Read Online This Savage Heart by Patricia Hagan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patricia Hagan
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wanted me if it hadn’t been for the damn baby…life is over…beauty gone…damn baby…no one to love me…no one. Damn you, Adam.”
Teresa looked up, delighted as Esther Webber scrambled into the wagon. “Thank God you’re here! We don’t know what to do. The baby is coming.”
Esther bent over Elisa and made a hasty examination, ignoring her protests. “Yes, it’s coming,” she said without alarm. “Tell the captain we’ll need some hot water. Tell him to have a wagon ready, too. There’s no time to move her into town, but as soon as the baby comes, we will.”
Teresa moved to follow her orders, and Julie asked, “Is there anything I can do?” Then, “She doesn’t want me here,” she added hesitantly.
“Nonsense,” Esther snapped. “I may need you. It won’t be long now.”
“I…I don’t want her here,” Elisa gasped. “Please, send her away.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” Esther looked at Julie in exasperation. “Of all times for you two to be feuding! Go on and get out, then. Teresa can help me.”
Gratefully, Julie went to the rear of the wagon. When Derek saw her, he helped her down. “I sent Micah for the hot water, and Thomas has gone to get the wagon ready.”
Myles stepped from the shadows and asked, “Don’t you think it’d be better if you stayed inside, instead of Teresa? I mean, in her condition…”
“I know, I know,” Julie murmured. “Elisa doesn’t want me in there. She hates me.”
“I think I understand why.” Derek’s voice was so soft that only Julie heard.
She looked at him curiously, but just then Elisa screamed again, louder than before, a long scream, and then there was another noise—a weak, mewing sound.
“The baby,” Myles breathed.
Micah had arrived with the water, and he stopped short, tears springing to his eyes. “Oh, Lawdy, I’ve heard many a newborn cry, and I know what this one sounds like—like it ain’t gonna live. Lawdy, Lawdy, he’s just too weak.”
Teresa stuck her head out of the wagon and called, “It’s here—a little boy,” then disappeared inside.
Thomas brought a wagon up, ready to take Elisa and the baby into town, but Derek told him they would have to wait till Mrs. Webber thought it safe for them to be moved.
Myles could suddenly keep still no longer. Running angry fingers through his hair, he turned to Derek and said, “Look. You may think I’m sticking my nose in your business, but Julie is my sister and her welfare is my concern. I want to know why you left the dance with her and why she came back to the hotel looking like she did. I want to know”—he jabbed his finger at Derek’s massive chest, undaunted by his size—“what you’re doing to my sister!”
“Oh, Myles, please!” Julie blinked back tears of frustration and embarrassment as she stepped from Derek’s side. “Stay out of my business, please. I’m a grown woman.”
“And he’s a grown man. And—”
“We have a right to our privacy, Myles,” Derek cut him off gently. “I care for Julie a great deal, and I don’t think I have to tell you that we were once very close. We’ve had some problems. I still care for her, and whether she’ll admit it or not, she still cares for me. We’re trying to work things out. Can you understand?”
Myles was treading in dangerous water and he knew it. He glanced at his sister, then nodded. “All right. But damn it all, these are tense times, and I don’t need additional worries right now. You two worry me.”
Derek nodded slowly. “I understand, Myles, and we’ll try not to.”
Julie turned away, miserable. But her self-recrimination was pushed aside as Teresa appeared again, holding out her arms to Myles, tears streaming down her face. He helped her down, wrapping his arms around her as she sobbed, “The baby died. Oh, Myles, the baby died. He cried once, and then he just died. He was so tiny, hardly as big as my hand. Oh, God…”
Myles held her, trying to soothe what
Teresa looked up, delighted as Esther Webber scrambled into the wagon. “Thank God you’re here! We don’t know what to do. The baby is coming.”
Esther bent over Elisa and made a hasty examination, ignoring her protests. “Yes, it’s coming,” she said without alarm. “Tell the captain we’ll need some hot water. Tell him to have a wagon ready, too. There’s no time to move her into town, but as soon as the baby comes, we will.”
Teresa moved to follow her orders, and Julie asked, “Is there anything I can do?” Then, “She doesn’t want me here,” she added hesitantly.
“Nonsense,” Esther snapped. “I may need you. It won’t be long now.”
“I…I don’t want her here,” Elisa gasped. “Please, send her away.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” Esther looked at Julie in exasperation. “Of all times for you two to be feuding! Go on and get out, then. Teresa can help me.”
Gratefully, Julie went to the rear of the wagon. When Derek saw her, he helped her down. “I sent Micah for the hot water, and Thomas has gone to get the wagon ready.”
Myles stepped from the shadows and asked, “Don’t you think it’d be better if you stayed inside, instead of Teresa? I mean, in her condition…”
“I know, I know,” Julie murmured. “Elisa doesn’t want me in there. She hates me.”
“I think I understand why.” Derek’s voice was so soft that only Julie heard.
She looked at him curiously, but just then Elisa screamed again, louder than before, a long scream, and then there was another noise—a weak, mewing sound.
“The baby,” Myles breathed.
Micah had arrived with the water, and he stopped short, tears springing to his eyes. “Oh, Lawdy, I’ve heard many a newborn cry, and I know what this one sounds like—like it ain’t gonna live. Lawdy, Lawdy, he’s just too weak.”
Teresa stuck her head out of the wagon and called, “It’s here—a little boy,” then disappeared inside.
Thomas brought a wagon up, ready to take Elisa and the baby into town, but Derek told him they would have to wait till Mrs. Webber thought it safe for them to be moved.
Myles could suddenly keep still no longer. Running angry fingers through his hair, he turned to Derek and said, “Look. You may think I’m sticking my nose in your business, but Julie is my sister and her welfare is my concern. I want to know why you left the dance with her and why she came back to the hotel looking like she did. I want to know”—he jabbed his finger at Derek’s massive chest, undaunted by his size—“what you’re doing to my sister!”
“Oh, Myles, please!” Julie blinked back tears of frustration and embarrassment as she stepped from Derek’s side. “Stay out of my business, please. I’m a grown woman.”
“And he’s a grown man. And—”
“We have a right to our privacy, Myles,” Derek cut him off gently. “I care for Julie a great deal, and I don’t think I have to tell you that we were once very close. We’ve had some problems. I still care for her, and whether she’ll admit it or not, she still cares for me. We’re trying to work things out. Can you understand?”
Myles was treading in dangerous water and he knew it. He glanced at his sister, then nodded. “All right. But damn it all, these are tense times, and I don’t need additional worries right now. You two worry me.”
Derek nodded slowly. “I understand, Myles, and we’ll try not to.”
Julie turned away, miserable. But her self-recrimination was pushed aside as Teresa appeared again, holding out her arms to Myles, tears streaming down her face. He helped her down, wrapping his arms around her as she sobbed, “The baby died. Oh, Myles, the baby died. He cried once, and then he just died. He was so tiny, hardly as big as my hand. Oh, God…”
Myles held her, trying to soothe what
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