The Bride Sale by Candice Hern Page B

the plant stalk as if it were a weapon.
    â€œHow can anyone know,” she said, “if a patient dies from illness or from increased weakness to fight the illness, brought about by bleeding? My mother—” She stopped for a moment, then took a deep, shuddery breath and continued. “My mother was bled to death by well-meaning physicians. She had an inflammation of the lungs and was never allowed to recover her strength, but was bled and bled until there was nothing left of her. Oh, she might have died eventually, but nothing will convince me that her death was not hastened by constant bleeding.”
    A loud sob from Gonetta interrupted this remarkable speech. “Is Davey goin’ to die, then?” she wailed. “If doctor come and bleed him, is he goin’ to die after all?”
    Verity looked over Gonetta’s shoulder straight into James’s eyes. She raised her brows and sent him a look that dumped responsibility for the answer squarely in his lap. Damn. If he allowed the doctor to bleed Davey now, and the boy subsequently died, James would be the villain once again. Responsible for yet another child’s death.
    By God, he would not face that again. Let this opinionated little harridan take the blame for whatever happened.
    â€œCousin,” he crooned as he swept her a bow, “I defer to your superior judgment in this matter.”
    Verity looked momentarily abashed, then returned her attention to Gonetta. “I do not think it is a good idea to have Davey bled,” she said. “It is best that we allow the healing properties of the herbals to take hold first. If he does not show any improvement, then we may discuss with the physician what is to be done next.”
    â€œThen ’ee will stay, ma’am,” Gonetta asked, “to make sure nothin’ do go wrong?”
    Ha! Gonetta had her there. James guessed that shewas desperate to leave; now it would seem churlish of her to go. He watched Verity struggle with the decision. Her very mobile face registered helplessness, frustration, anger, and finally resignation. She would stay.
    He should be pleased. He could oversee her welfare more easily if she stayed on at Pendurgan. Then why was he cursing himself for not getting a doctor sooner so that she could be on her way without a qualm?
    â€œVery well,” she said at last, her body visibly sagging with the weight of her decision. The depth of her frustration shone clearly in her dark eyes, now bright with unshed tears. “Very well. I will stay for the time being. But only until Davey is up and about again.”
    â€œOh, thank ’ee, ma’am! Thank ’ee. Ma will be so happy. But ’ee do got to stay long enough to teach us ’bout them plants. There do be others hereabouts wot could use yer help, I reckon. Do ’ee know how to help with stiff joints and such?”
    â€œWell, yes. There’s—”
    â€œThen ’ee could surely help Old Grannie Pascow, who do get too stiff to walk sometimes. What ’bout a bad stomach? Can ’ee help that, too?”
    â€œThere are herbs that will ease a bilious stomach. But—”
    â€œThen Hildy Spruggins’ll need yer help, too, ’cuz her stomach do be always botherin’ her somethin’ terrible. And what ’bout burns and cuts and bruises and sprained muscles and boils and dropsy and colic?”
    Verity sighed. “Herbal remedies may be of some help in all of those cases, but—”
    â€œWell, there do always be somebody wot’s got one of them things wrong wid ’em,” Gonetta said. “There do be a powerful lot ’ee has to teach us, ain’t there? Could take a long time.”
    James wondered where this young girl had learned the art of manipulation so thoroughly. She had Verity pinned to the wall.
    He would have been amused if a sudden anxiety hadn’t gripped him as thoroughly as Davey’s fever. Verity was being