Read Online Hannah: Bride of Iowa (American Mail Order Bride 29) by P.A. Estelle - Free Book Online

could leave. “I saw what you did with Lizzy. We are lucky you answered my ad. Lizzy deserves somebody like you and I’m going to work on it to be just as deserving.”
    She swallowed a lump of emotion. “Now don’t you be trying to get on my good side. You are still staying in bed.”
    He kissed her hand before letting her go. Her stomach was doing flip-flops and she was sure she was going to fall down the steps. His touch, alone, did strange things to her. She sat down at the table to calm her nerves. This was everything she wanted, so why did she have this feeling of doom?
     
    * * * *
     
    That afternoon Maddie decided to take a look at the garden area Samuel’s wife had prepared. It needed to be re-plowed before any kind of seeding could be done. Lizzy and her dog were playing in the dirt. Maddie stopped what she was doing and cocked her head. What was that? All she heard was the pup yipping. An odd feeling hit the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong. Was she being watched?
    “Lizzy, let’s take Mr. Wig—” A tap on her shoulder released a small scream. She whirled around and heaved a sigh of relief when Dr. Charles Page stood there with a grin from one ear to the other.
    “Did I scare you, Hannah?”
    “Out of several year’s growth!”
    “Well I’m sure sorry. I was out at Roy Turner’s place. Elsie, his wife, is expecting their fourth child. Roy has her popping one out almost every year.” He chuckled. “Anyway, I was on my home and my house is dark and lonely so I thought I could talk some sweet young lady out of a cup of nice hot coffee to warm these bones.”
    “You need to find yourself a wife, Doctor.”
    “I’d do exactly that if there was another one out there like you.”
    Maddie blushed. “Quit trying to feed me that hogwash, Doctor.” Maddie’s tone turned anxious. “I’m truly glad you’re here, Charles. Samuel is really sick and I would appreciate you taking a look. I know if I’d have suggested going into town to see you, he would have poo-pooed it.”
    Instantly, all joking was gone and the doctor turned serious. “Of course. What’s the problem?”
    “He’s got a bad cough and he was very feverish last night. It scared me. He thought I was Martha.” She wrung her hands together and her eyes burned with tears. “The cough seems to have gone down into his chest. I tried to bring the fever down and he does seem a bit better this morning, but other than that I didn’t know what to do.”
    Charles patted her shoulder. “Don’t you worry. I’ll go take a look right now.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter NINE
     
    The doctor’s words made Maddie’s blood run cold.
                  “Sam, stay in bed for another week,” he ordered.
    Samuel complained, but Charles was having none of it. “That cough is ready to go into your lungs and if you wind up with pneumonia, you just may not get up again!”
                  The doctor’s tone brooked no argument. He took out a small bottle of quinine powder, put a bit on Samuel’s tongue where it dissolved. “That will help with the cough. Another thing you might try is a tablespoon of honey, lemon, and whiskey.” He winked and continued, “he just might not complain as much with that concoction.”
                  That had been three days ago and in that time, Maddie got used to doing the few chores around the farm. Milking the cow, feeding the horses, hogs, and chickens, gathering the eggs, preparing meals, cleaning up and gathering wood. She also made sure to spend time with Lizzy.
                  That afternoon, Maddie was trying to chop the bigger pieces of wood into kindling. When there was enough to be gathered up, Lizzy would put the wood in a basket. All of a sudden, the hair on the back of Maddie’s neck stood straight up and shivers ran down her spine. It was that same feeling she’d when Dr. Page had stopped