"If the stones that we walked on could talk, they would surely tell our story." ~ Nico J. Genes
Chapter 5.
Wondering.
It was such a stunning sight that Jimmy, Nan, and Sam could do little more than stand still and stare wide-eyed.
"Well, ain't anyone gonna help me out?" Elisha demanded in a shivering, breathless voice. "Cause if you think haulin' a dripping wet, corpse-like figure while being soaked to the bone is easy, ya'll darn wrong!"
His words helped everyone snap into action. Nan took charge of the situation and began ordering everyone around.
"Jimmy, go find out if Seth is done with that bath of his. Sam, you help Elisha with the poor female and I'll get the water on the stove. Goodness we're gonna need a lot of hot water. Elisha, you hand the young lady over to yer father and then proceed to strip yerself of those wet things. Last thing I need is for you to come down with pneumonia. Goodness knows Michael's constant poor health is bad enough, then we added Seth's bad health to the pot as well. We don't need you comin' down sick on us, thank you very much."
"What do we do with her?" Sam asked as he relieved Elisha of his wet and heavy burden.
Nan paused her bustling around the kitchen to think. "We can't place her in Ruth's room, that's where Abbie Mae and Seth live. I suppose you'll have to take her up to Clinton's room. It's empty with him away at college. I'll just put the pots of water to heat on the stove and then follow you up to undress her. Ah, Michael," Nan had noticed her youngest son step into the kitchen and whirled around sharply to face him. "Run up and ask Abbie Mae to go into my room and fetch something dry for us to dress this girl in. I think anything she has will be far to small for the young lady, so we'll have to use my things."
Sam had already gone up the stairs and Nan was about to follow him when Seth came in. He was dressed up warmly.
"And where are you going?" Nan demanded.
"Jimmy told me what happened," Seth replied. "I'm off for uncle Ernest."
The delight at this initiative shone in Nan's eyes. "Why you saintly boy. You go ahead and do that. Jimmy, when the water is boiled prepare a hot bath for yer brother, but don't use all of it. Make sure you bring some to me."
Jimmy, who had followed Seth, nodded his head. To be honest he didn't want to take care of Elisha, who was big enough to look after himself. He wanted to find out what on earth had happened to Susan to make her come to their home in such a state. However, there was no way his mother was going to allow him anywhere near her at the moment. So he busied himself with following her instructions.
Nan in the meantime had just reached the top of the stairs and was met by Abbie Mae. "I left Michael watching over the twins," she whispered. "What has happened exactly?"
"Elisha showed up with a soaking wet girl in his arms. Sam just took her to Clinton's room. We've got to get her out of the wet things and into something dry."
"Right." Abbie Mae hurried off to her mother-in-law's room as she had been earlier instructed. Nan got to Clinton's room and shooed Sam out.
"I think Abbie Mae and I will manage from here, thank you," she stated briskly to her husband. He nodded and departed. Nan approached the girl, whom Sam had placed in the large arm chair.
Pausing for a moment, Nan gazed at the pretty, unconscious face. "I do declare, if I didn't know better I would say it's the young Miss Susan Goodwill that we was discussin' earlier!"
Abbie Mae entered and together they undressed Susan, rubbed her with hot water, dried her off, and dressed her in a warm, flannel nightgown of Nan's. Then they tucked her into the bed and covered her with an extra blanket. Jimmy had brought up more firewood and Abbie Mae stoked up a roaring fire to keep the room as warm as it could possibly get. Stones were warmed and placed around Susan's feet. Her wet hair was the only real issue. Nan had placed a towel over the pillow and spread the brown locks out, hoping the heat from the fire would help them dry faster.
When all was done, the two women went down to wait till Seth got back with Dr. Mendelle.
They found that Elisha had been bathed in hot water, dressed in warm, dry clothes and was now sitting at the table, drinking the steaming brew that his father had prepared for him.
"We's itchin' to find out just what happened," Sam said as the ladies walked in. "But we kept our curiosity at bay until you two was free. Now, Elisha my boy, what is the meaning of all this? I suppose I am right to guess that it is Susan Goodwill in Clinton's bed up there?"
"I don't know," Elisha replied with a shrug. "You were the ones who saw her in the light. I was surrounded by total darkness with just my lamp to light the way."
"It is Susan Goodwill," Jimmy said in a quiet voice.
"I'd have little doubt about that," Nan agreed. "Was she in the water, Elisha?"
"So this is how it went," Elisha explained. "I had wandered towards the river bank and followed it upstream, wonderin' if perhaps our bull was somewhere near, or God forbid, in the water. Then I saw the time was a little passed our agreed upon hour to regroup at the house and was just turning back when I caught sight of a shadow floating down the river. I thought it was the bull and hurried over to the bank. As I got closer I thought the shape resembled more of a human than an animal. Either way I knew I had to get it out of there. So I had no choice but to jump in and swim after it. Let me tell you, that water was colder than cold itself. When I caught up to the figure I discovered that it was a young woman. She was face down in the water and obviously unconscious. And heavy! Let me tell you she was heavy. It took all the strength I could to pull her onto the bank. I listened for breath but couldn't hear anything. So I had to loosen her coat and dress and try to pump out all the water that I was sure was caught up in her lungs. Luckily for me she started to cough it all up, and there was quite a lot of it. Then, thank God, she took a breath. I called to her but she didn't answer. Even though she was breathing she hadn't come around. In the faint light of the lamp I couldn't quite make out who she was and in the end figured I had no choice but to bring her here. That's the long and short of it."
This unlikely tale left everyone in the room in deep contemplation. For a long time no one said anything and the silence was broken by the arrival of Seth with Dr. Ernest Mendelle. Nan rose to greet her brother and took him straight to Susan. Seth demanded to know what had happened and Elisha was obligated to repeat the story all over again.
"Well, yer a hero, little brother, ain't no doubt about that!" Seth stated with a thump on Elisha's back.
"Ain't no such thing," Elisha retorted, his ears going red. "I jus' did what any of you would have done."
"Thing is," Sam quietly put in. "I'll bet the Goodwills are worried something sick with her being gone all this time. I suppose I ought to go and tell them that Susan is with us."
"Can't that be done tomorrow morning?" Jimmy spoke up. "I mean, how do you know they've even noticed that she's gone?"
"I know you don't like the Goodwills, Jimmy, but they care about their family members in the same way we do. I am pretty sure they've realized that Susan is missin'. And even if they haven't I think it would be best to spare them the trouble of having all that anxiety tomorrow and break the news to them now. We'll wait and see what yer uncle has to say and then I'll head out."
"Maybe he could go with you," Elisha offered. "After all, we ain't exactly the most popular folk with the Goodwills, but Uncle Ernest will bring some kind of peace between us. With him being the doctor and all."
"I suppose that would be a good idea," Sam stated with a bit of a sigh. He wasn't looking forward to going anywhere with his brother-in-law. The two weren't exactly on the best of terms, never had been. Ernest Mendelle had always thought Sam a lowly match for his sister.
At last Dr. Mendelle and Nan came down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"It doesn't look too promising," Ernest stated with a slight shake of his head. "Of course it's hard to tell just yet, but she's already got a fever and it is quite high. I was told the story by your mother, Elisha. You said you already found her in the water?"
"Yes sir, she was face down, so I don't think she could have been there for very long, or she would have been dead."
"Well, we don't know if she was face down when she first ended up in there. I suppose we'll only know when she wakes up and tells us. You will have to keep her here for the night, there is no question about it. She is in no condition to be moved right now. Tomorrow if she's better we can get her home. I'll go and inform the family of what has happened and where Miss Goodwill can be found."
"Do you need one of us to accompany you?" Sam asked.
Ernest shook his head. "Don't worry, I'll be fine on my own."
Sam nodded and said nothing more. Dr. Mendelle took his leave and the family contemplated what to do next.
"I don't think we all need to be sittin here waitin for the Goodwills to show up," Nan said at last. "This is something for yer father and me to handle. I want the rest of you to go off to bed. It's gettin' late and ya'll got chores to do tomorrow."
Knowing better than to argue with their mother, the boys and Abbie Mae drifted off to their rooms. As Jimmy was walking past Clinton's room, he paused. The temptation was just too great. He had seen Susan only hours before, and it was so darn strange to have her in their house all of a sudden, tucked under sheets and blankets, running a high fever. He softly opened the door and stepped in.
Walking up to the bedside, he gazed at the flushed cheeks and the pale brow.
"Was it an accident, or deliberate?" He softly asked the air.
"She's can't answer ya!" Michael's voice spoke behind him. Jimmy whirled around, quite ready to strangle his younger brother.
"What are ya doing here, Michael?" He demanded.
"Abbie Mae relieved me of baby duty and I saw you walk into the room. I find it odd that one moment yer all full of hatred to this poor soul and the next it's tenderness and care. What, ya can't make up yer mind about her? Do you have some kind of amazing love deep down there in yer heart somewhere? But ya don't know how to handle it and so try to put up this tough, angry front?"
"Ya know what, I've had enough!" Jimmy grabbed Michael roughly by the arm and led him out of the room. "Learn to mind yer own business, Michael Carthwrite! Ever since you had the nerve to come and meet Susan in the barn that night you've given me no peace. I'm tired of ya teasing me and I swear if you don't stop I'll make you regret it. Clinton's torment of you will be heaven compared to what I have in store."
Michael said nothing, he only flashed a defiant, naughty smile and went to his room. Jimmy also stormed off to his. The reason Michael's teasing irked him was because there was so much truth in his younger brother's words. No, he couldn't honestly say that he had some deep love for Susan. Certainly not that. But there was a sort of affection for her. An attraction that he couldn't explain. But her station in society and her family connections kept getting in the way of his being able to truly make up his mind about her.
Honestly, why did it all have to be so difficult?
***
It was about an hour after Dr. Mendelle had left that he returned, Gabriel Goodwill, Susan's uncle, with him.
It was a formal, cold greeting that Sam gave the local land baron. And the one he received was even colder and more formal. It was bad enough that Susan was in the house of a farmer, but of all farmers in the world, it had to be the Carthwrites.
Ever since Seth's conviction of being involved of theft from Goodwill's tobacco plantation, Gabriel Goodwill had lost any respect he may have had for the Carthwrites. And he was well aware that they didn't particularly like him either. Not that he could really care about that part. They were a class, or dare he even say, several classes beneath him and he cared little for their opinion.
Be that as it may, it was Samuel Carthwrite's son who had rescued his niece, and that meant he had to at least maintain a pretense of politeness.
"Dr. Mendelle has informed me of what transpired," Gabriel said in his smooth, emotionless voice. "I am rather perplexed by it all. We didn't know she had gone out. Miss Goodwill had stated that she was going to her room because of a headache. It was only when my wife went to check on her that we discovered she was gone. Dr. Mendelle said yer son doesn't know how she ended up in the river?"
"All he saw was her already inside, floating with her face down," Sam answered. "Would you like to go and see her?"
"Yes, I would."
Sam motioned for Gabriel to follow him up the stairs. As he passed through the house, Gabriel casually studied the rough wooden furniture, the rustic ornaments here and there, and the general handmade feel of the entire house. Obviously they were people who could not afford to buy much so they made most of it on their own. He did little to hide the contempt from his face, even though he could tell that Nan was keenly aware of it.
They entered the room and Nan went to stoke the fire up. Gabriel walked up to his niece and gazed at her sleeping form. "There is no way for us to bring her home? Even in the carriage? I would rather she was in her own room, where I could have a servant with her at all time."
"Not tonight, Mr. Goodwill, and I say this with the recommendation and authority of a doctor. She has had too much exposure as it is. We will come again tomorrow and see how she is faring. If she is well enough then by all means you may take her home."
"I will stay here with her, Mr. Goodwill," Nan stated in a prim voice. "She will not be alone. And I do have plenty of experience caring for the ill."
"I suppose I have no other option. Very well, tonight she can remain here. I'll come in the morning to fetch her. Goodnight! The doctor will see me down."
With those words Gabriel departed. He didn't like this small, cramped house and wanted to get out of it as quickly as possible.
Sam and Nan were left alone in the room.
"And not even a thank you!" Nan shook her head. "The self-righteousness of that man. He really does think that he is better than us. And all because he owns a plantation and has a lot of money. You know, Sam, I can't help but feel glad that the Confederacy lost the war and all them land barons nearly went broke. I just wish they had never been able to recover any of their wealth."
Sam let out a little chuckle. He then glanced over at Susan. "I wonder, Nan, what was it that drove her out of the house and towards the river. I'd hate to think her ending up in that water was intentional, but rememberin' the conversation that we had 'bout her at dinner, I wonder..."
"God forbid, Sam, suicide is a sin!" Nan let out a small gasp. "I do hope the poor thing wakes up before that uncle of hers shows up tomorrow. I'd like to hear what she has to say about the whole thing without the pressure that her family is bound to put on her."