Page 26 of Beneath the Harvest Moon

Gabriel sighed inwardly. “Jenner’s improvements to smallpox inoculation have increased survival rates.”

Mr Sykes crossed his arms. “I don’t trust these modern medical ideas.”

“Then you must face the risks of catching smallpox and pray that you recover with minimal scarring.”

Finally, the crowd dispersed. Damn the villagers and their ignorance.

“I will attend to him.” Blythe approached. “You said you need a nurse to tend to James. I will do so.”

“Bly—Mrs Simmonds⁠—”

“If it is smallpox, I should be safe. I have had cowpox, as you know. If my reading about smallpox inoculation is correct, that is the basis for Jenner’s theory. Patients are exposed to a small amount of cowpox matter. They may become unwell for several days, but then they have lifelong protection against smallpox. Is that correct?”

“Yes.” Had she continued reading medical pamphlets while in York?

“Then it will be safe for me to be his nurse. I have nursed people with smallpox before. Your mother trained me.”

“I thought you were going to take on Jane’s work at the farm.”

“Mama will have to find someone else to do it for a few days.” Blythe raised her chin. “I am the best choice, Doctor Sharpe, seeing as no one else will do so, and you and your mother are otherwise engaged.” She pressed on. “We cannot have the disease spread through the village and the hired hands at harvest time, and the children must be protected.”

He met her clear gaze; her blue irises indeed sparkled in the bright sunshine. “They would be, if their parents allowed them to be inoculated. The villagers are fixated on old news about infant deaths following inoculation.”

“Then let us show it is safe. Inoculate my children, and they will witness the impact of modern medicine.”

“You will let me inoculate your children.” His chest puffed with pride at her faith in him.

She nodded at her children waiting in the gig on the other side of the lychgate. “Elijah is old enough to decide for himself, but I suspect he will be a willing subject and keen to learn about how inoculation works.”

“He is an intelligent young man.”

Her lips tilted at the corners. “Thank you. It will need to be done soon, before he returns to school.”

“Very well. Tend to James, and hopefully he is strong enough to survive. Then we will inoculate your children.”

“I must change my clothes.”

“Meet me at the Farrer’s in an hour.”

Blythe nodded, then climbed into her gig.

CHAPTER 10

Blythe dabbed at James Farrer’s forehead with a damp cloth. After two days of constant sweating, small red spots had formed on his tongue, but he remained in a fevered sleep.

She rinsed out the cloth, washed her hands, and stood before the window of the small outbuilding behind the Farrer’s home. A rhythmic hammering of metal rang out from the smithy. The orange glow in the west darkened to an inky blue above. Mrs Farrer bustled back and forth, bringing in the laundry and feeding the chickens.

Gabriel sauntered around the corner with a basket in one hand and his black coat hung over his shoulder from a hooked finger.

She opened the door.

“Good evening.” Gabriel’s smile lit up his face. He held up the wicker basket. “I come bearing gifts.”

She stepped aside.

Musky sweat from a day of labouring in the fields and the sweet hint of grain clung to him.

“How is our patient this evening?”