Tender is the Knight by Kathryn Le Veque

Author:Kathryn Le Veque [Veque, Kathryn Le]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Medieval
Published: 2013-08-18T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“When the arrow penetrated her chest, it punctured her lungs and introduced poison to her body,” the surgeon said. “She has a fever now and I fear it may get worse. Your wife is showing no signs of improvement.”

It was early afternoon on an unusually clear day. Dennis sat, ashen-faced, listening to the physic from Falmouth describe Ryan’s current physical state. Six days after the event, she was growing weaker and Dennis was beside himself with despair. It was like a nightmare he could not awaken from.

“Is there anything to be done for her?” he asked, trying not to sound as if he was begging. “Anything at all?”

The surgeon was a very old man who had been on the crusades with the Lionheart those years ago. Like others in his profession, he had learned much from the Arabs and their mysterious medicines.

“I am doing all I can,” he assured the young lord. “I am making a poultice of ingredients I know to be helpful in cases like this. I am doing all that I can to draw the poison out of her body.”

“What kind of ingredients?” Dennis asked.

The old surgeon shrugged thoughtfully. “Many things,” he said. “As you have seen, we have cleaned out the wound regularly, which I believe has helped a great deal. Had we not done that, I am sure your wife would be dead by now.”

Dennis closed his eyes, trying not to think on the wound cleansing the physic had been doing for days now, rinsing the wound with a mixture of alcohol and vinegar that caused Ryan to scream in pain every time. It was exhausted and horrifying every time the wound needed to be cleaned. They had just accomplished such a cleaning an hour before and now Ryan remained in a weary sleep with Patrizia watching over her.

“What about this poultice?” Dennis asked, his voice hoarse. He was so exhausted and distraught that he could hardly think straight. “Tell me what is in it before you put it on my wife.”

The old physic began to pull ingredients out of his satchel. They were in the loft of St. Austell’s keep, now turned into a place for the physic to work his magic. Dennis, as well as Charlotte and Clive, watched the man with interest. They were all exhausted and grieved over Lady d’ Vant’s injury. In fact, Charlotte hadn’t taken off the red shawl since it was given to her. Even now, sitting next to her brother, it was wrapped around her neck in silent tribute to a woman she no longer hated.

“Mustard,” the physic said as he held up a small bag, “rotten bread, and vinegar. I mix it together and it will help draw the poison out.”

“Rotten bread?” Dennis repeated with disgust.

The physic was firm. “There is something in the rot that heals wounds,” he said. “I have learned my trade well, my lord. You must trust me when I say that the rotten bread has healing qualities.”

Dennis wasn’t entire sure about letting the man put rotten food on his wife.

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