Read Online Enchant the Dawn by Elaine Lowe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elaine Lowe
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time to cut through all the polite bushwa. “It’s Hester, my little girl. She’s sick.”
Sophia pursed her lips and nodded. June wouldn’t necessarily have the money for a doctor and what passed for a hospital was just a place to pick up even worse sickness. “How long?”
“Near to three days now. More like all her life, on and off, if I’m going to be truthful.” Sophia saw June was fighting tears. Storms arose beneath the mask June always wore, as her love for her daughter threatened to break down all of her carefully constructed walls. Lashed by the waves of this turmoil, Sophia struggled to focus.
“What kind of sick? Fever? Coughing?” Sophia threw a glance toward the back room, where Papa Lowbridge was still buried in his newspaper. Could she get the time off if there was a sick child to see to? Did she want to work here badly enough to obey the man if he wouldn’t let her leave?
“Coughing, of a kind. Mostly, her chest makes this terrible sound. It sends chills down your spine. And she’s so scared, she can’t catch her breath.” June’s eyes were pleading but they lacked hope.
“You’ve seen doctors?” Sophia was already taking off her apron.
June nodded. “Every one who would see us.” Sophia knew the unsaid words which followed. And not that many would .
“I’ll be just a moment.” She turned but Alan was already talking to his dad, making uncharacteristic sweeping gestures taking in Sophia and June. Sophia had been so focused on reading the maternal worry that consumed June that she hadn’t noticed Alan appear behind her to listen in.
Alan barreled out of the office, almost knocking Sophia down in his haste. He’d managed to put on a clean but crumpled pants and a shirt so new the tag from the tailor was still hanging off the sleeve. She almost giggled but there was a look of worried determination of his face that made him look rather dashing. “Sophia and Miss…” He blushed to the roots of his hair as he looked at June. “Well, I’ve got a car round the back. I’d be happy to drive you somewhere if it’s an emergency.”
Sophia was open-mouthed with shock at such a can-do attitude from the normally stumbling Alan Lowbridge. But, if it got them uptown any faster, she wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. “Let me pack up some supplies and we’ll meet you in the back.”
Alan grabbed his beaten fedora and a coat off the coat rack and disappeared out the back to coax Ol’ Nellie into action. Alan’s 1916 Packard Twin Six was his baby, even more than his cadre of chemical tinkering projects. He’d nursed that car from a beat-up wreck into a fine little automobile. Emphasis on the little.
She bent down to pull out a couple of her jars of herbal remedies and paused to drop a couple of pennies in the till in return for a jar of some mentholated mineral oil. She folded away the apron and put on the coat she’d so recently taken off and then she turned to June only to find that June was no longer alone.
Daron West stood there as well, those green eyes boring into her, sending a bolt of need straight to her womb. I’m supposed to be mad at the asshole, not want to jump him the minute he deigns to show his sorry mug.
“Hello Miss Hunter,” he spoke softly, his accent just enough to send a frisson of desire racing over her skin. “I’m sorry to inconvenience you but I thought we might be able to help Hester.”
“Of course. I hope that I can.” She bit off her words, unable to stay calm and unemotional around him, no matter how much she’d like to appear unaffected by him. He’d left her high and dry for far too long, only to show up at the side of one of the most beautiful women she’d ever met. Even though she could plainly see that there was nothing more than a calm familiarity in the swirling energies of the two striking people before her, the taste of jealousy was bitter and revealing of her own
Sophia pursed her lips and nodded. June wouldn’t necessarily have the money for a doctor and what passed for a hospital was just a place to pick up even worse sickness. “How long?”
“Near to three days now. More like all her life, on and off, if I’m going to be truthful.” Sophia saw June was fighting tears. Storms arose beneath the mask June always wore, as her love for her daughter threatened to break down all of her carefully constructed walls. Lashed by the waves of this turmoil, Sophia struggled to focus.
“What kind of sick? Fever? Coughing?” Sophia threw a glance toward the back room, where Papa Lowbridge was still buried in his newspaper. Could she get the time off if there was a sick child to see to? Did she want to work here badly enough to obey the man if he wouldn’t let her leave?
“Coughing, of a kind. Mostly, her chest makes this terrible sound. It sends chills down your spine. And she’s so scared, she can’t catch her breath.” June’s eyes were pleading but they lacked hope.
“You’ve seen doctors?” Sophia was already taking off her apron.
June nodded. “Every one who would see us.” Sophia knew the unsaid words which followed. And not that many would .
“I’ll be just a moment.” She turned but Alan was already talking to his dad, making uncharacteristic sweeping gestures taking in Sophia and June. Sophia had been so focused on reading the maternal worry that consumed June that she hadn’t noticed Alan appear behind her to listen in.
Alan barreled out of the office, almost knocking Sophia down in his haste. He’d managed to put on a clean but crumpled pants and a shirt so new the tag from the tailor was still hanging off the sleeve. She almost giggled but there was a look of worried determination of his face that made him look rather dashing. “Sophia and Miss…” He blushed to the roots of his hair as he looked at June. “Well, I’ve got a car round the back. I’d be happy to drive you somewhere if it’s an emergency.”
Sophia was open-mouthed with shock at such a can-do attitude from the normally stumbling Alan Lowbridge. But, if it got them uptown any faster, she wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. “Let me pack up some supplies and we’ll meet you in the back.”
Alan grabbed his beaten fedora and a coat off the coat rack and disappeared out the back to coax Ol’ Nellie into action. Alan’s 1916 Packard Twin Six was his baby, even more than his cadre of chemical tinkering projects. He’d nursed that car from a beat-up wreck into a fine little automobile. Emphasis on the little.
She bent down to pull out a couple of her jars of herbal remedies and paused to drop a couple of pennies in the till in return for a jar of some mentholated mineral oil. She folded away the apron and put on the coat she’d so recently taken off and then she turned to June only to find that June was no longer alone.
Daron West stood there as well, those green eyes boring into her, sending a bolt of need straight to her womb. I’m supposed to be mad at the asshole, not want to jump him the minute he deigns to show his sorry mug.
“Hello Miss Hunter,” he spoke softly, his accent just enough to send a frisson of desire racing over her skin. “I’m sorry to inconvenience you but I thought we might be able to help Hester.”
“Of course. I hope that I can.” She bit off her words, unable to stay calm and unemotional around him, no matter how much she’d like to appear unaffected by him. He’d left her high and dry for far too long, only to show up at the side of one of the most beautiful women she’d ever met. Even though she could plainly see that there was nothing more than a calm familiarity in the swirling energies of the two striking people before her, the taste of jealousy was bitter and revealing of her own
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