guarded, but hopeful; she said nothing, because, Hannah knew, any child raised in this household would not speak unless spoken to.
“We saw your friend Callie earlier today.”
Martha smiled shyly, ducked her head in acknowledgment. “Are you going to heal her ma?”
“I will try to help her,” Hannah said.
The girl chewed her lip nervously, glanced at the kitchen door and back again. “Can you make her better? Do you have the right magic to do it?”
“Ah.” Hannah looked out over the neat garden: cabbage, kale, potatoes. The kind of garden where flowers were as unwelcome as weeds. She said, “I'm sure you've heard things about me, but the truth is, there is no magic in medicine. Faith, yes, and science. But no magic.”
“You can't fix her then.” The girl went back to her scrubbing, her movements slow and deliberate. “Callie will be sad.” After a moment she cast Hannah an uneasy glance.
“I don't mean to be rude, Miz Bonner—”
“Your mother doesn't want you to talk to me,” Hannah finished for her. “Will you tell the doctor that I've gone ahead, and I'll wait for him on the bridge? I'd much appreciate it.”
Chapter 4
Later, Curiosity wanted to hear every detail about both visits; she asked questions about the examinations and listened closely to the answers. When Hannah had finished the older woman sat down wearily in the rocker next to the hearth and shook her head.
“Poor Dolly's in a sad state and the Widow even worse, but it's that girl that worries me. Such a tender little thing being brought up by Jemima Southern. Jemima Kuick,” she corrected herself.
“She looks well fed,” Hannah said, offering that small comfort.
Curiosity snorted. “Don't talk to me about food,” she said. “The girl need a kind word now and then as much as she need food.” She paused and then said: “Tell me now, don't Martha remind you of her daddy? Not just the color of her hair, but the way she go at the world. He had an affectionate heart as a boy, a forgiving nature if there ever was one.”
She was talking about Liam Kirby, but neither of them said the name out loud. Hannah said, “Let's hope she got his stamina too, because she is going to need it.”
“He surely was tough as old leather, even as a boy.” Curiosity laughed softly. “Wouldn't have lived through the beatings Billy dished out otherwise. My, those was hard days.”
Now that the subject had been raised, Hannah decided she would not turn away from it. “Do you ever get news of Liam?”
Curiosity raised her apron to wipe her face. “Not a word in all the years.” She sent Hannah a probing look. “You relieved, or disappointed?”
Hannah sat down on a stool opposite Curiosity. “I hardly know. Numb, I suppose would be the right word. I hadn't thought of him in such a long time until I saw the girl. His daughter. If he is alive he should know about her.”
There was a longer silence while each of them sorted through memories too obvious or painful to share. Curiosity seemed to come to some conclusion because she straightened and looked Hannah directly in the eye.
“Did you notice anything unusual about Jemima?”
The question took Hannah by surprise. She considered carefully. “It seems to me that some of the fight has gone out of her.”
Curiosity snorted a soft laugh. “I suppose it might look that way, but truth be told, she got me worried. That girl has got something cooking, you wait and see.”
She set the rocker moving with a twitch of her foot.
“I hope you're wrong,” Hannah said. “But you could always smell trouble on the wind.”
“And there's more, while we're at it,” Curiosity said. “While you was out with the doctor your daddy came looking for Lily with some news she didn't like much.”
“Ah. About Daniel, and Blue-Jay. They're going with Luke.” Hannah stopped herself before she could say anything more; it would do no good, and the words couldn't be taken back.
“We all knew the day
“We saw your friend Callie earlier today.”
Martha smiled shyly, ducked her head in acknowledgment. “Are you going to heal her ma?”
“I will try to help her,” Hannah said.
The girl chewed her lip nervously, glanced at the kitchen door and back again. “Can you make her better? Do you have the right magic to do it?”
“Ah.” Hannah looked out over the neat garden: cabbage, kale, potatoes. The kind of garden where flowers were as unwelcome as weeds. She said, “I'm sure you've heard things about me, but the truth is, there is no magic in medicine. Faith, yes, and science. But no magic.”
“You can't fix her then.” The girl went back to her scrubbing, her movements slow and deliberate. “Callie will be sad.” After a moment she cast Hannah an uneasy glance.
“I don't mean to be rude, Miz Bonner—”
“Your mother doesn't want you to talk to me,” Hannah finished for her. “Will you tell the doctor that I've gone ahead, and I'll wait for him on the bridge? I'd much appreciate it.”
Chapter 4
Later, Curiosity wanted to hear every detail about both visits; she asked questions about the examinations and listened closely to the answers. When Hannah had finished the older woman sat down wearily in the rocker next to the hearth and shook her head.
“Poor Dolly's in a sad state and the Widow even worse, but it's that girl that worries me. Such a tender little thing being brought up by Jemima Southern. Jemima Kuick,” she corrected herself.
“She looks well fed,” Hannah said, offering that small comfort.
Curiosity snorted. “Don't talk to me about food,” she said. “The girl need a kind word now and then as much as she need food.” She paused and then said: “Tell me now, don't Martha remind you of her daddy? Not just the color of her hair, but the way she go at the world. He had an affectionate heart as a boy, a forgiving nature if there ever was one.”
She was talking about Liam Kirby, but neither of them said the name out loud. Hannah said, “Let's hope she got his stamina too, because she is going to need it.”
“He surely was tough as old leather, even as a boy.” Curiosity laughed softly. “Wouldn't have lived through the beatings Billy dished out otherwise. My, those was hard days.”
Now that the subject had been raised, Hannah decided she would not turn away from it. “Do you ever get news of Liam?”
Curiosity raised her apron to wipe her face. “Not a word in all the years.” She sent Hannah a probing look. “You relieved, or disappointed?”
Hannah sat down on a stool opposite Curiosity. “I hardly know. Numb, I suppose would be the right word. I hadn't thought of him in such a long time until I saw the girl. His daughter. If he is alive he should know about her.”
There was a longer silence while each of them sorted through memories too obvious or painful to share. Curiosity seemed to come to some conclusion because she straightened and looked Hannah directly in the eye.
“Did you notice anything unusual about Jemima?”
The question took Hannah by surprise. She considered carefully. “It seems to me that some of the fight has gone out of her.”
Curiosity snorted a soft laugh. “I suppose it might look that way, but truth be told, she got me worried. That girl has got something cooking, you wait and see.”
She set the rocker moving with a twitch of her foot.
“I hope you're wrong,” Hannah said. “But you could always smell trouble on the wind.”
“And there's more, while we're at it,” Curiosity said. “While you was out with the doctor your daddy came looking for Lily with some news she didn't like much.”
“Ah. About Daniel, and Blue-Jay. They're going with Luke.” Hannah stopped herself before she could say anything more; it would do no good, and the words couldn't be taken back.
“We all knew the day
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