Lucinda Read Online Free PDF Page A

added meaningfully.  “If you want, I’ll have a talk with her, Henry.”
    “Thank you, sir,” Henry said respectfully, “But, I think it best that I handle the situation myself.  Lucinda has a rotten temper, and I don’t want anyone getting hurt because she’s mad at me.”
    “Have you sent for her Pa?” Jessie asked.
    “No ma’am.  I don’t think it would do a bit of good, based on the things Jake told me about his Father.  I doubt he would even reply to the telegram asking him to come.  He is not a caring individual.”
    “What a shame,” the banker shook his head again.  “I’ll help you move this out of the way, Doc.”  He suited actions to his words, and once again people were free to climb the steps to see the Doctor.
    Henry had three people waiting for that opportunity, and he decided to go and tend to his patients before dealing with Lucinda.  He didn’t want to be rushed when he got his hands on her.  This time she wasn’t getting off his lap until she was through with her foolishness and ready to listen to reason.
    Lucinda watched the scene unfold from her rented room above the Dress Shoppe and was a bit disappointed by the reaction to her clever plan.  Rather than be upset and concerned that their Doctor was a murderer, the townspeople seemed to feel sorry for Doc Z.  When she saw three different patients precede him up the steps and into his office, she wanted to scream in frustration.  Why was no one heeding her?  Was she going to have to give up on destroying him before she killed him?  She wanted him to lose everything, feel loss and shame.  That wasn’t happening.  People kept defending him and it wasn’t fair.  Philip was dead, thanks to Doctor Z, and it was not fair!
     
    * * *
     
    It was an interesting morning.  His patients seemed to know more about Lucinda’s vendetta than he did.  She seemed determined to discredit him wherever she went, and folks were supporting him.  It made Henry feel good.  When he’d replaced Doctor Morton, folks were slow to accept him, preferring their old doctor to the new one he’d talked into coming to Snowfall to take over for him so he could finally retire at the age of eighty.  It was satisfying to Henry to know that folks were supporting him now.  It went a long ways toward reining in his temper with the feisty young woman… even though he was still going to set her butt on fire the first chance he got.
    By the time he emptied his office of patients, a man came racing into town on horseback, asking for a Doctor.  Henry came running and the man said Apache struck their wagon train and they needed help right away.  Henry mounted up and rode off with the man, in spite of several folks telling him it was too dangerous.  Lucinda was standing nearby and heard it all, and also heard him tell people that he’d taken an oath to serve, and he was going to go and do what he could to help the injured.  The look on his face was concern, and Lucinda felt her first pang that perhaps things were not as they seemed.  Once he was gone, the people stood in small groups and worried about whether or not he would safely return.  They also worried that some of the outlying ranches and farms could be in danger if the Apache were getting this close.  Mac was called into the discussion, and he quickly stated he would ride out and warn everyone to be on the lookout.  Another man volunteered to help out, and soon there were at least five others going to spread the warning to watch for Apache.  The owner of the Mercantile made sure they were all well armed and had enough ammunition to defend themselves, not that one man stood a chance against a band of Apache on a killing spree.
    Lucinda decided this would be the perfect time to check out of the hotel and move her belongings to the room she rented above the Dress Shoppe.  She needed to be where she could keep an eye on Doc Z, and as long as he didn’t know where to find her, she could destroy