A/N: Guess who updated! (Yes, it's me) Aren't you all pleased?! It's a nice long one today! The next chapter will follow soon I promise! :) Thanks to everyone that reviewed! You have my love xx
p.s. SPOILER: Don't be tooooo mad at Becker! (and more importantly, don't be mad at me!) *cue innocent smile* :D
VII. Complications
Two weeks later, Claudia Brown was sick. Quite sick. She felt feverish, her nose was running (in a completely unlady-like fashion), her throat was sore and she was holed up in her room, in bed. All in all, she was not particularly happy.
As soon as her mother noticed that Claudia was off-colour, the woman had firstly sent for Abby, and then for the doctor. In that order. It was fair to say, that when Abby arrived, she was not pleased with her best friend's mother.
"Mrs Brown, you should have sent for the Doctor immediately!" she said quietly to the woman as she set her basket of bread on the tabletop and undid the ties of her bonnet before setting it on it's peg on the wall. "You heard what happened to the Martin family last Summer when they were afflicted with the flu and didn't call Dr Johns!"
The older Brown shook her head and held her hands out passively "But Abigail dear, that was Dr Johns! We know nothing of this new Doctor!" she tittered, "Nothing of his practices or his morals or-"
"Mrs Brown, none of your worries will mean anything if Claudia does not get the treatment she needs!" Abby said, and with a whirl of blue skirts she all but raced from the kitchen, "I will go and care for her now, bring the doctor to us immediately, as soon as he arrives, if you would. "
Abby breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the wood of Claudia's door and knocked, before turning the handle slowly. That had gone better than expected, she'd talked to her mother in such a manner on occasion, but she had not spoken to Claudia's like that ever (there were plenty of times she had wished to calm the worrisome woman down however, although many of those scenarios that played out involved acts of violence which were entirely improper for a woman of her standing).
"Claudia?" She said quietly, when she saw the figure on the bed. When the older woman weakly turned her head in her direction, Abby rushed to sit on the bed beside her, "I've had your mother call for the Doctor, he should be here any moment-"
"What on earth did you do that for?" Claudia grumbled from her place on the bed, as she shifted further under her quilt. "I am perfectly fine."
Abby looked at her friend dubiously, one golden eyebrow arching towards her hairline, "And I am going to run away to the Navy dressed as a man." she replied dryly, "No. Dr Cutter will be here in a moment and you will be all better in no time."
"Dr Cutter?" Claudia repeated faintly and Abby looked at the other woman out of the corner of her eye. For some reason she had an inkling there was more to the flush spreading across Claudia's cheeks than just her illness.
'Speak of the devil and he shall appear', or so the saying went. It seemed the little proverb was to remain true as a knock at the door announced Dr Cutter's entrance, another man in black attire behind him.
"Dr Cutter," Abby said with a worried smile as she quickly got to her feet. "It was good of you to come so quickly."
"Not at all, Miss Maitland." he replied quietly with his thick Scottish brogue, before turning to face Claudia (Whom Abby thought had almost begun to resemble a strawberry, and had buried herself further into her sheets), "Miss Brown, I am sorry to see you are not well."
What followed was an awkward shuffling of bodies. Claudia's bedroom was not meant to fit four bodies in it, as it was rather small. Abby turned to the task at hand and decided that the other tall man who had accompanied Dr Cutter must be the 'Mr Connor Temple' Claudia had told her about, and indeed, she had seen him several times at and after the Spring Fair.
For the first time though, she really looked at this 'Mr Temple'. His dark brown hair was cropped in a short, sensible style and his chocolate-brown eyes stared smilingly back at her.
"Mr Temple," Abby finally said, breaking the ice as Cutter talked to Claudia in low tones. Perhaps the younger man was simply shy she decided as she held out a hand to him, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
For a moment, it looked as though the young apprentice had been hit by a carriage or something of that sort as he simply stared at her for a moment, his mouth open and did not take her hand. It was another full three seconds or thereabouts before he blushed and took her hand in greeting.
"The pleasure is all mine Miss Abigail...uhhh Maitland!" he gasped, realising his slip of the tongue. "I am SO sorry, sometimes my mouth gets the better of me-"
Abby simply watched him as he continued to ramble, biting back a giggle. He was like a giant, overeager puppy really. It was almost quite...endearing...
"That is quite alright Mr Temple. I forgive you for your terrible mistake." Abby said gravely, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Oh bless him, she could see from the abashed look on his face he didn't realise she only joked with him. "I am only teasing Mr Temple."
The look of relief that flashed across his face was quickly replaced with one of delight. "Of course you were." he replied haltingly, "I knew that."
..oOo..
Dr Cutter felt Claudia Brown's forehead with the back of his hand, and frowned when he realised just how high her temperature was. "Your temperature is quite high Miss Brown," he said softly, pushing a sweat soaked curl back from her forehead, "How might you have contracted such a fever?"
Claudia blushed and looked up at the Doctor from beneath her lashes. "I...I don't know." she mumbled, "But I do recall Mrs Greene was coughing a few days ago in the General Store."
"Ahhhhhh," Cutter said, leaning back to sit straight beside her, a knowing glint in his eye. Claudia took the opportunity to look about the room and noticed an absence of Abby and a certain young Mr Temple she could have sworn was apprenticed to Dr Cutter. Claudia bit back a smile as she felt her mother's gaze watching her worriedly. "I had to see to Mrs Greene only yesterday. She also had a mild case of the flu."
Claudia blushed, "Oh." she said. That was logical.
Watching her with a small smile, Dr Cutter quickly got to his feet, turning to her mother, "Mrs Brown; Miss Brown should stay in bed and keep warm." He said, clipping his black bag shut, "Bring her soup and maybe some soft bread, but she should stay where she is for at least two, perhaps three days."
"Of course Doctor, would you and your apprentice stay for tea?" Mrs Brown asked politely, "Miss Maitland has only just gone downstairs to see to some."
Cutter smiled apologetically (although, Claudia somehow got the feeling he wouldn't particularly enjoy tea with her twittery mother for any matter) and shook his head, "We have several other patients to see." he said quickly, "I will just collect my apprentice and we shall be off."
"Oh of course!" her mother said nervously as he opened the door and she moved to follow him out. "As it should be Doctor!"
Just as Claudia thought he would leave without any passing words to her, Dr Cutter turned and smiled softly at her, the action finally reaching his eyes. "Good day to you, Miss Brown." he said looking her in the eye, "I shall return tomorrow."
"I look forward to it, Dr Cutter."
..oOo..
Miss Jessica Parker was more than happy, she was almost ecstatic. For the past two weeks, Captain Becker had been to Maloney House at least four times. The first time, he had reasoned that he thought it prudent to thank Lester and herself for their warm hospitality (although, Jess did recall that he had already done this) and ended staying for dinner. The second time, he stated that he wished to 'see if Miss Parker was well' as he 'had heard news in the village that she had been doing poorly'. The third and fourth time, he had said that he wished to ask for Lester's permission to hunt on the estate and had 'just been passing by' in turn.
Jess almost felt as if she were flying amongst the clouds, she couldn't have been happier. Well, actually, she could have...If Captain Becker joined Lester and herself for dinner. With that thought in mind, and a rustle of skirts, she went to her writing desk and immediately set to work penning the necessary letter.
Not ten minutes later she was interrupted by the sound of a footman opening the heavy doors to the parlour. Her pen poised in mid-air Jess immediately looked to the door, hoping to see a tall, uniformed man there.
"A Mr Stephen Hart to see you ma'am." The footman said, turning to the side to allow the younger man to walk past.
"Oh, thank you Briggs." she said the smile faltering momentarily with disappointment, before resuming it's sunny brightness. "Mr Hart, so lovely to see you."
"And you also Miss Parker." Stephen said inclining his head with a bow as he took her outstretched hand in greeting. "I hope I have not come at an inconvenient time."
Jess smiled sweetly at the dark-haired man, he was still quite the gentleman, (even if he was not entirely the gentleman she wished to see) "Of course not Mr Hart, I was only writing a letter." She replied, "May I enquire as to the reason for your visit?"
The man's demeanour changed slightly then, and he looked at his feet in what appeared to be embarrassment (although what he had to be embarrassed about she could not fathom). "Perhaps Miss Parker, we could take a turn about the garden as I tell you?" he said casting a glance out the window before training his eyes on her once more with a charming grin.
Honestly intrigued, Jess quickly affirmed her assent and together they made their way outside where the glow of the evening had begun to settle on the leaves.
..oOo..
Captain Becker watched the pair sitting on the bench beneath the willow in despair. The feeling was was worse than any caused by any battle wound small or great he had endured before. It felt as though his very heart had been ripped from his body. Still beating.
Jessica sat there looking at that man, Hart, and his anguish only deepened when the other man took her hand in his and she smiled shyly, looking down to where his large hand covered her small one.
It was then that he couldn't take it any more. He had walked the long road to Malonay House only to find the one person he wanted to see, apparently being courted by someone else. Quickly, before he was spotted, Becker turned on his heel and marched from the estate, fixing a plan in his mind to drink his sorrows away in some seedy tavern. That particular plan was scratched when he remembered that Primvale (as it was entirely prim) did not boast a 'seedy' tavern, only an entirely respectable Inn (much to his consternation).
It was then that Captain Becker let his temper take a hold of him. Angrily, he did the next best thing, and spun on his heel once more turning back towards Malonay House once more and stomping up the driveway.
Becker spotted her, still in the gardens but he was nowhere to be found. Jessica must have heard him coming (The Queen Herself probably heard him coming he was so furious) because she turned to face him, a look of pure delight
"I have no time for petty, childish games such as yours!" Becker snarled, harsher than he had intended, but the pain inside him pushed itself to the surface. "I wish to have no more to do with you!"
"Wha- Captain Becker?" Jess stammered, the blood draining from her cheeks in shock. He almost broke seeing the look of heartbreak that flashed across her face but he remained hardened like a rock, what did she have to be broken for any matter? "What are you talking about?"
"Do not play the innocent with me!" Becker hissed angrily, his eyes flashing. He had never spoken to a woman thus in his life, but he could not help it now. "Only the lowest kind of woman would pander to one man while courting another, and I know now that you are one of their ranks."
The force of the blow actually sent him staggering backwards, it was so unexpected. Becker stared at Jessica in shock, his cheek stinging from where she had slapped him.
"You...you...you-" Jessica Parker snarled at him, her face white and her eyes beginning to mist over with tears. Without another word, she turned and raced back to the house, her hands holding up her skirts to keep her from falling.
Captain Becker just stood there for a long time, watching the direction Jess had disappeared to. For not the first time in his young life, he cursed himself.
..oOo..
"Why Abby, I do believe you have quite your pick of them." Claudia smirked at her friend watching the two gentlemen walk away from the house from the bedroom window. The two men had left several moments ago, seen off by Mrs Brown and Abby, with a tip of their hats.
The blonde woman blushed, "I have no idea what you mean. But if you are suggesting that I will have to alter my 'pick' as you put of it, because of your infatuation with the elusive Dr Cutter, then you have no need to worry on my account."Abby replied snarkily, noting Claudia's answering scowl with a laugh. Nevertheless, her eyes continued to follow the Doctors down the road until they disappeared around a corner and out of sight.