Page 40 of A Zephyr Rising
“I think it’s quite resourceful.”Madeline gave a chuckle.She tapped on the window for the chauffeur to pull forward, back onto the road.
Madeline pulled the ward dress over her blouse.It was a rather shapeless greyish blue sack.As she buttoned it, Ginger noticed her watching her grandmother.Would they be able to convince her?
Gran glowered as Madeline pulled on the apron.“You look ridiculous.”
“Oh, pretend you’re an actress, Mama.Here, I’ll help you.”Madeline scooted across her seat toward her.
Gran held up her hands.“No, thank you.I’m quite capable of pulling a potato sack over my head.”She removed her hat.“I suppose I’m to rid myself of all my jewelry, as well?”
“If we’re to be believable.”Despite the humor of the situation, Ginger’s nervous feeling grew more intense as they drew closer to the area of town where the Martins were being interned.
By the time they arrived, the three women had transformed themselves into nurses, as best they could.Ginger’s laugh was a temporary relief to the growing tension in her chest.“Thank you for this.I’ll never forget it.”
“Oh, believe me—I won’t let you.”Gran harrumphed as the chauffeur pulled up in front of the factory.“Perhaps the only reason I’m doing this, you should know, is because I’m proud you had the spine to stand up to your father over that awful Stephen Fisher.But no one is ever to know of this, understood?”
Several military and police officials milled outside the building and Ginger tried to settle her trembling hands.
What if they were caught?Her mother might not ever forgive her if Ginger was to blame for her grandmother and aunt being thrown in jail.
They stepped onto the pavement.Their shoes weren’t right for the outfits.But little could be done about it and Ginger prayed no one would notice.Despite the urge to laugh at their appearance, as a police officer walked by them and frowned, she quickly sobered.
“Buck up,” Madeline whispered in her ear.“It’s time to prove you’re willing to take those risks you claim you are.”
“I am,” Ginger whispered back.“I worry about what happens to you and Gran if we’re found out.”
“We wouldn’t be dressed like this if we minded,” Gran remarked dryly.“Besides which.I rather like to think you got this penchant for trouble from me.It skipped Elizabeth entirely.I’m glad to see it alive and strong.Never forget.You’re a Scot on this side of the family.We Scots do as we please.”
Ginger held back a laugh.
Taking charge, Ginger made her way down the pavement to what appeared to be the front entrance.By the time they reached it, she was drenched in sweat from the summer heat.Madeline and Gran were in a similar state, a sheen on their foreheads.Silver hairs stuck to Gran’s forehead.Wearing two outfits must be intolerable.
A military officer stood at the entrance.“Yes, Sisters?”
“We’re here for a medical transport,” Ginger said, her voice sounding much more solid than she felt.In addition to the heat, her knees felt weak.She’d never done anything like this before.
He frowned and checked his clipboard.“I don’t have a record of a medical transport.”
Ginger hesitated and Gran stepped forward.“Young man.We have been sent from St.Thomas’ Hospital to collect a patient who is desperately in need of quarantine.Immediately.His entire family has typhus.Now, are you going to be the one who allows the disease to spread among the inmates and officers because someone didn’t give you the proper paperwork?”
Ginger held back an astonished look.Gran wasn’t the type to allow herself to be pushed to the side, but her authoritative tone had been more convincing than Ginger would have imagined.
The officer reddened and shifted, as though feeling threatened by the idea of getting typhus himself.He scanned their faces.“I-I...let me see who I can talk to about this.What’s the prisoner’s name?”
“John Martin,” Ginger said quickly.“This was supposed to have been arranged this morning, sir.”
The officer nodded.“One moment, please.”
As he slipped inside, Ginger gave her grandmother a sidelong glance.“What on earth?How did you come up with all that?”
“Years of filling my brain with mysteries, I suppose.”A smile twitched at her grandmother’s lips.
“And Hugh said you’d gain nothing from novel reading,” Madeline muttered with lifted brows.
The reverberating engines of motorcars and clopping of horse carriages on the street were a distant din.Escape seemed so far.No turning back now.
A familiar car pulled up beside the curb and Stephen stepped from it.
Turning away from him, Ginger felt her heartbeat pulse in her throat.“What in God’s name is he doing here?”She set a hand on Madeline’s to steady herself.He would recognize her in an instant.
