“I can help with that,” Mary called down the steps.
“Thank you, Auntie.” Belle looked up at her and smiled. Then she said to Geordie, “I would much rather that than me trying to use some of my father’s potions. I always fret about how much I am using, how long to hold the cloth over nose and mouth, and then start fretting over silly things like can I put myself to sleep as well by using this. Auntie uses unusual methods, but nothing that might cause a fatal mistake.”
She worked on wrapping Robbie’s leg for a few minutes longer and then yelled up the steps, “Ready to move him, Auntie.”
Mary and the two young men he had seen with Bennet came down the stairs with the top of the rolling cart. Geordie realized the clever doctor had made it so the top could be easily removed from the cart. Then he began to think that the man’s death was a true loss to the world, because he had obviously been an extremely clever man.
They carefully picked Robbie up, Geordie and Gabe both steadying Robbie’s leg as they moved him to the board. Mary put the straps attached to the board securely around his brother and then he and the others walked back up to the cart. Once the board was secured back on the top they easily walked back to the house. It was good his brother remained unconscious because Geordie knew that calm would shatter loudly when the real work on his leg began.
Once inside the infirmary they settled him in a bed as Belle spoke of readying a meal for them. Robbie woke up enough to ask Geordie what had happened, but fell back asleep, or passed out again, before Geordie had been able to explain it all. Belle convinced him to leave his brother and come get something to eat. She promised to thoroughly explain what she would be doing for Robbie, so he finally got up and went with her. He savored the smells seeping out of the kitchen and ruefully accepted that despite what had happened to his brother, his appetite was still strong.
Finally, when everyone was seated around the table, Gabe said, “Abel keeps saying your brother broke his bad leg. What’s that mean?”
“Robbie got hurt by some Rebs who felt he was old enough to get involved in that cursed war. They tried to beat him into joining with them,” replied Geordie as Mary put a slice of roast beef on his plate and he softly whispered his thanks. “By the time he came back to us they had smashed his leg and his hand. Both have caused him a lot of pain since then.
“All of us tried whatever we could think of to make it better, maybe improve his ability to fully use his hand, but we never got any results. Finally, he got a little better and took some short trips. He claimed they were trips to try to get some buyers for his cider and we were pleased he was getting back to his business. We didnae feel so guilty once we found out he had actually gone to see doctors and they hadnae kenned how to help, either, but one still wonders from time to time.”
“Of course you do. No one likes to see a family member suffer,” said Belle. “Well, unless it is Auntie and she has finally, really got herself the plague.” She grinned when Gabe and Rafe laughed, then ducked when her aunt tossed a roll at her. “Bad example for the boys, Auntie.”
“Bennet is a bad example for the boys,” Mary grumbled, then frowned at her sons. “Can you not quit now?”
“Not yet,” said Rafe. “He is plotting ways to get his fat, greedy hands on this land and we really need to find out how he thinks he can do that. There is always the chance he has actually thought of something clever, and we should be ready to fight it.”
“That could be years from now.”
“No. I think he is intending to act soon. As you saw”—he nodded at Geordie—“he has reached the point where he is planning out what he will build on the land, and I caught him figuring out what money he could gain from it quickly.”
“Lumber,” Belle said.
Rafe nodded. “He actually stands by his fence now and then and just stares at your woods and grumbles about stupid women who don’t understand how to make good use of what they have.”
“What? By chopping down every damn tree I have, like he has on his land? He’s left his animals without an ounce of shade.”
“Yup. He figures there is enough pine, maple, and oak there in your wood that he could build his fancy hotel just for the cost of getting it milled.”
“All those lovely trees,” she murmured.
“Belle, trees get cut down all the time. We need wood to build houses and furniture and all that,” Rafe said and rolled his eyes.
“Not my trees.”
“They won’t be your trees if he gets this property or if he figures out something he can tell the council that would make them believe the trees need to come down. Ow,” he said, and scowled at Mary, who had thrown a roll at him, which smacked him in the forehead. “Ma, stop throwing food at me.”
“Stop arguing. She has more important things to fret about than that old fool.” Mary looked at her niece. “Belle, do you think you can put that boy’s leg back together?”
“Yes, I do. It is going to be tough, if only because it will hurt him a great deal. The ones who did this also did not bother to set the bones correctly. They didn’t know how to doctor his wounds or simply didn’t care to do it right. There will be a week or two of bed rest after that is done, which no male seems to tolerate well. I will accept your offer to help me with his pain.”
“Good. Glad to help.”
“So, we will be starting on him soon?” asked Geordie.
“Yes.” Belle looked at Geordie. “We will need some muscle to hold him still on the bed. We can strap him down, but sometimes you need more than that. And having friends and acquaintances holding patients down appears to make them fight much less than they might otherwise.”
“Then I will help hold him still, if needed.” He smiled sadly. “I have had to do it before.”
“Are you going to need us?” asked Rafe.
“I might. It is very important at times that he stays as still as possible. It can be tricky trying to set those bones correctly, and they have to be set correctly this time or the damage to his leg could become permanent.”
