Nearly A Murder: A Violet Carlyle Historical Mystery (The Violet Carlyle Mysteries Book 22) by Beth Byers

Author:Beth Byers [Byers, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2020-05-31T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Vi met Rita in the dining room for a late luncheon. Afterwards, they visited the sick bay. Though they were interested in how the twins were doing, each of them wanted to know if their husbands were yet working.

There was a steward in front of the brig door, and Violet and Rita weren’t allowed to do anything other than ask after their husbands. They were only told that their husbands were still busy and would be told that they had visited.

The sick bay contained Nanny Jane, the doctor, Kate reading a book to Mrs. Nielsen, and Victor, who watched his wife with affection and love.

“How are they?” Vi asked, crossing to Kate.

She looked up from reading Dr. Thorne to the poor women and paused. “Mrs. Nielsen may be doing better. Mrs. Hanson has woken, but she doesn’t stay awake, and she can’t speak. She saw her sister, panicked, and fainted.”

“Nanny, will they live?”

Nanny Jane paused and then said, “I think so.”

“How did they both survive?” Vi asked.

“Perhaps it was strong blood,” Nanny mused, ignoring the snort of the doctor. “Or perhaps they had a very poor poisoner.”

Vi snorted and leaned back. She reached out and took hold of Mrs. Hanson’s wrist. “These poor women. Something occurred to Vi and she added, “These poor twins. Surely, we can move them closer together?”

Violet looked at the two hospital beds and then she took off the brakes and moved them closer together, dropping the sides so they could sense the other’s presence. Violet stared down at the two sisters and wished that more could be done for them.

“Is there nothing else that we can do?”

Nanny Jane said, “Not here. Not with him.” Her gaze moved to the doctor.

He grunted, offended, but he cared far less about the jab now that it had been so long between drinks. Vi would have thought that he’d be demanding a drink or getting one for himself. Were they keeping the doctor from his self-medicine?

Violet didn’t care, but she examined him. The man was sweating now and he looked as though he were about to sick up. His feet were moving restlessly and his hands were opening and closing as though he were going to strangle something.

Vi looked towards the nanny who eyed the doctor and then met Vi’s gaze. Nanny nodded once for Vi’s unasked question. Yes, the doctor was suffering. Yes, the nanny had an eye on him. Violet looked towards her brother who was lounging, but she saw that his gaze was fixed on the doctor’s hands too.

“Why can’t he have a drink?”

“Jack castigated the ship’s captain for allowing a drunk doctor on ship. Told the captain that if either of the women died, it could be laid at his feet as well as the poisoner’s.” Kate had paused from reading to explain.

Vi wasn’t surprised to hear it. Her husband was protective in the extreme, and his very soul would have been horrified to see that they’d been saddled with a man who couldn’t make it a few hours without a drink.

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