“A man was angry and came after me, and Ben stopped him.” Invisible bands wrapped around Rose’s chest and squeezed as she spoke. Ben couldn’t stand her. Why would he put his own safety in jeopardy for her?
Cass nodded once. “Abby, go get some fresh linens from Miss Restell and some whiskey. Rose, sit on his other side. Garrett, make sure no one else is hurt.”
Abby and Garrett darted from the room as Cass helped Ben sit up, prodding at his shoulder. Ben bit his lip and grimaced, but didn’t make a sound under her manipulations.
“Is it bad?” Rose asked as she sat beside him, her thigh pressed against his.
“Dislocated,” Cass replied. “Hurts like hell, but it will heal. I’m going to push the joint back in the socket. I need you to brace him. Hold his chest so he won’t move.”
Bile rose in Rose’s throat as she twisted her torso to wrap one arm around Ben’s chest, pressing her front to his. “I’m so sorry, Ben.” She had been in New York for a mere three days and already she was causing difficulty for those around her.
He was stiff as stone, the only sign of his distress his rapid breath fluttering against her temple. “You’re going to be fine,” she murmured, and she felt his chin dip in a brief nod.
Cass lifted his arm and bent it at the elbow and Ben groaned, a low sound Rose felt more than heard. He buried his head against her neck, his lips moving against her skin with each exhalation. The muscles in his chest and shoulders bunched and trembled. She wrapped her other arm around his back, stroking over the thin, damp linen to feel the muscle underneath. She wished she could absorb some of his pain, take on his burden. He had already dealt with so much.
“Hold him steady,” Cass said, and Rose pressed her chest more firmly against his. His uninjured arm gripped her hip, and his fingers flexed on her flesh as Cass pushed the bone into place. He moaned low in his chest and Rose held him tighter as he clung to her, shuddering.
Abby burst into the room, and Cass accepted the linens from her hands. Rose continued to brace Ben as his breathing slowed, and he made no move to leave her arms until Cass eased his shoulders back. His eyes met Rose’s and held for a long moment before he blinked and looked away.
Standing, Rose smoothed her skirts as her heart raced. Abby watched her with a curious expression, then resumed helping Cass fix a sling out of a length of cloth.
“You’ll have to wear the sling for a week at least,” Cass said as she tied off the material in a knot by Ben’s neck. Abby handed him a small glass full of amber liquid, and he tossed it back in a single swallow and winced as his chest heaved.
Rose wanted to wrap her arms around him again, pull him close and whisper soothing words in his ear. The urge was so strong, she gripped her skirts to keep her hands in place. “I’ll make some tea,” Rose said in a rush, falling back on the universal British aid for those in distress as she hastened into the kitchen.
Abby was behind her a moment later, lighting the stove as Rose fumbled with the kettle. “Rose, are you well?”
“Do you have any tea?” Rose hoped her cousin couldn’t see the flush in her cheeks.
“Of course,” Abby said as she pulled a box down from a shelf. She took Rose by the elbow and turned her. “Were you hurt at the rally?”
“No.” She realized her hands trembled, and she shoved them in her pockets.
“Did something happen with Ben? I saw him with you when the chaos started.”
“No,” Rose muttered, wishing she was back on the sofa, holding Ben. “He was injured trying to protect me.”
Abby pursed her lips then turned towards the stove, packed tea into an infuser and lifted two mugs from the shelf. While she busied herself, Rose slowed her breathing and tried to make sense of the emotions bouncing around in her mind. She had never been so close to danger before. A mansworeat her! Someone had fired agun!Her adrenaline ebbed to be replaced with nausea, and she gripped the edge of the stove to steady herself.
Abby lifted the hissing kettle and dipped the infuser inside. “Go sit down,” she said. “You’re nearly as green as Ben.”
By the time Rose returned to the parlor, Ben was sitting up, color returning to his cheeks. Abby offered him a cup of tea and he accepted it gingerly with his uninjured arm, slopping a bit on his shirt as he lifted it to his lips.
“It had to be my right hand,” he muttered as he put down his teacup, then dabbed at his chest with a napkin.
“Perhaps you will actually rest for a bit,” Cass chided. “You can’t hold a hammer or a pen, but you could put your feet up.”
Ben shook his head, a raven-black lock falling over his forehead. “There is too much correspondence to manage, especially with these new restrictions. Our supporters will be scared off after today.” He clenched his jaw. “We’ll be starting over again.”
Cass bristled and squared her shoulders. “These lawmakers refuse to support the poor women of this city, then forbid us from taking precautions to avoid pregnancy.”
“It’s illegal for midwives to discuss methods of preventing a baby,” Abby told Rose. “Contraception is impossible to find here.”
“Unless you’re wealthy,” Ben interrupted, his eyes darting to Rose.
A flare lit in her belly as she met his stare. “I can write letters. I have excellent penmanship.”
The room was silent for a long moment. “That’s not a terrible option, Ben,” Abby said. “I can’t help, not with the orders I received for this week, and Cass is working with Miss Restell.”
