Page 27 of A Groom for Millie
“He looks poorly,” the child observed as she climbed into a seat at the table.
“He isn’t well.” Millie turned to her mother. “I don’t know how to remove the bullet.”
“You are going to need to get a doctor. I’m certainly not equipped for this.”
“We should probably get him to a bed.”
“Put him in Mary Rose’s room.”
Millie didn’t want to do that, but she didn’t have any other choice. She quickly dressed the wound with rags and linen strips. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do for now. “Robert,” she called to him. “I need your help getting into the bedroom.” When he didn’t respond she gently slapped his cheek. “Robert, wake up.”
It took a moment, but Robert opened his eyes and looked at her. “Where am I?”
“In my farmhouse. I need your help to get you to the bedroom.”
Regina pulled the chair away so Millie could help Robert stand. This time when Millie wrapped her arm around his waist, she could feel every muscle, every sinew covering him. She tried to think of anything that would take her mind off the injured man before her.
Robert tightened his arm around Millie’s shoulders almost pulling him towards her. She heard him inhale.
“You smell nice. Like roses.”
“It’s my soap,” Millie said.
“When I got off that ferry, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.”
Millie heard a snort behind her. “Mother,” she whispered harshly.
Delirium was setting in if Robert was talking in such a manner.
“I was going to invite you to supper, but I found myself in a gunfight without a gun.”
Ignoring his sweet words, she tapped on his side. “I need you to turn around.” She managed to maneuver Robert to the edge of the bed and pushed him slightly to sit. She noticed the wound was starting to bleed again, seeping through the linen. There wasn’t anything she could do about it as she pushed Robert back on the bed.
Removing his shoes, she covered him with a blanket. He was lightly snoring as she made her way back to the kitchen.
“I’ll need to close school today,” she said finding paper to create a sign to hang on the door of the school. “I’ll be back soon, momma.”
Regina was wiping Mary Rose’s face. “We’ll just sit here and eat our porridge.” She tapped Mary Rose on the nose. “Except this little one likes to wear it.”
Millie glanced back at the closed door. “I think he will sleep until I get back. I won’t be too long.” She kissed her mother’s cheek and placed a kiss on top of Mary Rose’s head.
Grabbing her wrap she headed back towards the barn.
She needed Heather.
Chapter Nine
Robert heard the voices. They sounded as if they were far away but moving closer.
His head was pounding, and his shoulder was on fire. He groaned and gently opened his eyes, closing them once more as the light blinded him.
“You’re awake,” an attractive blonde woman said. “How do you feel?”
Robert recognized her as the doctor that helped Mrs. Martin on the stage. “Like I’ve been shot.”
The woman laughed. “Well, you are doing much better.”
Robert raised himself on his good arm. “Are you the doctor?”
