“Sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” She held out her hand and cupped it. “Pour a tiny bit of water in my hand but not much because we need fluid.”
He opened the bottle, poured a few drops and she reached forward to jam the water on his face. She wiped round carefully with a handkerchief she took from her pocket. It was a man’s one, she told him, because their size was more practical. She also had a couple of ladies’ ones for when she met Seth.
“He won’t worry about that sort of thing,” Seth said. If he did he wasn’t good enough for Hannah. “Shall I do yours?” he continued.
“Thank you.” She stood quite still while he did it and for a few moments their gazes held. Stepping back, she began to walk towards the rocks.
“Where shall we climb?” she asked.
“About there, I think.” He pointed. “I’ll go first to test it and then I can help you up if you need it.”
“Alright.”
She watched him climb, a frown creasing her forehead. He was a nice shape, she thought, something she had never noticed in men because she wasn’t interested in them. She wasn’t interested in him either but he was a good person to have as a friend. He went up a bit and looked back.
“It seems solid,” he said. “You can come now.”
But as she went to put her foot up the earth shook again and she was terrified. “Jump,” she shouted.
“Run,” he added and jumped. They raced from the rocks and stood watching as a few of them tumbled to the ground. She moved right next to him and he looked down at her.
“I’ll steady you,” he said. “Is that alright?”
“Thank you.” He held her against him for a few minutes and she felt a bit as if she couldn’t breathe. Probably from the dust, she decided as she eventually drew away. He made his way towards the rocks.
“This will be a good time to go before the earth shakes again,” he said. “There seems to be a break between tremors.”
“Yes. Let’s go together. It will take too long if you go ahead and have to wait for me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
He aimed for a rock, she moved beside him and there were quite a few footholds where they climbed. It wasn’t too high, Seth was relieved to see, because he didn’t want Hannah to get hurt. They made their way across the top of the pile of rocks and the gully lay beyond them. Clear, it appeared, but it was a few hundred feet long.
He took her hand. “We need to get through quickly,” he said. “Are you good at running?”
“We’re about to find out.” They tore through the gully and had to let go of each other as she lifted her skirts to stop them hampering her. While they ran rocks fell from above and a couple of stones hit them. When they saw the end the earth shook again and they could hear what sounded like thunder behind them.
“Faster,” Seth yelled as they heard some rocks fall behind them.
“I’ll try.” She speeded up but couldn’t keep up with his long legs. He turned, lifted her over his shoulder and tore between the tall faces of cliff on either side of them. He had to get there. He just had to. For Hannah’s sake he had to. As they emerged onto the road beyond a larger stone hit Hannah on her arm.
“Put me down,” she shouted as they reached the end and she ran as fast as she could. They had gone a few hundred yards before Seth stopped.
“I think we’re safe now,” he said.
“Thank you for carrying me. I must have broken your back.”
“You’re no weight,” he replied. Rachel would have been lighter because Hannah was quite tall but tall was nice too. Except that he mustn’t think of that because it wasn’t right and already by being with her he was compromising his bride to be.
But that they needn’t tell Rachel though Sadie and Ronald had already seen Hannah and might say something. He would worry about that when the time came and all that mattered now was getting Hannah safely to his farm where he hoped his house was still standing.
He looked at her arm where it had begun to bleed below where her three quarter sleeve ended. “You’ve been hurt,” he said.
“A large piece of stone hit me. I’ll be alright.”
“We need one of your clean handkerchiefs.”
She took it out. “Now spit on it,” he said. She spat. “Again. Get it as wet as you can.”
“We could use the fruit juice and water,” she said.
“No. Your own spit is better.”
“Why?”
“Just spit.” She spat. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be sharp. I think your spit will be better, that’s all, because it’s yours. My mother told me a bit about Florence Nightingale and had an article on asepsis.”
Hannah spat again and wiped the area which had been cut. “Pardon?”
“Keeping wounds clean so you’re not hurt by any germs in them. Squeeze the blood out a bit more and wipe it again with more spit. That way you’ll squeeze out the germs. My mother always did that with us.”
Hannah squeezed, there was a bit more blood and she wiped it again, this time with one of her smaller handkerchiefs. “Now I’ll wrap your other big clean handkerchief round it,” Seth said. “I’ve got lots of hankies at home so we can keep it clean until it heals.”
“You definitely should be a doctor,” she said, taking out the handkerchief.
“Would you be a nurse and assist me?”
“I think maybe your wife should do that.”
His wife and he kept forgetting about her, which wasn’t very nice. But she seemed a bit distant at this moment, almost like a mirage. He carefully tied the handkerchief round Hannah’s arm.
“My mother used to kiss our wounds better,” he said. “Though not the actual wound, more above it. That guaranteed it getting better.” He grinned as Hannah looked at him. “Our family has healing powers.”
“So it seems.”
“Can I kiss yours better?”
“I think you definitely should.”
It was a nice kiss, she thought when he drew back. He began to walk on and his voice trailed back. “I didn’t mean to be familiar. I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t familiar. It was a nice thing to do.” She ran to catch him up as he strode along and a house and barn lay to the side of the road. “Who lives here?”
“Jamie and Pamela Johnson,” he replied. “They’ve only been married six months. She’s a mail order bride.”
“One of those,” Hannah said.
“The best ladies out, as you and my fiancé have proved.”
“You haven’t met her.”
“I’m in love with her.”
Seth frowned in concentration. In love? Was that possible without seeing someone? It was because quite a few people he knew had married without seeing each other first and all of them appeared to be happy. Maybe love could travel and, of course, descriptions always helped.
Except that his description of himself had been inaccurate because he wanted to make a good impression. Probably when Rachel met him she would be disappointed.
“Are you in love with Seth?” he asked.
“From his very first letter.”
“Me too.”
“The house has a few cracks in the walls,” Hannah said, looking at it with a frown. “That’s not very safe.”
“No. I’ll knock gently on the door.”
He knocked but there was no reply and by this time Hannah was circling the house looking in windows.
“I can’t see anyone,” she said. “Maybe they’re upstairs. We need to go in to find out.”
“Let’s check the barn before we go in,” Seth replied and started walking towards it with Hannah close behind him. They reached the huge door and a fair haired young lady walked out.
“Are you alright?” Seth asked.
“Yes, thank you. Two of the horses are giving birth. They haven’t gone full term but the earthquake must have brought it on, Jamie says. It’s the first time I’ve seen foals being born so I’m looking forward to it
though I don’t like the earthquake.”
“Can I introduce you to Hannah?” Seth asked. “Hannah, this is Pamela. Pamela, this is Hannah.”
Pamela looked at Hannah’s hand. “It’s nice you were able to marry before the earthquake,” she said.
Hannah looked down. Seth’s ring still on her finger and she had clean forgotten about it. “I like your ring too,” Pamela said to Seth. “I got one for Jamie also. I know it’s not usual but I couldn’t resist doing it before I came and Jamie says he likes it. If Seth is as nice as him, Hannah, you’re going to be very happy.”
“I am,” Seth said. Except that I’m not. I’m wearing the wrong woman’s ring and have given her one that belongs to someone else. I keep getting feelings I shouldn’t for a lady who is not my bride to be. I’m also getting a bit desperate about everything.
Because I knew Hannah still had my ring on her finger and didn’t remind her, except, of course, that if I had said something she might have been embarrassed. A man just didn’t do that to a lady.
“He’s really modest,” Hannah said. “But he’s also rather gorgeous so we can excuse him. Can I watch the foals being born?”
“Yes, of course you can. Come on in.” Pamela led the way and a fair haired young man was kneeling beside a horse where a little head was protruding. Pamela fell on her knees beside her husband, her expression one of wonder.
“It must hurt a lot,” she said.
“I guess it must.” He looked up. “Hello, Seth.” He looked at Hannah.
“Hannah,” she said.
“How do you do. Our house is unsafe at the moment because there are quite a few cracks in it. We were outside when the earthquake occurred and I suggested we don’t go back in until we’ve tested everywhere. If we can get out food and a few other things we can stay in the barn for a while.”
“I can help you check everything,” Seth said.
“Thank you.” Jamie guided out the foal. “It’s a boy.”
“Rudy,” Pamela said. She looked at Hannah. “He’s named after my brother. If the next one is a female it will be called Alison after my sister. Was there much damage in Lone Pine, Middle Pine and Lower Pine?”
“Fifty two houses collapsed in Lone Pine and twenty seven people died,” Seth said, not knowing how else to tell them apart from the truth. The truth was always better, his mother had told him, and it didn’t help anyone to try to gloss over bad news. “Most of the houses collapsed in Middle Pine but no-one was hurt. In Lower Pine the houses are mainly made of wood so they were alright.”
Pamela’s expression was one of horror. “Some were children,” Hannah said.
“That is dreadful. It’s absolutely dreadful.” The tears began to roll down Pamela’s face. “Jamie, twenty seven people died. Twenty seven and some of them were children. If only something could have been done to save them.”
“Their houses were made of adobe,” Hannah said. “It’s strong and long lasting but not in an earthquake.”
“Yes,” Pamela said, sniffing. Jamie washed his hands, dried them and put his arms round her to hold her tightly. Seth dropped on his knees to where the other foal had begun to emerge.
Hannah frowned in concentration. Twenty seven people and she had been trying to forget it. Sometimes she did when she was in conversation with Seth. But twenty seven cold, lifeless bodies lying in Lone Pine was a horrible thought, except that surely they must be in Heaven.
Did everyone go to Heaven when they died? She didn’t know but if they didn’t who would God let in? Maybe she could ask Seth later what he thought. Would God let him and her in because they were allowing Jamie and Pamela to think they were married? Would that kind of thing cause Him to refuse them entry? Jamie sat with his arm round Pamela and Hannah reached down to help guide the foal from its mother.
“It’s Alison,” she said.
Pamela sniffed and blew her nose on a huge handkerchief Jamie had given her.”That’s nice. I’m sorry for being such a baby. It was just such a shock. It could so easily have been us.” She paused. “That’s a selfish thing to say, isn’t it?”
“It’s not selfish.”
“Our times are in God’s Hands,” Seth added. “Because of that it is no use worrying about things or when we are or aren’t going to die, maybe even not being sad though we can’t help being that. God will comfort those who have lost relatives.”
“”I don’t know the Bible well,” Jamie said. “I hardly know it at all because I don’t have one. The Reverend gives interesting talks but I don’t remember a lot and sometimes my mind wanders.”
“We could get you one,” Seth said. “Then you can read it. I like reading it and sometimes I write a few notes about it as I go along so I can understand it better.”
“If we get out of this I’ll buy one,” Jamie replied. He kissed Pamela. “Look how the two mothers have already begun to lick their foals. It’s amazing how they do that and how they look after them, isn’t it?”
“God gives them that instinct,” Seth said, thinking of Sadie and little Hannah.
“Yes. Thank you for doing that. You’re a good friend, also because you came to check on us. Today is a special day for you. Were you helping in Lone Pine or have you come from your farm?”
“We helped get people who were trapped out of their houses in Middle Pine. In Lower Pine the houses are made of wood so no-one was hurt there. We’re on the way home now.”
Home, Hannah thought, and that had a nice ring to it, except that the house to which she was going would not be that. She would be with the other Seth soon and she should have gone to him while they were in Middle Pine.
But she was needed when Sadie’s baby was born and there might be more emergencies on the rest of their journey. Meeting Seth would have to wait though she felt sorry for this Seth because he needed to see his bride to be. She watched him straighten as the foal tottered to its feet and tried to quell the feeling of tenderness which came over her. This was not her Seth and she must remember that and get the ring off her finger as soon as they left the farm.
“Before we go I’ll just check the house with you,” Seth said to Jamie.
“I don’t want to put you in any danger,” Jamie replied.
“It is better that two of us do it. We’ll bang walls before we go in and make sure none of the cracks are too deep. But I think you’re right about sleeping in the barn until you’re sure about the house. I’ll come over and we can see exactly what needs to be done in a couple of days.”
“You need to be with your lady,” Jamie said.
Seth looked at Hannah. “She can come too. Is that alright with you, Hannah?”
“I’ll be pleased to come,” she replied.
And that will be a surprise for Pamela and Jamie, Seth thought, but I’ll tell you at the time about Rachel. Seth looked at Hannah briefly and felt as if the knot which seemed to have settled on his chest would explode. He wasn’t going to bring Rachel, he decided, but if it was Hannah he would because she had shown over and over again how resilient she was and how willing to be involved in the rescue effort.
Which Rachel would be too, of course, and the other Seth would be glad to have Hannah when she returned. Though not tonight, Seth decided, because she’d had a long day and needed to have some rest. The cut on her arm might need more attention. They would go in to Lower Pine tomorrow where they would both be married.
He would have to make some convincing explanation to Seth though because the man might not understand why they went to the younger Seth’s house first. He would probably feel that Hannah could have tidied up at the Reverend’s house and really she could have done that. It was his fault that she hadn’t.
But if she had stayed he wouldn’t have got to know her as well as he had and that was a bleak thought. She was so beautiful. She was resilient. She had a sense of humour. She had not once complained. She was interesting to talk to. She was compassionate. She was clever. She was open and honest and didn’t pretend to be something
she wasn’t.
If Seth fussed he would punch his nose. He would do more than that because nobody was going to give Hannah anything less than the respect she deserved.
The four of them walked round the house examining it closely. The bricks were huge, Hannah noticed, in the way they were in Middle Pine. Because of that when they collapsed a lot of damage was caused. It had been a miracle that not more people were killed in Lone Pine and none in Middle Pine, but because many of them were out of their buildings when the earthquake struck they had avoided the danger of their houses collapsing on them. But not all, was her next thought. Twenty seven had died.
She mustn’t think of it because it didn’t help anyone and made her feel a bit desperate. “Some of these cracks are very deep,” she said. “The bricks are heavy, have low strength and are brittle, which is not good in an earthquake. People shouldn’t use adobe in an earthquake area.”
“Lots of people do,” Jamie said.
“I didn’t know that,” Pamela added.
“My father owns a building company,” Hannah said. “He won’t use adobe at all, only traditional bricks which are smaller. If I were you I would go in, get everything out and build another house. You can live in the barn while you do it, like Seth did when he built his house.”
“Let’s get everything out quickly,” Seth said and the earth below them rumbled and shook once again. Jamie put his arm round Pamela and Seth did the same to Hannah. After a few seconds the earth stabilised and Jamie made for the front door.
“Top speed,” he said and the men tore upstairs. They threw mattresses, clothes and bedclothes from the upper windows, brought furniture down to take out and the women had already begun to clear downstairs.
They piled all of it on the ground some way from the house and by now it was empty. Hannah was amazing, Seth thought, and it was a good thing she was here and not Rachel because Rachel was petite and delicate. Hannah was strong and happy to carry things, which Pamela also did. They took everything into the barn and it took quite a while for them to do it.
They were taking in the last few items when some of the bricks of the house began to bulge ominously. It would either fall or just sit there dangerously, Hannah said, but the barn should be alright. She sat on a large boulder looking into the distance at the hills a little way away from them which were lit up by the moon.
Lone Pine Bride (The Brides Of Lone Pine Book 1) Page 9