One Knight in Tonica by Lynda J Cox

Author:Lynda J Cox
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cowboy romance, frontier romance, pioneer romance, Texas, historical romance
Publisher: Lynda J Cox
Published: 2022-04-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Ethan scampered in front of them, drawn as much to the brightly lit interior of the barn as the moths to the lanterns. He attempted to catch a lightning bug that floated near him. What seemed to be millions more of the glowing insects blinked in rapid pulses in the bushes and trees. The loud chorus of tree frogs almost drowned out the musicians.

Mathew nudged his head toward the woman on his arm. “Did you help your husband when he was treating his patients?”

A wistful expression softened her features and a hint of sadness tinged the small smile that crossed her face. “As much as I could. My grandmother and mother taught me all they knew about healing poultices and tinctures and plants that can be used as medicines. Sam...he...he was starting to use some of my backwoods remedies before he left.”

By the second year of the war, medicines in the South had been nearly impossible to acquire. When it was all he had, Mathew resorted to those backwoods remedies to treat fevers, pull out infections, stop wracking coughs. “Tomorrow, show me what you have in those remedies and teach me how to use them.”

She bowed her head. Anguish darkened her voice. “You’re making a joke at my expense.”

“No, I’m not.” He glanced over at Ethan, assuring himself the boy wasn’t too far away, and then dragged a hand through his hair, debating how to bolster her. Abigail continued to walk at his side with her head bent to the ground, much in the same manner Ethan did when he tried to avoid notice. Mathew came to a halt and caught her shoulders, turning her to face him. He waited for her to look up. When she didn’t, he said, “Abigail, I’d be a fool for not availing myself of your knowledge of the local flora that can be used medicinally. I would have sold my very soul to have those remedies that last winter at Camp Douglas. So many men died because I didn’t have even the simplest of medicines. There was nothing I could do to prevent their deaths.”

She still didn’t lift her gaze. Mathew slipped his hand along her cheek and tilted her head to him. “I am not making a joke of you or your remedies.”

Movement out of the corner of his eye pulled his attention from Abigail. Ethan staggered backwards, head reared back, his small body rigid. Before he could move toward his son, Abigail rushed the few feet. She dropped to her knees and fully enveloped the boy in a protective embrace.

“Bad man. Bad man.” Ethan repeated the words so rapidly his sobbing cry blended into one continuous sound.

“No, sweetie. There’s no bad man here. I promise. No bad man.” Abigail pressed a kiss to the top of Ethan’s head. “You’re safe here with your father and me.”

“Bad man.” He twisted around to Abigail. “Momma...bad man. Bad man.”

He wasn’t so shocked with Ethan’s actions that he failed to note his son addressed Abigail as “Momma.

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