Miss Thorne Blossoms Read online

  Manchester Women

  Book Two

  Miss Thorne Blossoms

  By

  Jordan Bollinger

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Miss Thorne Blossoms (Manchester Women, #2)

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  About Jordan Bollinger

  Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.

  27305 W. Live Oak Rd #424

  Castaic, CA 91384

  http://www.DesertBreezePublishing.com

  Copyright © 2015 by Jordan Bollinger

  ISBN 13: 978-1-68294-006-8

  Published in the United States of America

  Publish Date: December 2015

  Editor-In-Chief: Gail R. Delaney

  Content Editor: Lysa Demorest

  Marketing Director: Jenifer Ranieri

  Cover Artist: Gwen Phifer

  Cover Art Copyright by Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc © 2015

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information retrieval and storage system without permission of the publisher.

  Ebooks are not transferrable, either in whole or in part. As the purchaser or otherwise lawful recipient of this ebook, you have the right to enjoy the novel on your own computer or other device. Further distribution, copying, sharing, gifting or uploading is illegal and violates United States Copyright laws.

  Pirating of ebooks is illegal. Criminal Copyright Infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, may be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

  Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination, or are used in a fictitious situation. Any resemblances to actual events, locations, organizations, incidents or persons – living or dead – are coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

  Dedication

  To all those well-mannered, well-behaved,

  and seemingly well-controlled young women

  who inexplicably turned away from what was

  expected of them. And by doing so, broadened our

  horizons, making things better for all of us.

  Chapter One

  May 27th, 1888

  Manchester, Iowa

  "Manchester, next station stop!" the railway conductor called out, as he moved through the car. "Manchester next!"

  Victoria looked over at the shining and new, black leather valise and read the little engraved brass plate affixed to it—Victoria R. Thorne, M.D., and smiled—again. It hadn't been an easy journey—even with her grandfather's encouragement and support.

  After all, nice young ladies from prominent Philadelphia families married suitable men and raised families. They did not pursue a career. And, they certainly did not go to medical school or become physicians.

  She brushed a stray wisp of curly, light brown hair back from her forehead, adjusted her hat, made sure her pocketbook was looped over her arm, and waited for the train to come to a full stop. Victoria allowed the other few passengers to leave before her. However, once the aisle was empty, she stood up ram rod straight and threw her shoulders back, in an attempt to present a neat and taller image, grabbed hold of her medical bag, and walked into her future.

  As she stepped off the train and onto the platform, she saw a group of four women, ranging in age from late teens to mid-twenties. From the description her cousin, Mark, had given her, she was sure the tallest was Miss Strong.

  She walked over and asked, "Excuse me, ladies, but could you direct me to the doctor's office?"

  "It's right there," a very young, thin woman said, pointing across the street. "But, he ain't there. We're waiting for the new doctor. If you need something, perhaps we could help you."

  "You already have," the woman said, grinning. "You see, I'm the new doctor."

  The oldest of the ladies, stretched out her hand, "Welcome to Manchester, doctor. I'm Miranda Hendriksen. And this," she said, pointing towards the tall young lady, "is Margaret Strong—our local dressmaker. And a wonderful seamstress, she is."

  Then added, "And this is Eva Swenson, who helps Miss Strong and supervises the girls who spin and weave for Mr. Gunderson. And, finally, this is Kit. She's the one you'll want. She grew up in the surgery, and has always worked there."

  "Mrs. Hendriksen, Miss Strong, Miss Swenson, Kit," the doctor answered, "I'm Victoria Thorne, but I hope you all call me Victoria. And, I look forward to getting to know all of you."

  Kit stepped forward, did a bit of a curtsy and said, "Come along, Miss...I mean, doctor...and I'll show you the surgery."

  "Bring the doctor home for dinner, Kit," Miss Strong called out, as they walked away.

  "Yes, ma'am," Kit answered back. She took the doctor's valise and let her across the street.

  *****

  Well, Mark,

  I'm here. And, it was just as you predicted I—literally—ran into your Miss Strong as I was leaving the train station. She is every bit as nice as you told me. I've also met Miranda Hendriksen, Kit, and another young woman, named Eva. They all welcomed me cordially and have gone out of their way to make me feel at home.

  Kit brought me to the surgery and showed me around, and she's willing to come back to work for me. The office itself is well equipped, but the living quarters are a bit more primitive than you led me to believe, or I am used to. So, I've made arrangements for a suite of rooms at the hotel for an extended length of time. Perhaps later I can find a small house to rent.

  I'm sorry this is so brief, but I want to get it mailed, and I'm having dinner with Miss Strong and the others. So, I'm sure I'll find out more about my new town and its inhabitants.

  Victoria

  *****

  When Victoria was ready, Kit led her across the street and down to a large building, with plenty of windows. Once they climbed up the steps to the porch, Kit stepped in front of her, and threw open the double doors, revealing an enormous workroom.

  Victoria saw Eva standing on the left side of the space, talking to a girl working on a small loom. Another young woman was weaving on a huge floor loom. And still another five or six young ladies were spinning industriously.

  Meg had been sitting at the biggest table Victoria had ever seen, hand stitching on a pile of blue silk, but she'd risen as soon as Victoria stepped in and moved towards her.

  "Dr. Thorne," she began, as she took Victoria's hand, in both of hers, "I'm so glad you were able to join
us this evening. Miranda is in the back, watching over our dinner. Eva's the cook, but, as you can see," she said, pointing to the younger woman, "she has other duties, as well."

  "Now, didn't you all promise to call me Victoria? Dr. Thorne is my grandfather," she said, smiling, but in a low voice.

  "Oh, I know we did," Meg answered, "but we were talking earlier, and decided it was probably a better plan, to refer to you as doctor—unless it's just us.

  "As much as we'd like to believe that the town will not only accept, but embrace you, as our new physician, the truth is we think you have a bit of an uphill climb. So, we want to make it clear from the start that we accept you as our new doctor."

  "Ah...I see," Victoria answered. "Mark told me you were...unconventional."

  "Mark..."

  "Mark Cooper."

  "Oh," Meg said. "Of course, you must have met him when you purchased the practice."

  "Well," Victoria admitted, "I didn't exactly buy the practice. You see, Mark's my cousin—sort of."

  By this time, Eva and Kit both were standing with them, listening. So Victoria decided she might as well tell them everything. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Meg clapped her hands, and announced, "That's enough work for today, ladies.

  "But, before you all leave, I want to introduce our town's new doctor." Pointing to Victoria, she said, "Ladies, meet Dr. Victoria Thorne." She looked around and ended, saying, "I'm sure you all want to help her feel welcome."

  Dutifully, as each girl prepared to leave for the evening, they stopped before her and introduced themselves to the young doctor. Once they were all gone, Eva went to the double doors and locked them, while Meg led Victoria through a door beside the immense stone fireplace and into the living quarters.

  Miranda looked up from where she was setting silverware around the dinner table and smiled. "Hello, Dr. Thorne. I hope you're hungry. Dinner will be ready very soon, and I made a cake for dessert."

  "Oh, my," Victoria began, "I love sweets—of all kinds—but especially cake."

  "Well, I see everything's about ready," Meg, said. "So, let's sit down." She gestured to a chair and added, "Why don't you sit here and get comfortable. Miranda, you've worked hard enough. You come get settled, as well. Eva and Kit will bring things to the table."

  Once the two ladies were sitting, Meg sat down and said, "Now, you were just about to tell us about Dr. Cooper being your cousin."

  "Ah, well...not quite," Victoria answered, "I said he's a 'sort of cousin.' And even then, I suppose, we'd be second cousins.

  "You see, our grandmothers were best friends. So our mothers grew up calling the other mother aunt. Mark and I continued the custom.

  "I must have been about fourteen, which would have made Mark about eighteen or nineteen, when I realized we weren't actually related. That was just about the same time he left for medical school, and his family moved from Philadelphia to Chicago.

  "He knew I wanted to become a doctor, so he wrote me regularly about his schooling. Although, I'm not at all sure it was to encourage me. He probably hoped I'd reconsider." She smiled, and added, "No matter what Mark likes to project about his 'modern ways,' he's a very conventional thinker.

  "The thing is, he respects..." Victoria swallowed hard, before she continued, "I mean, respected my grandfather, so he would never actually say I shouldn't become a doctor."

  Meg looked across the table and said, "Is that why you're wearing mourning clothes? Because of your grandfather's passing, I mean."

  "Yes," Victoria said. She swallowed hard before she went on, "He died the month after I completed medical school. At least he lived long enough to see me graduate."

  Miranda reached across the table, and patted her hand, and said, "I'm in mourning, as well. My husband died in an accident earlier in the year."

  "I'm sorry," Victoria said, "I should have asked you at once."

  "Don't worry," Miranda responded. "We aren't in Philadelphia. Manchester is a bit more relaxed."

  Kit ignored the polite talk about lost loved ones and asked, "Miss...I mean Dr. Thorne, I saw the initials on your doctor's bag. What does the 'R' stand for?"

  "Kit..." Meg said, in a gentle rebuke. But, when she saw Kit's face, she began laughing.

  "It's all right, Kit." Sighing, Victoria answered, "Rose...my father's rather poor joke, I'm afraid. I hate it—especially since I was in medical school. I don't know how the others—men, of course—discovered it. But, once they did they made no end of jokes about it." She flushed scarlet and finished with, "For instance, if we ever were exposed to...ah...less than pleasant odors, which I assure you was much more often than I would have liked, they made illusions to things smelling like a rose."

  "Well, we won't tell anyone," Meg told her. "Will we, ladies?"

  Victoria looked over at Meg and said, "Mark told me you came out here from Massachusetts just last year so, I plan on looking towards you for guidance."

  "That's true. I've been here just over a year, now. But, it's a nice town, filled with good people. I can't tell you how so very glad I am I didn't just turn around and go back to North Brookfield. I love it here."

  "Well," Eva said, as she set a bowl of peas down on the table, "I'm very happy you stayed. And, I know Ma and Gus are pleased you did, as well."

  Kit placed a large bowl of steaming mashed potatoes onto the table and returned with a pitcher of gravy and basket of biscuits. "I'm happy, too. By you staying here, and having Eva with you, I got a chance to know you both. And, gave me a chance to talk to the other girls. I don't know why I was always so skittish around them all. But there ain't no denying I was."

  Meg looked first at Miranda, and then Kit, before she told Victoria, "One thing you should know about Kit, right from the start, is that she says exactly what she thinks. And, she notices everything."

  Kit flushed, and Miranda added, "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Kit. It's only one of your many good traits."

  "Well," Victoria said, "I've already seen how well she cares for the surgery."

  "Are you comfortable in your quarters?" Meg asked.

  "Ah...no. Not really," Victoria admitted. "As I have already written Mark, our ideas of 'living quarters' are diametrically opposed.

  "First of all, I don't like staying in a room that looks out over the main street of town. I like to sleep with my windows open much of the time, and I don't want to have to listen to comings and goings. It's also directly across the street from the saloon."

  "Well," Eva spoke up, "we can make you some heavy draperies. So...you know...no one can see inside your room."

  "I'd appreciate that," Victoria admitted. "But, it's not just the privacy issue. An iron bedstead, an old chest of drawers, a washstand, a rickety deal table, and a straight back chair doesn't make for a particularly comfortable bedroom—let alone your entire 'living quarters.'"

  Three of the four women simultaneously said, "Oh..." Kit, however, just nodded her head in silent agreement.

  "Yes. I don't suppose you know of a house for rent in town?" Victoria asked.

  The others all shook their heads, and Meg answered, "No. Not that I've heard about."

  Victoria looked around and said, "This is more what I had in mind by 'living quarters' above the surgery. However, it's my own fault. I have known Mark Cooper long enough to realize he never did care much about his personal comforts."

  Meg looked up from her dinner plate, and said, "Really? I always got the impression he did."

  "Well," Victoria answered, "perhaps I misspoke. He appreciates good food and nice clothes. And, he likes to project the impression of comfort and well-being.

  "What I should have said is when left to his own devices, he's indifferent to his surroundings."

  Miranda said, "I'd be glad to have you stay with me, but I live a good ways from town. I'm afraid it wouldn't make your life much more comfortable, having to get up at dawn to get into town. And, there would be times in the winter you might not get here, at all."
r />   Victoria answered, "It's all right. I've already negotiated a more than reasonable rate for a hotel suite for an extended stay." She looked over to Kit, and asked, "Do you actually like living in that little room?"

  "Well, I grew up there. But, I've been staying here with Eva since Dr. Cooper left. I wasn't going to stay with some stranger. Especially, that sad excuse for a doctor."

  "Why? What was wrong with him?"

  "Nothing," Kit said, "excepting he weren't old enough to shave and still had pimples."

  "I see..." Victoria said, grinning.

  When she looked over at the two ladies, Meg said, "We warned you, she'd say her mind."

  "Yes, so I see."

  *****

  "Miss Meg," Eva said, soon after Kit left to walk the doctor to the hotel, and Miranda was in the bathroom, "the doctor can stay here with you. Kit and I can stay over the surgery. I'm sure Mr. Gus would have some men move the beds around."

  "But, Eva," Meg replied, "first, your mother wanted you here—with me—to see that you're safely chaperoned. And I'm not at all sure that she would think you and Kit sleeping above the surgery as doing so.

  "Besides, it's Gus' building, and we can't invite people without his permission."

  "What about when Mrs. Hendriksen stayed last winter?" Eva countered.

  "Gus was away, and you know it," Meg answered. "And, you knew it before you asked." But she was smiling at the younger woman.

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "But, you can go stay with Kit tonight, because Miranda is here, and it's too late for her to drive back to her place," Meg said, smiling. "That is, if you'd like to."

  "Oh, thank you, miss."

  Chapter Two

  The next morning, Meg and Miranda met Victoria at the restaurant. After breakfast, they did their best to introduce her to people they ran into at the bank and mercantile. And, while everyone greeted her pleasantly, Victoria sensed the townsfolks' surprise, confusion, and occasional distaste at the notion of her being their new doctor.

  However, the ladies insisted that once they introduced her to Eva's mother, Ma Swenson, and Gus Gunderson she would be not only accepted—but embraced—by most of the populace of Manchester.