Jericho’s kindness didn't surprise her anymore. She'd seen the soft side Jericho Coulter worked so hard to hide. "He seems like a good uncle." But that sounded like she didn't think the rest of the men were as capable. So she added, "All of you are. The children are blessed to be here with you."
As Jonah took another bite and her own words replayed through her mind, she realized they were true. This place might not be as clean and charmingly decorated as Nana kept the little white house in Wayneston, but Sean and Lillian were surrounded by family who loved them, doted on them even, if you could see through the manly facades. And they always had plenty of food and secure shelter. That was probably more than the two’d had while their mother lived, from the bits and pieces she'd gathered.
After Jonah finished eating and she changed the bandage on his leg, she carried his used dishes out. At Naomi's door, she tapped a light knock, then pulled the latch string.
Naomi wasn't in the bed.
"Dinah, this is perfect." Naomi's voice drew Dinah's gaze to the floor, where her sister sat in front of an open crate. She held up a folded piece of pale yellow fabric. "There's enough here to make several gowns. And the blue too. It's beautiful." Naomi lifted a length of the same blue striped material Lillian had. She beamed a smile free of the weariness that marked her these past weeks.
Dinah's middle tightened. "Naomi, I don't think that's ours." Oh how she hated to steal her sister's pleasure. To layer another disappointment on top of so many others.
She dropped to her knees and touched the blue cloth. "I think this might be something Jericho brought back for Lillian." Naomi's mouth stayed curved, but her eyes lost their sparkle.
Dinah pressed on. "It was late when we arrived in Missoula Mills, so Jericho had to track down the trading post owner. I gave him a list of what we needed. I thought about adding fabric to it so you could begin making gowns for the baby, but I didn't want to put the burden on him of choosing colors and patterns. I didn't even know if a post all the way out here would sell cloth suitable for a baby." If she'd known he was already purchasing for his niece, she would have asked differently.
Naomi smoothed her hand over the yellow, her gaze on the material. "Thiswillmake a nice shirt for Sean." When she looked up, she seemed to have recovered her poise. "They do need new clothes. Shall I help sew?"
Dinah's chest ached for her sister, but there was nothing she could do to make this better. Not yet. She wrapped an arm around Naomi's shoulders. "You know I couldn't do it myself." Then she pushed to her feet and took up the used dishes, adding Naomi's to the stack. "I'll finish cleaning up the kitchen while you and Lillian start."
As she strode toward the work counter next to the stove, the front door opened. Probably Lillian coming in with more wash water.
But it wasn't Lillian.
Two Stones paused in the doorway, and once more, his appearance made her heart hammer. But she forced herself to exhale. "Two Stones. Welcome." Maybe he'd never been told of the English custom of knocking.
He strode forward. "Jude said come to you."
Her stomach lurched, and she fought to keep from stepping backward. "He did?"
He stopped in the middle of the room, probably realizing he'd frightened her. "There is sickness in my camp. My father and mother, they are laid low."
Her pulse leapt forward for a very different reason. She covered the last two steps to drop the dishes on the counter. "Let me gather a few things, and I'll come with you."
* * *
"Why would you do that?" Jericho slid from his horse and fought the urge to pull Jude down from his own mount and wallop him.
"He said half the camp is sick. White Bear and Running Woman too. We have a doctor here. We should see what she can do to help them." Jude dismounted, but Jericho didn't stop to respond, just strode into the house.
Lillian was speaking to Two Stones in the main room, but they turned when he entered.
Two Stones met his gaze, and he couldn't miss the worry in the man's eyes. Fear even. No wonder Jude had sent him for Dinah.
"How bad is it?" At least Jericho could go and see what he could do to help. Maybe Dinah would send medicine.
"The spotting sickness. Running Woman does not rise from her bed."
Bad then. Two Stones's mother never stopped moving when they visited her, always working.
Jericho scanned the room for Dinah. "I'll come with you. Let me gather a few things to bring them."
"I'm ready." Dinah emerged from her room, a saddle pack slung over her shoulder and a bundle of blankets in the other arm. "Can you carry that pack?" She pointed to the floor, where her medical case sat by the door to Jonah's room.
Jericho shook his head. "I'll go with him. Can you send medicine or something with us?"
Dinah bent to the case. But instead of opening it to pull out supplies to send, she hoisted the container and tucked it under her free arm. "I'm coming too."
Two Stones stepped quickly to take it from her.
