Leave a Candle Burning (32 page)

“Good morning,” Dannan greeted Iris when she opened the Petersons’ front door the following morning. “I didn’t want to assume that you were up to this. Once again, Reese has offered to take her.”

“I knew you were going to say that,” she said, her voice and face normal. “I would have sent Finn to look for you if you hadn’t come within the hour. Come in here, Miss Corina,” Iris commanded, turning to the little girl. “You and I are going to bake bread today.”

Scottie chose that moment to come through. She greeted Corina but then waited for Iris and the little girl to move toward the kitchen before speaking to Dannan.

“I don’t know if I thanked you,” Scottie began. “You stayed so long, and I know Eli appreciated it.”

“You’re very welcome. How are you doing, by the way?”

“I’m keeping busy,” Scottie half-whispered, smiling, but her eyes showed the hurt.

“Let me know if you’d rather not have Corina around right now. I mean, Iris seems to enjoy it, but if you’d rather not…”

“Not at all,” Scottie assured him. “We have to get back to normal as soon as we can. She’s so sweet, and both Iris and Finn have already grown so attached.”

“Is Finn still here?”

“Oh, yes. When both he and his house are ready, he’ll move his things. I imagine he’ll still take at least some of his meals here.”

“I didn’t realize he had a house.” Dannan found it so easy to talk to her.

“Yes, it’s right on the green, about five doors down from the bank. Mrs. Peterson bought it with him in mind after he came to work with Eli. No one’s in it right now, and it probably needs a bit of paint and freshening up. Finn’s not in any hurry to move from here, so for now we’ll stay as we are.”

“Big changes can be hard.”

“It’s the small changes I worry about,” Scottie admitted and then caught herself. She hadn’t realized before how easy it was to talk to Dannan MacKay. She looked up at him, a bit surprised, and since Dannan noticed everything about her, he mentioned it.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, but I just realized I must be keeping you.”

Dannan shook his head. “I’m just glad to know you’re doing well. I’ll be praying that it gets easier instead of harder.”

Scottie nodded, and Dannan noticed that she glanced up the open stairway and hall to Eli’s closed door. Dannan didn’t know what to say. His own heart was very affected by all of this, and it was all too easy to imagine how Scottie must be feeling.

“If you want another book,” Scottie offered, brightening, “I hope you’ll come and choose one.”

“Thank you. I would enjoy that. Maybe not right now, but sometime.”

“Finn could take you up,” Scottie said, her eyes growing a bit guarded, and Dannan knew that she wasn’t ready to enter Eli’s room.

“I’ll just plan on that in the future.”

“Do you read often?”

“Always. Anything I can get my hands on.”

“You could go now,” Scottie began, but Dannan stopped her.

“After our book discussion from a few weeks ago, Mr. Peterson sent
Gulliver’s Travels
with me. I’m still working on that.”

“I’d forgotten about that. Have you gotten to the part where he’s in the farmer’s house and describes the cat as looking three times larger than an ox? I don’t know why, but that scene is very real to me.”

“I’m just past that,” Dannan admitted, realizing for the first time that she probably read as much as Eli did. Dannan didn’t let himself speculate too long but plunged ahead with his next thought.

“I don’t wish to overstep, but since you’ve read it, maybe we could discuss it when I’m done.”

“I would enjoy that,” Scottie replied, completely unaware of her effect on this man. “You could join us for dinner. Iris and Finn would enjoy it as well.”

Dannan had all he could do not to smile in delight. Instead, he gave a calm nod with his head.

“I’ll let you know when I’m done.”

Scottie said they would plan on it, and Dannan made his exit. Scottie went immediately about the business of working on the dress she planned to make for Corina, glad she still had that to do.

Dannan walked on a cloud all the way back to town, telling himself to go very slow but not listening all that well.

Fourteen

Scottie had barely started the third page of the book when Corina’s head fell against her arm; the little girl was fast asleep. Scottie shifted her so she could be comfortable on the sofa and then studied the child’s beautiful face, wishing her own sleep would come as easily.

Eli had been dead for six days. He had filled Scottie’s mind and thoughts all day and at any time she could not sleep in the night. She hadn’t expected this but now recognized that she should have. Her days had been built around him and now he was missing.

Even Finn was out of place. He had not spent every waking moment in Eli’s room but certainly much of his time. To have him in the kitchen, parlor, and garden so often only served to remind Scottie all the more that her husband was gone.

She wanted to cry again. She had done little else in the last six days. Scottie let her head fall back against the sofa, tears making her throat ache.

Maybe Corina has the right idea,
she thought to herself.
Maybe I just need a nap.

“How is she?” Finn asked from his place at the worktable. Iris came back from peeking out the kitchen door to report.

“They’re both asleep.”

“Good,” Finn said. “Scottie’s pale these days, and she has shadows under her eyes.”

“She cries when she doesn’t think we see.”

Finn only grunted, thinking he’d done the same thing. Eli’s closed door was a constant reminder. And it wasn’t as if he could avoid the upstairs. His room was right next door, the first one at the top of the stairs. Eli’s was next, with marvelous windows that had allowed him to see out into a world that was no longer his. Old Mrs. Peterson’s room was next, and then a very small bedroom. The last one on the landing was Scottie’s.

Finn’s new routine was difficult as well. He had his chickens and the cow and pig to see to, but where in the past he’d always rushed to get his chores done and get back to Eli, he now found they took little time at all. He tried to stretch them out, making them last as long as he could, but the milking and feeding took only so long.

“More tea?” Iris asked, and Finn pushed his cup that way.

“Thank you,” he said quietly, but Iris didn’t answer. She was in her own world of pain, feeling that things were never going to be normal again. Taking care of Eli had been the focus of her life for years. She hadn’t doubted Finn and Scottie’s abilities, but she took great pride in knowing how Eli liked his food and what all of his favorites were.

Crying didn’t come easily to her, and she thought the constant headache that recently plagued her might be rooted in that. Finn had mentioned that Scottie was looking pale. Iris’ own mirror told her she was in no better condition.

“Go ahead and cry,” Finn suddenly ordered, getting to his feet. “I’m going to check on the animals.”

Iris didn’t reply and neither did she cry, but she appreciated his words. Not a demonstrative man, Finn still knew she was hurting—even without the tears—and that meant a great deal to her.

Dannan thought he would see so much of Scottie. He was going to finish the book and then have dinner at the house to discuss it. He didn’t reckon on being so busy that he didn’t have time to read or the fact that he would come and go to get his daughter but see no sign of the mistress of the house.

On top of that, he missed Eli Peterson. He’d not known that gentleman for very long, but his presence had had a profound effect on Dannan’s life. He wanted to speak to Eli again, not just about the things he’d said concerning Scottie, but also about books and the life he’d known. A case like his was fascinating to a doctor, but Dannan’s interest was beyond medical. From the first time he’d met Eli, he was impressed with his attitude toward his situation. Eli was not bitter or angry about being in that bed. Dannan was certain that from a spiritual standpoint, he could have learned much from that man.

Having just left Corina at the Peterson house a week after Eli’s death, Dannan’s heart was a bit heavy as he walked away. He had some ointment he needed to prepare and at least two patients to check on, so he tried to get his mind back on work, but all the time he wondered what the next days would look like.

Dannan was in his workroom preparing medicine. At a time when the practice of purging, puking, and bleeding was much too common, Dannan had been trained to use specific medicines for specific needs, hoping to move away from mineral remedies that often brought such harmful effects.

Dannan had known some success with salves to cleanse wounds. The ointments helped fend off infection, but not all of his patients would listen or agree. A book on United States flora had been very helpful, and Dannan had started a small garden as soon as he’d taken over the house, also growing things in the window of the workroom.

He enjoyed the experimental side of medicine but at times missed Dr. Collier’s input. That man had great experience in this area, and Dannan had learned much from him. In the midst of his work, Dannan had an idea. He wrote down the ingredients for a mixture he thought might be used to treat burns.

Dannan didn’t have two of the plants needed to make it. Rather than try to obtain them, he opted to write to Dr. Collier and get his opinion. Dannan was in the midst of this letter when someone came looking for him.