She needed to move back to the fire and start broth heating to provide Levi some sustenance, but curiosity over what her father might be thinking won out. She glanced up at him and waited expectantly.
At last, his gruff voice broke the quiet. “They’re taking good care of the horse.” Those words were the last thing she’d expected from him, but they almost pulled forth a weary smile. Her father would know she’d been worried about Chaucer. At least, when she could pull her mind from fretting over Levi’s condition. In his usual halting way, he was doing his best to set her mind at ease about what he could.
He cleared his throat before speaking again. “Brielle. She’s having her hunters bring back bark and other things it can eat. Wesley says it’s perking up fine.”
Audrey reached up to take his hand and gave a gentle squeeze, the first bit of contact they’d had since the conversation with the Durands yesterday. “Thank you. I’m relieved to hear it.”
Papa gripped her palm and patted her hand with his other one. “Can I help you here?” His gaze slipped to the man lying on the bed. Thankfully, he didn’t speak of Levi’s condition.
She allowed herself only a glance at the handsome face that had grown so pale, then shook her head. “Pray for him. I’m doing everything else I know to do.”
Papa squeezed her hand again. “If there’s anyone who can bring him back, it’s my girl.”
The sweet wordsmy girlalways brought a rush of warmth in her chest, but this time the warmth crept up to sting her eyes. She was so grateful she’d not lost her father’s love. Ifonly she possessed the skill he credited to her. Even now, the reality tried to press in that she might lose Levi—today, even. But she forced the thought away.
She wouldn’t give up on Levi. Wouldn’t stop petitioning for the miracle they needed to save this man she’d come to love far more than she’d ever dreamed.
Silence hovered as Audrey sat beside Levi’s still form. The weight of the third person in the room only thickened the quiet. For once, the hammering across the hall had ceased.
She glanced over at Brielle and searched for something to say. There should be much to catch up on, but the fear churning inside her for Levi overwhelmed every other thought.
Her gaze wandered down to the man, her eyes searching for any sign of change. Beads of sweat dotted his nose and cheeks. She’d just refreshed the cool damp cloth draping his brow and neck, but they seemed to help little.
Nothing helped.
Levi had been restless all morning, tossing his head and arms and coughing so hard it seemed his insides would spew out. Yet this last hour he’d grown still. Eerily still.
The fear roiling in her belly had nearly turned to panic.Don’t let this be the end, Lord. Please don’t take him.
She could barely recall life before she met this man, though that had been a little more than two weeks ago. He’d come in and overwhelmed her world, opening her mind to the fact that people beyond their walls were real, not just distant stories. God had created each one, each with their own struggles and talents and dreams. Lives that interwove in a myriad of ways, lives that could bring new hope and good to the people she loved so well, this village that had sheltered her all these years.
He’d brought color to her world, despite the turmoil that had come with him. His faith, his determination to do right, his integrity—they inspired her to be better. To make wiser choices. To love more fully.
Everything in her wanted the chance to be with him. Yet that chance seemed to be slipping away. She wrestled that thought from her mind as she had every time before. She couldn’t face the possibility of losing him yet. Her hand craved to reach out and take Levi’s, but she couldn’t do that in Brielle’s presence.
“I wish you’d come to me. Told me.” Brielle’s voice broke through the churning in her thoughts, and Audrey glanced over at the tight lines of her friend’s face.
She didn’t need to ask what Brielle meant, and frustration welled up in her chest. “I did come to you, Brielle. You said you’d talk with him, then cast your vote with the others. I was asking you to speak up for him, and you told me to be careful. I knew Evan had a run-in with him, but they were on opposite sides of the war, so of course he wouldn’t trust Levi.”
Audrey forced herself to calm, to slow her words, with a deep breath. “No one seemed to be listening to me. I couldn’t let him be judged and punished for his family or birthplace. But everyone seemed so focused on that, they didn’t hear his words. His earnest desire to do right.”
Brielle studied her for a long moment, but her expression was hard to read. Audrey held her gaze. She was usually the one to back down when Brielle’s ire rose, to reach out and smooth things over. But not this time.
At last, the hint of a sheen coated Brielle’s eyes, and her gaze softened. “I’m sorry, Audrey. I’m sorry I didn’t realizehow important this was to you. I’m sorry I didn’t listen better.”
The words soaked through her like a balm, but the release of her anger allowed tears to crowd her vision. She looked away, her eyes coming to rest on Levi’s still form. If Brielle could be strong enough to speak the truth, she had to also. “And I’m sorry I undermined your leadership. I’m sorry I took such drastic steps.”Actions that ended up stealing Leonard’s life. She couldn’t bring herself to speak that last bit.
Silence settled between them, leaving only the rasping of Levi’s breath. The quiet didn’t hold the same weight as before, though.
“Evan’s struggling with his presence here.” Brielle’s quiet words barely broke the silence. “He’s not sure we can trust the man after what he did during the Battle of Stoney Creek.”
Audrey turned to her, seeking from her expression what Brielle might not be saying. “They were on opposite sides of the war. Levi didn’t do anything unethical. He performed his duties well. Saved the lives of his countrymen.”
Brielle’s mouth turned grim, and though she nodded, she didn’t look Audrey’s way. “I know. He did probably the same thing Evan would have done were the situation reversed. It’s just hard . . .” Now she did meet Audrey’s gaze, and her throat worked. “It’s hard for a soldier to forget what he worked so hard for.”
Audrey could only nod. Brielle would understand that feeling better than either of them. She sacrificed daily to keep Laurent safe and provided with fresh meat.
A small smile touched Brielle’s mouth. “Just give Evan some time. He’s praying about it. We both are.”
