The Marriage Cure by Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy Read Free Book Online Page A

smile but he had not yet . The good humor he often displayed, the sharp wit delighted her for Henry was humorless, unwilling to joke or laugh as unlike her father as day from night . The flashes of good craic Johnny demonstrated made her see the man he was, before, and God willing could be again, a light-hearted man with inner strength, a man of courage.
    His hunger pleased her; it was a sign he would get well . He devoured the small game and fish she brought but he should have more . Sabetha thought about sacrificing one of her chickens to the cook pot but they all were good layers and she hated to lose one . A fat turkey would be nicer, she mused, remembering where in her foraging she saw turkeys . They roosted in the top of a great walnut tree at the top of the ridge above her valley . Setting snares would take too long so in the morning, she vowed she would take down Sweet Betsy, the old flintlock rifle her Da put into her hands when she left Kentucky, and shoot a turkey.
    Although the old gun was taller than she was, a full six feet long, and heavy, Sabetha could shoot it well . Da taught her along with the boys, although it had been some time since she used it . Both shot and powder were in short supply but there would be enough to go hunting at dawn.
    Before she left in the faint milk light, Sabetha poured two thimbles full of black powder into Sweet Betsy’s muzzle, added a square of cloth, and then the lead ball . She forced it all down with the ramrod, packing it tight . She would have one shot on the ridge, after she primed the pan but it should be enough . With enough powder in hand, she crept from the cabin on bare feet, closing the door behind her without a sound . God willing, she would be back, bird in hand, long before Johnny awoke.

Chapter Five

    Johnny Devaney

    He awakened with slow pleasure, savoring the comfort of the bed beneath him, the pillow under his head, and the heady feel of returning strength . He would get out of bed again today, maybe venture outside if he could coax Sabetha that it would do him no harm . By the time he opened his eyes fully, sunshine streamed through the chinks in the cabin wall and he realized it was very quiet, no sound in the cabin save the whisper of the fire . Wherever she was, it would not be far, he thought, and contemplated maneuvering into the rocker unaided . That would surprise her and show her that he was stronger, well enough to go outdoors.
    Just as he began to wiggle toward sitting up, the first step toward rising, he heard the unmistakable roar of a musket . He glanced above the fireplace, above the mantle shelf where an ancient flintlock rifle hung and found it gone . She was hunting, then, he thought and if she were as capable with the rifle as with all else, she would be fine . Few women he knew could handle a gun or shoot but if any woman could, it would be Sabetha.
    He swung his legs over the side of the bed, prepared this time for the rush of wooziness that came and had just put his feet to the floor when he heard a scream . No bean sidhe could have screeched louder, he thought, heart pounding . With no other woman near, it was Sabetha . Without thought, he paddled across the floor, snatching up his knife from the mantle where it lay next to his clean, folded buckskins and stepped outside.
    Johnny stopped, his breath ragged and knees shaking so hard he could barely stand . The shift from the dim cabin to the bright light of day dazzled him, disconcerted him even more than his weakness . All the wee buds and tiny leaves just bursting out when he last set foot on solid earth had exploded into a green tangle that overwhelmed him . He could not admire the greenery, though, not when she needed help.
    â€œSabetha!” h e shouted. “ Caw duit ?”
    She did not answer but he thought, head swimming, legs trembling, that he might faint before he could find her . He backed up so that he leaned against the cabin wall and tried to put his head down