The Untamable Rogue by McAllister Cathy

Author:McAllister, Cathy [McAllister, Cathy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Historical, Romance, Victorian, England, C429, Extratorrents, Kat
Published: 2012-12-14T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

3rd August 1888

Life on the camp had already become such a part of me that my old life moved into the back of my mind more and more. By now most members of the clan treated me as one of their people and Grandmother Aneta taught me more and more about herbs and healing methods. I regarded, very highly, the old lady who possessed a sharp understanding.

“Stretch out your hand, child,” said the old gypsy.

She had opened a bottle in which she had, with my help, put the comfrey roots in brandy. The liquid had become almost black and was emitting an aromatic smell as Grandmother Aneta waved the bottle around.

I did as she said and stretched out my hand. Grandmother Aneta poured some of the liquid into the palm of my hand.

“Tell me what that feels like?”

I looked at the old woman a little puzzled. I had no idea what she was expecting. I knew, however, that the old woman never did or said anything without a reason.

“Rub it in and then tell me what the tincture feels like!”

I rubbed the liquid between my hands as the old woman had told me to do. So that I could concentrate better I had closed my eyes. The aromatic smell and the evaporating alcohol filled my nostrils.

“And?” probed Grandmother Aneta.

“It feels … somehow oily,” I said.

The old woman roared in agreement.

“And? Carry on!”

“Hm, cool – but no, now it’s getting warm.” I opened my eyes again and looked with interest at Grandmother Aneta. She was nodding and closing the bottle carefully.

“Hm. The tincture increases the circulation. That’s why it’s good to use on tired feet. That’s where one of its names comes from – boneset or knitbone, too. Some people also call it slippery-root,” she explained, and she put the bottle back in its place on the shelf.

“You put it on my foot, too, didn’t you?”

The old woman nodded again and was about to reply but then stopped and listened.

“What is it?” I asked, and listened, too. There was nothing to be heard and precisely that was the strange thing. Children could not be heard, nor women chatting, nor men in discussion nor yapping dogs. Everything was absolutely silent. Goose bumps spread over my body.

Grandmother Aneta did not reply, but a quiet smile spread over her face. She had the facial expression of a cat that had caught a mouse in a trap.

“Go out, then you’ll see what it is,” was all that she said.

By now I was used to the old lady knowing and noticing more than anyone else, so I did not carry on wondering, but left the waggon as she had told me to do. Outside I saw that everyone had stopped what they were doing and were all looking in one direction. When my eyes met the destination of the numerous gazes my heart leapt – Ivo – he was returning. So had the month already passed? I had lost any sense of time since being with the Sintis.

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