Page 35 of A Potion for Passion

“I’m afeared they might. They chased me all the way from Maiden Hill to Dorchester, shouting about some ship that went down.”

Flora shuddered, and mentally crushed an unwelcome image of Frank Mullen thrashing around in the water as the Maria Parva sank.

“What do I know about a shipwreck what was caused deliberate-like?” the man added, stealing a glance at her. “No more than the next man. Must be some fellow they’re after looks like me. Didn’t stay to find out.”

Lawrence sucked on his lip while Flora hovered uncertainly at the front of the wagon. She thought about the sword Lawrence kept propped up by the entrance, and the pistol beneath the cushions. If the soldiers stormed the vehicle, a battle royal would ensue. She didn’t want Lawrence hurt. She didn’t know what he was hiding, or why he might want to protect Weasel Face, but right now she had no choice but to throw her lot in with them. “If they’ve only got a description to go on,” she said, “couldn’t we just change the appearance of your customer?”

Lawrence tilted his head, then treated her to a grin.

Oh, goodness! The man was so handsome. Especially when he smiled. It wasn’t really surprising she’d thrown herself at him this morning and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.

“My dear, you’re a genius. Our friend won’t like it, but if it saves his wretched hide, he’ll just have to put up with it. Sir, I understand you have a toothache.”

The man scowled. “No, I don’t. Well, not enough to merit—No, wait. You wouldn’t!”

“It’s the best strategy. No one who’s had a tooth pulled looks quite the same after. Those soldiers won’t know you.”

“Heaven help me, no!” The gentleman made to leap up from his seat, but Lawrence’s strong arm prevented him.

“It’s the only way,” Lawrence said firmly. “Take it or leave it. And to ease the pain…”

“Yes?” asked the man hopefully.

“I won’t charge you for the privilege.”

Flora hid her smile. “Are you sure we should be helping this person? What if he is a lawbreaker or deserter? We could both swing for aiding him.”

“As I told you before, this is a different world,” Lawrence answered. “We help each other when we can.”

She gave a reluctant nod.

“You’ll have to hold him while I do the pulling,” he said. “If the tooth is in good condition, it’ll be harder to get out.”

Their visitor no longer looked cruel and calculating. He looked terrified. “You’re going to pull a healthy tooth?” Weasel Face asked, eyes wild.

“It’s the only way, sir,” Lawrence said. “Wouldn’t you rather lose a tooth than your life?”

The man made a strangled noise.

“I promise to take the least healthy one. I’ll get my tools. Julietta, can you wind this muslin into a couple of wads? Small ones, to keep the cheek away from the gum. We’ll leave them in afterward, to make the swelling look worse. Our friend will be even harder to recognize.”

“Swelling?” A sweat broke out on what she could see of the man’s brow.

For a moment, she wondered how she could agree to be party to such an act of violence. Yet, some instinct made her remain and roll up the cloth.

What was the man’s crime? She didn’t for a minute believe his story of mistaken identity. Maybe he really had been scavenging illegally from a shipwreck. Or perhaps their hapless customer was a soldier who’d deserted. The calluses on his cracked, red hands suggested he was a laborer, though, perhaps in the fields, or on a fishing boat?

Her speculations were interrupted by Lawrence taking the wads from her and soaking them in something that smelled like brandy but had no color. These he placed in their patient’s mouth and bade him open up so he could look inside and select a suitable tooth.

“That one looks a bit black. How does it feel when I tap it?”

The man’s fists clenched as he made a gulping sound.

“I guessed as much. I’m going to have to dig around. Julietta, hold him down, will you?”

She swallowed hard. The moment of truth was fast approaching, and she was overcome with dread. She’d never deliberately inflicted pain on another human being, nor allowed anyone else to do so. Lucinda was always calling her soft, but until now, she’d always felt it was a good thing to be, not a bad one.

She leaned her entire weight against the gentleman as he squirmed and twitched in response to Lawrence’s prodding.