Page 9 of Earl of Excess
“You are worried about the visitor we had earlier?” he asked, trying to sit up.
“No, no. Let me prop you up.” She gently pulled him toward her, and he caught a whiff of her honeysuckle scent. He had never fully appreciated that smell until now and hated when she stopped fluffing his pillow. He heard her sit down in the chair near him. “Not that we had a visitor. More. Someone saw you leave with me. That brought him here. I worry for you, and if I am to be honest, I do not want to be accused of treason.”
The two of them sat silently for a moment before Matthew finally spoke. “If you feel we need to go to your aunt’s house, then we do that. Besides, I cannot make my way to England until I am better—and even then, a blind man may not have much choice in such matters. I cannot imagine it will be easy for me to travel alone. With our countries at war, I do not know when that may be possible,” he lamented.
“Please do not think of yourself as permanently blind. My heart tells me it is temporary. Let us believe that,” she said, clasping his hands. “I have packed up some provisions. Weather tonight portends rain, and a full moon would be better. It is almost full. If the weather clears, we can leave tomorrow.”
“Can you help me with a couple of things?” He dreaded asking for these things.
“Are you hungry, or do you need more tea? I forgot about a wedge of cheese Grandmère had stored, and I also found some dried fruit. Does that appeal?” Bethany asked.
“Perhaps a little later. I require the... necessary.” Matthew was glad to be blind at this moment, certain that the heat rising from both of their faces warmed the room.
“Oh, dear. I had not thought to remind you. It sits below your bed in a small wooden cabinet. My Papa built the cabinet so that the chamber pots would be out of sight. You have but to reach down and open the cabinet door. It sits at the foot of the bed. I moved it when I moved you in here. You’ve not been wholly conscious, and I should have remembered to tell you.”
“Thank you.” He wondered if he could handle this on his own.
“I also placed my grandfather’s cane by your bedside.” She brought the cane to the side of the bed and wrapped his hand around the top of it.
“You have thought of everything,” he said, smiling.
“I tried. I should have introduced you to these things.”
“Did you clean my uniform, yet? We should take it with us, somehow, in case it would come in handy. How far will we travel to get to your Aunt Theodosia’s?”
“It is about ten miles. We will travel the waterway until we come to a small creek off the bayou. That is where my aunt and grandmother are staying.” She cleared her throat. “Your uniform is dry. I have it secured it in a packet, with your boots, so it can be transported, unseen. I must be forthcoming about one thing. My Aunt Theodosia is the caretaker for a small leprosy colony off the bayou. We will be safe there while you heal.”
Chapter Five
The man haddrawn back and looked horrified, causing Bethany to sit back down in the chair. “I can see the horror on your face, so I should explain,” she offered.
“Yes, that might help. I confess I have never seen this... disorder they call leprosy. But I have heard it is quite bad,” Matthew replied.
“My Aunt Theodosia and my Grandmère are herbal healers. My aunt lives near the colony, but she is not part of it. She helps them and in return, the people care for her. She has been very ill. My grandmother suspects it was her heart. She maintains her distance from the people in the colony, and they give her distance. However, she can supply them with herbs and remedies for their problems. Grandmère doesn’t believe that there is a cure for leprosy. She and Aunt Theodosia wear cloth tied over their faces when near the colonists. She tells me that bad breath is well... bad, and breathing is something we do. Who knows? But Aunt Theodosia has always been safe. I expect we should do the same.”
His eyes were wide open, but his stare was unfocused. She had to keep her hope that he would see one day, soon. She enjoyed the sight of him, she found. And while she had been true to her word when she told him she had averted her eyes when she pulled off his pants, part of her had wanted to look. There was a pull she could never deny.
“I have tea steeping. It’s your favorite.” She said cheerfully.
He pulled a face. “I cannot argue that it has helped. I do not feel as poorly. Could I have some of the bread and cheese you spoke of?”
He gave her a sheepish smile. With that dimple on his chin, she realized he could ask her for anything. Giving herself a shake, she stood. “I will bring some in, in a moment. And I will bring a small pitcher of water. I boiled it for you, so it should be clean to drink.”
“Thank you.” His words trailed after her.
Dandie stayed with him. The dog had developed a fondness—or something—for him. She had never known her to like a man. She certainly had not liked the man earlier. A small shudder shook her body at the reminder. Perhaps she should have asked more questions of him. He was looking for a British soldier...just not Matthew. He would have no reason to report her for anything suspicious. The thought gave her a small measure of comfort as she placed the tea on a carved wooden tray, along with a small serving of bread and cheese.
“Here you go, Matthew.” His name rolled off her lips easily. She liked the sound of it. She had never known a Matthew but knew she would forever think of this man when she heard the name.
“Ruff! Ruff!”
Dandie’s bark made her hurry. Reaching the room, she found her soldier trying to stand. “What in the world are you doing? If you fall, you could damage your ribs and restart the bleeding,” she scolded, setting the tray on the side-table and hurrying to his side.
“I just wanted to get up, out of the bed. I am used to soldiering, doing things. I cannot have you doing all the work. Surely there is something I can do.” His voice was hoarse.
Bethany thought for a minute. “There is.”
“What? I would like to help.”
