After a morning work briefing, James pulled out an envelope from his Jacket and said, "I found this letter addressed to miss Elizabeth Hawkins."
"It should have been mailed by now," Harry said anxiously.
"I was holding on to it."
"Why would you do that?" Harry asked.
"I know it's none of my business, but I am curious as to the contents of this letter considering you haven't written to her in a while."
"I'm letting her know that I can't marry her."
"That's exactly what I was afraid of," James said.
"Why?"
"You see, Mr. Hawkins now knows that you are having an affair with Anna, breaking up with Elizabeth now will not only hinder your chances of ever buying Anna from him. It will also put Anna in grave danger. I'd suggested that you keep the relationship with Elizabeth until you can figure out how to get Anna away from Hawkins hands permanently."
He had a point.
"Anna would never let me be with her if she knew I haven't ended things with Elizabeth."
"Who says she has to know.... sometimes you got to lie to people you love to get things done right?"
Harry pondered for a moment. "You're right, but I don't want to lie to Anna and frankly, I have no better plan of freeing Anna from Hawkins besides leaving this town or country ...."
"He will hunt you down....you know how he is."
"What do you suggest I do?"
"I have a plan," James said excitedly, "a plan that will let you have her from Hawkins permanently," James said.
"Why are you helping me James....? I remember very well you asking me to leave Anna alone. How my relationship with her was doomed."
"It might be doomed...." He remained quiet for a moment, "but I've never seen you this smitten in the twenty years that I've worked for you....She makes you happy."
Harry blushed.
"What's the idea?" He asked.
"I'll tell you as we work."
****
As Harry worked, he got summoned urgently to a very sick woman according to the report. He found a distressed brother of the woman waiting outside their two-story town house. He welcomed Harry excitedly and led him in the house.
"What is the matter with your sister?" Harry asked as they walked up the stairs to her room. She has locked herself in her bedroom crying since yesterday. She says she has some....disease, but she won't tell anyone what it is. She's getting married in a week....She's afraid her betrothed won't want to Marry her once he sees it," the brother explained.
"It?" Harry asked.
The man shrugged and knocked on the door lightly.
"Go away!" came a woman's voice.
"The doctor is here."
"I'm not letting a man see my ...." She trailed off.
"I just want to talk to you for now," Harry said humbly leaning in closer to the door. There was a long moment of silence.
"Come in," she said.
Harry walked in with James. She was standing by the window in her white night gown, her large brown curls cascading down her shoulders. She was tall and slender. A very beautiful young girl of no more than twenty. She didn't look sick at all, but her face looked tired with puffy eyes, possibly from crying.
"Good morning, my name is Dr. Harold Walker, people call me Harry or Dr. Walker and I'm here to help you get better."
"And whose he?" She pointed at James.
"This is James my butler....and assistant....he helps me with everything."
She paused for a moment and said, "thanks for coming Dr. Walker, but I just need medicine from you."
"Of course, I will give you medicine as soon as I know what you are sick of."
She looked at him for a long time as if contemplating telling him what was bothering her.
"I....I can't show you...l...."
"I understand that this might be uncomfortable for you, but I'm a professional who's not here to judge. I have helped women probably in worse situations than you, I've even helped deliver babies...." Harry interrupted.
He had already concluded that the illness was most likely on her private parts from the story about her betrothed and her uncomfortability.
"I know.... But I still can't," she said firmly.
"How about if we asked one of your female servants to come and have a look for me then I'll...."
"They're all gossips I can't trust them, and if word spreads, my marriage is ruined, I'm the only hope this family has. I shouldn't have let that stupid Jacob touch me. He made me sick."
"What about your mother or sister?"
"My mother is in New York, she will kill me if I ruin this marriage, she worked hard to find me a wealthy suitor and now ....." She trailed off crying.
Harry could tell that she was convinced that whoever that Jacob was had given her some kind of sexually transmitted disease. What she was doing with him when she was betrothed was something he wasn't going to get into. After all his behavior wasn't too far from hers and it was common for young women who already had lovers to be forced into marriages for money and a name. His sister being one of them. In fact, instead of judging her, he felt sorry for her.
"Listen to me," Harry said touching her shoulder reassuringly, "there is a slave at my plantation, she never goes anywhere, she doesn't have anyone to gossip with. She can help us, I trust her, and considering the stake that your marriage is in, I need to know what we are dealing with as soon as possible so as to cure it in time for your wedding. The more we delay the worse it could get."
She took a deep breath and said, "get her."
"James go and get Christine," Harry said. After a quick consideration, he changed his mind. "Wait, bring Anna instead." He saw an opportunity to spend time with Anna while he worked.
In less than an hour, James was back with Anna. He had found her in the kitchen with Christine when he told her 'there was a female emergency and Dr. Walker needed her help.' Christine looked a little disappointed that she wasn't picked for the task, but still managed to happily encourage Anna who was a bit hesitant to go.
When Anna arrived at the woman's house, Harry instructed her to go in the room and let the young woman show her what was bothering her. Anna came back out after about five minutes. Her and Harry moved to the end of the hallway where Anna whispered to him.
"It looks like a bowl that's ready to pop."
"Ah."
"But I think it's just a hair growing wrongly inside."
"How do you know?"
"Because I could see it in the pus."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
His mouth stretched in an impressed smile
"Good observation Anna. Well let's go break the good news to the young woman."
They walked back in the woman's room.
"I have some good news and bad news Miss. Albert."
"Good news first," the woman said.
"The good news is that what you have is nothing but an ingrown hair. It's not an illness that should threaten your marriage."
"What's the bad news?"
"The bad news is that it will sting when popping it," he smiled, "Anna will help with that if that's okay with you."
She nodded looking relieved.
"It should heal naturally afterwards, just keep it clean."
"Thank you," she said softly this time smiling.
***
"You were a natural," Harry smiled at Anna as they rode back in the carriage late evening. She smiled back.
"Maybe I should hire you as my assistant."
"I'd be honored, but I wouldn't want to jeopardize your career. Many were not impressed with my presence."
They had visited more patients after Miss. Albert and Anna acted as an assistant. Many gave her displeased looks and remarks.
"To hell with them," Harry retorted.
"I've grown up with insults directed at me Dr. Walker, but it still hurts when you hear someone say I'd rather die than let a nigger touch me. You never get used to that."
"He got his wish," Harry said.
Harry had asked James to pack up their tools after the man's remarks. They had walked out on the patient without a word leaving him calling out to Harry.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about, you lost a patient because of me, who knows what the others are going to say about you walking around with a nigger female assistant. I don't want to be in the way of your career."
He moved from his sit to hers. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, and deal with those people." He sighed deeply "I'm sorry for not being sensitive enough to realize how much it was affecting you."
He felt terrible that he let her go through that.
"You'd make a good nurse though."
She smiled at him and remained quiet for a moment.
"I will be your assistant whenever you need me, but only with people you know wont tarnish your name for having me around."
"As you wish."
A few days later. Harry walked in the kitchen where Anna and Christine were cooking.
"Good morning," he greeted.
"Good morning sir," they answered in unison and curtsied.
"Annabel, I will need your assistance again today, be ready by 1pm," he said casually.
"Yes sir."
"It will be a long day, bring something warm in case the weather changes." He added and walked back out.
Christine smiled at her. "You must have made an impression last time."
Anna blushed waving her hand airily.
"Now don't just help, learn something, you are still young, what you learn might come in handy in your future," Christine added.
"I will," she smiled.
At 1pm Anna was in the carriage waiting on Harry to finish talking to Kelvin. She wore a straw bonnet hat with a maroon ribbon and a maroon dress with cream sleeves. Shortly Harry climbed in and sat on the opposite end of the carriage, far from her. He tapped the carriage and looked down a book thoughtfully. He flipped through some pages with a serious face, as the carriage moved.
"You look beautiful," he said without looking up at her after about a minute of silence into the ride.
"Thank you," Anna said doubtfully
She could see a smile stretch on his face even though he was looking down.
"I mean it," he said now looking up at her and continued, "I saw you when you walked to the carriage from your cabin."
"Ah," she smiled. He had seemed too occupied with Kelvin that she didn't believe he looked at her when she walked out of the house to the carriage.
The carriage turned to the opposite direction from where Anna thought they were going.
"I thought we were going to...."
Harry interrupted with a shake to his head, "no, I thought of giving you some swimming lessons today, we are going to the lake." He added.
"Teaching a slave to swim? You'll be breaking the law...."
"Choosing to be with you was the first law I ever broke, I've broken many after that and as long as I'm with you, I'll break many more," he said and kissed her.