Chapter 2 - Doctor Visit

The following afternoon, Doctor Helm was tidying up his office after a steady stream of patients throughout the day. There were days he could really use an assistant to deal with the minor injuries. He heard the door swing open (with no knock first-what was it with this town?). The doctor was surprised to see the blonde head of Vera Hidalgo peer around his door.

"Señora Hidalgo, please come in," he greeted the kind but meddlesome woman. She and señorita Alvarado were two of a kind-in more ways than one after last night, he thought. Apparently she'd raided the señorita's closet, as well. A white ruffled blouse bared her pale shoulders. Her wide, sunny yellow skirt was somehow spotless despite the ever present dust. If he didn't keep his sleeves rolled up, all his shirts would be quickly ruined by his work, and still everything he owned was constantly covered in dust.

"Oh, Doctor Helm," Vera began breathlessly. "I have felt so faint today." She fanned herself rapidly enough to make tendrils of hair float around her face.

"Please sit down, señora," the doctor replied, pulling out a chair for her. Vera sat daintily and continued to fan herself. "Do you feel overly warm?" he asked, pressing a hand to her forehead. She felt warm, but not feverish.

"Oh yes, doctor," she sighed. "And my heart is beating so fast."

Helm grabbed his stethoscope and saw Vera tugging the shoulders of her blouse down further. "That won't be necessary, señora." He put the stethoscope in his ears and placed the other end on Vera's chest, above the neckline of her blouse. As he suspected, he heard nothing out of the ordinary. He wanted to give Vera the benefit of the doubt, but it wasn't the first time she'd come to him with a fake illness.

"Your heart sounds perfectly healthy. When did these symptoms begin? Did you eat today?"

Vera spied an opportunity and ran with it. "Now that I think of it, I didn't have lunch today. You are so smart, doctor," she purred, running a hand up his bare forearm. "Perhaps you would join me for dinner."

Now Helm was certain Vera was flirting with him. Again, not the first time, but why now? He thought back to the fiesta, at seeing Grisham with Tessa Alvarado. Vera hid it well, but she must have been livid. Now it all made sense. Nothing would piss off Grisham more than seeing Vera with him.

"I know what you're doing," the doctor said as he calmly removed her hand from his arm. "You're upset with Grisham."

Vera didn't respond at first, but her narrowed eyes and clenched jaw said it all. "He said Montoya ordered him to marry Tessa."

Not much in this town shocked the doctor, but his jaw dropped at this news. "In God's name, why?" he exclaimed. "No, there's only one thing señorita Alvarado has that Montoya wants. Her land."

Vera nodded. "Poor Tessa is young and lonely. She has no husband to protect her." She quirked an eyebrow at the doctor.

"I tried to warn her," Helm protested. "She won't listen to me. Does she know about you and-"

"No!" Vera hissed, holding her hands up to make him stop. "How do you know?"

"It may be the worst-kept secret in Santa Elena." When Vera paled, he continued, "But I promise no one will hear it from me. The Queen convinced me you would be ruined if it got out."

"The Queen?" Vera cocked her head to one side. "Oh, now I get why you aren't interested in Tessa."

Helm had no response to that, so he changed the subject. "Señorita Alvarado is your friend. If you just tell her, she will stay away from Grisham."

"I can't," Vera sighed. "Tessa is sweet and pure. She wouldn't understand. She is my only friend here."

"Just think about what will happen to her if Montoya's plan succeeds."

Vera looked ashamed but suddenly brightened. "I know! You can tell the Queen of Swords. She will protect Tessa."

"I can't exactly write her a letter. I don't even know when I might see her."

Vera bit her cheek while she thought. "You could get arrested again. She always comes to save you."

"I am not going to get arrested on purpose," he said indignantly. "I spend far too much time there as it is."

Vera sighed. "You are not helping, doctor."

Helm was bordering on apoplectic. "I'm not? Look, if I see the Queen and have the opportunity to tell her, I will. But I strongly urge you to dissuade your friend from this folly."

"Your vocabulary is very good, doctor. If it weren't for the accent, I wouldn't know you were English at all," Vera said glibly.

Helm had finally had enough of this nonsense. "If that is all, I bid you good day, señora."

"It really is too bad you aren't interested in Tessa," she continued as if she hadn't heard him.

"Out!" he growled, pointing at the door.

"There's no need to be rude, doctor," Vera said as she got to her feet and smoothed out her skirts. "Adiós!" she bid him as she sashayed out the door.

Helm slumped at his desk and rested his head on his hands. "The women of this town are going to be the death of me," he muttered.

"Oh, the perils of being a single doctor," a voice quipped from elsewhere in the room.

The doctor groaned and looked up to see none other than the Queen of Swords leaning casually against the doorway to the back room. Her dark eyes sparkled with mirth beneath the black lace mask.

"I hope you're not including me in that statement," she added.

"You're the most likely candidate," he grumbled. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? You don't appear to be bleeding."

"Your concern is touching," she replied sarcastically. She crossed the room to perch on the desk in front of him. "Maybe I'm just here for a social visit."

"And maybe I'm the Prince of Wales," he said under his breath.

"What's that, doctor?" the Queen asked as if she hadn't heard him. When he didn't reply, she continued. "I was hoping you could help me with some information. I happened to see Vera Hidalgo leaving your office."

"I can't discuss my patients with you."

"I know that doctor. I would never ask." At his raised eyebrows, she amended, "Well, unless I had to."

Helm stood from his chair. Her close proximity was making him slightly uncomfortable. He started pacing the room just to have something to do.

"I heard a rumor about Capitán Grisham and Maria Teresa Alvarado."

Helm turned to look at her. "You were at the fiesta last night."

The Queen just shrugged, unwilling to answer. "Grisham is up to something, I know it. I was hoping you might know what that something is."

"You think he has other than honorable intentions toward señorita Alvarado?" he asked with mock incredulity. "Maybe he's just looking to settle down."

The Queen rolled her eyes and hopped down from the desk. "Don't be coy, doctor." She closed the distance between them. "You know exactly what's going on, don't you." She looked up into his green eyes and immediately regretted getting so close. She was starting to have trouble focusing on the information she'd come for.

Helm stared back silently for a moment. He started to reach out a hand, thought better of it, and let it fall to his side. He took a step back to clear his mind. "It's Montoya," he finally said, remembering her question. "He's using Grisham to acquire the Alvarado hacienda."

She came crashing back to the present at his words. "What? How?"

"Patriarchal society."

Her brows drew together for a moment as she pondered his meaning. "Grisham plans to marry...señorita Alvarado? And then what, have Grisham sell Montoya the land?"

"I would presume so."

"But why the Alvarado land?" She leaned back against the desk as she thought.

"Opportunity?" the doctor suggested. "Señorita Alvarado is a lone woman running a hacienda. She's a much easier target than the dons."

"There has to be something more than that." Finally it came to her. "What's the most precious commodity in a desert?"

"Water," he answered immediately. "And the Alvarado land has its own source, doesn't it?"

She nodded. "A freshwater spring."

"I tried to warn the señorita about Grisham, but she can be a bit stubborn."

She suppressed a smile and, before she could talk herself out of it, kissed Helm on the cheek. "Thank you, doctor." She hurried past him, and by the time he turned around, she was halfway out the door into the dim alley.

"You're welcome," he replied quietly to the empty room.