Read Online Ecstasy's Promise (Historical Romance) by Constance O'Banyon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Constance O'Banyon
Tags: Fiction, adventure, Romance, Historical, Adult, Action, Western, Texas, South, wealthy, ranch, 18th Century, Enemy, american revolution, destruction, American West, ECSTASY'S PROMISE, Sherman's Troops, Farraday Plantation, Yankees, Grandmother, Union, Burned Plantation
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had dismounted and run to Bodine. He was lying so still, she was afraid to move him in case he had any broken bones. She lifted his head into her lap and brushed a lock of gray hair from his forehead. "Oh, Bodine, please wake up. You cannot be dead." She cradled him in her arms. "Bodine, Bodine, wake up.
She laid him down gently and untied the blanket from Rebel's back, placing it under Bodine's head. She put her head to his chest and heard the strong steady heartbeat. Victoria wet her handkerchief with water from her canteen, and washed his face.
Bodine groaned and slowly opened his eyes, focusing them on her face. "What happened, Victoria?"
She smiled at him through her tears. "Lie still for a moment, Bodine. You have had a bad fall. Your horse was bitten by a rattler, I am afraid."
He tried to raise his head, but was overcome by dizziness. He laid his head back on the blanket. "My gun . . . You have to shoot my horse. He is in pain," Bodine said weakly.
Victoria shook her head in horror. "I cannot. Do not ask me to do it, Bodine. I cannot."
"You must, Victoria."
With shaking hands she unholstered his gun. She walked over to the horse who was lying still now. Victoria pointed the gun at his head, turned her eyes, and fired. It was over in a split second. She threw down the gun and cried hysterically. It had been easier to shoot the Yankee, she thought.
When she could bring herself under control, Victoria returned to Bodine. He was so pale. She sat down beside him. He had lost consciousness again. "Oh, Bodine, wake up and tell me what to do," she cried. "I can stand anything but losing you."
He seemed to slip in and out of consciousness. Victoria had not noticed that the sky had grown overcast, until a blast of thunder roared and a streak of lightning blazed across the sky. Little drops of rain fell to earth only to be swallowed up by the dry, thirsty soil.
Victoria realized now that she had to take some action. She led Rebel over to where Bodine lay, and forced the horse down on his knees. The rain was falling harder now. The next time Bodine gained consciousness, Victoria helped him into Rebel's saddle. She laid his head forward on Rebel's neck, climbed up behind him, and urged the black stallion forward. She prayed she could hold Bodine's enormous frame in the saddle. Her strength and courage came from her love for the giant man who was as helpless as a baby now.
Rebel raced forward as though he were unaware of the extra weight. The rain was beating down on them. Flashes of lightning lit up the sky around them. On they rode for what seemed an eternity. Just when Victoria felt she could go no farther, she saw a light in the distance, and urged Rebel forward. Bolting out of the saddle, she raced toward the crude cabin and banged on the door with all her might.
Tears mingled with raindrops as she waited for an answer. The door opened and a man stood facing Victoria.
"Please, you have to help me," she cried.
"Perdoname, Senorita?" The man looked at her in surprise.
"Please help me," Victoria sobbed. "Bodine is hurt. He is injured."
The man looked over her shoulder to where he saw Bodine slumped over the saddle. "Si, Senorita," he said, as he followed her quickly to the unconscious Bodine. Taking command of the situation, he helped the big man from the saddle. Somehow, between the two of them, they managed to get Bodine into the house. A young woman, not much older than Victoria, helped them get Bodine into bed in a tiny bedroom off the kitchen.
"What happened?" the man asked Victoria in heavily accented English.
"A rattlesnake struck his horse and he was thrown. He has been in and out of consciousness."
"The snake did not strike him, Senorita?"
"No, no, it is the fall he is suffering from."
"Senorita, you are not to worry; I will ride for the doctor." He turned and spoke to the woman rapidly in Spanish, which Victoria did not understand.
The woman came over to Victoria and drew her out of the bedroom.
She laid him down gently and untied the blanket from Rebel's back, placing it under Bodine's head. She put her head to his chest and heard the strong steady heartbeat. Victoria wet her handkerchief with water from her canteen, and washed his face.
Bodine groaned and slowly opened his eyes, focusing them on her face. "What happened, Victoria?"
She smiled at him through her tears. "Lie still for a moment, Bodine. You have had a bad fall. Your horse was bitten by a rattler, I am afraid."
He tried to raise his head, but was overcome by dizziness. He laid his head back on the blanket. "My gun . . . You have to shoot my horse. He is in pain," Bodine said weakly.
Victoria shook her head in horror. "I cannot. Do not ask me to do it, Bodine. I cannot."
"You must, Victoria."
With shaking hands she unholstered his gun. She walked over to the horse who was lying still now. Victoria pointed the gun at his head, turned her eyes, and fired. It was over in a split second. She threw down the gun and cried hysterically. It had been easier to shoot the Yankee, she thought.
When she could bring herself under control, Victoria returned to Bodine. He was so pale. She sat down beside him. He had lost consciousness again. "Oh, Bodine, wake up and tell me what to do," she cried. "I can stand anything but losing you."
He seemed to slip in and out of consciousness. Victoria had not noticed that the sky had grown overcast, until a blast of thunder roared and a streak of lightning blazed across the sky. Little drops of rain fell to earth only to be swallowed up by the dry, thirsty soil.
Victoria realized now that she had to take some action. She led Rebel over to where Bodine lay, and forced the horse down on his knees. The rain was falling harder now. The next time Bodine gained consciousness, Victoria helped him into Rebel's saddle. She laid his head forward on Rebel's neck, climbed up behind him, and urged the black stallion forward. She prayed she could hold Bodine's enormous frame in the saddle. Her strength and courage came from her love for the giant man who was as helpless as a baby now.
Rebel raced forward as though he were unaware of the extra weight. The rain was beating down on them. Flashes of lightning lit up the sky around them. On they rode for what seemed an eternity. Just when Victoria felt she could go no farther, she saw a light in the distance, and urged Rebel forward. Bolting out of the saddle, she raced toward the crude cabin and banged on the door with all her might.
Tears mingled with raindrops as she waited for an answer. The door opened and a man stood facing Victoria.
"Please, you have to help me," she cried.
"Perdoname, Senorita?" The man looked at her in surprise.
"Please help me," Victoria sobbed. "Bodine is hurt. He is injured."
The man looked over her shoulder to where he saw Bodine slumped over the saddle. "Si, Senorita," he said, as he followed her quickly to the unconscious Bodine. Taking command of the situation, he helped the big man from the saddle. Somehow, between the two of them, they managed to get Bodine into the house. A young woman, not much older than Victoria, helped them get Bodine into bed in a tiny bedroom off the kitchen.
"What happened?" the man asked Victoria in heavily accented English.
"A rattlesnake struck his horse and he was thrown. He has been in and out of consciousness."
"The snake did not strike him, Senorita?"
"No, no, it is the fall he is suffering from."
"Senorita, you are not to worry; I will ride for the doctor." He turned and spoke to the woman rapidly in Spanish, which Victoria did not understand.
The woman came over to Victoria and drew her out of the bedroom.
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