Moving from Maryland Page 4

  And that was only the first part!

  She didn’t pay for a sleeping car and her muscles were cramped from sitting on the hard bench for nearly 2500 miles.

  There was an hour layover before the stage arrived to take her to Rattlesnake Ridge, so she grabbed some breakfast at the diner, not knowing when she might be able to take a meal again. Then it was six hours across rocky terrain before being deposited in a town that at first glance appeared smaller than Crisfield.

  Gracie didn’t see much out the window of the stagecoach. She was too busy trying to shrink herself as small as possible on the ride from Reno, so she didn’t fall into the other passengers.

  The sun was just setting as the stage pulled in front of the freight yard. Gracie stepped down onto the packed dirt and retrieved her portmanteau before heading up the street towards the first building she saw.

  It was a saloon, so she kept walking. As she followed the other passengers into town, she spied a star pinned to the vest of the man walking towards them.

  “Excuse me,” she said, stopping the man. “I take it you are the sheriff here?”

  “Yes ma’am.” The handsome dark-haired man removed his hat and held it in both hands. “Sheriff Jim McCullough. Are you new to Rattlesnake Ridge?”

  “Yes, I am. I’m looking for City Hall.”

  “City Hall? What business would a little lady like you have there?”

  Gracie stood up as straight as she could. “I need to see Mr. Wright. I’m the new doctor.”

  The sheriff nearly dropped his hat, but quickly recovered. “Well I’ll be. Does Barrett Wright know you are a woman?”

  Gracie was confused. “Why would he be concerned if I was a woman?”

  “Wright is part of the Town Council and they selected the new doc for the town. He also leads the ranchers in whatever it is the ranchers do around here.”

  “I’m still not following.”

  “He was adamant about not having a woman doc.”

  “Well shame on him. I’m perfectly qualified for this position.”

  The sheriff held up his hands in mock surrender. “I have no doubt you are qualified. Let me escort you to City Hall.” He pointed to Gracie’s bags. “Do you want to stop and drop those off at the clinic?”

  Gracie smiled. “That would be lovely.”

  The sheriff directed her back towards the saloon and then they cut down a path through a big field. It appeared that they were heading towards the section of town further away from the freight yard.

  They crossed over what appeared to be a main street, as Gracie saw the grooves made by wagons dried into the dirt. They approached a small alleyway between two building. “That is the bank,” the sheriff said, pointing to the building. The clinic is over here.” He continued around front and stopped at a small wooden structure with a big red cross on the upper portion of the clinic.

  The building was made of long wooden slabs with wooden shingles covering the second level and the roof. There were several small windows dotting the upper level, and Gracie surmised that was where the apartment was.

  The sheriff led her around to the far side of the building. There was a small structure, which seemed to be attached to the building. It had a large door with a smaller door inside it. The sheriff opened the larger door, revealing a small buckboard and a stall filled with hay.

  This must be where the doctor kept his horse.

  “You can drop your bags in the back of the wagon. No one will bother them before you get the keys to the clinic.”

  Gracie nodded and lifted her bags inside the wagon. It was a small space, but it appeared clean.

  “I don’t know too much about horses,” Gracie said, wiping her hands on her skirt.

  The sheriff smiled. “No problem. George Wright can help you. He had the job for the last doc. There is your water pump,” he said, pointing to a spigot in the corner of the lean-to. “I guess the last doc built this structure around that. Made it easier to get water without having to go outside.” He led Gracie back out into the street and they started walking to the other side of town.

  “George Wright? Any relation to the Barrett Wright you mentioned before?”

  “George is Barrett’s oldest son. Been around horses his entire life. He’ll help you out.”

  “Do I need to pay him?”

  “I think it is covered as part of your salary.”

  Gracie nodded. “I didn’t realize that I would be working for a rancher.”

  “You aren’t. Wright just happened to be in charge of finding the town a new doc.” The sheriff gave a little chuckle. “I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he finds out he sent for a lady. My wife, Josie, will be pleased to have you in town.”

  “I look forward to meeting her. It sounds like you and Mr. Wright don’t get along too well.”

  “I have no tolerance for folks that think they are better than everyone else.”

  “Oh?” Gracie raised her eyebrow.

  “Never mind me.” He stopped in front of a wooden building with a placard that had Rattlesnake Ridge, City Hall engraved on it. “You head on in. I think Jacob Winthrop should have your keys.”

  “Thank you for escorting me, Sheriff.” She took a quick look around the town. The city area was definitely much smaller than Crisfield. Instead of the sweet smell of the sea and the sound of the gulls, the scent of dust and dry vegetation reached her nose. The town was silent apart from the sound of a piano drifting past the saloon doors.

  Jim tipped his hat and turned on his heel to head back towards the mercantile. Gracie watched him walk back and greet a tall blonde woman with a kiss before taking her packages and leading her away from town.

  Gracie entered City Hall. The floors shone and she could tell they had recently been buffed with lemon wax. There were very few decorations around; Gracie thought it looked stark. Almost clinical. The desk that sat inside the door was unoccupied.

  Gracie looked at the watch pinned to her blouse. It was a little after 5 o’clock. Everyone was probably gone already.

  The door to the left opened and a tall man with dark brown hair and a mustache came out, satchel in hand. He stopped short when he saw her standing there.

  “I didn’t realize anyone was out here. I was just getting ready to close the office.”

  “I apologize, but the stage just arrived from Reno, and I figured I should make this my first stop,” Gracie explained.

  The man placed the bag on the empty desk and looked at Gracie. She squirmed a little under the gaze of his blue eyes. “And why would you stop here, Miss …?”

  “Pickett. And it is actually Doctor.”

  “Doctor?” The man let out a hearty laugh. “I don’t think so. We aren’t expecting the doc until tomorrow and I seriously doubt you are he.”

  “You are correct, I’m not he. I’m she. Dr. G. R. Pickett, at your service.” Gracie held out her hand, silently daring the man not to take it.

  The man looked at her hand and slowly took it, giving it two pumps before releasing it. “Jacob Winthrop. I’m the mayor in this town. We weren’t expecting you until tomorrow.”

  “My train arrived early, so I caught the stagecoach today instead of tomorrow.” Gracie gave a nervous swing of her skirt. “And here I am. I was told to see you to get the keys to the clinic. I’ve already taken my bags over there.”

  “You did now?”

  “Yes. Your sheriff showed me where it was and told me to drop my bags in the lean-to.”

  Jacob pulled on his mustache as if deep in thought. “Well I’ll be. We got ourselves a real woman doc. I wonder if Wright realized that?”

  “Apparently not, given the reception I’ve already received.”

  Jacob laughed again. “I can only imagine. Apparently not.” He rubbed his hands together. “I cannot wait to see how this plays out.” He turned suddenly and went back to the door where he came from. “How about we get your keys and you can get settled before everyone realizes you are here?” He d
isappeared into the office. “Dr. G. R. Pickett. Who would have expected that?”

  Gracie carried her bags up the stairs and into the small living space. Bigger than her dormitory at school, it still wasn’t large by any means. The area boasted a small kitchen, a closet, one bedroom and a small sitting area.

  Gracie had never lived by herself before. At home she shared a room with her sister, Millie; and there were always people about. At college, she had a roommate, but they were too busy studying to really spend time in their room.

  Gracie sighed.

  By herself. She was finally by herself.

  Someone had come in and cleaned recently as there was no dust to be found and the linens on the bed smelled like sunshine and fresh air.

  She quickly unpacked her few items. As she didn’t know what the weather would be like, she brought a few things for summer and would send for her other belongings towards the early fall. Right now, she had everything she needed.

  She took her prized possession, a copy of Bartram’s Guide to Herbal Medicine and headed down to the clinic area. The book was a parting gift from Doc Weston before she departed from Maryland.

  Doc wasn’t sure how easy it would be to get supplies into Rattlesnake Ridge since the town wasn’t near a larger city or train station. He suggested that Gracie spend a part of her time observing the flora in the area to see what she could use in a pinch.

  The clinic consisted of a waiting area, a desk, several cabinets, one with a hutch; a wooden box with small drawers and brass handles and an examination room. The desk boasted a wooden plaque with the words Stanton Wicks, MD in gold and black paint.

  Dr. Wicks must have been the previous physician, Gracie surmised.

  There was a two-level book shelf with journals and books that Gracie had heard about but never seen.

  She wondered why the Doc would leave his medical books behind. Gracie put her book on the desk and walked over to examine the books collecting dust on the bookcase.

  There was a jar on top of the bookcase and Gracie picked it up. It was filled with murky brown liquid and flat black disks. She tilted the jar and one of the disks detached from the side and sank down to the silt at the bottom of the jar.

  Gracie gave a little gasp and put the jar back down quickly. Leeches! Gracie had learned about them during school and made a note not to use them in her practice unless absolutely necessary.

  Although they were used frequently for bloodletting, there was also the risk of infection if the leech was removed prior to it being full and falling off. Gracie gave a shudder and pushed the jar further back.

  She decided to start with the cabinets instead and gave a glance to the jar to make sure it wasn’t moving. Silly, she knew, but those things made her squirm.

  She pulled open one of the drawers in the first cabinet. Medical instruments were lined up neatly in linen cloths. There were plenty of bandages, sutures, and salves. Inside the hutch were glass bottles stopped with corks, and eyedroppers in a glass vessel.

  Gracie recognized the 24-drawer cabinet as a patient record keeping system. She looked inside and there were cards written in swirly script outlining the health care of many of the residents.

  There were too many cards. The town didn’t look like it had this many people living here. She made a note to ask Mayor Winthrop the next time she saw him.

  A knock on the door caught her attention and she placed the card back in the box before heading to see who it was.

  Standing at the door was a pretty petite woman, about an inch shorter than Gracie. Her dark hair flowed in waves behind her back and she held a small basket in her hands.

  Gracie opened the door to let the woman in the office. She placed the basket on the desk and turned to Gracie.

  “Welcome to Rattlesnake Ridge,” she said taking one of Gracie’s hands in both of hers. “I’m Daisy Rockford, the school teacher here. I couldn’t believe it when Josie told me that you arrived and of all things … a woman!”

  Gracie laughed, before patting Daisy on the hand. “Thank you, Daisy. Call me Gracie. I just arrived, so I guess news travels fast.”

  “You have no idea – once Mrs. Handley at the mercantile picks up on something, it makes its way around like a wildfire in July.”

  “I’d offer you a cup of tea, but I don’t know where anything is.”

  “Not to worry. Doc Wicks didn’t keep anything stocked, so there probably isn’t anything. He took most of his meals over at the boarding house.”

  “But he stayed here?”

  “Yes. Miz May is a wonderful cook, so he just chose to eat there.” She removed the checkered cloth covering the basket. “I brought you some dinner. I figured you would be tired from travelling and this way you can get settled and venture into town tomorrow morning.” Gracie peeked inside the basket. “It isn’t much. Just a jar of soup and a sandwich, along with some sweet tea.” Gracie’s stomach made a noise in appreciation. Daisy giggled. “Oh, and cookies. I thought those would be nice after traveling so far. Where are you from?”

  “Maryland. I’m from Maryland. Thank you for dinner. I hadn’t given it much thought.”

  “Well, your stomach has, so I’ll take my leave. You probably want to rest. I’ll be at the school tomorrow if you need anything. The restaurant is just down the road and they open tomorrow at 6 a.m. for breakfast.”

  “Thank you. Thank you very much.” Gracie was a little overwhelmed. To have her arrival announced shortly after she arrived and within an hour someone was bringing her a basket, it was too much. It reminded her of home. She hoped that she and Daisy might become friends if circumstances allowed.

  She placed the items from the basket on the desk and went to grab one of Doc Wicks’ medical journals to flip through while she ate. The leeches moved up the side of the jar creating gentle ripples in the water. Gracie gave a shudder and threw the checkered cloth over the jar. She would deal with them later.

  The meal was simple, but delicious. The vegetable soup was still warm, and the sandwich was filled with ham and cheese. Gracie decided to save the cookies for later.

  She washed the dishes in the sink towards the back of the examination room and placed them back in the basket. She’d drop them off to Daisy tomorrow.

  Once she was done, she started to make a list of everything she thought she might need; for both the clinic and her living quarters. She was going to make this work, no matter what.

  Even if the town wasn’t expecting a female doctor.

  Gracie woke up to the sun coming through the window and blinding her. Curtains, she thought as she tried to block the light with her hand. I need to put curtains on my list.

  The sound of a bell rang in the distance. It must be the church or the school. She didn’t know if the school had a bell, but it made her realize that she slept in later than intended.

  Her sleep was deep, without dream or interruption until the sun this morning. She finally felt rested after a week of fitful sleep on the train.

  Quickly donning some fresh clothes, she went back downstairs to finish her inventory. She munched on the cookies Daisy brought by the night before.

  She wasn’t a fan of sweets for breakfast, so she tried to imagine she was just eating morning oatmeal in a different form. But my, those cookies were good. The only thing that would make them better was if she had a cold glass of milk.

  She brushed the crumbs off her skirt, making a note to sweep the floor. A broom. One more item to add to her already growing list.

  Might as well face the town, she thought as she grabbed an empty basket, her list and headed to the mercantile.

  The sound of a bell announced her presence and the woman who was dusting the cans on the shelf turned to look at her.

  “Good morning,” Gracie said. “I need to pick up a few things.”

  The woman looked Gracie up and down before climbing down from the step stool. Gracie handed her the list. “I need the items marked with a star. The others, I just need to see if you have i
n stock or can order.”

  “You’re a stranger here, aren’t you?” the woman asked. Gracie met the woman’s gaze. She was tall. Gracie had to look up to meet her eyes. She had a bony nose and a sharp chin. Her hair was dark and pulled up in a chignon that appeared so tight as to stretch her face, as her eyes were pulled at the corners.

  “Yes ma’am.” Gracie pointed back to the list. “About those items, I need to know…”

  “We don’t extend credit to strangers. If you don’t have coins I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

  “Can you give me an estimate of what those items will cost?”

  The shopkeeper ran her bony finger down the list and Gracie could hear her adding up numbers under her breath. “Looks like it will be about $7 for everything on this list, not just the starred items.”

  “How about just the starred items?”

  “About $4.”

  The sound of the door opening drew the woman’s attention away from Gracie.

  A tall man, at least a good foot taller than Gracie walked up to the counter. He stood next to her and tipped his hat. “Ma’am,” he said. When he pushed his hat back, Gracie’s breath caught in her throat. She had never seen a more handsome man.

  He had a strong chin with a cleft in it, and thin lips. He had a broad nose, and deep-set eyes that were a shade of green Gracie would describe as the sea right before a storm was going to roll in.

  His hair reached down to his shoulders and curled where the brim of his hat touched it. And he was muscular. Oh, those muscles!

  Gracie surmised he worked outdoors given the tan hue to his skin and muscles bunching under his shirt.

  The man spoke to the woman behind the counter, his voice a deep baritone that sounded like honey washing over her. It made Gracie warm all the way to her toes.

  “Did anything arrive for me, Mrs. Handley.”

  The woman shook her head. “Not today. If anything comes in on the stage later, I’ll send it home with one of the boys.”