They Gave the Doomed Duke the Wrong Bride novel · Chapter 12 of 32

Chapter 12: Hello, Husband

"Get him in the wagon," I said.

The sergeant and two of his boys lifted him.

He was heavy and limp, and his head rolled against the sergeant's shoulder.

Isobel walked beside him with her hand still pressed to his side.

"What do you need?" she said.

"Boiling water. Clean linen. Every lamp we have." I was already climbing into the wagon. "And keep Ned out."

"I want to help," Ned said.

"You can help by catching the cook a fish," I said. "She'll need broth for him by morning."

He looked at the wagon. At his mother's face.

"Is Rook going to die?"

"Not if I can help it."

"Mother's crying."

"Your mother's grateful," I said. "He pulled you out of a river. Go."

He went.

The sergeant posted two guards on the wagon without being asked.

I stepped into the Larder for the Draycott stillroom.

Willow bark. Honey.

A jar of my mother's black drawing salve that I'd carried since I was twelve and never once used. Clean needles.

Strong spirits from the duke's own cellar.

My mother used to say a hedge-wife's first tool is a sharp knife and the second is not fainting.

I put the knife in the lamp flame until it glowed.

Isobel held the lamp.

"You've done this before?" she said.

"I've watched my mother do it. On a farmer's son. With a pitchfork."

"Did he live?"

"He was very rude about it afterwards."

She almost laughed. It came out as a sob.

I cut the arrow out.

He woke up halfway through and swore, a long filthy soldier's string of it, and Isobel put her hand over his mouth and said, "Language," and he went back under.

The arrowhead came out whole.

I poured spirits into the hole until the gray edges of it turned pink.

← Chapter 11 · All chapters · Chapter 13 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend