Sea of Strangers (Nurses of New York Book 1) Read online

  Sea of Strangers

  Nurses of New York Book One

  by Amelia C. Adams

  To anyone who has ever searched to find the strength within.

  *

  My thanks to my beta readers—Bobbie Sue, Cindy, Cissie, Jennifer, Kristen, Kristi, Mary, Nancy, Tracy H., and Tracy L. You really helped make this story shine.

  Also, a shout-out to my street team, readers, and fans. You’re the best!

  Table of Contents:

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Author’s Note

  Sneak Peek

  Prologue

  Dr. Phillip Wayment stood on the platform of the Topeka train station, looking down into the eyes of the girl he loved. It had been three weeks since Jeanette Peterson had chased her lecherous Uncle Rod off the hotel property where she worked. Mr. Hoover, the station manager, reported that Rod had taken a train back out west, and that’s exactly where Phillip wanted him to stay. Rod was a danger to Jeanette of the worst kind, and this morning, they were taking additional steps to make sure he couldn’t find her.

  Phillip’s heart was torn. On the one hand, he was thrilled for Jeanette—she was boarding the train that would take her to New York, where she would study nursing at one of the most advanced medical facilities in the world. On the other hand, she’d be gone for six months. Even though it was his idea, he hated the idea of not seeing her for so long. Now that he’d found her, he didn’t want to let her go, but he knew that was the best way to keep her. She needed this opportunity, this chance to prove herself as a strong, independent woman. He already saw her that way, but she needed that belief in herself.

  She stood before him on the train station platform, her blue traveling dress and hat making her eyes rival the sky. “I’m going to miss you every minute,” she told him, and his heart gave an erratic thump. He was worse than a schoolboy.

  “You’ll be so busy, you won’t have time. And when you get back, we’ll have the wedding of the century,” he told her. He turned to Deputy Hanks, who stood nearby. “Thank you for escorting her to New York,” he said, shaking the man’s hand. “You’ve taken a load of worry off my shoulders.”

  “It’s my pleasure,” Deputy Hanks replied, touching the brim of his hat. When Phillip had offered to pay his ticket in exchange for protecting Jeanette on the ride, he’d seemed more than happy to agree. All the men who cared about Jeanette’s wellbeing were of the same mind—Rod Peterson was still a possible threat. Phillip had told the New York hospital of the situation and that Jeanette would be traveling under an assumed name. He hoped these precautions were enough. He wished he could escort her himself, but he couldn’t leave his patients that long, and many of them trusted only him for their care.

  It was time to board, and the deputy moved to place Jeanette’s luggage with the rest. She turned to look at Phillip, both apprehension and excitement written on her features. “Will you miss me?” she asked.

  “Achingly.” Heedless of whoever might be watching, he gathered her up and kissed her long and hard, memorizing how she felt in his arms. “Write to me as often as you can,” he said into her hair.

  “I promise.” She gave him a squeeze and stepped back. “I’d better go or they’ll leave without me.” Instead of walking away, though, she touched his face. “Thank you.”

  “Whatever for?”

  “You’ve given me hope. You’ve brought light into the darkness of my life.”

  He chuckled, catching her hand and kissing it. “No, my dear girl, you did that for yourself. I was merely privileged enough to watch it happen.”

  “Regardless, thank you. And no matter what you say, I’m not changing my mind—I will be back in six months, and I’m going to marry you and scold you every day for the rest of my life.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  Phillip watched as she climbed aboard the train, and waved until the curl of smoke disappeared over the horizon, taking his heart with it.

  Chapter One

  Topeka, Kansas

  1875

  Jeanette Peterson waved through the window until she couldn’t see Phillip anymore. His tall frame seemed smaller and smaller as the train she rode pulled farther away from the Topeka train station. Not for the first time, she questioned her decision. Was going to nursing school in New York really the right choice when she had such a wonderful man back there waiting for her? Six months was going to seem like such a long time.

  She turned and settled in her seat, tugging her gloves up on her wrists. Deputy Gabriel Hanks studied her from his spot across from her. “Having second thoughts?”

  “Yes. No. I don’t know.” Jeanette sighed and shook her head. “Going to school will give me the training I need so I can really help Phillip with his patients, but I’m going to miss him. And my sister. And all my friends at the Brody Hotel.”

  “I think you’re doing a brave thing, and the right thing. Everyone you love will still be waiting for you when you get back.”

  “Including Phillip?” That was her biggest fear—what if the doctor found someone else while she was gone? He was a very attractive man, and there were countless single ladies in Topeka who’d shown their interest. Some of them had gone so far as to fake illnesses, and one regularly sent him letters drenched with perfume. Subtle, they were not.

  Gabe laughed. “Especially Phillip. I’ve known him a while and I’ve never seen him this way—he’s a completely different man since you came into his life. He’ll be faithful to you, Jeanette. Have no fear.”

  It was simple enough for him to speak those words when he wasn’t the one leaving for six months. She offered him a smile. “Thank you for escorting me, Gabe. I appreciate it so much.”

  He nodded slowly. “I was already willing to do it when Phillip suggested it, but then when your sister asked me, I couldn’t really say no, could I?”

  “Oh, I see. You only did this for Abigail.” Jeanette laughed. “I can’t blame you, Gabe. I know her better than anyone, and I think she’s a wonderful girl.”

  “She is at that.”

  The noise of the train made conversation difficult. Jeanette felt like she was shouting rather than speaking, so after a moment, she fell silent, wondering for the millionth time what awaited her in New York.

  Frank Russell, Phillip’s friend, worked at Woman’s Hospital, and had agreed to take her on as a nursing student. He worked directly with J. Marion Sims, the founder of the hospital, a man who was making great strides in the medical community. Jeanette couldn’t wait to learn from these men. She would receive the finest education imaginable, and it had all been Phillip’s doing. Without him, she would still be waiting tables at the Brody Hotel, and while that was a pleasant, safe job, it wasn’t what she dreamed of doing. Now she would have everything she wanted—as long as she reached for it. She needed to ignore the voice in the back of her head screaming for the train to stop so she could get off and run back to town.

  She was brought out of her thoughts by the conductor moving down the aisle of the passenger car. She knew Mr. Dupree fairly well from all the times he had come into the hotel on his breaks—she’d served him plenty of cherry pie in the dining room. That was starting to feel like a whole different life, even though she’d only left the hotel a short time ago.

  “So, Miss Peterson, you’re off on your grand adventure,” he said, pausing by her seat. He always looked so serious, with his small mustache and the book of poetry sticking out of his pocket, but he was handsome and kind. It was nice to see another familiar face. �
�But I understand I’m to call you Miss Anderson.”

  “Yes, please,” Jeanette replied. She’d chosen a new name to hide her identity should her uncle come looking for her, and she hoped it would be effective. Of course, in a perfect world, he never would come looking, but she didn’t live in a perfect world. That fact had been drummed into her head over and over again.

  Mr. Dupree gave her a friendly wink. “That I can do. How about you, Deputy? Any special requests or considerations on your behalf?”

  “Not a one,” Gabe answered.

  “Very well. I hope you have a pleasant journey, and please let me know if you need anything.” Mr. Dupree touched the brim of his hat and took a step away.

  “Wait,” Jeanette called out, surprising herself. When he turned back, she felt a little foolish. “I wonder if you have anything to write with. I’d like to send Phillip a letter when we stop.”

  Mr. Dupree’s mustache twitched with amusement. “I fear that trying to use a pen on a moving train would be a foolish endeavor, but I’m sure I can find a pencil, if that suits.”

  Jeanette felt her cheeks grow hot. Her request must seem so childish. “Yes, please,” she said, her voice small.

  “I’ll be back in just a moment.” He moved down the aisle, and Jeanette looked down at her hands. She didn’t want to catch the expression on Gabe’s face—he probably thought she was being very silly.

  “You’re a sweet girl, Jeanette,” he said instead.

  She glanced up. “What?”

  “You’re a sweet girl to be thinking about Phillip when you have the whole world at your feet. Someday I’d like to find someone who thinks as highly of me as you do of him.”

  He looked wistful, far from what she expected. “I have no doubt that you will,” she said softly, hoping he could hear her over the noise of the train. While she was gone, maybe he and Abigail would realize what they had in each other. She’d like nothing more than to see Abigail settled down with a good, kind man, and Gabe was everything she could have wished for her sister.

  Mr. Dupree came back, pencil and paper in hand. “Here you are, and you can post this at the Kansas City stop,” he said. “I do ask that you return my pencil when you’re done, though. It’s the only one I could find, and I do need them from time to time.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Dupree,” she said, taking the offered items. “I’ve just never gone this far away from home before, and I suppose my nerves are getting the better of me.”

  He chuckled. “You don’t need to explain yourself to me, Miss Anderson. I’ve beheld more homecomings and farewells than I can even count. You’re entitled to however you might be feeling right now.”

  He moved on, and Jeanette’s thoughts followed him. Miss Anderson. The name had rolled off his tongue easily enough, but it had taken her a moment to realize he was talking to her. She’d need to get used to it quickly, or abandon the idea altogether.

  The paper Mr. Dupree had brought her was folded in half. She smoothed it out on her knee and began to write, hoping that the motion of the train wouldn’t make her words completely illegible.

  ***

  The train pulled into Kansas City with a whistle and a hiss. After it came to a rest, Jeanette sat there for a moment, marveling at how it felt to be still. She’d grown so used to the rumbling beneath her feet, she almost—almost—missed it.

  “Shall we go stretch our legs?” Gabe asked.

  “Oh, absolutely.” Nothing sounded more wonderful. She pulled herself up, using the back of her seat for support. She nearly lost her footing, and Gabe laughed.

  “Give yourself a minute,” he said. “Haven’t done much train traveling?”

  “Very little.”

  “You’ll get your bearings. We’re not in a rush.”

  After a moment or two had passed, she nodded. “I’m ready.”

  They climbed down from the train car, and Jeanette looked around. The station didn’t look much different from the one back in Topeka, but then, she expected that most train stations would look very similar. What caught her eye were the fashions of the ladies milling about. The hats were higher, the dresses more flounced, and she found herself feeling like a very small dove in an aviary filled with the brightest birds imaginable.

  “This is where I leave you, folks,” Mr. Dupree said, coming up beside them. “Your next conductor is Mr. Smith. He’s a real gentleman, very good at his job.”

  “Thank you for your help, Mr. Dupree.” Jeanette fished in her reticule and pulled out his pencil. He took it with a smile, sliding it into his breast pocket. “Where do I mail the letter?”

  “I’ll take it for you, if you like. I’m heading that way now.”

  “Oh, thank you.” She handed it over, along with a few pennies for postage. He touched his hat and was off, whistling as he threaded his way between the pedestrians on the sidewalk.

  Once that was off Jeanette’s mind, she turned back to the deputy. “Let’s take a little walk, all right? I’d like to see a few things while we’re here. Not that I know what we’re looking for, but it does seem a waste to have stopped without making the most of it.”

  They checked the time of the train’s departure with the station manager, then began to explore what little of the town they could under such tight constraints. They found a small restaurant where they were able to buy sandwiches, and they sat in the shade of a leafy tree to eat. Two men walked past as they were finishing up, both rather dapper in suits and starched shirts, and the younger one winked at Jeanette. She dropped her eyes, immediately embarrassed.

  “Are you ready?” Gabe asked a moment later, and she nodded. He gave her a hand up, and they strolled back to the station. They hadn’t gone far when she noticed that the two men were following them.

  “Gabe,” she murmured, tugging on his sleeve.

  “I see them,” he replied. His answer, although terse, comforted her.

  They walked a little faster, and the men kept pace. When they were just a block from the station, Gabe turned with a broad smile on his face.

  “Gentlemen, how can I be of service?”

  One of the men smirked and elbowed the other. “How about an introduction to your lady friend there?”

  Jeanette instantly stepped behind Gabe, wrapping her arms around her stomach. The memories were vivid and came at the most inconvenient times.

  “I’d rather introduce you to Mr. Colt,” Gabe said, raising the side of his jacket to reveal his holstered pistol.

  Peeking around Gabe’s arm, Jeanette saw the men glance at each other, then shake their heads. “We apologize,” the first man said, and they made a hasty retreat.

  Gabe stood unmovable until they were out of sight. Then he turned and offered Jeanette his arm. “Our train awaits us.”

  Jeanette slipped her hand through the crook of his elbow, hating the way her knees trembled as she tried to walk. Yes, she had chased her uncle off the hotel property with a gun, but what would it take to rid herself of the memories?

  “Thank you, Gabe,” she said, patting his arm.

  “That’s why I’m here.”

  They climbed aboard and resumed their seats, Conductor Smith in charge. The excitement of the journey was wearing thin, and Jeanette found herself too tired to stay awake. Her eyes kept closing of their own accord and then she would jerk straight up, startled. After three such incidents, Gabe chuckled and leaned over to talk to her.

  “Go ahead and sleep. I’m not tired—I’ll keep an eye on things.”

  Feeling sheepish, she nodded, then allowed herself to relax. At first, she thought she wouldn’t get much sleep at all, but knowing Gabe was there made all the difference.

  Chapter Two

  New York City, 1875

  Jeanette pulled the door of her hotel room snugly behind her and stepped into the hallway to meet Gabe. She’d hardly slept at all the night before. New York had been everything she’d imagined, and then some—there were so many people, so many shops, so many horses, and so much nois
e. The buildings seemed to go on and on forever, and if she’d thought that every train station was the same, well, she’d been wrong. The moment she’d set foot on the platform in New York, she’d been caught up in a sea of strangers, each jostling this way and that, and it was only Gabe’s strong hand reaching out to catch her arm that had kept her from being carried off altogether.

  “How did you sleep?” Gabe asked when she met up with him in the hallway.

  “Barely a wink. Do people in New York ever go to bed? I thought I heard voices outside all night long.”

  “If you had so many exciting things to see and do, would you ever want to go to bed?” he asked.

  “I don’t suppose I would, but I’d have to sometime or I’d drop of sheer exhaustion.” She forced a smile to her face, trying to look more alert than she felt. “Shall we be off?”

  They had chosen a hotel as close to Woman’s Hospital as they could get, situated on Park Avenue. Jeanette couldn’t help but stare as they walked up the street toward their destination. Everything was so magnificent, so huge, so different from what she was used to.

  “Have you ever been to New York, Gabe?” she asked the deputy, clutching her reticule a little tighter.

  “Once, a few years back. Seems even bigger now than it did then.”

  Up ahead, Jeanette saw a building that could only be the hospital. In front of it stood a small group of young ladies, each wearing traveling clothes. A few men were with them, hanging back a bit. Were these girls the other students in her class? She took a deep breath, willing herself to stay calm. This was all becoming so much more real than it had seemed even just that morning.

  She and Gabe drew close. “Pardon me,” she asked one of the young ladies. “Are you a new nursing student?”

  “Yes,” the girl replied. “We’ve been asked to wait here.”

  That was a rather odd request, Jeanette thought. Why would you ask new students to wait outside instead of inviting them in? She supposed they’d find out soon enough. She and Gabe joined the group in waiting, and she tried to appear poised and calm.