Read Online River Runs Deep by Jennifer Bradbury - Free Book Online Page B

else.”
    â€œA glamour ,” Jonah said, trying the word.
    â€œNow you.”
    Elias heard the sound of stones shifting outside the window. Jonah dropped his voice lower. “That Pennyrile over there? Doc has him taking these baths.”
    Elias remembered the tub. “Cold ones, I guess.”
    â€œThat ain’t the worst of it.”
    Elias waited.
    â€œIt ain’t regular old bathwater he has him washing in. Croghan has Pennyrile taking him a bath in a tub of horse piss—”
    â€œHe never!” Elias gasped.
    â€œHe did,” Jonah confirmed. “And he’d been feeding them horses on nothing but cabbage and carrots for three whole days ’fore he collected it.”
    Elias was stunned. His eggs and tea and poultice seemed nothing now.
    â€œAnd there’re others he blisters—a big old mustard plaster he puts on ’em, raises up sores. Supposed to draw out the infection.”
    Elias winced.
    â€œAnd Miss Nedra over there, she weren’t half so crazy when she first come. I reckon it’s being down here and all them weird—”
    Jonah stopped abruptly. Elias couldn’t help himself. “Weird what?”
    But Jonah didn’t reply. And a moment later Elias knew why.
    Lillian edged the curtain aside. “Elias?”
    Guilty, Elias palmed the cube of salt pork. “Hey, Lill.”
    â€œI’m back,” she said softly, scanning the inside of Elias’s hut.
    â€œOkay,” Elias said. “I walked over and saw Nedra. She was all right when I left. Give me this scarf.”
    He raised the tail to show her the scarf, but she barely took it in before resuming her scan of the room. “Get some rest,” she said, adding, “Doc’s got a big morning planned for you tomorrow.”
    â€œAll right.”
    She lingered, eyes hanging on the window a second too long. “Night.”
    Elias scooted down the bed and trimmed the lamp. It wasn’t until he was nearly asleep that he arrived at how queer it was that Lillian never asked who Elias had been talking to. He recalled her eyes scanning the room, the distracted way she spoke to him, but all the time, she never asked him why he’d been whispering.

Chapter Six
THIEF KNOT
    Y ou’re quiet this morning, young man,” Dr. Croghan noted as he took Elias’s pulse.
    Elias said nothing. He was always prone to saying little when he felt guilty.
    He’d eaten the salt pork.
    Sometime in the night he’d woken up famished. He’d retrieved the little wrapped chunk of meat and had only meant to smell it. But his belly was so hollow and the bacon smelled so good and one tiny bite couldn’t hurt, he reckoned. And even though it was cold and starting to dry out, it was delicious. That first bite was so good, he figured if he’d undone the doctor’s remedy, one more little bite wouldn’t matter, would it?
    And then there was really only enough to make up one last tiny taste.
    So he’d eaten the whole piece. He felt awful about possibly messing up his healing.
    But he also knew if he had another piece, he’d have eaten it on the spot, maybe in a single bite.
    So with his stomach slightly fuller but his conscience heavy, he tried to sleep. But between the guilt and the puzzle of what Stephen had been doing with those books in his pack, and wondering who Jonah really was, and wondering what Pennyrile needed him to carry letters for . . . well, he spent more time thinking than he did sleeping.
    â€œI’ll perk up,” Elias said. “Just takes me a while to get my oars in the water.”
    Croghan seemed satisfied enough with the explanation. “You’ve had your breakfast?”
    â€œThree boiled,” Elias said. “Drunk my tea.”
    Croghan slapped his knee. “Good. Then I expect we’re ready.”
    â€œHold on.” Elias scattered the last few kernels of corn on the tabletop, slung the pan of