death.
A thick bandage was wrapped around his middle, and there were spots of
bright red blood seeping through the white packing. His complexion was
a chalky gray, and in the dim light from the two lanterns on the
bedside tables, Cooper looked as though his next breath would be his
last.
"The doctor couldn't get him to wake up and drink the medicine? "
"No.
He kept choking." She got down to business, unbuttoned the cuffs of
her sleeves and rolled them up to her elbows. Then she went to the
basin and washed her hands.
"What do you think you're going to do? " "Daniel, try not to take your
anger out on me. All right? I know how upset you are about your
friend, but being hostile isn't going to help.
To answer your question, " she continued. "I'm going to try to bring
his fever down."
"What makes you think you can do what the doctor couldn't? " "I'm
going to try. That's all. I have had some experience nursing the
sick. My grandmother was ill for a very long time."
"What happened to her? " "She died."
"So much for your nursing expertise." She lost her temper. "Will you
stop being so sarcastic? I simply don't have the time or inclination
to deal with it. Come over here and help me. One way or another,
Marshal Cooper is going to swallow the medicine."
"I don't thinkţ" She wouldn't let him finish. "Either help me or stay
out of my way.
Understood? " Daniel was astonished by her burst of anger. This was
the second time he'd seen her lose her composure. Lady Winthrop, he
decided, definitely had a dark side. The discovery made him smile.
Between the two of them, they were able to get most of the medicine
down him. She then pulled a chair up next to Cooper's side and began
to apply cold compresses to his forehead.
"Your fever was just as high as his, " she remarked.
"Maybe, but I didn't have a bullet hole in my side, and I wasn't
riddled with infection. The doctor says that's what's going to kill
him."
"When did you become such a pessimist? " she asked.
"When my wife and daughter were gunned down in a bank." The horrifying
admission stunned her. She dropped the compress she was holding and
watched Daniel restlessly pace in front of the window. She didn't know
what to say to him, and all she could think about was not crying in
front of him because she knew her reaction would make him angry.
Neither one of them spoke again for almost an hour. Then Grace finally
broke the silence. "Do you blame yourself? " "Yes."
"Why? " "I wasn't there to protect them, " he whispered. "That's
why."
"I see.
" "Aren't you going to argue? " She picked up the soaked cloth from
the basin, wrung the excess water out, and gently placed it on Cooper's