He remembered another winter afternoon like this—many years past. He and Charles had been mending Uncle Albert’s roof after a storm. They had sat, side by side, feet dangling, speaking of the future.
Charles had planned to marry the girl he had been courting. They would share the smithy, raise families, and one day, take over the business together. They had laughed about the mischief their sons would get into, as wild as they themselves had once been.
William closed his eyes against the memory. He had buried Charles with his own hands. He had carried him from the field at Waterloo.
Only work dulled the ache.
When he opened his eyes, the snowfall had thickened. It was time to go. He packed his tools into his valise and made his way to the ladder.
The snowflakes melted on contact with the still-warm slate, leaving the surface slick. Fortunately, the job was finished—were the weather to worsen, tomorrow’s work would have been impossible.
He stepped carefully onto the ladder.
Halfway down, a sharp crack split the air.
The rung beneath his foot gave way.
“Blazes!”
William fell. His boot caught in the collapsing ladder, and he crashed to the ground, landing hard on his back. The air rushed from his lungs as pain exploded through his body.
When Caroline looked up from her embroidery, she realized the light from the back window had faded. The sun was setting, and snow was falling, casting the room in a soft, grey hue. Her shop, nestled among other merchants, lay in utter stillness. Too still.
A quiet melancholy settled over her, as pervasive and chill as the dusk beyond the panes. She set aside the walking dress on the worktable and scolded herself silently.
It is the holidays. Cheer up, Caroline.
With resolve, she rose to her feet and began humming the verses she had once sung with her grandmother at this time of year.
She checked the back door, secured the lock, and moved about the workroom, lighting each candle and lantern until the shadows receded.
Drawing a breath, she lifted her voice in song to fill the hushed silence:
While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
an angel of the Lord came down,
and glory shone around.
She stepped into the front of the shop and lit it fully.
As light flooded the room, so too did her spirits rise.
She had much to be thankful for. Her walking dress would soon be complete— an exquisite piece of fine workmanship.
Her seamstresses were thriving, the shop’s reputation growing.
Mr. Johnson had just confirmed her business was on course, and Caroline could take pride in her success.
Little Annie Greer was healthy and bright, and Mrs. Greer’s strength was returning.
‘Fear not,’ said he, for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind;
‘glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and all mankind.’
And she herself had stayed the course—no man had tempted her since Lord Saunton. She had held fast to her vow, maintaining the dignity she had once cast aside.
‘To you, in David’s town, this day
is born of David’s line
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:’
She might be alone this Christmas Eve, but she had a new life, built on integrity and hard work. And she could sing as loudly as she pleased in her empty, candlelit shop.
‘The heavenly Babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
and in a manger laid.’
She returned to the back room to prepare her tea.
While the kettle boiled, she found the biscuits she had purchased earlier from Mr. Andrews and arranged them on a small plate.
She ought to return to her lodgings, but her landlady had left to visit family in Bath, and the thought of sitting in a quiet house alone was less appealing than remaining in her bright, warm shop.
Thus spoke the angel. Suddenly
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:
The townsfolk here in Chatternwell had accepted her with open arms—that was another blessing she had not counted yet!
Raising her voice, she sang the last verse loudly as she set out her teacup. Her loneliness was a choice. A penance for her past mistakes. She had acquired many fine acquaintances here in town, and her work was all she needed.
‘All glory be to God on high,
and to the earth be peace;
to those on whom his favor rests
goodwill shall never cease.’
Silence descended once more. Biting her lip, she tried to think of something else to sing. Opening her mouth, she?—
A loud knocking resounded from the front door. Caroline’s mouth clamped shut as she frowned in confusion.
Who on earth ? —
Another loud knocking.
Whoever it was, they were frantic to get her attention. The very windows rattled from the blows on the door.
Caroline briskly strode across the workroom to enter the front of the shop, more than a little nervous about whom she might find outside on Christmas Eve.
Her fears were eased when she saw through the windows that it was Dr. Hadley, one of the town’s two doctors.
He was a jovial sort and quite popular for his generous spirit.
Hurrying over, Caroline unlocked the door to let him in.
Dr. Hadley was a well-fed man of average height with salt-and-pepper hair. He had a broad face with a thick mustache and a vaguely Mediterranean look about him. Currently, he looked harried rather than his usual cheerful self.
“Is everything all right, Dr. Hadley?”
His gravelly voice revealed his anxiety. “Mrs. Brown, I am so pleased to find you. I swear the entire street is deserted for the Eve celebrations. I could not find a single soul of any use!”
“Are you in need of assistance?”
The doctor swiped a white handkerchief over his forehead, mopping up the sweat of his exertions.
“I hate to impose, Mrs. Brown. There were people about when I was called to Mr. Jackson’s, but by the time I was done treating him, I could find no one to help.
John Bow is here to drive me urgently to his farm so I can attend to his wife.
She is in labor and needs me right away, but I must find someone to take care of Mr. Jackson before I leave. ”
“What happened to Mr. Jackson?”
“He suffered a severe sprain to his ankle this evening. It is imperative he remain off his feet, but there is no one to care for him. The man is pugnacious! Stubborn! If I do not find someone to attend him, I know he will walk about, which could result in a permanent injury. I must send someone over to ensure he is taken care of. His last meal was at midday, so if I do not send someone to see to him right away, he is certain to ignore my instructions to remain seated and instead seek sustenance.”
Caroline drew back in disbelief at what the doctor was suggesting. “Surely … I cannot, Dr. Hadley! I am a single woman. If I attend to a man in his home, my reputation will be utterly ruined!”
She could not help the thought that followed.
And I have been avoiding the handsome blacksmith since the day we met! I cannot possibly be alone with him!
The doctor looked about, then back at the wagon where Mr. Bow sat with a tense expression, evidently concerned at the delay in returning to his wife’s side.
Leaning in, Dr. Hadley lowered his voice.
“Rest assured, Mr. Bow is hard of hearing, and I shall be the only one who knows, and I swear I shall never breathe a word of it. I found a couple of people at the inn, but they were far too inebriated to be of use, and the innkeeper … he refused to help. Not that I would trust that man to care for anyone at the best of times. Everyone else is home with their family, and I do not have time to find someone else.”
Caroline shook her head. She wanted to assist, but this was too risky.
“Mrs. Brown, Mr. Jackson is a very important member of our community. Under ordinary circumstances, I could find any number of people willing to assist him. And he has many staff. But it is the holidays, and I am out of time. Please, this is important! I have seen injuries like this become incurable maladies due to neglect. Mr. Jackson is yet a young man, a man who provides many people with work and is himself a highly skilled smith who helps our community by his own hand. I would hate for him to develop chronic problems with his leg when he was doing such a kind favor.”
“Dr. Hadley, if someone sees me entering his home, it could ruin my business. I would be run out of town.”
The doctor reached out, clasping her hand gently in his own to stare deep into her eyes.
“Mrs. Brown, I assure you it is the right thing to do. You can approach the house from the alley and enter through his back door. Mrs. Bow is having her first child, and I must get to her side immediately. I know it is a lot to ask …”
Caroline rubbed her free hand over her chin.
She looked out on the deserted street. Hers was the only light to be seen, which was evidently how the doctor had found her.
It could not do any harm. No one was about to see.
As long as she was discreet, she could help the doctor, and she did not have a good reason to refuse. Hesitantly, she nodded.
Dr. Hadley squeezed her hand in gratitude.
“Thank you, Mrs. Brown. His cottage is near the end of the street, just past Mrs. Heeley’s.
You will know you have reached her house by the broken tiles and ladder in her backyard.
If you can just take care of him until tomorrow night, I swear to it that no one will ever know you were there! ”
The doctor dug in his pocket, pulling out a page and thrusting it into her hand. “Here are my instructions for Mr. Jackson’s care. I will call on him on Tuesday morning and bring one of his apprentices along to take care of him then.”
With that, Dr. Hadley turned to run over to the wagon, his great wool coat flapping in the night air as he hastily raised himself onto the seat next to Mr. Bow.
The farmer tipped his hat in greeting to Caroline, then prompted his horse forward.
She watched as they started down the street through the falling snow, hoping that John Bow was oblivious to the specifics of the doctor’s request or there would be too many people aware of where she was going tonight.
Locking the door, she read the doctor’s scrawling handwriting as she considered what she might need to take with her.
Making a mental list, she gathered her things, put out the candles, and headed to the back to find her cloak.
She suspected it would be a long night, what with her and the blacksmith spending Christmas Eve together.
Alone.
Was the universe throwing temptation in her path to test her will? Certainly, by morning she would know if she had managed to transform herself into a chaste woman these past two years since her ill-advised indiscretions with Lord Saunton in the stables.