Page 6 of Earl of Excess
“I cannot see,” he said, simply. An overwhelming need to cry nearly overtook him. He was lost in a land he knew nothing about. His regiment—indeed, his lifeline to home—was most likely lost. Vaguely, he remembered voices of men picking up bodies near him, talking about getting uniforms and anything else they could find from the bodies. They had been looking for General Pakenham’s body.God, was everyone dead? How was he still here?
“Dandie found you,” she responded.
At the sound of her name, the small dog barked.
“That’s an unusual name. I rather like it,” he said, trying to smile.
“It’s short for Dandelion. It suits her since she goes everywhere, just like a wildflower,” she said. “I am Bethany. You may call me Beth or Bethany,” she said.
“Bethany is a lovely name.” Matthew felt the corner of the mattress dip down on the edge as she sat down.
“My mother’s name was Bethany.” She reached out and touched his hand. “I am going to put some bread in your hand. There is a little bit of mulberry jam on it.” She placed the bread in his hand so he could eat. “How are you feeling?” Bethany asked.
He nodded weakly. “Sore. I most likely owe you my life,” he said, before biting into the bread.
“I have a pot of tea, which I allowed to cool a little so it would not scald you. Perhaps, try to eat the bread and jam in between sips.”
He felt the cup placed up to his lips and opened them, taking a sip. Matthew silently agreed, forcing it down. He usually preferred tea. Obviously, this stuff had been part of a better pot long before this brew. “Thank you,” he responded, hoping not to insult the person who had rescued him.She has a kind voice. I wonder what she looks like.
“You may have a whopper of a headache,” she added. “You passed out from the pain, and I had to dig for the ball. I found it in your side, under your arm. I feared it might have splintered, however was able to extract it whole. It is in a dish on the windowsill in case you might want to feel it and be satisfied nothing was left.”
“I have a terrible headache,” he agreed. “Perhaps later I might like to feel the ball.” If for nothing else, to assure himself he had lived through a nightmare.He had been hit in the side, for God’s sake. Why was he blind?
“I looked about your temple and saw nothing to show an injury to your head. My grandmother is good with medicines, and I am a poor substitute. Perhaps your blindness is temporary, because of the trauma of the battle you endured,” she offered.
It was as if she heard his thoughts. Had she?
“Thank you for assisting me... Bethany, I probably owe you my life. You and your dog.” He grimaced. “I hope you are right about my eyes. It feels like I have something in them. Perhaps ’tis ash.”
“Would you mind if I looked? I used a small cup to flush your eyes and several bits of ash washed off, but nothing of significance. I had hoped they would be better this morning,” Bethany added.
He felt her stand and smelled her honeysuckle scent as she came closer. Soft fingers gently pulled his face upward. She was very tender as she opened first one and then the other eye.
“Your eyes look clear. I see no noticeable tears or abrasions. I suppose we must wait for your body to heal. Perhaps stress caused the blindness.”
Matthew heard a chair slide next to the bed and could hear her sit down. As she sat, the little dog jumped up on the end of the bed and cautiously walked toward him. He heard Bethany try to shush her.
“It’s fine. I enjoy dogs. We always had a dog about the manor as a pet.”
“Dandie... come off that bed. You can visit the colonel when he feels better.” The dog soundlessly jumped down.
“Please, call me Matthew. I believe we are beyond the formalities.” He indicated the blanket. “I realized I am without my uniform. Was it beyond hope?”
She was silent for a moment, and he realized he had probably embarrassed her.
“I had to take most of it off to operate on your side. The uniform was full of mud, and I took the pants off as well. I tried not to look beyond what was necessary.”
He heard a smile in her voice, and it was his turn to be embarrassed.
“I apologize,” Bethany continued. “I should have said something to you about the uniform. There was a burn in it, where you were shot. I mended it this morning and will clean it. However, I found a set of my grandfather’s clothing.” He felt her lay a packet on the bottom of the bed. “Should someone visit, we cannot let them know you are British, and especially not that you are an officer. They will take you, and they could shoot me for treason. We must get you back to England as soon as we can. I wrote a letter to your family the night you arrived.”
“I will do as you suggest. I rather value my neck,” he said, trying to make things light as he sipped the tea. “This rather grows on you. May I ask what it is?”
She giggled. There was a twinkling sound to it he enjoyed. “You do not have to make me feel better about the tea. I have several choices, and I thought the most important thing was to keep your body responding and help you heal. It is how my grandmère taught me. This is licorice tea. I thought you would tolerate the taste better than linseed. I can take it if you dislike it. I planned on making somemangliertea from the groundsel bush for later this evening. My people use it more than anything else. I want to get something in your stomach and keep that fever from returning. The malaise remedies seem to have broken your fever for now.”
“I vaguely remember arriving yesterday, but nothing further.”
“It wasa weekago. You have had a fitful time, mainly sleeping, but you talked in your sleep—to friends, I think.” She held up the cup. “I’m glad that you will drink this. I have been spooning it in you these last few days, trying to build your strength. Have you ever had willow bark tea to drink? Perhaps I should give you something for your stomach before pushing that on you. But I do want to keep down the fever. There was a good deal of infection when I cleaned your wound—and you have had a fever until this morning.”
