Caleb gathered up her hand. ‘Not everyone dies of smallpox, Mrs Murray.’

He left it to Bowen to give the woman a thorough examination.

When Bowen had concluded, the two men retired to a corner and conferred.

‘It’s still in the early stages. Chances are she wasn’t contagious up until now but we can’t take any chances. Town authorities need to be notified.’ Bowen turned to face Murray. ‘I’m sorry, Murray, but you leave us no choice. You and your family are in strict quarantine. We’re going to have to lock you in this room while we make alternative arrangements.’

‘I don’t understand. Why can’t we just go home?’ Murray said. ‘We won’t bother anyone.’

‘Moving your wife runs the risk of passing on the infection,’ Caleb said.

‘Don’t lock us in,’ Murray said, his lip quivering. ‘We’ll stay put, I promise, but don’t lock us in.’

Bowen considered the man. ‘I have your word?’

Murray looked at the floor and nodded.

Caleb glared at Bowen. Nothing in Murray’s behaviour had given him any cause to trust the man. ‘I don’t think that’s wise.’

‘I’m sure Murray’s a man of his word,’ Bowen said. ‘Now, you and I need to discuss this matter with the town council and make some plans to contain the risk of infection.’

Out in the corridor, they found Oldroyd leaning against the far wall and chewing his thumbnail. ‘Well?’ he said, straightening.

‘You have to shut the hotel, Yorkie,’ Bowen said. ‘You and everyone in it are now quarantined. No one in or out.’

Oldroyd stared at him. ‘Quarantined? Watcha mean?’

‘Mrs Murray has smallpox,’ Bowen said.

‘What?’ The colour flared in his face and he clenched his fists in impotent fury. ‘I want ’em out. Bringing pox into this house. I want ’em gone.’

‘Sorry, Oldroyd. Until we can find suitable accommodation for these people, no one is to enter or leave it, understand?’

‘But my customers—’

‘Will have to stay put.’ Caleb took a breath. ‘How many people in the hotel since the Murrays arrived?’

‘There’s the staff. I’ve got four of them and six regulars in the front bar. No other guests.’

Caleb saw fear in the man’s eyes and laid a hand on his shoulder. ‘You have to shut up the house, man. For your sake and everyone in this town.’

The landlord relaxed under Caleb’s hand. ‘You really a doctor?’

Without hesitation, Caleb nodded. ‘And I’ve seen smallpox before. Just do as Dr Bowen and I say and we can, God willing, keep the infection to just this family.’

‘What about you and Doc Bowen?’

‘We’ve been vaccinated.’

Oldroyd glared at the door to room three. ‘How long?’