Tracie Peterson - Dawns Prelude

He needed to get word to Joshua at the mill. The poor man wouldn't have a clue as to why Kjell wasn't there. Getting to his feet, Kjell stretched and found his neck and hack ached from his long hours in the chair. Dr. Ensign said he could take one of the empty beds, but Kjell had been afraid to leave Lydia 's side. If she had called out, he might not have heard her.

Motioning for the orderly to come, Kjell explained the situation. "I need to get word to Joshua Broadstreet at the sawmill. Can someone take a message?"

"I'll see if I can arrange it," the man said. He left without another word just as Zerelda stirred and sat up.

"How is she?"

Kjell went to Zee and shook his head. "I don't know. She hasn't so much as moved all night. She's still breathing, though."

Zerelda reached up to touch her bandaged head. "Whoever he was, he sure gave me a wallop."

Just then, the orderly returned with a blue-uniformed private at his side. The man nodded rather formally to Kjell. "Captain said I was to make myself available to you," the young man declared. "He also said he wants to talk to you when you are able."

"Thank you. I need to get a message to Joshua Broadstreet at Lindquist Mill. Tell him my wife and her aunt were injured last night, and we're here. Tell him to come see me as soon as he can for instructions."

"Yes, sir. Anything else, sir?"

"Please tell the captain he can join us here."

"Yes, sir."

The young private pivoted and all but marched out of the room. Kjcll turned back to Lydia, where the orderly was checking her dressings. He left Zee momentarily and went to his wife.

"How does it look?"

The bleeding has stopped. That's good. She's lost a great deal of blood, and there's no telling if her body can withstand the shock. Hopefully, infection won't set in, but only time will tell."

Kjcll nodded. "The odds are against us, aren't they?"

"It doesn't look good." He redressed the wounds. "I need to report to Dr. Ensign."

"She's in God's hands, Kjell. We have to trust Him."

Surprised to find Zerelda by his side, Kjell turned to face her. "I can't lose her. I just can't, Zee."

She put her arm around his shoulder. "God is still the one to make those decisions. We have to trust that He knows what He's doing. Come over here with me for a moment."

Kjcll let her lead him to the far end of the room. Zerelda's expression grew quite serious. "What of Dalton, Kjell?"

"My guess is that Marston Gray instigated that attack and kidnapping. It's what I told the authorities last night and still what I believe. I wouldn't be surprised if the Sidorovs had something to do with it, as well. I learned not long ago that they were probably the ones behind the fire at the mill."

Zerelda frowned and glanced over to Lydia 's bed. "We can't talk about Dalton in front of her. Even as she is, she might hear something. If she realizes the baby is gone, she might give up hope."

"Mr. Lindquist?

He turned to find the same army captain he'd talked to the night before. "Is there any news?"

"Nothing yet. We need to talk further with Miss Rockford if she's up to it."

"I am," Zerelda replied. "I'm happy to help in any way I can. I'm just afraid my memory isn't much better than it was last night."

"That's all right, ma'am. Why don't we sit so you can rest?" the captain suggested.

Zcrelda made her way back to the bed and sat. Kjell pulled up two chairs and offered the captain a seat. He hadn't heard anything Zee had told the man before, and he hoped that she might shed some light on the attackers. It was apparent the captain wanted the same.

The soldier leaned forward. "I wonder if you could further describe the man who hit you. His size, hair color, clothes-anything at all would help."

"Well, I do remember the one that entered the house first. He was a good bit taller than me-maybe a whole foot. He had blond hair-not real pale, more the color of cornstalks." She paused for a moment. "Oh, he spoke with a thick Russian accent."

"Anatolli Sidorov," Kjell muttered.

"What is that?" the captain questioned.

"Shejust described Anatolli Sidorov. His brother is a hit smaller and his hair is darker-more of a brownish gold."

"loo you know this Anatolli, ma'am?"

Zcrelda shook her head. "I've never met him or his brother."

But you would know him if you saw him again?"

Kjcll looked to Zerelda and awaited her answer. He was confident that the men responsible for the attack were the Sidorovs. He should have turned them over to the authorities when he caught them stealing from him.

"I think I would," Zerelda replied. "I never got a good look at the second man. Or if I did, it's all lost to me now. When the first man headed upstairs to find the baby, I tried to go after him. That's when the second man hit me from behind. I don't remember anything after that until Kjell woke me up." She cast Kjell a sympathetic glance. "I'm sorry."

"It's enough, Zee. I'm positive it was the Sidorovs. They were the only ones who had anything against us. They were also paid to burn the mill."

"Boss? You sent for me?"

Kjell looked up to find Joshua standing in the doorway to the ward. "Come in. I did send for you, but right now I need you to tell the captain here everything you heard about the Sidorovs being paid to burn the mill."

Seeing that the doctor had also arrived, Kjell dismissed himself and went to discuss Lydia 's condition, but the doctor waved him away until he could finish examining her. After what seemed an eternity, he finally came to where Kjell stood.

"It's not good," he said, shaking his head. "She's incredibly weak and nearly unresponsive. There isn't any fight in her at all."

A quick glance at Lydia 's pale, lifeless face left little doubt in Kjell's mind that the doctor was right. If she had been conscious when the Sidorovs took Dalton, she would have known it was Marston Gray's doing. And knowing how he and his family had bullied her in the past, Lydia probably knew there was little chance of fighting him. She would believe Dalton was lost to her forever.

"We have to find the baby," Kjell whispered. "That is the only hope we have of urging her to fight this."

"Perhaps if you talk to her about how needed she is," Dr. Ensign said. "Don't say anything about the baby being gone."

"Zee was just suggesting that, as well. I'll do what I can." He met the doctor's worried expression. "Please do anything necessary to save her. No matter the cost."

Dr. Ensign touched his shoulder. "Kjell, be assured we are doing everything humanly possible. We have our limitations here-we aren't a big city with a fancy hospital and surgery. Still, we have skilled individuals who know what they're doing. We will fight to restore her to you."

Thomas Gadston grinned as he held out a large stack of bills to Trayton Payne. "I presume you were successful last night. When I returned, Genevieve was nowhere in sight."

Trayton nodded and took the money. "I was. I seduced her, and she was eager to comply."

"How rich," Gadston said. "This is probably the best return for my money in ages. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner."

Pocketing the money, Trayton shrugged. "I can't say that I understand, but I'm happy to help."

"I don't expect you to understand. It really isn't anyone's concern why I choose to do business the way I do. Suffice it to say I have no patience for this game of marriage. I never intended to take a wife. I married only for the purposes of making better business dealings. Unfortunately, those were lost to me when Gray had the misfortune of dying. Genevieve is unimportant to me now."

"So why not divorce her? Charge her with infidelity and he done with her."