“Millie is still breathing, Mr. Russell, but as to whether that’s a blessing or a pity I cannot advise ye.”
Leah watched as the thin, angry—
looking woman
wiped her hands with a rag. At least Avery’s aunt Millie had someone nearby.
Avery straightened. “I have brought more medicine for her.” He produced a small brown bottle from his jacket.
Mrs. Comstock took it from him and thumped the bottle. Leah bit her lip as the woman uncorked the top and poured a dose into a spoon.
“Mind yourselves,” she admonished as she bent over GeekGirlsDontDateDukes.indd 102
4/11/13 11:26 AM
Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes
103
the sickbed. “You’ve no wish to be near when she swal-
lows this draught, mark me.”
Avery turned away as Mrs. Comstock brought the spoon to his aunt. Leah reached for his hand, wanting to comfort him, but he pulled away.
Mrs. Comstock pried open the sick woman’s mouth and inserted the spoonful of medicine. Closing Millie’s jaw with one hand and massaging her throat with the other, Mrs. Comstock forced her to swallow the dose.
Millie fought weakly, hands batting at Mrs. Comstock’s, but in her semiconscious state, there was no way for her to be a real deterrent.
The coughs began from deep within her chest, wet hacking sounds that made Leah wince. Once Mrs.
Comstock was certain that she’d swallowed the medicine, she released the sick woman.
Then the real fight began.
Clawing at her throat, Millie heaved and hacked, almost seeming to want to vomit the dose back up. Leah took a step toward her, not knowing what to do but unwilling to stand by and watch the woman suffer, but Mrs. Comstock shook her head and held Leah back.
“She must bear it. It will be better soon.”
Now Leah knew why Avery had turned away so determinedly. There was no way to watch and not feel horrible at Millie’s condition. Taking her cue from him, Leah closed her eyes and wished with all her heart that the stranger’s suffering would somehow get better. In reality, though, she knew it was probably a lost cause.
There was no real medical care here. Millie might have had something as simple as a cold, but it had obviously turned into something that could very well rob her of GeekGirlsDontDateDukes.indd 103
4/11/13 11:26 AM
104
Gina Lamm
Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes
her life. Leah squeezed her eyes shut harder. She hadn’t wanted this. She’d wanted fun, an adventure, and if she found the love of her life, then great. She hadn’t wanted to stand at a stranger’s bedside as the stranger’s life slowly slipped away. The image of her grandfather popped into her mind’s eye, and she worked hard to keep from getting emotional. He was fine. There was nothing wrong with Pawpaw.
After long, tense moments, the coughing and gagging eased. Leah didn’t open her eyes, her lids glued shut with unease.
“There now, that’s better, isn’t it?” The sound of Mrs. Comstock’s movements drew Leah’s lids open. The woman moved around the small room, fetching a cool cloth and laying it on Millie’s brow.
“You can come closer now. The worst of it is over.”
Avery turned, and Leah followed him to Millie’s bedside. He knelt by the head of the bed, but Leah stood back, wanting to stick close to Avery for moral support but unwilling to interrupt what was obviously an emotional meeting for him.
“Aunt, I am sorry,” he whispered. He started to reach for Millie, but drew back his hand just before he made contact.
Leah looked away, swallowing hard. Her throat had gone curiously dry.
She stood in silence as Avery bowed his head at his aunt’s bedside. He must be praying again. He seemed to do that fairly frequently. She rubbed her damp palms across her skirt, blinking at the ceiling.
This was hard. This was damned hard— and unexpected. She wasn’t a religious person, not really. She had GeekGirlsDontDateDukes.indd 104
4/11/13 11:26 AM
Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes
105
beliefs, sure, but they seemed inconsequential when she
was faced with a situation like this.
What was she doing here, really?
Millie’s heavy breaths seemed to echo in the small room. Mrs. Comstock ducked from the room, saying something about broth for Millie.
Avery didn’t respond, just kept his head bowed with his fingers only inches from his aunt’s.
Leah took advantage of the silence to analyze him.
His shoulders were tensed as he hunched over the bed. His whole body seemed rigid, like he was fighting a large wave of emotion that threatened to suck him under. Following an instinct that she didn’t really understand, she stepped closer to him and rubbed his back gently. As if in response to the strength she sent him, he took Millie’s fingers in his own.
Maybe this was her destiny. Maybe, Leah mused as she blinked hard to shove back the tears, maybe she was being shown Avery’s hell to make her grateful for what she had.