my tyrannical ways, lass.” He grinned. “Speaking of which, if you’re done with your meal, we’d best be off.”
She agreed hastily. As sore as she was, she preferred riding horseback—where she could hardly converse at all—to spending one more minute having such outrageous discussions with Daniel.
Leaning forward in her chair, she started to place weight on her legs, then froze. They were weaker than before. She wasn’t even sure she could stand.
And the last thing she wanted was for Daniel to realize it.
She forced a smile to her lips. “You go on out and speak to the ostler. I…er…need to…make use of the necessary. I’ll join you outside when I’m done.”
“All right.” With a scrape of his chair, he stood and waited for her to rise, so she made a show of drawing on her gloves, then removing her packet of cloves from her pocket. He finally shrugged and headed out of the common room.
As soon as he had gone, she popped a clove in her mouth and glanced furtively around. The room was still virtually deserted, with only the innkeeper’s daughter cleaning tables. She scooted her chair back and reached for her cane. She could do this. What did it matter if her legs felt shaky? Or her joints throbbed? All she had to do was hobble to the horse. Then Daniel would lift her into the saddle and she’d be fine.
She chewed a moment longer on her clove, futilely hoping the bitter spice might steel her for the task at hand, then discarded it on her plate. Clasping her cane in one hand and the edge of the table in the other, she pushed herself to a stand. She managed to stay on her feet long enough to take one step away from the table.
Then her legs buckled and she collapsed.
Chapter 7
And if you dare to kiss my lips
Sure of your body I will be.
“Thomas the Rhymer,”
anonymous ballad
D aniel was talking to the ostler when the innkeeper’s daughter ran out of the Blue Boar. “Sir, sir!” she called out. “Come at once! Your wife has fallen!”
Daniel’s heart dropped into his stomach. “What happened?” he asked, immediately heading for the inn.
“I’m not sure, sir. I—I was cleaning the tables and then I heard a crash—”
“And you left her there?” he growled and stalked past her.
She hastened after him. “Mama is with her.”
When they entered the common room, her mother was grumbling and futilely trying to lift Helena under the arms. Daniel took one look at the crooked position of Helena’s legs on the polished oak floor and felt his insides lurch sickeningly.
“Let me be!” Helena protested to the other woman with a face flushed scarlet. “Truly, madam, if you will just leave me alone for a moment, I can—”
“I’ll take care of her,” Daniel told the blundering older woman, who was only too happy to relinquish her responsibility. Striding to Helena’s side, Daniel bent and scooped her up in his arms.
“No, you can’t…you must put me down…it’s not prop—”
“Stubble it,” he growled under his breath, “before you give everything away.”
Though her blush crept to her ears, she hooked her arms about his neck and clung to him as he stalked toward the door to the common room.
“Have you a parlor where my wife and I can be private?” he threw back over his shoulder at the innkeeper’s wife.
“Yes, sir. Second door to the right once you reach the hall.”
“There’s no need for this,” Helena whimpered as he headed that way. “If you will just set me on my feet—”
“So you can fall again?” he muttered. “Not bloody likely.”
He entered the parlor, kicked the door shut behind him, then strode to a settee and lowered her onto it. As soon as he released her, she tried to stand but couldn’t manage it, and her pathetic attempt made him furious, as much at himself as at her.
“Don’t you dare try to get up!” He glowered down ather. “Tell me, Helena. When was the last time you rode a horse?”
“J-just a few weeks
She agreed hastily. As sore as she was, she preferred riding horseback—where she could hardly converse at all—to spending one more minute having such outrageous discussions with Daniel.
Leaning forward in her chair, she started to place weight on her legs, then froze. They were weaker than before. She wasn’t even sure she could stand.
And the last thing she wanted was for Daniel to realize it.
She forced a smile to her lips. “You go on out and speak to the ostler. I…er…need to…make use of the necessary. I’ll join you outside when I’m done.”
“All right.” With a scrape of his chair, he stood and waited for her to rise, so she made a show of drawing on her gloves, then removing her packet of cloves from her pocket. He finally shrugged and headed out of the common room.
As soon as he had gone, she popped a clove in her mouth and glanced furtively around. The room was still virtually deserted, with only the innkeeper’s daughter cleaning tables. She scooted her chair back and reached for her cane. She could do this. What did it matter if her legs felt shaky? Or her joints throbbed? All she had to do was hobble to the horse. Then Daniel would lift her into the saddle and she’d be fine.
She chewed a moment longer on her clove, futilely hoping the bitter spice might steel her for the task at hand, then discarded it on her plate. Clasping her cane in one hand and the edge of the table in the other, she pushed herself to a stand. She managed to stay on her feet long enough to take one step away from the table.
Then her legs buckled and she collapsed.
Chapter 7
And if you dare to kiss my lips
Sure of your body I will be.
“Thomas the Rhymer,”
anonymous ballad
D aniel was talking to the ostler when the innkeeper’s daughter ran out of the Blue Boar. “Sir, sir!” she called out. “Come at once! Your wife has fallen!”
Daniel’s heart dropped into his stomach. “What happened?” he asked, immediately heading for the inn.
“I’m not sure, sir. I—I was cleaning the tables and then I heard a crash—”
“And you left her there?” he growled and stalked past her.
She hastened after him. “Mama is with her.”
When they entered the common room, her mother was grumbling and futilely trying to lift Helena under the arms. Daniel took one look at the crooked position of Helena’s legs on the polished oak floor and felt his insides lurch sickeningly.
“Let me be!” Helena protested to the other woman with a face flushed scarlet. “Truly, madam, if you will just leave me alone for a moment, I can—”
“I’ll take care of her,” Daniel told the blundering older woman, who was only too happy to relinquish her responsibility. Striding to Helena’s side, Daniel bent and scooped her up in his arms.
“No, you can’t…you must put me down…it’s not prop—”
“Stubble it,” he growled under his breath, “before you give everything away.”
Though her blush crept to her ears, she hooked her arms about his neck and clung to him as he stalked toward the door to the common room.
“Have you a parlor where my wife and I can be private?” he threw back over his shoulder at the innkeeper’s wife.
“Yes, sir. Second door to the right once you reach the hall.”
“There’s no need for this,” Helena whimpered as he headed that way. “If you will just set me on my feet—”
“So you can fall again?” he muttered. “Not bloody likely.”
He entered the parlor, kicked the door shut behind him, then strode to a settee and lowered her onto it. As soon as he released her, she tried to stand but couldn’t manage it, and her pathetic attempt made him furious, as much at himself as at her.
“Don’t you dare try to get up!” He glowered down ather. “Tell me, Helena. When was the last time you rode a horse?”
“J-just a few weeks
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