What had she said in her dream? “What?”
“You were smiling and muttering about something being ‘so good.’”
Heat shot up her neck and into her face. “I have no idea. Perhaps the ginger cake you offered me yesterday when I stopped in to pester you for a donation. It was delicious.”
He grinned. “If you say so.”
“What time is it?” She tried to sit up, but he placed a hand lightly on her uninjured shoulder to stop her.
“Almost noon. I was beginning to think you would sleep through the entire day. Not that it matters, because it is still snowing hard and you are not going anywhere. Let me help you, if you insist on sitting up. I don’t want you hurting yourself.” He leaned in close and circled his arms around her body to gently shift her into an upright position.
His hands felt divine, so big and warm and rough.
“Better?”
She nodded.
And tried hard not to inhale his magical scent that also held a trace of male heat. But she could not stop herself from breathing him in.
She sniffed, trying to mask it as more of a sniffle.
He frowned. “Are you coming down with a cold?”
“No, just clearing my nasal cavities.”Dear heaven.“As I do every morning. Do you not do the same?”
“I suppose. Sometimes.”
“It will pass shortly and I’ll be right as rain.”Sniff. Sniff.
Good grief, this man was too delicious and ought to be outlawed.
He regarded her oddly, and then shook his head. “How did you sleep?”
“I got through a few good hours without too much discomfort. But mostly I drifted in and out of sleep until finally managing these solid hours this morning. I am still tired, however. The pain has taken quite a bit out of me.”
“We have laudanum. Why don’t I give you some now?”
“No, I did not want it last night and will not need it now.” Laudanum given in a dose strong enough to alleviate her pain would also loosen her tongue and reveal secret thoughtsand desires that were better left unsaid. She would die of mortification if he ever discovered how much she liked him.
No, she could never give herself away.
He sighed as he sank into the chair beside her. “Let me have a look at your wrist.”
Since she could not move it without feeling pain, he gently took it in his grasp and unwound the bandage he had put around it last night. “The swelling has gone down quite a bit.”
She nodded.
“Does it hurt you as I touch it now?”
“Only a little,” she said, knowing he was being very gentle. “Mostly, I feel pain when I move it around. So I am trying hard to hold it still.”
“We’ll give it another day before I have you exercise it.” He released her carefully. “Are you hungry? Care to dine with me?”
She glanced around the room.
The curtains had been drawn back to allow in the morning light, as much of it as there was in the midst of this ongoing blizzard. But she liked to watch the snow fall and felt calmed by the graceful swirl of those beautiful snowflakes as they were tossed about in the wind and softly smacked against the windows. “Where is Martha?”
“Mrs. Fitch relieved her several hours ago. But a housekeeper has daily duties that cannot be put off, so she had to leave you alone for a few minutes. She’ll send up another of the maids to sit by your side.”
