unconscious she’d felt the pain. Bertha mixed some laudanum in a glass of water and fed it to Sarah. It would help keep her asleep at least while he sewed up the wound.
He hated this. His stomach roiled and threatened to bolt because it was Sarah. Seeing her like this scared the crap out of him. He could lose her, like he lost Dorothy. That wasn’t going to happen. He was here this time.
After he sewed her up he cleaned her again and brought the sheets up under her arms. Now, he needed to go see his girls but first he washed the blood off his hands. No sense scaring them more than they already were.
He opened the door to Katy’s room. Both girls were on the bed, the puppies under it nipping at their toes. It was one of their favorite games.
MaryAnn saw him in the doorway and came running.
“We did like you said and stayed in here until you came to get us. How’s Mama?”
He picked her up in his arms. “Your Mama was hurt this morning, but she’s going to be fine. I’ll take you in to see her as soon as she wakes up, okay?”
MaryAnn nodded, tears in her eyes, then wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder.
Katy came over and hugged his pant leg. He picked her up too and walked to the bed where he sat down and held his daughters. They both cried softly for a little while and then cuddled into him. Soft sniffles coming from both girls.
“Okay, now. I’m going to go check on Mama. I want you to go with Bertha to the kitchen and get something to eat. Are you hungry?”
Both girls shook their heads, no.
“Well you need to eat something anyway. Mama would want you to keep up your strength. Isn’t that right?”
They both nodded.
He kissed each girl on top of the head. “Now go on and tell Bertha I said you could each have two cookies.”
His daughters scrambled off his lap at the thought of an extra treat.
MaryAnn stopped at the door and turned back. “You sure she’ll be okay?”
“Yes, sweet. I’ll take care of her and she’ll be right as rain.”
“I guess that’s alright then. She trusts you and so do I.”
He was touched. Sarah and MaryAnn trusted him. Considering their background, that was their world they were laying at his feet. He could lift it up or crush it. They trusted him to do what was right.
Across the hall, Sarah was trying to wake up. She thrashed in the bed until he sat with her and held her. He really didn’t know what he would do if he lost her. He wasn’t equipped to raise one girl much less two on his own. Sure, he had Bertha, but it wasn’t the same as having a mother and he had no intention of marrying again.
Sarah stirred and opened her eyes. They got large and she said, “William. He’s insane. He thinks I’m going to leave with him. Leave everything and everyone I love to go with him. No, I won’t. I’d rather die.”
“Hush now. You’re not going to die.” I need you, he added silently.
“He shot me. I remember he was going to shoot you with that little gun.”
He sat on the bed next to her. “It never would have reached me. He had a derringer and must not have known much about it. Promise me you will never do that again. You’re giving me gray hair. And scaring the girls who are afraid their mother is going to die like Dorothy did.”
“Oh, the girls. Are they alright? William threatened to hurt MaryAnn if I didn’t go with him.”
John growled and said under his breath, “that’s another reason for me to kill him.”
“What?”
“Nothing. She’s fine and you shouldn’t get worked up. See. You’ve started bleeding again.” He got a clean towel and blotted the blood away.
“William? What happened to him?”
“He got away.”
“You’ve got to tell the sheriff. He’s the one who started the fire. Well actually, he hired some men to do it. He wanted everyone out of the house. John, he’ll try again. He’s absolutely insane.”
“I’ll talk to the sheriff. Now I want you to drink this and
He hated this. His stomach roiled and threatened to bolt because it was Sarah. Seeing her like this scared the crap out of him. He could lose her, like he lost Dorothy. That wasn’t going to happen. He was here this time.
After he sewed her up he cleaned her again and brought the sheets up under her arms. Now, he needed to go see his girls but first he washed the blood off his hands. No sense scaring them more than they already were.
He opened the door to Katy’s room. Both girls were on the bed, the puppies under it nipping at their toes. It was one of their favorite games.
MaryAnn saw him in the doorway and came running.
“We did like you said and stayed in here until you came to get us. How’s Mama?”
He picked her up in his arms. “Your Mama was hurt this morning, but she’s going to be fine. I’ll take you in to see her as soon as she wakes up, okay?”
MaryAnn nodded, tears in her eyes, then wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder.
Katy came over and hugged his pant leg. He picked her up too and walked to the bed where he sat down and held his daughters. They both cried softly for a little while and then cuddled into him. Soft sniffles coming from both girls.
“Okay, now. I’m going to go check on Mama. I want you to go with Bertha to the kitchen and get something to eat. Are you hungry?”
Both girls shook their heads, no.
“Well you need to eat something anyway. Mama would want you to keep up your strength. Isn’t that right?”
They both nodded.
He kissed each girl on top of the head. “Now go on and tell Bertha I said you could each have two cookies.”
His daughters scrambled off his lap at the thought of an extra treat.
MaryAnn stopped at the door and turned back. “You sure she’ll be okay?”
“Yes, sweet. I’ll take care of her and she’ll be right as rain.”
“I guess that’s alright then. She trusts you and so do I.”
He was touched. Sarah and MaryAnn trusted him. Considering their background, that was their world they were laying at his feet. He could lift it up or crush it. They trusted him to do what was right.
Across the hall, Sarah was trying to wake up. She thrashed in the bed until he sat with her and held her. He really didn’t know what he would do if he lost her. He wasn’t equipped to raise one girl much less two on his own. Sure, he had Bertha, but it wasn’t the same as having a mother and he had no intention of marrying again.
Sarah stirred and opened her eyes. They got large and she said, “William. He’s insane. He thinks I’m going to leave with him. Leave everything and everyone I love to go with him. No, I won’t. I’d rather die.”
“Hush now. You’re not going to die.” I need you, he added silently.
“He shot me. I remember he was going to shoot you with that little gun.”
He sat on the bed next to her. “It never would have reached me. He had a derringer and must not have known much about it. Promise me you will never do that again. You’re giving me gray hair. And scaring the girls who are afraid their mother is going to die like Dorothy did.”
“Oh, the girls. Are they alright? William threatened to hurt MaryAnn if I didn’t go with him.”
John growled and said under his breath, “that’s another reason for me to kill him.”
“What?”
“Nothing. She’s fine and you shouldn’t get worked up. See. You’ve started bleeding again.” He got a clean towel and blotted the blood away.
“William? What happened to him?”
“He got away.”
“You’ve got to tell the sheriff. He’s the one who started the fire. Well actually, he hired some men to do it. He wanted everyone out of the house. John, he’ll try again. He’s absolutely insane.”
“I’ll talk to the sheriff. Now I want you to drink this and
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