Luke interrupted. “I don’t hear Aaron complainin’.”
“Nope, he ain’t. Never did. Probably why I love him so much.”
She addressed Madelyn. “Aaron’s my husband. You will meet him and my young’uns in the next few days. Did not want to overwhelm you today, although the kids squawked long and loud about not being able to come with me.”
She headed toward the stove. “Come sit a spell. I will make some coffee and we can talk. I will see what it is we will need to work on over the next few days.”
Madelyn glanced toward her husband, her heart sinking. “That would be everything.” She turned back to Kat. “I am sorry. I know nothing about living on a ranch.”
“Nothin’ to apologize for. You lived the life you lived growing up and now God plumb shoved you into a new life. While none of us may understand it, God knows exactly what He’s doing. No sense questioning it. Best to jes’ make the best of it and move forward. Besides, you have a kind and gentle husband now.” She blew a wisp of stray hair out of her face.
God again. So not only did Luke place great store in God, so did his sister. Probably his whole family did. Wonderful. Well, she used to, too. Mother had repeatedly told her about Him. And she’d listened—until God turned His back on the South and let them be decimated. How could these people expect her to accept what they felt God had in store for her without her questioning it? She didn’t want to cause waves, but she couldn’t just sit back and accept everything like she was some sheep with no mind of her own. Maybe if she just didn’t talk about it, they’d let the matter drop.
A wave of homesickness washed over her. Would she ever feel as if she belonged? Right now she felt like a weed in a rose garden.
What a pretty little thing. Although her dress is certainly too fancy for life in Kansas City. Kat could see why her brother hadn’t put up a bigger fuss when the girl’s old coot of a father had insisted they get hitched. Things rarely shocked her, but she had to admit she’d been stunned when Luke told her how and why he and Madelyn had gotten married. How she would have loved to be a fly on the wall in that church. Not many men got the drop on her brother. Especially not some old coot. No, there was more to this story than Luke was letting on.
One of Maddie’s statements had been very telling. ‘My father packing me off like a side of beef certainly changed my life. I am not sure your brother realizes what he’s gotten himself into.’ Poor girl. She had a lot of healing to do. She’d heard the longing in the girl’s voice to belong somewhere—even if she didn’t even realize it.
She watched Luke now. There was something different about him. Of course, the war could have done that, but somehow Kat thought it had more to do with his new wife. Watching this situation play out over the next few months was going to be quite an experience.
She couldn’t wait to get home to tell Aaron all about it.
Luke always thought he was in charge of everything. Even though he hadn’t been the oldest. Said new wife sat meekly at the kitchen table, but Kat could almost see the wheels spinning in the woman’s mind as she looked around. This was no timid miss. She had a mind of her own, and she had a feeling this Madelyn and her brother Luke would be locking horns quite a bit in the future.
“I brought you some biscuits to go with the stew I gave Luke yesterday. I knew we would not have time to cook or bake anything today. And if you are going into town tomorrow, that will tie up most of the day, too.”
She unwrapped another package. “And here is some apple pie for dessert tonight. I baked it this morning. Luke likes apple. I hope you do, too.”
A smile tipped up one corner of Madelyn’s mouth. “Anything you bring us will be wonderful judging by the stew you sent home with us. At least this way your brother will not starve.”
Kat threw back her head and laughed. “No chance o’ that. If push came to shove, he would head out to the bunkhouse and eat out there with the men. I am sure that would certainly be a last resort. Cookie don’t particularly have a varied menu. Pretty much the same thing day in and day out. Beans. The men sneak into town to eat anytime they can get away with it.”
Madelyn looked surprised. “Oh, no. Do I need to feed them, too? What will they think of me when they learn I do not know how to cook?”
Kat shook her head. “Nah. Although they would certainly be much obliged if you ever brought food out to them—once you learn how to cook, of course. A pie or cake here and there would go a long way with them. Every once in a while I bring them something. Really seems to lift their spirits.”
Madelyn started coughing. Couldn’t seem to stop. Her skin was flushed and a thin sheen of sweat covered her face.
Luke never took his eyes from her, even though he was across the room. “She did that most of the way home. I think she caught a cold bein’ outside so much. The rain always seemed to catch us when we weren’t close enough to anywhere to stop and take shelter. Could not always stay in a hotel either. And some of the ones we stayed in were not much better than bein’ outside.”
Kat got up and placed blue tin cups on the table, then went to the stove and wrapped a nearby cloth around the coffeepot handle. She didn’t address the coughing, but it didn’t sound good. Might have to put off the trip into town and go fetch Doc. To Maddie she said, “Be sure to always protect your fingers when pouring. This thing gets really hot.” She dispensed coffee into three cups and called out for Luke to join them.
Once she sat again, she asked, “Luke, are you gonna show Maddie how to milk Old Bossie, or do you want me to come over early in the morning to teach her? The men have been doing it for me every day, but they will be mighty glad to give up that chore. They have had their hands full since Pa died. Aaron checks with them often to see if they need anything. And Matthew stops out here whenever he can to help with the business end of everything or to tend to any sick animals.”
“If you do not mind comin’ early, that would be great. Give me a little time to work with the men before I take Madelyn into town. I will talk with the aunts while I am there and introduce them to Madelyn. I feel certain they will want to come out here and help, too.”
“Sounds good. I will leave the kids with Aaron again tomorrow so I can be here bright and early. I will show Maddie how to fetch the eggs while I am at it. Then we can use those to make breakfast. I will bring some bacon with me. Think I should have a few biscuits left over from when I get home today, too.”
She told Madelyn, “While I am showing you how to scramble the eggs—which is really easy—you can fix the bacon.”
Her shoulders shook with mirth when Madelyn’s eyes widened. “Do not worry. Unless you walk away and leave them to burn on the stove instead of turning them, you will do just fine.” She tilted her head to Luke. “Even he knows how to do that.”
Madelyn’s head was swimming. Luke’s sister talked a mile a minute. What a difference between the two of them. Then again, maybe that’s why Luke was quieter. Kat never let her brothers get a word in edgewise while they were growing up.
Kat had rummaged through the pantry and found a whole box of her ma’s receipts. “Maddie, if you follow these just as Ma wrote them, you will be cooking up a storm for Luke in no time. Ma was the best cook I knew.”
Madelyn wasn’t quite that optimistic. How she wished she had a few receipts—as Kat called them—from the delicious meals Aggie used to make.
She wrapped grateful fingers around the hot mug and sipped appreciatively. The warmth felt good on her throat.
“Oh, and here’s some thorn apple syrup. Take some of this to see if it will help your cough. Sometimes it works.” She pulled a face. “Sometimes it doesn’t.”
By the time Kat left for the day, Madelyn just wanted to crawl in bed and cover her head with the blue and white patchwork quilt atop it. It was lovely, albeit faded and frayed. Luke’s mother had made it to last a long time.
She couldn’t stop coughing and her entire body ached. So much worse than the day before. It was really difficu
lt to breathe, too. Kat had set the stew to simmering before she left, but Madelyn wasn’t sure she had the energy to eat it.
And why in the world did the woman keep calling her Maddie? No one had dared ever call her anything but Madelyn before. Father hadn’t allowed it.
~ Chapter Seven ~
The next morning Madelyn could barely lift her head from the pillow. Her husband had insisted she eat last night, but she didn’t remember much about it other than it had been difficult to swallow.
She certainly didn’t remember coming to bed.
Surely the captain hadn’t… No, he wouldn’t have put her to bed. That would have meant he undressed her and got her into her nightgown.
She couldn’t breathe.
She’d coughed until she thought her head was going to explode.
She blinked, disoriented by her surroundings. Heard talking in the next room. Oh yes, the captain’s house. Had Kat already arrived? That meant Madelyn had to get up. Kat was here to teach her something. She couldn’t remember what. Why couldn’t she focus?
All she wanted to do was close her eyes and go back to sleep.
Someone eased an arm under her shoulders and gently raised her. She didn’t want to sit. She wanted to sleep.
“Come on, darlin’. Can you sit up a little more? Kat has some water for you. You need to try to drink it.”
The captain. In her bedroom? Well, actually his bedroom, but…
Was she supposed to answer? She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing happened. Then the cup was placed to her lips. Water. Oh, yes. She was sooooo thirsty. But she couldn’t drink. Her throat didn’t want to work.
“Kat, she cain’t do it. She is burnin’ up. I need to fetch Doc. Blast it, I shoulda already done it.”
A cool cloth was placed on Madelyn’s forehead. Oh, that feels so good.
“You go. I will stay with her.”
Madelyn could hear words, but she couldn’t always hear what they were actually saying. Her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep again.
“When did she get this bad?”
“About an hour after you left. I did not know what to do. I tried to get her to eat, but finally gave up. I sat with her all night in case she needed me. She tossed and turned all night, but didn’t waken.” He slumped against the wall. A light breeze ruffled the faded blue and white checkered curtains.
“You changed her?”
“Don’t look at me like that. I did. We may not be sharin’ the same bed yet, but she is my wife. I could not let her sleep in what she had on. She’d not have been comfortable. And she was so hot, I kept spongin’ her down. Does not seem that helped though. I just remembered Ma doin’ that for us when we took sick.”
“You did nothing wrong. I just know it had to be hard for you. That woman has curves in all the right places.”
Luke snorted. “Don’t remind me. I knew that before I got her into that cotton nightgown last night. But now that I have, that image will be forever ingrained on my brain.”
She pushed him toward the door. “Go fetch Doc. When you come back, I will have breakfast for you. While you are gone, I will keep Maddie as cool as I can.”
Luke swallowed, started to say something but couldn’t. When he reached the door, he changed his mind. “Kat, d-do not let her die.”
She moved toward him, reached up and placed her hand against his cheek. “You did a good job watching her last night. You must be exhausted. You just had that long trip home. Why not send one of the men?”
He shook his head. “No, I have to do this for her. I will ride full out and get back as quick as I can. She needs me.”
As he walked away, Kat stood at the door and watched him head for the barn to get his horse. She spoke aloud even though there was no one to hear her. “And I think you need her, big brother, whether you know it or not. Yes, I will keep her alive. I promise you that.”
Two hours later Luke and the doctor rode up—Luke on Royal and the doctor in his black buggy.
Luke helped the elderly man down, then escorted him inside the house. He pointed to the bedroom. “She is in there.”
The doctor nodded. “I remember the room. It was your parents’.”
While he examined Madelyn, he questioned Luke. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
“She got sick on the ride home from St. Louis. It was a long journey and guess it flat out wore her out. Lots of coughin’. We went through a lot of rain, and she just was not used to bein’ outside all the time. It is my fault. I should not have brought her here. She is not strong enough. I should have stayed in the army. We could have lived at the Fort.” The idea that this slip of a female had come to mean more than he realized in such a short time shocked him. Strong feelings of protectiveness overwhelmed him.
“Let us don’t place any blame, son. People get sick. Ain’t no one’s fault. When she coughs, does she bring anything up?”
Luke nodded. “Thick stuff. Makes her gag sometimes.”
“Any blood in it?” The doctor stopped his examination and waited for the answer.
“No, just thick and cloudy.”
The doctor nodded. “Good. Good.” He felt her forehead. “When did her fever start?”
“Had one for a while I guess, but last night is when it spiked. She…she was delirious. Didn’t have a clue what was goin’ on around her or where she was. Doubt she even knew I was in here with her.”
“What did you do for her?”
Luke looked away, embarrassed. The woman was his wife for goodness sake. The doc didn’t know they weren’t sleeping together. “I got her into her nightgown, and then sat with her all night. Kept coolin’ her off with water.” He looked imploringly into the doctor’s eyes. “I did the best I could, Doc. I should have fetched you last night.” He hung his head. “You have got to save her. Oh, God! You have got to save her. I will never forgive myself if I did this to her by bringin’ her here.”
The old man reached over and patted the top of his hand. “You did jes’ fine. Sponging her all night probably kept her alive. You will need to keep doing that.” He looked between Kat and Luke. “Unless you want me to take her back into town with me so Sister can help. Although I hate to move her.”
Luke stood from where he’d been sitting next to Madelyn on the bed. “No, she stays here. She is my wife. I will tend her.”
“I will help.”
“Mebbe some, but you should not stay here all the time caring fer her. We do not want you to get sick, too. Do not want to give it to yer young’uns. Be sure to keep them away while she still has this fever. Do not think it is contagious at all, but do not want to take any chances.” He stopped, then asked, “Were they here with her yesterday?”
“No, I came by myself. I did not want to overwhelm her. Now I am glad I was alone. I left the children with Aaron.”
“Good. That was a good decision.” He faced Luke, who was still standing. “I will leave some medicine with you. Be sure you give it to her every few hours. Four at the most. She will not like the tonic, but you have to give it to her. Need to keep her as cool as possible, too, while her fever is so high.” He turned to watch the woman in the bed. “Are you sure you can do that? You look flat wore out already.”
“I can do it, Doc. I often had to stay up long hours while we were on a campaign against the Rebs. While my little Reb would not like hearin’ that, it was good trainin’ for what I have to do now. I’ll not let you down, Doc. I will do whatever needs doin’.”
And he would. An overwhelming desire to protect her at all costs overrode his usual sense of self-imposed bachelorhood. It was no longer just him. It was them. And right now her needs were more important than his.
“You are a good man, Luke. A good husband. She is lucky to have you. If anything changes before I get back here tomorrow, send for me.”
Words swirled around her. People talking. Why couldn’t she understand them? Why did they have it so hot in here?
One voice she didn’t recognize. Wh
at had he just said? She is lucky to have you? Mercy, who were they talking about?
The bed dipped again. It did that periodically. She didn’t know why. She’d have to remember to ask the captain about it. The bed shouldn’t keep moving while she was trying to sleep.
Someone lifted her again. Oh, why couldn’t they just let her alone? A cup was placed against her lips. Water. Yes, she wanted water. But she couldn’t drink. Her throat refused to work. What was wrong with her?
God, help me! Memories surfaced. Oh, never mind. You don’t listen to me anyhow.
Time seemed endless. Nothing changed. So hot. She was burning up. Someone kept murmuring words to her she couldn’t understand. Darlin’. Why did she keep thinking she heard the word darlin’? No one had ever called her that in her life. Mother had sometimes called her sweetheart when she was really little, but Father never called her anything but Madelyn. He didn’t believe in endearments. Thought they were for the weak. When she’d been young, she’d so wanted him to call her something besides Madelyn. Something to show he actually cared. Then she grew up and it didn’t matter anymore.
Why did her mind keep conjuring the word darlin’?
She must be hallucinating.
Kat had made him promise he’d eat something, but that would mean leaving Madelyn. But Kat would nag him to death if she found he hadn’t eaten. And he guessed he did need to try and keep up his strength. Why was caring for someone such hard work? Well, not that the work itself was hard. All he was doing was sponging her with a moistened cloth and trying to get her to drink water or the broth Kat had made today. Getting Madelyn to take her medicine was probably the hardest. The tonic really must taste foul the way she fought him. And she had no clue she was doing it.
The hard part was watching her lay there so helpless. This woman—his wife—hadn’t fussed once on the way here. She wasn’t a helpless woman. She was a fighter. And she wasn’t fighting now. It tore him up to watch her. Why did he care? That’s what troubled him. What was it about this woman that made him care so much that she get well?
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