Chapter Nine

Chapter 9






“Thomas we need to go to our home in Boston, smallpox has broken out in Whispering Hills. I want to feel safe.” Ma says to Pa at the supper table. I watch Anna pick at her food. Anna’s complexion is all wrong. She has a peaches and cream complexion, and her cheeks now are more like tomatoes.
“Dear, we’re fine, as long as no one leaves this house unless they absolutely need to, we’ll be fine.” Pa gives Ma’s hand a squeeze and smiles at her. Ma smiles back then goes back to her food. Gamma rolls her eyes, and Grandpa looks sternly at her.
“Thomas you need to protect your family. If Catherine wants to go to the house in Boston you should listen. Even the Cooks’ went to their other home somewhere in New York.” Gamma argued.
“Mary-Lou, you needn’t express your feelings. If Thomas feels it’s time to go to their home in Boston he will pack up.” Grandpa smiles at Gamma. I continue to watch Anna, she does not look right. I hear commotion in the kitchen then see Hannah, Ma’s ladies’ maid come running in. She wore a panicked expression on her lovely face.
“Hannah Dear, what is wrong?” Ma asks.
“Mrs. Winthorpe, Lilly is sick Ma’am.” Hannah replies. I jerk my head up. Lilly is Anna’s ladies’ maid. Could Anna be sick? I look again to Anna; her eyes don’t hold her sparkle they usually have.
“Oh, dear, Thomas one of our servants our sick, still want to say we will not get the epidemic in our house. I told you weeks ago that people were coming down sick and we needed to move to Boston for a couple of weeks. Now we could get sick!” Ma shrieks.
“Hannah, go tell George to go get the Doctor Morgan for Lilly, and I think supper is done for tonight.” Pa gets up and heads out of the dining room. Ma pulls out her fan and fans herself. Anna gets up and slowly slumps to her room. Josephine and Arthur get up and walk to their room. Gamma looks at Grandpa then Grandpa gets up and helps Gamma up. Ma still sits and fans herself. I slowly get up. I look at the direction of the kitchen. I say a silent prayer for Lilly, praying God protects her when she’s sick. I add that God keeps us safe from whatever Lilly has.



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I wake from noise and footsteps outside my bedroom door. I swing my legs over the edge and get up. I run to get my dressing gown and slip it on. I walk to the door and peek out. I see servants running wildly with panic on their faces. I grab Brigit my ladies’ maid. She looks at me with terror in her eyes. “Hannah what’s going on?” I ask.
“Miss Anna she sick ma’am, she sick from Lilly Miss Elizabeth.” Hannah replies. I feel the color drain from my face. I release her arm and come fully out.
I run to Anna’s room down the hallway. I see Dr. Morgan leaning over Anna. Ma is in the corner with Pa crying silently in her handkerchief. Pa’s trying to comfort her. Gamma and Grandpa are next to them. I do not see Josephine or Arthur so they must have not woken up. I walk towards Dr. Morgan and stand next to him. I look at Anna. Her face is ashen. Dr. Morgan is checking Anna’s throat. Why would he do that? Unless… Dr. Morgan finishes and closes his black leather bag. He looks at me then at Ma and Pa. His face tells me everything.
“Its smallpox isn’t it? Oh, Dear Anna!” I look at Anna again.
“I’m afraid so Elizabeth. I have to put ya’ll in quarantine for a couple weeks. Ya’ll have been around her and have been exposed to her. The best thing for her is if you can get someone to go to Dots and ask for something. Dot has been busier than a bee in spring, since smallpox has come to Whispering Hills.” I take a deep breath and step up to Dr. Morgan.
“I’ll go to Dots and get something. I have barely been around her.” I look to Pa and Ma. Ma is still crying into her handkerchief. Pa looks at me then slowly nods. “I’ll go. I feel I have to do something for Anna.” Dr. Morgan nods then reaches in his black leather bag. He grabbed out a mask.
“I’d advise you wear this when you go out. Even though you’re in the same house you might not get it from her, but there’s a possibility you’ll get it from someone else in town.” He hands me the mask and then nods to Ma and Pa. “I’ll be praying for Anna Thomas. I hate to see kids sick.” He leaves the room and Trenton the butler leaves to show him out.
The house is in disarray. The servants are running from the servant corridors to Anna’s room. I hurry to my room to dress for my trip to town. I hurry to put on a working dress. I had asked Ma if I could put in an herb garden this spring. Then I asked if I could have a working dress. I feel it appropriate to wear the working dress to town. I do not bother with my hair. I do not think it will matter. I grab my shawl then run down the stairs. George meets me at the door. He nods to me.
“Miss Elizabeth, I have Will drivin’ you to town. I wish to stay to see what I can do for Miss Anna.” I smile at George. He’s been with our family ever since I can remember. He’s such a loyal servant.
“Thank you George. Right now all we can do is pray. But that is the best thing we can do.” I wave to him then run to the barn.
I see the buggy is already hitched up and waiting. Will is standing near it waiting. He looks tired. My heart does an unexpected flip and I frown. Why does my heart decide to do that now? I square my shoulders and try to hide the fact I had such a reaction to seeing him. I walk toward him. He notices me and his eyes widen. I halt and think. Why would he react like that? I realize I left my hair flowing down my back. My face reddens and I avert my eyes from his gaze. I hurry to try to grab my hair and put it up. But I realize I have nothing to put it up. He walks my way and I dare a glance at him. I see compassion and sincerity in his eyes. He stops within inches of me. I look up at him. He places his hands on my shoulders. I feel something like a bolt of lightening in me all the way to my toes. He puts his finger under my chin and raises my face so I’m looking right at his emerald eyes.
“Lizzy, George told about Anna how is she?” His eyes show so much compassion it is almost my undoing. I take a deep breath and step back from his hands. I close my eyes to compose myself. I open them to see him still looking at me with some emotion I can not describe.
“She’ll be okay once I go to Dots and get something to help. In the meantime pray for her Will.” My heart is hammering in my chest from his touch and nearness. He nods and heads to the buggy. Breathe, just breathe Elizabeth. Just remember to breathe. I follow him to the buggy. He waits for me to help me up. I hurry and scramble up before he has time to help me. He shakes his head and smiles. He grabs the reins and hands them to me. He jumps up on the seat next to me. He retakes the reins and yells to the horses to go. The buggy sways and jumps on the path. I can only think of poor little Anna in the bed her face ashen. I vow to do everything I can to see her better.




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“Lizzy Dear! What in the blazes are you doing here at this hour come in, come in. It’s colder than my ice box out there. Now come here and stand next to the fire. Will darlin’ come here too! You two stand in front of the fire there and warm up. I’ll go put on some coffee. Now Dear tell me how’s your family?” Dot bustles back in and sets a kettle with coffee to warm up. She looks at me and her expression changes. Her bubbly smile is gone replaced with a sober frown. “Dear? Why are you here?” I look at her and try to smile. Obviously did not do too well. “Elizabeth is it your family?” I do not trust my voice so I slowly nod. I feel tears welling in my eyes. I blink rapidly trying to stop them. Will, who is sitting next to me, places his arm around my shoulders for comfort. He clears his throat.
“Dot, Anna is sick.” He clears it again. “It’s smallpox.” I hear Dot exhale and gasp. I look up and see tears swimming in her kind blue eyes. She leans over and pats my hand in my lap.
She stands up and walks over to a shelf filled with herbs. She grabs a jar than another. Soon she has at least nine jars on the counter. She starts doing her thing with herbs and mixes, shakes and grinds them. I watch in amazement as she does what I know is her favorite thing to do. She soon has six jars of mixed and shaken herbs. She walks back to me and Will.
“Dear, I have six jars for you to take home. The first one is a combination is Jujube fruits, Khaski and sugar. These should be boiled together and strained. The decoction should be given with three raisins if Anna is constipated. That will make a tea for her to drink. Alternatively, the other jar is figs. They should be cut into three pieces and cooked in a little water. That one there is Saffron. It should be mixed with it after straining it. The decoction helps shorten the course of the disease.
“If the pustules itch during drying up, a salt free diet should be given to Anna. Anna should be exposed to the smoke of Jhau or Bhojpatra leaves. Those are the jars there. When the scabs start falling off, cow's ghee or sesame oil, slightly warmed should be applied to the scars. The last jar is the sesame oil.
“I am giving these to you. I trust you to do exactly what I have told you. I will be praying for Anna and your family. Come see me when this epidemic is over.” She smile and gets up again. She grabs a basket and fills it with the jars. She brings the basket to me and hands it to Will who holds it in one hand and keeps his other arm around my shoulders. Just having his arm around me gives me strength that Anna will be fine. I look up at him and he smiles at me. When this is all over I shall contemplate what this emotion is in his eyes as he looks at me.

God bless!