The Scotsman Who Swept Me Away

by Hannah Howell

  When his man was fixed, Bennet was sternly informed that he was staying for at least a day or two, maybe longer. His other men, who were not all that far out of boyhood either, followed him when he left, murmuring farewells to Robbie and thank-yous to Belle. Geordie wondered what the man planned to do now.

  “He never used to be an idiot,” Belle said as she washed up. “He will be back with the sheriff.”

  “Why?”

  “He will still try to claim I stole his cow, and I should go check the barn myself and see if he managed to get one of his in there. He may also try to blame me for his boy being shot.”

  “He doesnae have any pull with the sheriff, does he?”

  “Not in this nonsense. Fact is, I think the sheriff would like to shoot Bennet at times.”

  “I am sorry I wasnae more help.”

  “Nothing you could help with. You certainly did a good thing by not getting into the middle of the squabble over the gun. I was surprised he didn’t end up shooting himself in the belly.” She looked down at her dress, shaking her head at the bloodstains there.

  “I need to clean up before he drags the sheriff here. If either of you boys want anything, just ask Mr. MacEnroy.”

  “Boy?” said Bennet’s man. “You are only about a year or two older than me.”

  “True, but I am still older,” she replied sweetly as she left.

  Chapter Ten

  Robbie collected the cards he and Geordie were playing with. “Ha! Beat ye this round. So, think I will get some sleep now before I start to lose my magic touch.”

  Geordie laughed as he stood up and put his chair back against the wall. “Ye never had a magic touch, just occasional flashes of luck.”

  “It was all a ploy to make ye believe that and let down your guard so I could swoop in with my skill and thrash you.” He smiled when Geordie laughed, then he yawned.

  “Get some sleep. Boasting has clearly worn ye out.”

  “I cannae wait until this heals enough so I can sleep on my side,” Robbie grumbled.

  “Try to grasp some patience. It has only been a night and a day. Even in that time, ye have done a lot of healing.”

  “I ken it. She did a wonderful job. I barely feel the stitching she had to do. Aye, I have moments where I could scratch the skin right off my legs, it itches so fiercely. Fortunately, it is so well wrapped I cannae do that.”

  “Good. Rest now so we dinnae wake up Will with our chatter. Want me to rub cream into your hand before I leave?”

  “Sure.”

  “Is it hurting?”

  “Nay. It just aches a bit, probably because I was exercising it some.”

  He massaged the cream into Robbie’s hand and Geordie wondered if he just imagined that it actually felt better beneath his fingers, felt less tense, less withered. He prayed he was not letting hope make him imagine it.

  As he finished massaging the cream into Robbie’s hand he began to wonder why Bennet had not returned. He could not believe the man had simply given up on his accusation or that he would not still try to make some crime out of Will’s being shot. Perhaps he had finally figured out that the only crime committed had been his idiocy in fighting with Belle and trying to yank away a loaded gun. As he paused to wipe off his hands, he caught the scent of food and was sharply reminded that he had not had any breakfast. Concern for Robbie had woken him up early and he had come downstairs, to find that his brother wanted to play a game of cards.

  “Sleep for a wee bit now, Robbie,” he said, and hurried off toward the kitchen to share a hearty breakfast with Belle.

  * * *

  “If ye fill two plates I can take some food into the infirmary for the lads,” Geordie said as they finished their breakfast.

  Belle nodded as she finished and swallowed what was in her mouth. “That would be good. Thank you. You will have to help both of them to sit up. Will should not be here for long unless an infection sets in. That bullet came out easily and he is sewn up tight. Slept well, too, and that is always a good sign. As long as Bennet doesn’t force him to work too soon, he should heal up well.”

  “Do you think Bennet might do that?”

  “It is very possible. He is one of only a handful of employers who does not give his workers at least part of the Lord’s Day off, not even half a day so that they can go to church. Because of that I may well keep Will longer than I would if I knew he was going home, where people would care for him.”

  There was a banging on her front door and Belle sighed. “That’ll be the sheriff.”

  “The fool really dragged the law into this? Or is he still after the cow he tries to say ye stole?”

  “He usually does keep the nonsense going for a while. He is very much like a dog with a bone. I am surprised he gave it a rest for the night.” She stood up, quickly rinsed off her hands, and wiped them off as she walked to her front door.

  Geordie moved to stand in the kitchen doorway and watch her answer the door. Bennet stood there scowling. Beside him was a slightly shorter, much thinner man with thick, dark red hair that badly needed a trim and who looked as if he had just been dragged out of bed. He wore a star pinned to the front of his jacket. It was difficult to read the expression on his thin, finely carved face, but Geordie would be willing to wager that the man was not happy. Fearing he might have to give Belle some help, he hurriedly moved to bank the fire.

  “Hello, Sheriff Woods,” Belle said. “I am sorry you have been dragged out here yet again. What is he claiming I have done now?”

  “Just whining about how you shot one of his men. Wounded the boy. Says you tried to stop him from looking inside your barn. Although I was curious about what he had done to make you feel compelled to shoot.”

  “Well, William was shot, in the leg. No doubt about that. I have tended to it. I also did not do it, and we were not headed to my barn but standing here at the front door having an argument. It happened because Bennet grabbed my rifle and was trying to wrestle it out of my hands.”

  “It was your hand on the trigger,” accused Bennet.

  “Actually, my hand was caught in the trigger guard.”

  “Belle didn’t shoot me,” said a slightly weak voice.

  Belle turned and frowned at Will. “You were told to stay off that foot.”

  “I did. I hopped.”

  Geordie nearly grinned when she growled softly, then said, “I told you not to put any weight on that leg. It would have been very easy for you to wobble or stumble and hop on the wrong leg. Now get back in that bed.” She glared at him until he did as she ordered.

  “There, you saw the wound, Douglas. She shot him. Arrest her.”

  “She didn’t!” yelled Will from inside the infirmary.

  “Get in bed, Will!” She heard him muttering, the sound fading as he did what she asked, and then she looked at the sheriff. “So what happens next, Sheriff Woods?”

  “Well, since the one who got shot is set in his mind that you didn’t do it, nothing happens.”

  “Woods!” shouted Bennet. “You saw that he was wounded.”

  “I also heard him say Belle did not do it. I’m going home now and have my damn breakfast. Sorry to trouble you, Belle.”

  “It was no bother, Sheriff.”

  She shut the door on Bennet arguing with Woods. The tone of Woods’s soft replies told her that he was really annoyed. She hurried back into the kitchen to make up plates of food for Robbie and Will. Setting them on a tray, she let Geordie pick it up and they walked into the infirmary. Geordie helped each young man sit up, then moved to sit with Robbie in case he needed a hand.

  “Ye have improved,” Geordie said as he watched Robbie spoon up his stew. “Ye are having nay trouble with the fork or the spoon.”

  Robbie smiled. “Dinnae curse me. Yes, it is better. I can actually feel that I have a good grip on them.”

  “Good. We’ll keep up with rubbing that cream in then.”

  “Aye, but I truly think it is the massage as it is rubbed in t
hat helps the most.” He put his empty plate on the tray and set it aside, then picked up a ball from the small table by the bed, holding it in his weak hand. “Belle also gave me this before she retired for the night. Several times a day I just squeeze it a few times. Seems silly, but I think it is helping too.”

  “Anything that works. I wonder where she got such ideas?”

  “Helping her da nurse her mum when she fell sick. They were trying to help the woman get strong again. Unfortunately, she died. Some sickness had felled her, sucked all the spirit and strength out of her, but it didnae go away when the sickness that hit the town did. Belle’s da didnae want her to get near her mum, but finally gave in. Needed the help, I suspicion. But she remembered that this had worked for her mum until the sickness got worse.”

  “Well, she has been right about the other things she has dealt with, so best we trust her on this. I also think I need to send a letter to our family.”

  “Aye, it would be good to tell them we got here and all.”

  “True. I also thought I would mention some of the things that have gone on with ye.”

  “Are ye sure ye should? I am nay fixed up fine, just a wee bit better. We cannae ken how much better until I can actually get out of this bed. Dinnae want to raise false hopes.”

  “I plan to be verra cautious in what I say.”

  Robbie nodded. “Aye, best to give them a soft warning in case this all turns out better than we hoped it would.”

  Geordie went and collected Willie’s plate. He picked up the tray and hurried to the kitchen, reaching it just in time for Bella to add them to the washing. He took a towel and wiped the dishes that had been washed.

  “Ye may be interested in kenning that the ball ye gave Robbie is working to strengthen his hand. It is becoming clear that it might weel heal his hand until it is actually useable again.”

  “That is wonderful! I had hoped it would help my mother, but the sickness took her too soon.”

  He reached out to rub his hand over her shoulder. “Some sicknesses are stealthy. They fade away enough for ye to think things will be fine and then rush back to claim their victim.”

  “I know. Have seen it too often. I much prefer mending a wound to nursing a sickness.”

  “Especially since few of us are good patients when we are ill. So what happens next with the sheriff? Will he be back?”

  “I do not think so, but there is no telling what Bennet might try to blame me for next.” She moved away to grab a pot off the stove and put it in the washing water. “I need to make something sweet.”

  “Why?”

  “Abel will be back from Auntie’s soon. I also have two wounded young men stuck in their beds.”

  “Ah, ye want something to quiet the whining that is sure to come.”

  Belle laughed. “Something like that. Or a bribe.”

  “Bribes are always good. Do ye need my help with anything?”

  “Well, could you come to the barn with me so I could see if the fool’s cow is in there?”

  “I can do that. He didnae take the sheriff in there to look, did he? Odd, when he was acting so upset over his cow.” He held the door open for her.

  “Not so odd if he knew it was not there. I keep the barn latched most days since the last time he accused me of stealing some of his stock.”

  “He does this often?”

  “Not really. The last time he did not pay attention to the fact that I was not here but was at my aunt’s for the day and the previous night because she was sure she had the plague again. So I could not have stolen his stupid cow. And no one had the backbone to try to accuse my aunt of lying for me, not even Bennet. I suspect this time the sheriff just did not want to bother looking.”

  Geordie just shook his head and followed her to her barn. He scolded himself for behaving badly, yet still watched the gentle sway of her hips as she walked, but it took him a long time to stop it. He did manage to step forward fast enough to help her pull open the barn doors.

  It was well lit, the scattered openings letting a lot of light in, and surprisingly tidy and clean. Four young goats hurried up to the edge of their stall and tried to call Belle to them. She gave them some attention, then slowly walked down the line of stalls and turned to walk up the other side before stopping in front of him.

  “No strange cows in here,” she said.

  “Dinnae ken which animals are yours, but I’m seeing only what ye mentioned to him. How does he think accusing ye of theft will work with the sheriff?”

  “I have no idea. I think he just gets frustrated and jumps out with a mad idea. I also think he drinks too much.”

  “Has he always been this way?”

  “Yes, in a way, but it became a problem after my father died. And I think something happened between him and my aunt about then, because he got worse then, too.”

  “Perhaps you should ask her if there were some harsh words between them, or something else.”

  “I should, and I just might be annoyed enough at the old fool to get up the courage to do it when she brings Abel home later.”

  “Weel, might as weel go back inside and I will keep a watch on the barn to make sure no one tries to slip a cow in there.” He took her hand in his and, ignoring the way she briefly tensed, walked them back to the house.

  Once in the kitchen he helped her prepare for their next meal. He briefly gave thanks for Mrs. O’Neal’s instruction so that he did not make a fool of himself. Belle was just sliding the meat into the oven when there was a banging on her front door.

  “Bennet again?” he asked as they headed to the door.

  “Probably. Auntie would just walk on in.” She opened the door and sighed when she saw Bennet and the sheriff. “Thought you had gained some sense during the night, but, no, here you are.”

  “We didn’t get a look inside your barn,” said Bennet.

  “That is your fault. It was sitting right over there”—she pointed at the barn—“doors open and all. You could have walked over and looked, but you were too busy arguing with Sheriff Woods.”

  “And I think you should still be charged with shooting Will.”

  “Damn, will you just shut up,” grumbled Woods. “Or I will charge you.”

  “Me?!”

  “You’re the fool who tried to wrestle a loaded gun out of her arms.” The sheriff looked at Belle. “We will just take a quick look in the barn, if you don’t mind, Belle.”

  “Go ahead. I have nothing to hide.”

  She watched the two men walk to the barn, obviously still bickering. “I think the sheriff is definitely fed up with Bennet.”

  “Certainly sounds that way.”

  “Doesn’t help that he keeps yanking the sheriff away from his meals,” Geordie said.

  Belle hurried into the infirmary. She stopped by Will’s bed and frowned down at him. “How is the leg?”

  “Hurts like the devil. Just a constant throb though.”

  “Weel, I will just have a look. Not a real warning sign but still ought to peek, maybe put some more medicine on it.”

  Will made a face that caused Geordie to smile. He looked when she unwrapped the wound and saw nothing that could be called a warning of infection. He suspected it was a deep hole and that was why it throbbed.

  “Looks fine, Will,” Belle said. “It is still a very fresh wound, deep too, because it went all the way through, and that is probably why it still throbs. But so far it seems to be healing.” She put some medicinal cream on it and wrapped it up again.

  “What is that idiot Bennet doing with the sheriff at your barn?”

  Belle turned and smiled at her aunt as the woman walked in. Abel ran over, gave Belle a quick hug, and then hurried over to speak to Robbie. The boy seemed quite taken with Geordie’s brother, she decided, and wondered how he would feel when the MacEnroys left.

  “Bennet made him look in the barn for the cow he claims I stole,” she replied. She turned to Will. “As I said. An idiot. Why are you still working fo
r the fool?”

  “Only job I could get.”

  “Your father has his fishing boat.”

  Will sighed heavily. “I know. I can’t do that job. I get sick on a boat. Don’t do much work when you’re spending the whole time on the boat hanging over the side emptying your belly.”

  Mary clapped her hand over her mouth, but Belle could see by her eyes that the woman was trying not to laugh. It was obviously a bit of embarrassing truth the family had kept quiet about. By the look on his face, it was obvious Will could also see how badly her aunt wanted to laugh, but he looked more resigned than insulted. Belle moved to her aunt’s side and took her by the arm to hurry her out of the infirmary. She got her all the way to the kitchen before her aunt started to giggle. She stumbled into a chair as Belle made some coffee.

  “Just a little mean, Auntie.”

  “I know and I am very sorry for it but can’t help it. The boy comes from a long line of proud fishermen. I bet his father is sorely disappointed.”

  “I hope he is also understanding.”

  “I am sure he is. He adores all his children and he has two other sons who love the boat and water. I also thought of your father. He was afflicted in much the same way.” She sighed as Belle set them out a cup, spoons, and cream and sugar. “Fancy. Sugar is dear.”

  “I know. I get it for the guests. If I run out I use honey.”

  “Is that one of the reasons you raised the cost of a bed here?”

  “Yes. Things like sugar make it feel special and fancy to the guests, but as you said, it is dear.” She moved to check the coffee in the pot. “It will be ready very soon.” Belle sat down and clasped her hands together on top of the table. “I have something I would like to ask you.”

  “What? Can it wait until we get our coffee?”