Alicia Roque Ruggieri by The House of Mercy

Author:The House of Mercy [Mercy, The House of]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-10-21T04:00:00+00:00

20

West Lea

“She looks very ill,” Bethan heard her own words spill from her lips without emotion. “You think so, aye?” She glanced up at Calum. He stood by her shoulder, silent but his eyes filled with thought.

She wiped her mother’s face again. It does no good. Over and over, she had cooled the red face with water, but the heat rising from the skin would not decrease. A rash covered her mother’s body like leprosy. Mama had not recovered real consciousness since Bethan and Calum had arrived several days past.

“Where’s Enid?” she suddenly remembered.

“She’s gone to the neighbors’ to play,” Calum replied. He gently took the bowl of water from her hands. “Why don’t you heat some gruel? I’ll take over here.”

Bethan felt reluctant to leave her mother’s side but relieved as well. ‘Twas well-past noon, and she’d been sitting at her mother’s side since daybreak. Her back felt as if a knife had split it in two. She rose from the three-legged stool, giving place to Calum, who folded his tall frame onto the low seat.

As she prepared the light food, Bethan found her eyes moving toward the guard again and again. How patient he was as he wiped Mama’s face, running the cloth over her taut skin with the tenderness of a doe toward its fawn. Grace flowed through the scars on his face, making what would have been disfigurement, beauty. He bent himself to the task single-mindedly, not eager to rush off or impatient for Bethan to resume her place.

Whatever happens, Lord, Bethan prayed as she stirred the watery mixture over the hearth, thank you for Calum.

She felt her heart constrict as she realized what she had prayed. Whatever happens…

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