Ours eyes locked for a brief moment. “It is too much!” he said at last, muttering the words under his breath. Setting his book on the floor, he walked over to a small side table to pour a glass of wine, draining the cup in one shot. He then began to pace back and forth across the length of the room. I nearly suggested he take a walk outside, when he came over to the sofa and sat down next to me, much closer than was comfortable.
Our thighs touched, and his warmth just about stopped my breath. Keeping my eyes pinned to the open book in my lap, I silently willed him to get up, or even just scoot over a bit before I stopped breathing altogether. Instead, he reached out and took my hand.
“Selah, we need to talk about the other night.” He ran his thumb along my palm, sending shivers right up my spine all the way to my hairline.
This was the very moment I’d been dreading since the night we kissed, and as usual when taken in a fit of nerves, I started to babble. “Aren’t you pleased we’ve been able to develop such a lovely friendship?” I asked, to stop him from saying anything further. “It’s a relief we’ve decided not to complicate our relationship with any unnecessary expectations. I mean it isn’t always easy living like we do and having to pretend at being married. Sometimes it seems so real I could nearly believe it myself. But we’re not, and thankfully we’ve enough good sense between us to behave ourselves, even if we’re sorely tempted otherwise.”
He still held my hand, and I wondered if he could feel the blood surging through my veins. While speaking I had kept my eyes down, but now chanced a quick glance to see how my words were being received. His eyes had gone a very dark green, and the muscles in his jaw were clenched tight.
He continued to trace along my hand. “Is that what you want?” he asked.
Not trusting what else might come out of my mouth, I resorted to simply nodding. In truth, it was the last thing I wanted, but there was nothing else I could do. Far from the eyes, far from the heart, I thought feverishly, staring up at him, into his beautiful green eyes. The eyes and the heart...
He pressed my hand softly before letting it go. “If that is your wish.” He stood, and left the room.
When the front door closed, I let out a long breath and sank back into the couch. In another minute I would have thrown my arms around his neck and kissed him for all I was worth.
*
To my great relief, the next two weeks completely lacked any excitement. There were no more witch bottles to be found, or any open pronouncements from Nathan during Sunday meeting, or even the slightest hint from Henry that anything other than friendship had ever existed between us. I even managed to finish the pair of stockings I had started for the poor, and along with the four pairs completed by the other ladies, passed them to Anne Boyle to be distributed as she thought fit.
With no more than the usual affairs and patients to keep me busy, the first of July arrived, bringing with it our one-month wedding anniversary. It promised to be just another typical day when Mary came into the dining room to say I had a caller.
“Who could it be at this time of morning?” I asked. “Is it a patient?”
“No, ma’am, it’s one of them Lenape Indians. Should I tell him ye are engaged and make him wait till after breakfast?”
This was highly unusual, and I tried to think what could have brought him all the way to Brighmor this morning.
“Would he be here to talk about the trade agreement?” Henry asked.
“I don’t think so.” I put my napkin on the table and got up from my chair. “Most likely, our pigs have gotten out again and are eating their corn. I’ll see what he needs. It should just take a minute.”
Not fully comfortable with the notion of Indians yet, Henry also stood and accompanied me to the door where we found the young man waiting.
I recognized the Lenape as one of Teme’s friends. “Good morning. What can I do for you?”
“Tenteyuawen, come village,” he said earnestly in halting English.
“Why?” I asked. “Has something happened?”
“Teme hurt. Sakima want Tenteyuawen hurry to village.”
“What’s wrong with Teme?” I asked, panic beginning to rise. The Lenape were very self-sufficient, and having their own skilled healers, only called on me during times of life and death.
The man didn’t say anything, but pointed to his jaw instead.
“He hurt his mouth?” Henry asked, wagering a guess from the gesture.
The man then clenched his teeth and arched his back, simulating what looked like a spasm.
I understood the pantomime at once. “Teme has lockjaw.”
“Tenteyuawen hurry village,” the man repeated, his voice growing desperate.
“Yes, I’ll come with you.” I turned to call for Mary.
“Ma’am?” she answered immediately, having been standing just out of sight.
“Run to the stable and have my horse saddled,” I ordered. “Tell the stable boy that I’m on my way and want the beast ready.”
“And have my horse saddled as well,” Henry said. “I’ll not have you riding off alone with a half-naked man into an entire village of savages.”