pleaded, kneeling beside me. My mouth was frozen as we watched William reach for his side. His hand came away covered with blood, and then he looked at me with eyes full of confusion.
I instinctively reached for his shirt and began to urgently rip open the buttons, my hands shaky, not caring who was watching. By then a small crowd had gathered in our doorway and chatter erupted.
Once the shirt was pulled away, it was clear that there was a two-inch puncture wound that went all the way through his lower side. Blood spilled out in a trail, only stopping at the waist of his trousers.
“Clear the way!” a voice commanded, startling me even more.
I gave William one more concerned gaze before my mother pulled me up to make way for their captain. “What’s going on here?”
My father stepped forward, pointing after Samuel. “
Your
soldier violated a young girl last night and just stabbed his comrade. That’s what’s going on here.”
“That is a lie,” Samuel retorted. “I did no such thing. This man attacked me, and William tried to break it up. It was an accident.”
“You fool,” his captain said through gritted teeth. After a momentary assessment of the situation, he ordered Samuel to grab his things.
“That’s it?” my father asked. “He needs to pay for what he did!”
“We have no time for trials. We are on the march.” He looked down at William. “Get him to a doctor immediately. He’ll have to stay behind. It looks like it’s a clean wound. If he can avoid infection, he should recover. We’ll gather him on our march back. Hopefully he’ll be well enough to travel by then.”
By that point, Samuel had grabbed his belongings from upstairs, and had hurried out the door.
“You can’t do this,” my father said, standing tall.
“It’s already done,” the captain said before stomping out.
In the midst of it all, William tried to stand, but quickly keeled over. I lunged for his arm. He put his weight on me, and I immediately looked to my father for help. Frustrated, he rushed over and helped me guide William outside. No one else offered assistance as we walked him to a waiting wagon. I made a motion to hoist myself up, but my father held me still.
“Please,” I said, not even understanding why.
“No. Not with him.”
The crowd was still gathered, and everything about the moment felt forbidden, so I didn’t want to argue, but I was still worried. I thought of the only alternative that would at least make sure William got the care he deserved.
“Will you go with him?” I asked.
“No, I will not.”
“But he saved your life. Please. It’s only right.”
He looked at me for a long moment, then at the retreating army, and then to William, who was now losing color.
Father's nostrils flared and he exhaled strongly. “All right. I will, but you stay here with your mother and brother, and do not leave the house until I return. And keep a rifle with you at all times. Let no one, and I mean no one, into our home again.”
The urgency in his voice made me nod immediately, and with one last hard stare, he hopped into the wagon and pulled away, with William alone in the back.
Chapter 9
THE AGREEMENT
C alling out in frustration, a firm hand steadied my shoulders, but I jerked away, tossing and turning. “No,” I mumbled.
“Sophie. It’s okay. You’re dreaming again.”
I peeled my eyes open, trying to adjust to my surroundings. It was dark, but the bed felt soft and the sheets warm and gratifyingly familiar. It was my
own
bed. My real bed.
I quickly turned to find Wes lying alert beside me. At least I thought it was him. I had to check to be sure. “Wes?” I asked, peering at him sideways in the dim moonlight.
“Uh, yes. Who else would it be?”
“Um.” I started to explain and then realized the absurdity of the moment. “No one.”
“Are you okay?” he asked, sitting up on one elbow.
I focused on his familiar face in the moonlight. The proportions of his
I instinctively reached for his shirt and began to urgently rip open the buttons, my hands shaky, not caring who was watching. By then a small crowd had gathered in our doorway and chatter erupted.
Once the shirt was pulled away, it was clear that there was a two-inch puncture wound that went all the way through his lower side. Blood spilled out in a trail, only stopping at the waist of his trousers.
“Clear the way!” a voice commanded, startling me even more.
I gave William one more concerned gaze before my mother pulled me up to make way for their captain. “What’s going on here?”
My father stepped forward, pointing after Samuel. “
Your
soldier violated a young girl last night and just stabbed his comrade. That’s what’s going on here.”
“That is a lie,” Samuel retorted. “I did no such thing. This man attacked me, and William tried to break it up. It was an accident.”
“You fool,” his captain said through gritted teeth. After a momentary assessment of the situation, he ordered Samuel to grab his things.
“That’s it?” my father asked. “He needs to pay for what he did!”
“We have no time for trials. We are on the march.” He looked down at William. “Get him to a doctor immediately. He’ll have to stay behind. It looks like it’s a clean wound. If he can avoid infection, he should recover. We’ll gather him on our march back. Hopefully he’ll be well enough to travel by then.”
By that point, Samuel had grabbed his belongings from upstairs, and had hurried out the door.
“You can’t do this,” my father said, standing tall.
“It’s already done,” the captain said before stomping out.
In the midst of it all, William tried to stand, but quickly keeled over. I lunged for his arm. He put his weight on me, and I immediately looked to my father for help. Frustrated, he rushed over and helped me guide William outside. No one else offered assistance as we walked him to a waiting wagon. I made a motion to hoist myself up, but my father held me still.
“Please,” I said, not even understanding why.
“No. Not with him.”
The crowd was still gathered, and everything about the moment felt forbidden, so I didn’t want to argue, but I was still worried. I thought of the only alternative that would at least make sure William got the care he deserved.
“Will you go with him?” I asked.
“No, I will not.”
“But he saved your life. Please. It’s only right.”
He looked at me for a long moment, then at the retreating army, and then to William, who was now losing color.
Father's nostrils flared and he exhaled strongly. “All right. I will, but you stay here with your mother and brother, and do not leave the house until I return. And keep a rifle with you at all times. Let no one, and I mean no one, into our home again.”
The urgency in his voice made me nod immediately, and with one last hard stare, he hopped into the wagon and pulled away, with William alone in the back.
Chapter 9
THE AGREEMENT
C alling out in frustration, a firm hand steadied my shoulders, but I jerked away, tossing and turning. “No,” I mumbled.
“Sophie. It’s okay. You’re dreaming again.”
I peeled my eyes open, trying to adjust to my surroundings. It was dark, but the bed felt soft and the sheets warm and gratifyingly familiar. It was my
own
bed. My real bed.
I quickly turned to find Wes lying alert beside me. At least I thought it was him. I had to check to be sure. “Wes?” I asked, peering at him sideways in the dim moonlight.
“Uh, yes. Who else would it be?”
“Um.” I started to explain and then realized the absurdity of the moment. “No one.”
“Are you okay?” he asked, sitting up on one elbow.
I focused on his familiar face in the moonlight. The proportions of his