“She’s still in bed. Poor Marilee drank more of Lilly’s tea than I did. She’s having a hard time coming out of it. Doc’s with her now.”
“I’m going up.”
Annalise nodded.
Taking the stairs two at a time he rushed to Marilee’s room, he noted that he could not have done that even before the saloon gunfight. Modern medicine was a marvel. Knocking softly at her door he waited for Doc to answer.
“How is she?” he asked walking up to the bed with his hat in his hand.
“She’ll be all right,” Doc said rising. “She and Jane took the brunt of it, but a few more hours of rest should do the trick. Jane’s still sleeping too, although when I got back this morning, she was wandering around my office opening and sniffing bottles. It’s a wonder she didn’t get ahold of the ether. Curiosity is going to catch up with her. The girl needs a keeper,” he sighed.
“I can think of someone for the job,” Mead teased.
“I’m not sure I’m up to it,” Doc said putting his stethoscope into his bag and closing it.
“She’ll keep you young.”
“Or age me dreadfully,” Doc countered. “Time will tell, I guess. Don’t keep her talking too long,” he warned nodding towards his patient. “She needs her rest if she’s going to dance around the saloon tonight,” he continued with a frown.
As soon as Doc left the room, Mead sat down on the side of the bed and took Marilee’s hand in his.
“How are you doing, honey?” he asked gently.
“I’m all right,” she replied sleepily.
“I hope so. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.”
“Oh Mead, you mustn’t say such things. It’s not proper,” she whispered sadly.
“Why not? It’s how I feel.”
“Because you’re going to marry Lilly, and I must go away,” she said so softly he had to lean closer to hear her.
“Why would that make you leave?” he asked.
“I would have to. I mean it would be so hard to…”
“To what?”
“To see you together,” Marilee breathed out. “Oh, I don’t know why I am telling you these things,” she said, her eyes filling with shame and tears. “You must go, Mead. Clearly, I am not myself.”
“You look perfect to me,” he said before kissing her hand.
“I’m not. I’m not perfect at all,” she sobbed out. “I love someone who can never belong to me.”
“Oh, my darling girl,” Mead sighed. Gathering her into his arms he held her close. “You are so wrong, for I could never belong to anyone but you. I am not going to marry Lilly.”
“You’re not?” she whispered, pushing away from his chest so she could see him.
“No. Even before I went away, I knew I could never marry her, not when I loved someone else,” he said, kissing her softly.
“Oh Mead,” she cried. “I thought it was only me who felt that way. I tried so hard to hide it, but every time I saw you my heart felt as though it would beat right out of my chest.”
“Mine too, sweetheart.”
Softly Mead brushed her dark hair from her damp cheeks and laid her back on the pillows.
“You rest now, darlin’. I’ll be back later, and we’ll talk more. I just wanted you to know how I felt about you and that it was my intention to make you my wife. It’s quite a relief to know that your heart already belongs to me.” Kissing her once more he rose. “I have to ride out to the farm and see my mother. She’ll be thrilled to hear this news. Then Matthew and I are going to load the wagon and bring Callie Mae into town. You stay in bed as long as you want to, and if you feel dizzy when you get up you get right back in, you hear me?”
