Read Online The Tempting of Thomas Carrick by Stephanie Laurens - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stephanie Laurens
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breath, she pushed away from the door, walked to the table, and set the empty ewer down. She studied it for a moment, then quietly said, “Something—somehow—got into the well water two nights ago. The Bradshaws drew water in the morning and drank it with their breakfast.”
“And fell ill.”
She nodded. “But, of course, when people are ill like that, the first thing anyone does is give them water. More water.”
“So the illness—the retching and pain—continued.”
Raising her gaze, she met Thomas’s eyes. “Whoever did this—and I can’t think of any alternative but that someone put something in that well—it was a dastardly thing to do. The children—” She broke off; fighting to quell a shiver, she wrapped her arms around herself. “If it had continued, they would all eventually have died. There would have been no end to the pain.”
Thomas swore beneath his breath. He looked at the glass in his hand, then stalked to the door, opened it, and flung the contents outside.
Lucilla continued to stare at the ewer on the table. Eventually, she said, “What a twist of fate. The Bradshaws are recovering because they haven’t had any water for the last day. If Joy hadn’t fallen ill herself—”
“She would have continued to give the Bradshaws water, not realizing she was poisoning them with it.” Thomas’s jaw felt like stone; inside, he was raging. But there was no one on whom he could vent his anger, no one on whom he could avenge his clansmen. Not yet.
He forced himself to draw in a huge breath and refocus on what was important here and now. “The Bradshaws. They need water—water they can safely drink.”
Lucilla shook herself, as if shaking free of similarly vengeful thoughts. “Yes. And they need it urgently. I can’t give them any tisanes to ease them, not without water to brew those tisanes.” She looked at him. “Which farm is closest?”
“The Forresters’. I’ll ride there—they’ll help.”
She nodded. “If I boil the water, I can use it to wash and clean. The youngest two—I can make them more comfortable, at least.”
He hesitated. “I’ll need to borrow the Forresters’ dray to bring back any decent amount of water. I’ll be an hour, possibly two. Will you be all right here on your own?”
She looked at him as if he was speaking in tongues, then she waved him away. “Go. I’ll be perfectly all right.”
He went.
Lucilla finished reassembling the second lamp. She lit the wick, turned it low, then left the lamp on the table beside the sofa. After checking Joy Burns and finding little change, she took the other lamp and explored the various small rooms off the kitchen and the wash house. After deciding what she could use for each task, she set to work hauling in water from the well, filling the copper, then building the fire beneath it. Once the water had boiled for ten full minutes, she doused the fire, ladled water into a pail, then set the lid back on the copper and got to work.
She scrubbed floors and replaced the used buckets. Despite the chill in the night air, she cracked open several windows, encouraging the cool drafts to clear the stench of sickness from the house.
That done, she fetched more of the boiled water, still warm, and used damp cloths to wash her patients’ hands and faces, all the while being especially careful not to allow any of the water, boiled or not, to touch anyone’s lips.
The youngest girl and younger boy awoke and remained awake, but all the others were still drifting in and out of sleep. Remembering the small canteen attached to her saddle, Lucilla wrapped a knitted shawl she found in the Bradshaws’ room about her head and shoulders, and went out to the barn to find it.
She was pleased to discover the canteen was full of pure, fresh water from Casphairn Manor’s well. She took a small sip, then returned to the house and poured small amounts of water into two glasses she took from the very back of a shelf. Those she
“And fell ill.”
She nodded. “But, of course, when people are ill like that, the first thing anyone does is give them water. More water.”
“So the illness—the retching and pain—continued.”
Raising her gaze, she met Thomas’s eyes. “Whoever did this—and I can’t think of any alternative but that someone put something in that well—it was a dastardly thing to do. The children—” She broke off; fighting to quell a shiver, she wrapped her arms around herself. “If it had continued, they would all eventually have died. There would have been no end to the pain.”
Thomas swore beneath his breath. He looked at the glass in his hand, then stalked to the door, opened it, and flung the contents outside.
Lucilla continued to stare at the ewer on the table. Eventually, she said, “What a twist of fate. The Bradshaws are recovering because they haven’t had any water for the last day. If Joy hadn’t fallen ill herself—”
“She would have continued to give the Bradshaws water, not realizing she was poisoning them with it.” Thomas’s jaw felt like stone; inside, he was raging. But there was no one on whom he could vent his anger, no one on whom he could avenge his clansmen. Not yet.
He forced himself to draw in a huge breath and refocus on what was important here and now. “The Bradshaws. They need water—water they can safely drink.”
Lucilla shook herself, as if shaking free of similarly vengeful thoughts. “Yes. And they need it urgently. I can’t give them any tisanes to ease them, not without water to brew those tisanes.” She looked at him. “Which farm is closest?”
“The Forresters’. I’ll ride there—they’ll help.”
She nodded. “If I boil the water, I can use it to wash and clean. The youngest two—I can make them more comfortable, at least.”
He hesitated. “I’ll need to borrow the Forresters’ dray to bring back any decent amount of water. I’ll be an hour, possibly two. Will you be all right here on your own?”
She looked at him as if he was speaking in tongues, then she waved him away. “Go. I’ll be perfectly all right.”
He went.
Lucilla finished reassembling the second lamp. She lit the wick, turned it low, then left the lamp on the table beside the sofa. After checking Joy Burns and finding little change, she took the other lamp and explored the various small rooms off the kitchen and the wash house. After deciding what she could use for each task, she set to work hauling in water from the well, filling the copper, then building the fire beneath it. Once the water had boiled for ten full minutes, she doused the fire, ladled water into a pail, then set the lid back on the copper and got to work.
She scrubbed floors and replaced the used buckets. Despite the chill in the night air, she cracked open several windows, encouraging the cool drafts to clear the stench of sickness from the house.
That done, she fetched more of the boiled water, still warm, and used damp cloths to wash her patients’ hands and faces, all the while being especially careful not to allow any of the water, boiled or not, to touch anyone’s lips.
The youngest girl and younger boy awoke and remained awake, but all the others were still drifting in and out of sleep. Remembering the small canteen attached to her saddle, Lucilla wrapped a knitted shawl she found in the Bradshaws’ room about her head and shoulders, and went out to the barn to find it.
She was pleased to discover the canteen was full of pure, fresh water from Casphairn Manor’s well. She took a small sip, then returned to the house and poured small amounts of water into two glasses she took from the very back of a shelf. Those she
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