard, angry with herself for feeling this way. She wasn't supposed to feel like this about Sully. She was his doctor, for crying out loud. Well, she was until he wasn't ill anymore, but she still felt that they should maintain a doctor/patient relationship and even a friendship. Anything beyond that would be, well, it just couldn't be.
"What about Mr. Sully?" Elizabeth sighed.
"Honestly, Michaela. If you would just open up to me once in awhile, would it be so bad?" Michaela closed her eyes momentarily and took a deep breath. When she mustered up the strength to open them again, Elizabeth was still staring at her, waiting for some answers.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Mother." Elizabeth shook her head.
"I'm talking about Mr. Sully. Oh, Michaela, I'm so happy you met someone." Michaela's eyes went wide.
"What!"
"Michaela, I've seen the way you look at him." Michaela shook her head.
"Mother, please. We're merely friends. I'm not even sure . . ."
"Friends?" Elizabeth asked. She decided to let the issues rest for a while. "When you're ready to talk about it, I'll be here." She left the room, and Michaela was too stunned to move for a moment, and when she finally regained the feeling in her legs, she rushed upstairs toward her room to unpack.
Elizabeth met Josef in the foyer just as he was coming down the stairs. Elizabeth had a look in her eye, and Josef knew she had something on her mind.
"Elizabeth?" he asked as he met her on the marble floor.
"Mr. Sully seems like a very nice gentleman," Elizabeth said with a smile.
"He is. He's a good man,"
"How old is he?" Elizabeth asked as she put her arm through her husband's and strolled down the hall. "He doesn't appear to be much older than Michaela."
"He's actually just two years younger than Mike, I believe. Twenty three." Elizabeth nodded.
"Well, she's not getting any younger, so I suppose marrying a man older than her just wouldn't suffice."
"What?" Josef jumped in.
"How do you think Mr. Sully would like to call on Michaela?" She looked at him with hope in her eyes. Josef knew she knew nothing about Sully, and when she did learn exactly who he was, she wouldn't approve. He wouldn't mind them courting, however, but he knew that when Elizabeth Quinn had her mind set about someone, it was hard to change it.
"I don't think that's anyone's decision to make but Mr. Sully's," Josef replied casually. Elizabeth frowned.
"What if he were nudged into making that decision? You don't think Michaela would begrudge it, do you?"
"I most certainly will not have this conversation with you, Lizzie. I know where it's going. Michaela will find a husband someday if it's her destiny. If she and Mr. Sully do begin a courtship, I'd be a very happy man, but I would rather not interfere."
"Oh, Josef, won't you just ask Mr. Sully of his intentions?"
"What intentions? I haven't any cause to believe he has any intentions," he lied. Elizabeth sighed. "Elizabeth, I think you and I need to have a talk."
"A talk? What for?"
"Don't worry about it right now. We'll talk after supper." He gave his wife a pat on the hand, and they continued to stroll and catch up on the past month's events and gossip.
Michaela had to get her mind off of her mother's words from earlier. She had nothing to do, and after scribbling about in her diary, the diary she'd hidden under lock and key in her bedside table, for a little while, she decided she needed to get some air. She kept seeing Sully's azure eyes in her mind, and she couldn't stop thinking about the way it felt when his hands were on her waist. She felt silly, but her heart was happy. She couldn't control the way her pulse pounded when he was near or the way her stomach felt jumpy and giddy when he said her name.
Michaela found herself smiling as she thought of him, and she shook her head. She started out of her room and down the hall, but when she passed by the first guest room, she realized that she had slowed down a little. She closed her eyes and tried to convince herself to ignore the growing attraction to Sully that she was feeling as each day…each hour…each minute passed.
Before Michaela could walk away, Sully opened the door and was just as startled to see Michaela as she was to see him. He was standing bare-chested in the doorway, wearing nothing but his suit pants. His chest was damp, and he had a cloth in his hand.
"I heard somebody stirrin' out here, but I figured it was Harrison," Sully said quickly. Michaela tried to focus on anything but his chest. Her eyes moved to his eyes, and she knew that was a bad idea. She looked past his shoulder into the room, and Sully tried to search her eyes with his. "Somethin' wrong?"
"No. I uh, I was checking to see if you needed anything." Sully smiled a little, sensing that she was making an excuse.
"I'm fine," he replied. "Everything okay?"
"Yes," she promised with a nod. Sully nodded and watched as Michaela turned her head and looked down the hall.
"Well, I'm gonna go finish getting ready for dinner."
"Okay, good," she said with a nervous nod. Sully knew she was uncomfortable, and as much as he hated her to feel that way, he kind of enjoyed watching her squirm nervously.
"I'll see ya then." Sully shut the door and leaned against it. He swallowed hard and placed his hand over his chest. Something about that woman seemed to put an extra beat in there, a rhythm all of its own.
Michaela leaned against the other side of the door. She was fighting her heart already. She couldn't be falling for this man. She couldn't! He was handsome, kind and charming, yes, but anything more than friendship wasn't allowed to happen. She couldn't let it. She would just have to keep fighting until those feelings disappeared. She had made her decision. That was what she was going to do.
Late that night, Michaela woke to the sound of arguing, and she pulled herself out of bed. She wasn't used to people arguing in her home. Of course, her mother bickered with her father, but it was never pushed toward full-fledged yelling.
It had been a long evening anyway, and Michaela had been looking forward to sleeping in her own bed. She'd been grateful for nighttime to roll around, because dinner had been painfully awkward. They'd dined together without her four sisters, and as soon as Sully came to dinner, Michaela's stomach turned flip-flops, and she could barely concentrate on her food.
She and Josef had been talking about a case they had been working on together before they left for New York. As usual, Elizabeth was trying to pretendto be interested, but the look of annoyance and boredom in her eyes and the lines of her face could not be hidden.
Sully had come to dinner in one of his new suits, and Michaela had been quite surprised that he'd shaved off the stubble on his face. His hair was neatly combed, and he looked like a brand new man, but just as handsome as before. Michaela had started to feel that now familiar fluttering in her stomach, and she had felt her skin begin to tingle as he sat down across from her.
Elizabeth and Josef had joined Sully in conversation throughout the entire dinner. Michaela had said nothing, and that had not gone unnoticed to Sully. She had started to feel tired and had excused herself early, and she only hoped that she'd be able to sleep that night without thinking about anything but work. She had a busy week ahead of her, and the more sleep she could get the better. She needed to focus, and that was becoming increasingly more difficult.
Now, however, she was woken from her sleep, and she began to stumble toward the door in a half-daze. She crept out into the hallway, still only hearing the mumbled shouts through the walls of her parents' room down the hall. She crept all the way down through the darkness, being careful not to step on a creaky floorboard.
By the time she found her way to the end of the hall, her skin was feeling clammy, and her heart was racing. She hated when her parents argued, but she'd never heard them like this before. This was worse than it had ever been.
By now, Josef and Elizabeth's argument was in a hushed tone, but there was still audible anger. She pressed her ear against the door and waited.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Elizabeth asked, her voice trembling with anger. They'd obviously be going at this for quite some time. Josef let out a loud sigh of exasperation.
"I didn't see why it mattered, Elizabeth." This wasn't good. Every time he called her Elizabeth in an argument, it wasn't a good sign! It was a sign that he wouldn't be giving up anytime soon. Michaela knew she received her own stubbornness from both of her parents, but mostly from her father.
"You didn't see? Josef! That man is not fit to sleep between the sheets in that guest room! He's practically a beggar!"
"Hold your tongue, Elizabeth Quinn," Josef said quietly. "That man is a good man. He didn't want to come, but we insisted. Do you hear me? He's insisting on paying us back for the use of our house, so I insist that you be kind to him and treat him as you did before you found out about his…his situation."
"I will not. I will not have anything to do with him, Josef. It's not proper for him to be here. Why, he could have brought some disease from the filth he lived in into our home. Why, what if he tries to take advantage of Michaela?" Michaela felt sick to her stomach now. She didn't want to hear anymore, but her feet wouldn't move from their place just outside of Josef and Elizabeth's door. "I don't trust him."
"Oh, Elizabeth," Josef whispered quietly. "What's happened to you?"
"What's happened to me? What's happened to you? You're soft, Josef Quinn. You've always been, but now you're bringing complete strangers into our home without any regard to our safety! What kind of example are you setting for Michaela?"
"Michaela is a grown woman!" Josef jumped in. "She's nearly twenty-six years old, and she can make up her own mind about these things. And if you must know, bringing Mr. Sully here was what Michaela asked for."
"I'm not surprised. That girl doesn't have a good sense about her."
"You don't know her as well as you think you do." Michaela heard Josef's footsteps coming toward the door, so she rushed away with tears in her eyes. Hearing her parents say things like that to one another was quite a shocking experience!
She turned the corner toward her room and leaned against the wall in the darkness. She heard Josef leave the room, shut the door firmly behind himself and start down the stairs. She felt horrible for both of her parents. If it hadn't been for her, they wouldn't have been fighting. But then again, if it hadn't been for her, Sully never would have been brought into her life. On the other hand, she couldn't help but feel that maybe that would be a good thing. Otherwise, she wouldn't have to fight her feelings. She wasn't fighting them because of who Sully was. She was fighting them because she hated to feel that she wasn't in control of her emotions. Maybe she had a lesson or two to learn about love!
She was just turning to go back to her room when she heard a noise behind her. She peered into the darkness, but she saw nothing. Just as she was moving toward her room, she felt something grab her. She was about to scream out when she smelled the familiar scent of aftershave she'd sensed during dinner.
"Sully?"
"Michaela?" He let go of her, and she was left in silence.
"Sully?" she called out again. A moment later, a match was struck, and Sully was lighting an oil lantern. He held it up and peered out at her.
"What are ya doin' out here?" he asked. "I thought you were a burglar."
"No, I was just," she stammered. "I couldn't sleep." She swallowed hard and looked up into his face. The firelight sparkled in his eyes.
"You too?"
"My parents didn't keep you up did they?" she asked nervously, wringing her hands together. "They were just talking, and . . ."
"What? No, I ain't heard anything all night. I've been too busy readin' to really pay attention to anything else."
"Reading?" Michaela asked as if the concept was foreign. She knew she sounded like an idiot. "What were you reading?"
"Some of those old books. Fables mostly." Michaela smiled happily.
"I read those," she said softly. Sully knew. Something about the way those books were taken care of with great love told him that they were Michaela's.
"Ya don't mind me readin' 'em do you?"
"Of course not. You're a guest here," she said with a smile. Michaela suddenly felt tired, and she yawned a little. Sully chuckled.
"Looks like ya won't have no problems goin' to sleep now." Michaela laughed a little. She shook her head and looked back up at Sully.
"I won't keep you," she said quietly. "Good night."
"G'nite," he replied. Michaela started to walk away. "Wait!" She turned, startled. He automatically felt guilty for making her jump.
"Hmm?" she asked shakily.
"Would you walk with me tomorrow?" She suddenly felt her heart being to pump faster, and her palms started to sweat.
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"Well, if I'm gonna be stayin' here for a while, I might as well get to know the place I'm livin' in." Michaela felt foolish again. For a moment, she had thought he was asking as a suitor and not as a friend.
"I'd like that," she said after a moment of consideration.
"Good," Sully replied.
"See you in the morning," Michaela said over her shoulder as she disappeared back toward her room, temporarily forgetting her parents' argument. Sully stared after her a moment longer.
"Good," he repeated with a smile, closing his door and retreating to his bed.
To Be Continued...
Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who has left feedback. You've all been wonderful and incredibly kind! I only hope you'll continue to enjoy the story! Thank you!