Bluebonnet Belle Read Free Page A

stemmed.
    Today, looking around at the crowd, he felt his worries were well founded.
    â€œJust try the compound for thirty days—”
    â€œExcuse me,” Gray called out above the growing din, interrupting Mrs. Pinkham’s sales pitch. “Ladies…”
    The sound level lessened enough for him to be heard.
    â€œIf you believe in potions, you’re placing your health in untrained hands! Your faith is better placed in educated physicians—”
    He’s just like all the others , April thought, irritated.
    A voice from the back interrupted. “My doctor says I have to ‘put up with pain’ because it’s ‘woman’s lot,’” she parroted. “Is that fair? Aren’t we deserving of more concern?”
    That’s what Mama should have done , April thought. Put up with the heavy bleeding until she could find something like Lydia’s tonic. The memory of her mother’s surgery and ensuing death fed April’s anger at the situation in which many women found themselves.
    â€œOf course you are,” Gray stated. “But you must be patient! We’re looking for remedies….”
    â€œHe’s as blind as all the others,” April murmured, her hands balling into tight fists. This arrogant man was going to be a thorn in her side, she could see that.
    â€œMy doctor prefers to talk to my husband, as if I didn’t have enough sense to know what he’s speaking about!”
    â€œAnd it was one of those ‘educated physicians’ who let my mother die,” April blurted.
    When Gray’s gaze swung to her, she wished she’d kept her temper in better control. Ordinarily she avoided drawing attention to herself, but today she couldn’t help it. He was a rude, boorish… man! She met his gaze, lifting her chin in defiance.
    â€œI say we take responsibility for our own bodies,” a tall, heavyset woman declared. “I’m buying two bottles right now.”
    The crowd shifted restlessly, and April watched the onslaught coming toward her with growing alarm. She braced herself, her gaze darting about for a quick escape if things got out of hand. Boxes of compound were stacked to her right, two bramble bushes grew to her left. Mentally groaning, she feverishly searched for an out. She’d have to make a break for the middle, and run straight at…him.
    She was sure Gray Fuller would recognize her now. Grandpa might look like a genial old Santa Claus without the beard, but when he was riled he didn’t have that jolly old person’s mild temperament.
    Far from it. The rotund octogenarian had a razor-sharp wit and a tongue to match.
    April was jolted back to the present as the crowd bore down on her, attempting to squeeze between the table holding the vegetable compound and boxes of the product.
    Aware that she wasn’t going to be able to get out of their way quickly enough, she braced herself for the attack.
    A robust matron hit her sideways, knocking her into the heavily laden table. Stumbling, her hand flailing for support, April braced again as she was slammed from the other side. When yet another hard bump came from the rear, she fell against the table, knocking bottles of compound over in a domino effect.
    Reaching out, she tried to save the batch of tonic from ruin, but the table legs collapsed, and it and the bottles tumbled to the ground with a thunderous crash of splitting boards and breaking glass.
    The women kept coming, undaunted.
    April was pushed forward onto the splintered table and broken bottles whose sticky contents were draining onto the earth below. She hit the ground with a thump.
    Attempting to get up, she was knocked aside, whacking her head on a piece of wood. Pain shot through her temple and everything went blurry as she fell back, clasping her palm to her eye.
    Silence fell over the crowd as all heads turned to her wilted figure.
    â€œOh, my!” a shrill voice exclaimed.