Perpetual Family

By Jamie Salisbury

Albert and Anne have settled into married life with the birth of their first child not far off. While Albert naturally worries about Anne during the final months of her pregnancy and subsequent birth, Anne is still very much her own woman. She has to be in a landscape where men outnumber women. Especially around the Stuart men!
Yes, Anne and Albert are as stubborn as ever, but their love for each other is as solid as it was that first day.
Young William Stuart arrives and fast becomes the center of the entire Stuart clan. Albert and his family surround young William and Anne with an invisible barrier of protection; someone Anne and the baby should not need protecting from.
Not everything is a rosy as it seems. While Anne's father John may have accepted an important position in Washington D.C., he continues to meddle in Anne and Albert's life. John is like a man possessed. He won't rest until he has what he wants...at any cost!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jamie Salisbury
• Release date: Mar 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301500222

Jamie Salisbury

Writing romance stories with passion and sass, Jamie Salisbury has seen several of her books soar to #1 on Amazon. Her novella, Tudor Rubato was a finalist in the 2012 RONE (Reward of Novel Excellence) awards. The cover won for Best Contemporary Cover. Now in 2014, her novel, Life and Lies was nominated for a RONE in the Erotica category. Her books are both self published and now include several published through Secret Cravings Publishing. Music, traveling and history are among her passions when not writing. Her previous career in public relations in and around the entertainment field has afforded her with a treasure trove of endless story ideas.

Book preview

Perpetual Family

By

Jamie Salisbury

Perpetual Family

©Copyright2013 Jamie Salisbury

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously.

Cover Art

Anya Kelleye

Anya Kelleye Designs

Image

Jimmy Thomas - Romance Novel Center

http://www.romancenovelcenter.com

Dedication

This book is devoted to all my readers! This journey would not be possible without each and every one of you! Thank you!

Chapter One

Albert, please hold still! Anne Stuart told her husband as she wrapped camphor soaked flannel strips around his broad chest. You’re just making matters worse.

Anne. Albert struggled to say, between ragged coughs. This cure is worse than the illness! You don’t know how bad…

Albert, I know it smells bad, I sleep with you every night. Nevertheless, it is helping you. You aren’t coughing nearly as much and your fever is down. You shouldn’t have to endure this too much longer.

I don’t understand how I got so sick.

You became sick because you stayed out in the worst snow storm in Nevada history trying to gather up strays. Everyone else had sense enough not to stay out all day and night! She scolded gently.

Anne, I told you that wasn’t what caused this.

Alright, doctor Stuart. What caused it? It couldn’t possibly be because you left at six that morning and didn’t get home until after nine that night, soaked to the bone, shivering and half frozen. She recalled as she finished tucking the wrap into itself. There is no sense in trying to justify what caused it. You got sick, plain and simple. Now, this camphor wrap will keep that cough loose and your chest warm.

I don’t see how something that smells this bad could possibly help, he objected, wrinkling his nose.

Paul, their doctor had instructed her to put soft linseed poultices over the right side of Albert’s chest to help control the pain, along with carefully measured doses of quinine and brandy every three hours for the past four days. Albert was feeling better-he had begun complaining. Now to help with his breathing and cough she had switched to camphor and flannel wrappings.

Ouch! she said, jerking upright in spite of herself, her hand flying to her stomach. This baby doesn’t like being confined in such a small area. I don’t think it’s going to be too much longer.

Placing his hand over hers, he asked, Still as strong as ever?

Stronger, I swear he’s jumping up and down in there. She sat beside Albert, leaning into him for a kiss. Looking into his eyes she added gently, You are getting better; Peter said you’re almost over the pneumonia. You just have to continue being a good patient, stay in bed, and rest. Now I’m going to go and get you some hot tea and brandy. I won’t be but a minute."

Anne was bone tired from tending her husband through this illness. Thomas and Albert’s brothers had volunteered to nurse him, but she had refused to allow anyone to help her, or let Albert know what a toll it had taken on her. He had been so ill; the thought of it still struck fear in her heart. Many of the nights she sat holding him to her as his fever soared and he struggled to breathe, wincing with pain at every breath. Now, he was over the worse and her biggest challenge would be to keep him in bed and quiet. He had to get his strength back and the only way he would do that was to rest.

Lee, she called to their Chinese cook, as she entered the kitchen. I need more hot tea for Mr. Albert.

Yes, Missy Anne, have ready. Lee take to him, you sit, the young man instructed.

I’m all right, Lee. I want to get a bottle of brandy to take back upstairs with me. I can rest when I get him settled. If any of the ranch hands or Mr. Stuart’s family want to see him about the ranch, come get me. I don’t want him disturbed.

Anne stood rubbing her back, her pregnancy was now evident, with her back aching non-stop since October. Even now, in late March, the Nevada landscape and the majestic Ponderosa Pines were covered in heavy, white snow. Albert had never seen a winter as severe as this one had been. He had begun to doubt the appearance of spring that year, as he looked out the massive bedroom windows at the drab, gray sky.

He and Anne had passed the winter months preparing the nursery and making plans for the opening of the Stuart Windmill Company, after the baby was born. Her pregnancy had been uneventful after the first four months. Other than a minor case of cabin fever, Anne had breezed through the winter. Albert ended up being the one requiring medical care for a severe case of pneumonia that he had come down with three weeks ago.

Looking back, he recalled how short tempered and unreasonable he had been when he became ill. However, since that first week, not a harsh word had passed between Anne and him. Not wanting to admit he was sick, he had been furious with Anne for insisting on seeking medical care for him.

Now as he fought sleep, his mind drifted back to the day she had become aware of how sick he really was. Returning late, the night of the blizzard, he sat in front of the fireplace in their bedroom for hours, trying to stay the chills, get warm and stifle the heavy cough erupting from his chest.

Thinking she was asleep, he was startled when her voice came from the bed, as she rose telling him, Albert, get back into bed. I am going to go brew you some tea and brandy. That should help that cough until we can get word to Peter that you need to be seen.

Anne, I don’t want you sending for Peter, he gasped. I will be fine. I’ll go on downstairs. You stay in bed. I’m sorry if I disturbed you.

Pulling on her robe, she drew back the covers telling him, Albert, don’t be silly, get into bed. I am sending Lee for Peter. You need to be seen and you certainly are not going into town. Now please, get back into bed. I’ll be right back with something for that cough.

Not having the strength and knowing it was useless to argue with her, he did as she asked. She pulled the heavy quilts up under his chin, kissed him softly, telling him, You’ll feel better after you see Peter. In the meantime, I want you to stay in bed. As her hand lovingly brushed back his dark hair from his forehead, she felt the heat radiating from his flushed skin.

You’re running a fever. A worried look crossed her face.

No, I’m not. It’s from sitting in front of the fire, that’s all.

Well, either way, I’m sending for Peter, she told him firmly.

Anne I told you I don’t want to see Peter, this is a cold. It will pass in a few days.

Really? Your cough began over a week ago, and now it is much worse. I had hoped you’d go to see him before now, but you haven’t. So now I’m sending for Peter, and that’s that.

Anne, do not… he began, until a series of coughs wracked his body as she went out the door.

Tying the sash of her robe, she made her way down the staircase relieved to see a light on in