“Come in.” Ava called out.

Anne Pine entered the bedroom in her no nonsense fashion setting her well worn medical bag on the floor next to the bed. The two women sized each other up. They were about the same age. Where Ava was tall, thin and possessed an iconic beauty, Anne Pine was rough hewn. Tall like Ava but big boned and squarely built. Anne Pine, veterinarian and local midwife carried herself with an air of ample self-confidence. She was a woman never to be under estimated. What a magnificent face, thought Ava, how I’d love the opportunity to sketch it some day.

“I’m Anne Pine.” she said offering her hand to Ava. Her handshake was strong and definite. “I’m the closest thing to a doctor here in Eden. Gideon came to my door telling me he found you unconscious in a ditch. I drove right over!”

“How do you do, I’m Ava Land. I’m not from around here,” said Ava throwing back the covers and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.  Anne Pine smiled as she opened her bag and pulled out her stethoscope. It was apparent she wasn’t. Nobody in Eden wore designer running suits or had the time to stay as fit and toned as this woman obviously did. “Pleased to meet you Ava. Now, I need you to tell me two things; how long have you been awake and how do you feel physically? And I wouldn’t move around too much until and I can check you over.”

~

Gideon King turned his face into the sun and yawned. It was going to be a long day. He hadn’t slept in twenty-four hours. His body was aching to stretch out on his bed. Just an hour’s worth of sleep would be enough to rejuvenate him. But at the moment, there was a woman in his bed.

His mind immediately picked up the thread of worry he’d dropped back on Anne Pine‘s doorstep. Gideon had had second thoughts about whether he’d made the right decision to move the woman from the ditch. Well, she was in capable hands now, he thought. He knew Anne Pine would take care of everything.

Maybe he should’ve ridden back to the house with Anne Pine when she asked. “No,” he said, “I can’t leave Mae tied to a lamp post in Eden.” But Gideon knew full well the real reason why he’d decided against it.

Just up ahead was Josiah King’s farm, the Bishop of the District and Gideon’s older brother. While debating whether or not to stop in to report the news of finding the English woman in the ditch, Emma Stoltfutz’s Rebecca appeared over the crest of the hill driving her horse  fast. This was her usual speed. In fact Rebecca did everything full out. Emma noticed this about her only child from the time Rebecca first started crawling. It concerned Emma something terrible but she learned long ago Rebecca’s nature wouldn’t be checked. Flying past Gideon and Mae, Rebecca waved and waved.

Gideon had made up his mind about reporting on the English woman.  He aimed Mae down the long driveway leading back to Josiah and Mary‘s farm. Josiah would be out in the barn, as good a place as any to tell him  what happened last night - both finding the woman unconscious and the probable role played by those wild teenagers.

As far as the English woman was concerned, it would be best that Josiah heard the news from him instead of through the country grapevine. It had taken Gideon many months to make inroads with Josiah and he wasn’t going to let anything undermine that now. Not now when he was so close to passing his Proving.