riding.”
Suddenly the door opened and the woman came out. She almost ran into Fen before she stopped. “What are you doing here?” she yelled.
Fen shook so badly she dropped the bundle of petticoats, then she turned and ran back downstairs.
Angus did not go up to the house until suppertime. He had no appetite, so it didn’t matter to him that he missed meals. At midday, he had eaten a stale bannock he had found in one of his pockets. He wasn’t hungry now, but he wanted to find out what was happening with Lord Callander…and Em.
He had taken only a few bites of Essie’s rabbit stew when Fen came in, carrying a tray.
“Well?” asked Essie.
Fen shook her head. “She willna eat nor drink. She just cries.” Angus noticed the gleam of tears in Fen’s own eyes.
“All right then,” Essie said. “Go about yer chores, girl.”
Fen set the tray down and left the room. Angus tried to finish his meal, but the food stuck in his throat. He finally gave up and stood to leave.
“Will you take the tray up to her, Angus?”
Startled by her words, he turned to the cook and asked, “Why me?”
“Because o’ the way ye took charge after the accident. Lord Callander is a strong master, despite his weak legs. The lass is strong too, in her own way, but this has taken all the starch out of her. She needs a firm hand right now, otherwise she’ll end up worse off than milord and he’ll need her when he wakes up.” Essie said it as if Callander were only sleeping. “I’ve ne’er seen two people more in love. I pray God milord recovers from this and they can at least have a wee bit more time together.”
The cook’s words forced Angus to again realize what a fool he had been and how badly he had treated Em. He picked up the tray. “I’ll see what I can do.”
As he ascended the stairs, his heart grew heavier with each step. He had to face her sometime, now was as good as any. His mind raced to form the words of his apology and he thought he had it ready when he got to Lord Callander’s bedchamber.
He knocked on the door and heard a soft voice say, “Come in.”
Angus shifted the tray to one arm and opened the door. The only light in the room came from the fireplace. He was glad to see that Hamish had kept the fire burning brightly, but no one had bothered to light the lamps.
Emily knelt in the shadows next to Callander’s bed, her eyes closed and her hands working the beads of a rosary. She glanced up as Angus entered but went back to her prayers without acknowledging him.
This isn’t going to be easy , he thought. But he knew it was no less than he deserved.
He walked around the bed to the side where Em knelt. A lamp and a bowl of clean water holding several linen cloths took up most of the space on the nightstand. He glanced at Lord Callander and saw that Em had applied the rags to the knot on her husband’s brow.
Angus moved the bowl to the floor and pushed aside the lamp, then set the tray down. “Orders from Essie,” he said. “Ye must eat.”
She ignored him. He watched her delicate fingers caress each bead as she prayed and thought of how those hands would feel on his body. He shook his head to clear his mind of that thought. Why torture himself with something that could never happen?
He reached down to light the lamp on the bedside table. When he saw her face clearly for the first time since entering the room, his carefully crafted apology fled his brain. “Holy God, lass,” he breathed and dropped into a chair next to the table.
Her eyes were nearly swollen shut and red-rimmed from crying. Red streaks from wiping away the tears stained her cheeks and her nose was almost raw from blowing it.
“Ye’ve nearly cried yerself dry.”
She slowly turned her face toward him. Her voice hoarse, she asked, “Why should you care?”
He squeezed his eyes shut against her frank look and
Suddenly the door opened and the woman came out. She almost ran into Fen before she stopped. “What are you doing here?” she yelled.
Fen shook so badly she dropped the bundle of petticoats, then she turned and ran back downstairs.
Angus did not go up to the house until suppertime. He had no appetite, so it didn’t matter to him that he missed meals. At midday, he had eaten a stale bannock he had found in one of his pockets. He wasn’t hungry now, but he wanted to find out what was happening with Lord Callander…and Em.
He had taken only a few bites of Essie’s rabbit stew when Fen came in, carrying a tray.
“Well?” asked Essie.
Fen shook her head. “She willna eat nor drink. She just cries.” Angus noticed the gleam of tears in Fen’s own eyes.
“All right then,” Essie said. “Go about yer chores, girl.”
Fen set the tray down and left the room. Angus tried to finish his meal, but the food stuck in his throat. He finally gave up and stood to leave.
“Will you take the tray up to her, Angus?”
Startled by her words, he turned to the cook and asked, “Why me?”
“Because o’ the way ye took charge after the accident. Lord Callander is a strong master, despite his weak legs. The lass is strong too, in her own way, but this has taken all the starch out of her. She needs a firm hand right now, otherwise she’ll end up worse off than milord and he’ll need her when he wakes up.” Essie said it as if Callander were only sleeping. “I’ve ne’er seen two people more in love. I pray God milord recovers from this and they can at least have a wee bit more time together.”
The cook’s words forced Angus to again realize what a fool he had been and how badly he had treated Em. He picked up the tray. “I’ll see what I can do.”
As he ascended the stairs, his heart grew heavier with each step. He had to face her sometime, now was as good as any. His mind raced to form the words of his apology and he thought he had it ready when he got to Lord Callander’s bedchamber.
He knocked on the door and heard a soft voice say, “Come in.”
Angus shifted the tray to one arm and opened the door. The only light in the room came from the fireplace. He was glad to see that Hamish had kept the fire burning brightly, but no one had bothered to light the lamps.
Emily knelt in the shadows next to Callander’s bed, her eyes closed and her hands working the beads of a rosary. She glanced up as Angus entered but went back to her prayers without acknowledging him.
This isn’t going to be easy , he thought. But he knew it was no less than he deserved.
He walked around the bed to the side where Em knelt. A lamp and a bowl of clean water holding several linen cloths took up most of the space on the nightstand. He glanced at Lord Callander and saw that Em had applied the rags to the knot on her husband’s brow.
Angus moved the bowl to the floor and pushed aside the lamp, then set the tray down. “Orders from Essie,” he said. “Ye must eat.”
She ignored him. He watched her delicate fingers caress each bead as she prayed and thought of how those hands would feel on his body. He shook his head to clear his mind of that thought. Why torture himself with something that could never happen?
He reached down to light the lamp on the bedside table. When he saw her face clearly for the first time since entering the room, his carefully crafted apology fled his brain. “Holy God, lass,” he breathed and dropped into a chair next to the table.
Her eyes were nearly swollen shut and red-rimmed from crying. Red streaks from wiping away the tears stained her cheeks and her nose was almost raw from blowing it.
“Ye’ve nearly cried yerself dry.”
She slowly turned her face toward him. Her voice hoarse, she asked, “Why should you care?”
He squeezed his eyes shut against her frank look and
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