Prairie Fire by Catherine Palmer

Author:Catherine Palmer
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: ebook
ISBN: 9781414362847
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2011-10-28T13:41:37+00:00

CHAPTER 10

LET’S GET out of this town,” a customer called as Jack pushed through the crowd and sprinted toward the creek with Felicity following right behind. “These folks is crazy!”

“No, wait!” Caitrin held out her arms, but it was too late. Even the driver fled toward the stagecoach without a backward look. Swinging around, she grabbed Sheena’s arm. “I must go with them to Lucy!”

“Caitie, this is not your business,” Sheena insisted, clutching at her sister’s hands. “Stay here and mind the mercantile. Let the Cornwalls tend to their own.”

“How can you say such a thing?” Caitrin pulled back in disbelief. “Would you have the poor woman drown?”

“I would have you know your place, Sister!” Sheena’s green eyes crackled. “Sure, you must choose between them and us, Caitie. You know we’ll never permit that Cornish devil to become one of us. If you keep on championing him, letting yourself be duped by his charms, stumbling into his traps, we’ll have no choice but to disown you. Please, Caitie, come into the mercantile with us now. Help Erinn and Colleen choose peppermint sticks and lemon drops to take to the boys.”

Caitrin glanced at the little girls whose bright eyes stared in confusion. “Erinn, Colleen,” she said softly, “Jesus commanded us to serve those less fortunate, did he not? Poor Miss Lucy, who cannot seem to find any joy in life, is certainly less fortunate than we. And that is why I must go to the creek and try to be of some service to her.” She caught both her sister’s hands. “You must understand, Sheena. Please, understand.”

Without waiting for a response, Caitrin raced past the smithy toward Bluestem Creek. Lucy was nowhere in sight.

Felicity Cornwall darted back and forth along the sandy bank, shrieking in despair. Up to his chest in the creek, Jack was wading deeper as he called out the young woman’s name.

“Jack!” Caitrin shouted, hurtling down the bank. “Where is Lucy? Where has she gone?”

“Drowned, drowned!” Mrs. Cornwall wailed.

Caitrin dashed into the frigid water just as Lucy’s dark head bobbed up in midstream. The young woman drifted in the swiftest part of the current, her back to the shore. Gasping in shock at the icy chill that gripped her ankles, Caitrin waded to Jack’s side.

“She’s not done for yet,” he panted. “She’s got her feet on the bottom, but she keeps letting herself float off under the water.”

“She’s wearing those heavy chains. Sure, they’ll drag her down.”

“Lucy!” Jack called out, reaching toward his sister. “Lucy, it’s Jack. Can you hear me? Don’t go under again, Sis.”

“Lucy, Lucy!” Mrs. Cornwall shrieked. “Get out of that water at once! Do you hear me, young lady? Come here immediately!”

Lucy’s head sank beneath the surface. Caitrin watched in horror as Jack lunged toward the spot, disappearing himself. Toes numb, she squeezed her hands together. Should she go ashore and calm Felicity? Her keening was only making things worse. No, there was no choice in this matter.

“Can you swim, Miss Murphy?” Felicity cried as Caitrin set out into the middle of the stream.

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