Red Waters Rising (The Devil's West Book 3) by Laura Anne Gilman

Author:Laura Anne Gilman [Gilman, Laura Anne]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Saga Press
Published: 2018-06-25T16:00:00+00:00

THREE

In the morning, rather than being refreshed, Isobel’s skin was clammy, her hair sweat-matted, and there was an ashen tone to her face that sent Gabriel down the stairs to Bernal’s office.

Instead he found Ana and, after a few terse words, told her to fetch Auntie. He hoped that he had told the girl to ask politely rather than demand the woman’s attendance, but he couldn’t remember.

Rather than stand in the chamber and stare at her uselessly, he paced in the hallway, his boots too loud on the wooden floor, the brush of his trouser legs too soft for the echo they left, his breath too harsh for indoors. When the door from the street finally opened, he spun as though expecting an attack and let out a sigh of relief when he saw Auntie come inside, Ana a shadow behind her.

“What, then, she didn’t sleep?”

“She slept,” Gabriel said. “I threatened to tie her to the bed if she didn’t. But when she woke this morning, she was feverish, like the girl told you.” He glared at Ana as though she might have forgotten to tell the woman that. “And she won’t wake up now, not even when I wash her down with water.”

“Is she speaking?” Auntie asked, heading for the stairs as though she knew exactly where Isobel was, and for all Gabriel knew, she did.

“No. She hasn’t said a word, not even a mumble.”

Ana started toward the door underneath the stairs that led to the kitchen, then stopped when Gabriel put one hand on her shoulder.

“Sir?”

“You and I should have a talk about gossip, young miss.” He knew taking his frustration out on the girl was not fair, but he could not go up those stairs, not to stand by and feel helpless yet again. “Where is your cousin?”

Ana paled and swallowed, her eyes going wide. “She’s in the stillroom.”

“Fine. We’ll—” Gabriel’s plan to give the girls an education in why gossiping about folk was a bad idea was interrupted by “Get out of my way!” coming from upstairs.

Auntie, sounding like she was about to smite something. Or someone. Gabriel lifted a finger to Ana’s face, letting her know things had been delayed, not forgotten, and trotted up the stairs, flicking the strap off the handle of his knife but not drawing it as he came to the hallway landing and saw Auntie facing up against Rafe. They each stood with fists on hips, bull-shouldered and glaring.

“You’ll not bring your nonsense into this house,” Rafe said, his voice low and angry. “I’ll not have it.”

“I’ve been invited, John Rafe Bernal, so stand you aside.”

Rafe looked up and saw Gabriel standing there. “Is that true? Did you bring her here?”

“She helped us before; she knows what’s wrong with Isobel.” He wouldn’t trust a chirurgeon he didn’t know; in his experience, they were good for setting bones and pulling teeth but not much else. “Is there a problem?” Auntie had not been on the list of names he had given them of medicine folk in Red Stick, he suddenly remembered.

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