As he bounded up the stairs of his own home, he knew the course of action he would take.
Chapter nineteen
Dr. Donaldson came to the house in Crampton during this time. Margaret was saddened and worried that her mother wanted only Dixon to attend her during this visit.
Although shut out, she lingered near the door, for she could not think of attending to anything else when her mother might be given a dreadful diagnosis. She thought she heard her mother moan. The mumbling of the doctor’s voice was indistinct, and she decided there and then that she would not be kept out of any secret concerning her mother’s health.
Hearing the scrape of a chair and sounds indicating that the visit was over, Margaret descended the stairs.
“Dr. Donaldson, please. If I may speak with you,” she said, approaching him as he headed towards the door.
He stopped to listen and assess, wondering what type of girl this might be, for there were two kinds: the ones who shrieked and wailed and made a scene of things, or the more solid type who quietly took in the meaning of things.
“I am Mrs. Hale’s only daughter, and I would like to know what you have found today regarding my mother’s health,” she requested with determination, standing erect.
“My dear, I’m not at liberty to tell you. You must ask Miss Dixon—“
“Dixon is a servant, and I am her daughter,” she said with firmness. “I demand that you tell me! I need time to prepare my father if it is something serious, for it would be a very harsh blow for him. I have enough strength to hear the truth, and the truth is what I shall hear from you!” she commanded, her eyes imploring and defiant as she steadfastly met his.
Now, this was a girl after his own heart, a stalwart lass who would carry any burden with endurance. A beauty too, he noted, concluding that it would take a mighty man to match her power.
He stepped closer to reveal his prognosis solemnly. “We will do our best to mitigate the pain, but there will be no recovery,” he began as gently as possible.
“Oh! What is it?” Margaret exclaimed, her hand flying to cover her mouth.
“A tumor, my dear. She may have periods of relative ease, but it will not abate. At best, she will be with you a year, but no more.”
“My mother!” she whispered, her face paled and her eyes dampened with tears.
He watched as the quavering lips clamped together, and she raised herself to her full height.
“Thank you for telling me. I can bear it now that I know what lies ahead.”
He had no doubt about it. “You must let your father notice things of his own accord. He will eventually come to his own conclusion.”
“Yes” was all she could mutter.
“I shall come every fortnight. That will be an indication to your father that it is more than a passing trifle.”
She agreed, and he bid her goodbye, bounding down the stairs outside to meet with the next patient on his list.
When he reached the center of town, he saw the tall mill master walking nearby. “Mr. Thornton!” he hailed him, and the younger man drew closer. “I’ve seen the factory girl you sent me to. You’re quite right. There is nothing that can be done for her, I’m afraid. Now, as to that new patient you sent me: I met with the daughter afterward—a fine girl if I may say so. I’m sorry to say, however, that she will probably be without a mother within the year.”
A stab of icy dread nearly staggered the strong businessman. “Mrs. Hale?” he asked, his voice tremulous.
“Yes. You are acquainted with the family? They are new to Milton, I gathered.”
“Mr. Hale is my friend,” Mr. Thornton answered in a daze as he attempted to absorb the implications. “You will do everything you can for her. Spare no expense,” he instructed, with sudden intensity. “I will pay whatever may bring her comfort beyond what Hale can afford. But let him believe your regular fee covers all.”
“Of course,” the doctor answered, more than happy to accommodate the wishes of the wealthy manufacturer.
“Is there anything I can do? Anything that she might need?” Mr. Thornton asked, his earnestness touching the old physician’s heart.
“Let me think…eating fruit may do her good,” he replied.
“Fruit? Of any particular kind?”
“Whatever fresh fruit may be had,” was the reply.
