Emerita Boxing Day, page 17
Chapter Twenty-three
“What’s everyone doing until the concert?” Doc asked, seating Lia, then taking his own seat.
“Staying home and getting things ready,” Fiala said.
“All of us are taking it easy today,” Ayla nodded. “We’ve done all we can on every project we’ve started. Everything’s been handed off to the managers for each project.”
“I’m surprised we haven’t had to deal with another attack on the new houses, yet,” Lia said.
“It feels like a storm brewing in the distance,” Doc agreed.
“Are we going to heal again today, Doc?” Posy asked.
“Until midday, like normal. We’ll be coming back here after that, so we’ll have plenty of time to have dinner and get ready.”
“How’s your faith doing?” Sophia asked.
“Growing slowly, but I’m still hundreds off from where I need to be. Word’s been getting around, and we’ve been busy healing every day. I expect the healers in the city to make another push, along with the apothecaries. One of my patients told me the other doctors have been warning people away, saying I’m a charlatan. They couldn’t help him and I did, so he knows the truth and will spread that to others.”
“The clan bought the land to start their brewery,” Sonya said. “It’s west of the city, which puts it near the rail line they’re building. I expect them to ask if they can tie into the one you’re making so they can ship easier.”
“We got the approval for tying into the existing railway station here in the city. That’ll make it easier when tourism for Heartwood’s Tears starts up. They’ll have to disembark and switch trains, but won’t have to leave the station to do it,” Ayla smiled. “Sophia was able to take care of that the other day.”
“It took using some national laws, but we managed it. It’s a hundred-year lease, not a purchase, but maybe we’ll be able to buy the station out eventually,” Sophia said proudly. “They thought I wouldn’t be able to, but when we presented our case to the judge, he came down on my side.”
“Which judge?” Doc asked.
“The same one who married us. As we were leaving, he asked how our family was doing. He was shocked to hear that I wasn’t your only wife, but he was happy for us. He mentioned attending the concert tonight.”
“I hope he’ll enjoy the songs,” Doc said. “He seemed like a good man to me.”
“Strongarm was very perturbed to lose,” Ayla said. “He did his best to stonewall and obstruct us, but his lawyer isn’t as good as ours.”
Sophia blushed. “I’ll always do my best.”
“Which is always amazing,” Sonya smiled.
“He’ll be angrier,” Doc said. “Wonder if he’ll be at the concert?”
“It’s a social event that has the city buzzing,” Fiala said. “If he misses it, it’ll make people wonder why. I believe he’ll be there, but be dismissive about it.”
“A problem for tonight,” Lia said.
The knock announced Charles with the cart of food. “Breakfast,” he said when he entered.
~*~*~
Doc helped Posy, Rosa, and Ambrose out of the carriage. A breeze helped cool the warm air, making it far more pleasant than the heat of the last month. He no longer felt like he was dying in his suits when out during the day. In another month, he’d be glad for the thickness of the cloth, as they kept him warm.
Ginger gave them a smile when they entered the Silver Lily. Doc went over to her instead of walking past like normal. She was surprised, but greeted him. “Good morning, sir.”
“Good morning, Ginger. Can we talk in the office for a few minutes?”
“Of course, sir. Let me just arrange for my relief.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Doc said as he led the procession past her.
Ginger gave Harrid a questioning look, so he slowed to tell her, “It’s not bad. He just has a question for you. I’ll support you either way.”
Now, Ginger was really wondering what it was about. She leaned over to kiss Harrid’s cheek. “Okay. Thank you.”
It took a couple of minutes, but Ginger was soon in Doc’s office. She knew that Posy had been helping Doc with healing, but she still found it odd that the little bestial had a dryad with her.
“Have a seat, Ginger,” Doc said as he stood up from his own chair. “It’s nothing bad; just a question about the future.”
Licking her lips, Ginger began to wonder if Doc was upset with her seeing Harrid… but that couldn’t be right, because she and Harrid had a date that evening while Doc was at the concert. “Yes, sir,” she replied, sitting down.
Taking his own seat again, Doc took a breath to get his words lined up. “Ginger, you’ve accepted that, in time, Harrid will be leaving with me, right?”
“Yes, sir. He’s your bodyguard appointed by his clan.” Her expression fell. “Are you leaving soon?”
Doc held up his hand. “Calm yourself. It’s not that. When we do go, what would you like to do with your life? Harrid said he spoke about options with you before.”
Ginger felt a little better— she understood, or at least thought she did. “He offered me the chance to move to Heartwood’s Tears and take up a similar job there, or even a management position of some kind. I wasn’t sure he was right.”
“He is. He’d like you as safe and secure as possible,” Doc said, then motioned to Harrid by the door. “Harrid, come over here.”
Harrid took the seat beside Ginger, looking uncertain. “I didn’t want to impress upon her choice.”
Ginger took his hand. “I’d like to have you in my life more, Harrid. I know you’ll eventually leave, but until then… I want more.”
Harrid swallowed the lump that’d formed in his dry throat. “I… uh… yes. D-doc, can you finish?”
Doc grinned, knowing why Harrid wanted him to finish first. “Besides the options he gave you, there’s one more open for you, but it’s a limited-time offer. Would you like to be able to heal like Posy and I have been doing?”
Ginger stared at him, her brow furrowing as she tried to figure out what Doc was saying. “How would that be possible, sir?”
“The same way Posy is able to. My goddess can bless people through me, giving them the ability to heal others. It won’t be as deep as ours, but more than enough to deal with the minor things.”
Ginger’s mind reeled at the very thought that she’d be able to heal others. A single thought finally settled for her. “The church would come after me.”
“The preachers here wouldn’t, but yes, the church might. Harrid wants you to be safe when he goes, so he wasn’t enthused about me offering the position to you, but he knows you’re a strong woman and that the choice should be yours.”
“I’d rather you take a management position for Heartwood’s Tears,” Harrid said softly. “You’d have financial security and a good place that probably won’t know any real conflict… but Doc’s right. This is a personal choice.”
Ginger turned to look at Harrid— the two just stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment before she nodded. “I want to marry you, have a child with you, and hopefully have you come back to me, Harrid. Would you be willing to do that?”
“Yes,” Harrid croaked as he fumbled out a small box. “I-I was going to ask after…”
Ginger flung herself at him, nearly toppling the chair over as she kissed him passionately.
Posy giggled and bounced in her seat. “Yay!”
Rosa smiled as she rested her head against Doc’s knee. “She is ecstatic to be asked. They might be a little while.”
Doc chuckled as he stroked Rosa’s hair. “That’s fine. I know how it was for me.”
When Ginger finally let Harrid breathe again, she didn’t move— she stayed in his lap, not caring how improper it was. “Yes, you dense fool. I’ve been hoping for weeks you’d ask me before the end. A thousand times yes.”
Harrid looked dazed, but he managed to get the box open. Pulling the ring out, he slid it onto her finger. “I’ve wanted to ask since our second date. I worried I would move too fast, that you’d—”
Ginger cut him off with another kiss, but softer this time. When she broke it, she rested her forehead against his. “I’ll go to Heartwood’s Tears. I’d like a better job, but not one that’ll put me in charge of dozens of people. I’ll raise the child we’ll have, telling them all about their amazing father helping change the world by keeping an important man safe.”
Doc smiled at the pair. He’d need to get Ayla and Sophia involved to find Ginger the right position. There was also a wedding to plan now, and Doc grinned at that, as he’d get to be Harrid’s best man this time.
“We’ll make it happen. Give it a couple of days and Ayla and Sophia will talk to you about positions and get you set up,” Doc said after a few minutes.
Ginger got out of Harrid’s lap. “Thank you, Doc. I’m sorry that I didn’t agree.”
“No, it’s fine. It was an option. You were the first person I asked because Harrid trusts you, but this is better for him and you. We’ll have to get a wedding planned now. I’m sure my wives will want to help, if you’ll let them.”
Ginger nodded. “Please? I’ll take any help.”
“We’ll try not to make it too big an event,” Doc chuckled, “but you’ll be able to work that out with my wives.”
“Thank you,” Ginger sniffled. “You… I found him because of you. You healed me so I can be me again… not broken… Thank you.”
Harrid got up, wrapping his arms around her. “It’s who he is, Ginger. It’s why I have to keep protecting him.”
Ginger nodded, spinning in Harrid’s arms to bury her face in the side of his neck. “I know.”
“Harrid, take a few minutes,” Doc said. “The twins can watch the door.”
“Thank you, Doc,” Harrid said as he led his soon-to-be wife away.
Chapter Twenty-four
Harrid came into the room without knocking. “Doc, a preacher of Apoc is here.”
“Show him in,” Doc said, standing from his desk. “Posy, stay calm, no matter what he says.”
“I will, Doc. I remember McIan and how I need to act for them.”
They were standing in the sitting area— both dryads kneeling beside their chairs— when the door opened again. The man who came in wore the same cut of clothing that McIan did, but Doc knew the material was far from the cheap simple cloth the Deep Gulch preacher had worn. This man also had an assortment of jewelry displayed on his fingers.
“Holyday?” he asked as Harrid let him in.
“That is me, sir,” Doc replied. “Doc Holyday.”
“I am Father Holmes, head preacher of Furden,” the man introduced himself. His hazel eyes were cold and calculating, even with the smile on his lips.
“An honor, Father,” Doc smiled. “My ward, Posy Hopner.”
“An honor, sir,” Posy said, dipping a curtsy to him.
“Well-mannered. Good, good.”
“Would you like a drink, sir? I assume you want to talk, and that can be thirsty work,” Doc asked as Holmes came over to them.
“No. I do not think I will be here long.”
“Then, please.” Doc motioned to a seat.
Holmes paused, giving Posy a smile. Posy quickly took her seat, looking down. Holmes then sat, followed by Doc. “Women always sit first, even bestials,” Holmes said. “Remember that, child.”
“Yes, sir…” Posy murmured.
“You’ll have to work on her social etiquette more, Holyday.”
“She’s an exceptional student; I’m sure she’s already learned from today. What brings you to my humble establishment, sir?”
“Humble? This is the best gambling hall in the city; it is far from humble… unless you mean the fact that it is rumored that you offer faith healing here?”
“Even if it is the grandest hall in Furden, compared to the church, it would be humble, sir,” Doc replied.
Holmes’ lips twitched. “That is truthfully said. I see. I was approached by a few reputable businessmen claiming that you are faith healing. I would normally have my lesser brethren come, but Fremont is a devout follower of Apoc. Since he brought forth the complaint, I felt it best if I was the one to investigate.”
“He isn’t wrong,” Doc said truthfully. “I am a faith healer, and I’ve mostly been helping bestials. I’ve seen a human or two, but they’ve told me the other healers turned them away. Should we let people suffer when we can help?”
“You don’t deny being a spirit healer?”
“Why would I deny something that’s easily verifiable? I do not claim Apoc is wrong, I do not speak against the church, nor do I press people to believe as I do. I simply heal their injuries, let them know it was Lady Luck who healed them, then wish them well.”
Holmes sat back, studying Doc. He hadn’t expected the man to be so personable, truthful, and clearly unrepentant about what he was doing. “I see… but you believe in the demon who tells you falsehoods?”
“Luck?” Doc asked. “I’ve spoken with her myself, sir. I know for certain that my gifts come from her. I also don’t believe she’s ever lied to me.”
“But she told you that Apoc is a false religion, did she not?”
Doc shook his head. “She has not. Luck’s only asked me to help those I can. She said nothing about Apoc.” Doc was playing with the truth— he knew Apoc was the Darkness. His goal was to remove said Darkness, but Luck had never told him that Apoc was the problem.
Holmes sat back, touching one of his rings. “Hmm… interesting. You are still taking business from the faithful of Apoc.”
“I doubt that, sir,” Doc said. “I never met a healer who could do much themselves. Even I would be unable to do a lot if not for my pet.” Doc waved a hand over Rosa’s head, not touching her like he normally would.
“Yes, but there are two dryads here. No man can own more than one unless he is a bishop or higher in the church.”
“The other is not mine, but Posy’s.”
Holmes’ eyebrows rose at the statement. He stared at Posy, who was looking down demurely the entire time. He ran a hand over his short-cut salt-and-pepper hair. “That dryad is hers?” he finally asked.
“Yes,” Doc nodded. “It was collared by Posy. The paperwork for her to own it was done by a Sagesse. We just need a soulsmith to sign off on the papers.”
“A problem with Steward being dead. I did tell him his perversions would be the death of him. It’s said he died inside the Iniquitous Den. A terrible place for any Apoc-fearing man; there are only women of sin in there, the bestials and elves. It’s just asking to have one’s soul tarnished.”
“If you sleep with them, you mean. Having a drink with them wouldn’t.”
Holmes’ eyes narrowed slightly. “That is true, but who would pay to just drink and talk to the women who work there?”
“Men who can’t unburden themselves to others without it appearing as a weakness,” Doc replied.
“Hmm… an argument I’ve not heard before. I must say, Holyday, you are a gifted conversationalist. Is it true you’ve started doing business with Roquefell?”
“We have a few irons in the fire.”
“Including a housing project for the bestials?”
“A community to help the poor and disenfranchised, to give them a hand to become more than they are. It’ll have schools, healers, businesses, and more, not just housing. I feel that, if given the chance, most people can rise above humble beginnings.”
“Admirable, yet you aim to help the lesser and not your fellow humans?”
“Humans will be allowed in, as well. We won’t discriminate. There is a caveat to the community: we won’t tolerate hatred. Anyone breaking those rules will find their homes stripped from them. We want tolerance and community, not discord and hatred. It doesn’t matter who the offender is.”
“You’re paying for all of this?”
“Myself and Roquefell are the driving force, but I’ve been told by the manager that other prominent people like Tarbo have donated to the effort. I believe his wife impressed upon him.”
“I’ve spoken with someone who has had a decidedly different view on your ‘new community.’”
“I’m sure that person is more worried about their own profit than anything else. I’m obviously not considering how much it will cost me to make the community.”
“Yes… there is that…” Holmes murmured. “The church should not be used as a weapon against others. We are here to do Apoc’s work, not mortal’s work. Though the work of Apoc can be quite costly to continue at times.”
