His Brother's Wife (Days of the Judges Book 2) by Mary Ellen Boyd

Author:Mary Ellen Boyd [Boyd, Mary Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mary Ellen Boyd
Published: 2013-08-10T14:00:00+00:00

Joshua tried to shut out her sobs, so faint they hardly merited being called that. But they were caused by the cold water that was supposed to keep the fever at bay, and he had to ignore them, and ignore as well his doubts that he was doing the right thing. What else was there to do? She was already so hot, if she could not get cool, he feared she would be cooked alive from within.

“What did I do?” Her words came clear again, startling him. Just one sentence. What did I do?

Joshua stopped and looked down at Hannah. Beneath the fever’s flush, her face was contorted by fear. She tried to lift a hand, too weak to finish the move, but he recognized it. Hannah was trying to block a blow. He stared at her, the rag forgotten in his hand. Her hand fell down by her side, and a tear slid down her face.

This was not a fever dream. Someone had hurt her. Her father? Brother? He knew of such things, but … Hannah? Soft, delicate Hannah?

She mumbled something, her voice so low he had to bend down to hear it. “Please . . .”

A bitter anger started, but he shoved it down. Instead, he used every bit of gentleness he possessed to stroke the cloth down his wife’s burning body. And he stopped his ears to her whimpers, thinking only of the rag that warmed much too quickly, and the water in the bucket that was not as cool as when he started.

And of Halel, who should have been here by now. There were wild animals in the forest that separated his farm from Javan’s, animals that woke and wandered in the night. He should have given Halel a sword.

He had sent his most valued slave alone, unarmed.

Hannah whimpered again. Joshua wet the rag another endless time, wiped his wife’s body, and tried to keep the fears at bay.

Sandals scuffed at the doorway. In one quick move, Joshua flipped the linen covering over her. He hated to do that, hated knowing the heat from her body was trapped under even a thin blanket, feared undoing all his hard work, then turned, almost surprised to see Halel alive and unscathed.

“You made it back,” he said stupidly.

“I have brought Taleh.”

“Send her in.” Joshua looked beyond Halel to the doorway.

Javan stepped into the room, bringing in strength, support and a scolding. “Did you think I would let my wife come into this desperate sickness alone? After a woman has already died, and the husband barely lives?” He shook his dark head, the silver strands catching the dim light from the oil lamp. He rubbed his hands briskly as though preparing for hard work. “She has raised six children. She knows all that is worth knowing about sickness, but she will watch from the doorway and we men will take the risks.”

“Foolish man,” a soft, feminine voice spoke up from behind Javan’s vast shape. “As if I would risk you! I can hardly help if I cannot see what we are dealing with.

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