A Knight in Central Park(78)

Alexandra tore cloth from her outer garment, using it to stanch the flow of blood while Joe ran back to the trees where he’d tied the horses he’d brought with him. He threw saddlebags and blankets to the ground, searching, until he found his briefcase. He clicked it open and rifled through its contents until he found the hotel sewing kit Shelley had tossed in for good measure.

“I’m going to sew him up,” he said once he reached Alexandra’s side. “Put some cloth between his teeth so he has something to bite down on.”

She wasted no time doing as he said. “Don’t you dare die on me, Garrett.”

Joe threaded the needle, his hands fairly steady as he made the first stitch. It wasn’t easy. The skin was tough, and he didn’t want to break the needle. He didn’t have another. Garrett’s cries were muffled in the cloth. His body rigid, clamped tightly between Joe’s legs and Alexandra’s arms.

“You have been but a thorn in my side,” Alexandra went on in an attempt to keep the boy’s mind off of the pain. “I am going to throttle you good when you are well. It will be weeks before you can walk again after I get through with you.”

Joe pinched the edges of the wound together as he went, the blood making it hard for him to see. Despite the cool air, perspiration gathered on Joe’s forehead as he made one stitch and then another.

Alexandra cleaned the blood as best she could as Joe worked. She never stopped talking, reminding Garrett of all the times she’d nearly washed her hands of him. Then, after Joe tied the last knot and put the needle away, she broke down completely, her body wracked with sobs as she put her brother’s cold limp hand to her cheek.

Every muscle in Joe’s body stiffened, for he wanted nothing more than to hold her, but there was still much to do. He needed to get the boy warm, out of the night air. After instructing her to cover the wound with the strips of cloth he’d left there, he ran back to the horses to gather every blanket Susan had packed for him, so he could make a bed for Garrett.

Within minutes, Joe knelt beside Alexandra and looked Garrett over, making sure his side was well bandaged. “You did a good job,” he told her. “Now we need to get him warm and comfortable.”

She nodded as he swept Garrett into his arms and carried him to the blankets. When he was done with that he gathered enough stones and dry wood to get a fire going.

Hours later, he and Alexandra built a simple lean-to for protection against the wind and gathered enough leaves to serve as a mattress for their bed. Exhaustion had long set in by the time he grabbed the water jug and took a seat next to Alexandra and the boy.

Alexandra looked into the dark. “What did you do with him?”

He knew she was referring to the man he’d dragged into the woods. He took a drink. “Do you wish him dead?”

“Nay. Despite what he has done I do not wish him dead.”

“Hmmm. I’m not sure whether I agree, but you can relax. I didn’t kill him.”

Alexandra smoothed the hair from her brother’s forehead. After a moment, she said, “I realize Garrett can be a handful, but he would never steal.”

When he didn’t answer, she said, “I suppose you think I am foolish?”

Joe shook his head. “No. You were right. He’s innocent.”

She looked into Joe’s eyes, surprised by his words as she tried to read the expression on his face. Then she turned away with a smile curving her lips.

“As long as we keep the wound clean,” Joe said, “your brother will be all right.”

It was obvious Alexandra didn’t feel the same confidence, but still, she nodded.

“I left Susan and Rebecca at the inn. The innkeeper promised to watch over them for a few extra coins when we return.” Joe patted the pouch at his side, the pouch he’d taken from George. “This should take care of it.”

Alexandra rested her hand on his forearm. “Thank you for all you have done for me and my family.”

Joe put his arm around her shoulder, and she rested her head in the crook of his arm.

“There was a third man who ran off before you made your presence known. He plans to murder King Henry,” she said. “Do you know what that would mean?”

Joe shook his head.

“All of England would be suddenly at war. Every wretched man alive would come out of his hole to plunder and rape the lands.”

An ominous silence followed her words as they sat quietly pondering such a happening. Then Joe said softly, “King Henry will not die by that man’s hands. Although it has been argued whether King Henry VII was a great king, it is agreed by most scholars that he was a successful king. Not only did he establish a new dynasty after thirty years of struggle, he strengthened the judicial system as well as the treasury, denying all other claimants to his throne. The monarchy he left to his son was a fairly secure one. You do not need to worry.”