Whirlwind Groom

“She carries one with her for protection.”

“All the time?” Catherine looked bemused.

“Yeah.”

“How strange,” she murmured.

“Yeah.”

“I think we’ve done all we can right now. Unfortunately, we’ll just have to wait for her symptoms to peak.”

“How long will that take?”

“Probably three or four days. Hard to know how much poison is in there, but from what you’ve told me about her being unconscious, I think she was bitten pretty good.”

Discomfort flashed across Josie’s features and Davis Lee lowered his voice. “Will it be painful? Worse than now?”

“For a bit,” Catherine murmured. “She’s clammy right now, but a fever will probably set in soon. Then the sweats. She’ll be weak and perhaps disoriented.”

Needing to do something with his hands, Davis Lee jerked off his hat and crushed it, staring at her. “We were out shooting,” he said hoarsely.

“Oh?” Catherine looked up at him, curiosity plain in her eyes. “Are you and she—?”

“She wants to learn how to handle a gun. I said I’d teach her.” He shook his head. “I never thought something like this would happen. I go out there all the time. So does Cora. I’ve seen snakes there before, but they skedaddle at the first sign of humans.”

“It’s not your fault, Davis Lee. You’re not thinking it is, are you?”

He shrugged. “No, just wishing it hadn’t happened.”

She lightly squeezed his arm. “You did fine. You kept her calm, got the venom out and got her back here.”

“She was calmer than I was.”

“You were smart to loosen her bodice.”

“She did that. She did everything.”

“You sucked out the venom,” Catherine said.

Josie nodded weakly, her lashes lifting, her green gaze etched with pain.

But had he done enough? Had he done it in time? His hands closed even more tightly on the brim of his hat. “What can I do? What do you need? Tell me and I’ll get it.”

“I need some snakeroot.”

He frowned. “Snake-what?”

“Snakeroot. It’s the same as birthwort. I also need some downy plantain. They’re herbs. Dr. Butler will have them at Fort Greer. I need enough for four days. Tell him it’s for a poultice and a tea.”

Davis Lee nodded, the air suddenly stifling. The walls pressed in on him. “Anything else?”

“That’s all for now. I’ll stay with her tonight.”

Davis Lee bit back his own offer to do the same. It wouldn’t do for him to be alone in here with her, but he hesitated to leave.

“I need to keep an eye on her symptoms,” Catherine said quietly. “Her leg will swell further and I’m very concerned that she may have trouble breathing. I’ve made her as comfortable as possible.”

“I’ll fetch what you need.”

“Could you also stop by the house and tell my brother Andrew I’ll be here overnight? He can stay with one of his friends, either Creed or Miguel.”

“Done.”

Davis Lee gave Josie one last look before walking out. As reluctant as he was to leave, he was glad to be doing something besides staring at her waxen face. She was in good hands with Catherine, so why didn’t the pressure in his chest ease?

Four hours later, Davis Lee had delivered the herbs to Catherine and seen Andrew settled with Miguel Santos, the nephew of the telegraph operator. He had also completed his nightly walk through town. It was a few minutes past eleven and all was quiet.

Jake was at the jail guarding McDougal and Davis Lee was free to head for his small house behind Haskell’s that had been provided by the town. Instead, he stood in the street staring at the soft lamp glow in an upstairs window of the Whirlwind Hotel.

When he had returned with the things Catherine wanted, Josie hadn’t looked any better. He wanted to check on her one last time, knew he wouldn’t sleep until he did.

Using the key Penn had given him so he could keep an eye on the hotel if he heard something after-hours, Davis Lee let himself in, moonlight marking his way to the corner of the registration desk. He lit the candle always kept there by the old man and carried it upstairs to Josie’s room.

Mindful of the other guests, he rapped softly with one knuckle. When there was no response, he knocked. Nothing.

He tried the door and found it unlocked, pushing it open to peer into the room. “Catherine?”

But it wasn’t Catherine in the chair beside Josie’s bed. It was Esther Wavers. The lamp on the bedside table threw a warm blanket of light around the room and Davis Lee stepped over to pinch out the candle on the dresser.

Josie was in bed, the blanket on the floor, the sheet down around her ankles. A splint braced her lower left leg and he saw the white gleam of the bandages Catherine had applied over the poultice. At the same time he registered that Josie wore only her chemise and drawers, his attention moved to the older woman who hadn’t reacted to his arrival. “Esther?”

He walked to the bed, his attention snagged on the dark hair spread like sable silk across Josie’s pillow. Smoky yellow light slid over her, tucking shadows between her breasts, her legs. Her gossamer-light undergarment fit close to her body, the flush of fever evident even in the muted light.

Davis Lee dragged his gaze to Esther, concerned that something was wrong. The older woman slumped in the chair, head bowed, hands resting loosely on a water-filled basin in her lap. The steady rise and fall of her chest told him that she was asleep. Relief that she wasn’t dead or unconscious mixed with a surge of irritation. What good was she doing this way?

Josie made a low, ragged sound, her breath catching in a way that had him turning. He was startled to realize she was crying in her sleep.

“Esther?” He kept his voice quiet and calm, reaching down to take the tilting bowl from her lap.

Moving fitfully, Josie threw a protective arm across her face. He eased down onto the edge of the bed.

Esther snuffled softly and his jaw tightened. He bumped the washbasin into her knee.

“Huh?” She jerked awake, blinking rapidly then squinting at him. “Oh. Sheriff?”

“Where’s Catherine?” he asked tightly.

She covered a yawn, her voice scratchy with sleep. “Pearl Anderson’s daughter-in-law finally went into labor and there was a problem. Pearl asked Catherine to come so I told her I’d stay with Josie.” Her gaze went to the bed, no doubt seeing the distress in Josie’s face and body that Davis Lee saw. Guilt darkened the older woman’s eyes and she snapped straight in her chair. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Is she worse?”