In His Eyes(47)

The major had managed to get Sibby off the ground, and had one of her arms draped over his shoulder. He supported her under her ribs, and leaned hard to the side, letting the cane support the weight of them both. He grunted, and tried to snatch the cane free from the muck it lodged in.

Remembering herself, Ella plunged into the flying current of water and ran down the front steps. She slipped on a slick bit of ground and nearly lost her footing, but managed to regain herself and duck under Sibby’s other arm.

A flash of light scored the sky, searing lines in Ella’s vision. She tightened her grip and tugged her shoes from the mud that wanted to claim them. On Sibby’s other side, the major mumbled words Ella guessed were curses. They slowly moved forward against the current of icy rain, each step a disjointed lurch.

Major Remington struggled against Sibby’s weight and his own, the cane in his hand sliding on the ground and seeming to make things all the more difficult. Ella tried her best to hold as much of Sibby’s weight as she could, but each time the woman took a hop forward, Ella felt as though they would all tumble to the ground.

A few more steps, each seeming to take hours rather than moments, and they made it to the bottom of the stairs.

Sibby cried out when they almost dropped her trying to get up the front steps. Never had Ella tried to support so much weight, and the steps nearly proved her undoing. By the time they reached the cover of the porch, she and Major Remington were both heaving air.

They pulled Sibby inside the house and deposited her on the settee in the parlor. Ella reached down and slipped her hand under Sibby’s knees, shifting her to lie down.

Sibby wailed and turned her head into the cushion. Ella glanced at Major Remington’s scowl. “Do you think it is broken?”

The muscles in his jaw worked and he lowered himself to the floor. With gentle fingers, he probed the skin around Sibby’s lower leg and ankle. When he tilted her foot up, she screeched.

Ella bit her lip. “Is it broken?” she asked louder.

Major Remington growled. “If only you would give me a moment, Ella, I will try to tell you.”

Her breathing stopped. The sound of her name on his lips, even said in annoyance, sent a shiver down her spine. She stood there dumbly until she reminded herself to draw air. As the shiver died, anger brought heat. Who did he think he was, calling her by her Christian name without invitation? Indignation chased away more dangerous feelings and settled on her chest like an anvil.

“Well, Sibby, I think you have sprained it,” he said, his tone gentle and not at all like a heartless soldier. “There is some swelling, but I don’t think you’ve broken anything. We’ll keep it lifted for tonight, and send Nat after the doctor first thing in the morning.”

Sibby sniffled. “He ain’t here.”

A shadow passed over Major Remington’s features, but he swept it away before Ella could analyze it. “Oh?” The word, obviously meant to sound unconcerned, fell heavy on the room. “And where could he have gone?”

Tears streamed from Sibby’s eyes and she chewed on her lip.

Major Remington grunted. “Very well. We will send another.”

“I will go.”

He turned his eyes on Ella. “You?”

She put her hands on her hips. “Why not? I can send the doctor back here whilst I care for other business.”

That infuriating amusement that seemed to take residence in his eyes at the strangest times flared. “Oh? And what business, might I ask, could you possibly have in town?”

Ella crossed her arms. Arrogant bampot. “I don’t see where that is any concern of yours.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed and all humor left his eyes, taking them from gold-flecked hickory to mahogany. “Indeed.”

Ella grasped the sides of her dress, trying not to shiver. She must look like a drowned kitten. All bones and angles and matted fur. She reached up and smoothed her hair, sending water droplets down her neck.

He studied her, no doubt seeing her as a wretch. He opened his mouth to say something when a tiny cough turned their attention to the cradle. Ella stepped past Major Remington and knelt beside Lee.

She frowned. The wee one’s cheeks were cherry red, and he wriggled under the quilt. Ella pulled it from him and placed her fingers on his face. He felt hot to her touch. Alarmed, she scooped him up, and he coughed again, a terrible hack that sounded like wind through reeds.

Major Remington leaned over her shoulder and peered at the babe. “You should change out of those wet clothes before you hold him. A child that small can take to sickness quickly.”

Her heart pounded, and she wanted to fling words at him defending her ability to care for her own child, but she bit them back. It would be a lie. She knew nothing of caring for a baby. Her chest constricted. And what if he came down with an illness from her temper-induced walk in the storm? She could not bear it.

He laid a hand on her shoulder, the weight of it bringing an unexpected comfort. “I shall watch him while you change.”

“What…wrong with the boy?” Sibby asked, her voice threaded with pain.

“Nothing,” Ella lied. “I’m sure he just needs to be cleaned and fed.” She slipped out from under the major’s touch.

“That’s good then.”

Ella settled Lee back into the cradle, leaving the quilt off of him. She looked at the major, and the compassion on his face stabbed her. How could he go from arrogant Yank to concerned gentleman in so short of a time? She pressed her lips together. It didn’t matter. Any man who lingered with the drink could not be trusted. “I’ll only be a moment.”