A Mosaic of Wings by Kimberly Duffy

Author:Kimberly Duffy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Fiction;Love stories;FIC042110;FIC042030;FIC027050
ISBN: 9781493425198
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2020-03-04T00:00:00+00:00

Nora tossed on her hard narrow cot, Owen’s words ricocheting around her mind. They fought for precedence with the night sounds—the insects and birds calling to one another. Then a guttural growl echoed around the hills, quieting the other wildlife. Even quieting her thoughts.

Nora sat up straight and shifted beneath the blanket twisting around her legs. Mr. Alford had warned them not to walk in the forest at night alone. The nocturnal Bengal tiger hunted after sunset. This was the first time she’d heard its presence. Her heart tripped despite the knowledge that she was safe in camp with the others and a roaring fire.

Another sound, this one choking and softened by whimpers, drew her toward the end of the cot where she’d draped her wrapper. She shoved her arms into it and quickly buttoned it as she approached the tent flap. When she pushed it aside, she saw Owen pacing outside Mr. Alford’s tent. She stepped into the open, and Owen crept toward her.

“He’s been vomiting for ten minutes. I don’t know if he wants help or to be left alone. He hasn’t called for anyone.”

The moon, hanging heavy above them, shone silver light over Owen’s white nightshirt. He shuffled, drawing Nora’s attention to his bare feet and calves poking below the hem. A fuzz of fine blond hair covered his legs, and Nora felt as though she’d bitten into an unripe persimmon. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. At least her nightgown fell to her feet. There was no chance of Owen seeing her legs. But she’d never have thought the sight of a man’s legs could so affect her.

“Well? What do you think?” he asked. “Should we see if he needs help?”

Her stomach rose as the sounds coming from Mr. Alford’s tent intensified. She pressed her knuckles against her mouth and swallowed a belch. Finally, after it seemed Mr. Alford had emptied every bit of sustenance he’d consumed in the past week, the sounds of insects reigned again.

Owen and Nora looked at each other, eyes wide. She knew from tending Leonard and William that Mr. Alford must be in the middle of the worst of it. Leonard had been nearly senseless, unable to reach his own water or clean himself up.

She groaned. Another patient. “I guess I’ll tend to him. It seems to be my lot here.”

She ducked into her tent and quickly shed her wrap before donning her skirt and shirtwaist over her nightclothes. It would have to do. She stumbled past Owen, her bare feet scraping against the sharp edges of a stone.

He stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll clean up if you sit with him and help him get some fluids into his body.” He motioned her toward the covered pot of water, and she nodded.

By the time she’d located a tin cup, filled it, and slipped into Mr. Alford’s tent, Owen had already mopped up the floor beside the bed with a linen sheet. The closed room smelled of vomit and sweat.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.