All the Wrong Reasons

Part 17

Chapter 17

Colin stared at his wife’s rigid back as she knelt over the man.  He winced as she brought the needle through his skin once more.  He had taken as long as he could outside trying to find a suitable instrument to use before finally building up enough courage to enter.  Seeing her still working brought back feelings of a queasy stomach.

“Cassandra,” Colin said, “Do you need this stick?”

“Yes, please,” was his mumbled response. 

Colin closed his eyes and tilted his head back.  He had forgotten that he was excluded from Cassie; excluded from her smiles, laughter, and the simple warmth she radiated off her body.  He realized that he was a cad as she had said for a gentleman would never call his wife hurtful names.

Opening his eyes, he leveled them on Peirce.  His friend gave him a tiny smile, but didn’t explain what he and Cassie had been talking about minutes before Colin had walked in.  Colin wasn’t one to pry, but his wife remained a mystery.

“Will you bring it here?” she snapped.

Colin turned to look at her, but still got only her back.  If his wife wanted to be stubborn, he would force her to look at him.  Walking around the man’s body, he stood on the opposite side of Cassie.  She reached up blindingly for the large, durable stick he had found, but Colin moved it out of the way.

This continued a couple more times, before she finally gave a frustrated huff and glanced up.  He bent his knees, and the first thing her eyes landed on was his face.  He saw her intake of breath, and couldn’t help but let a smile full of masculine pride cross his face.  It was nice knowing that the woman he wanted reciprocated those feelings.

Her eyes flew away from his as she snatched the stick from his hands.  Grabbing the man’s arm, she straightened it with a wince.  Colin could tell by looking at her face that it was not something she enjoyed doing.  No matter how much she talked about wanting to hurt the man, she couldn’t go through with it.

“Peirce, will you please hand me the cloth strips from my bag,” Cassie asked without a glance in Colin’s direction.

Colin bit his lip in frustration.  Was his wife now pretending he did not exist?  Did his presence not mean anything to her for her presence sent his nerves on edge?  He knew when she walked into a room, he knew when she left.  He could glance at her and tell what she was feeling.  This was just after two days.  Colin couldn’t even imagine being lucky enough to spend a lifetime with her.

He watched as Peirce held the man’s arm still and Cassie tied the cloth pieces around the arm and stick.  He had seen people do this before in order to allow the bone to heal correctly, but he did not know how Cassie would understand what she was doing.  Her father did not dabble in the medicines.  Colin guessed that Cassie’s mother could have taught her daughter some things over the years.  There was no other explanation for it.

“I am finished,” Cassie said while standing.  Swiping her hands on her skirts, she looked Colin in the eyes. “I shall not take the rest of his clothing off.  That can be your job, or you can drag him to your doctor.  Frankly, I would not be able to promise that certain members would be unmarred when I am finished.”

Peirce smiled at Cassandra, while Colin just stared in shock.  Her dress whirled as she turned and headed for the stairs.  Colin knew that she was going to check on the boy, but she had left with her pride.  She might have worked on the man, but she still would not ease his pain.

“I do not understand her,” Colin said while sliding to the floor away from the blood.

Peirce let out a chuckle. “I understand her too well.”