“Is she going to be all right?”
Gybbon started in surprise at the small voice speaking up beside him. He looked down at Andrew and wondered how he had missed the sound of the boy entering the room. The child looked terrified and Gybbon could understand. Mora was all the boy had left of what had sounded like a very decent family.
“I believe so. She has already lost most of the burn of the fever.”
“Then why did she get it again?”
“Lady Murray thinks that your sister just had too much sadness, and then there was all the trouble caused by Robert, a wound, worry, and even fear, and it proved to just be too much.”
“Mora is little but she is strong. My da said so.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned over to lightly hug his sister. “She e’en beat him at chess once and Maman said she was stunned for few grown men could do that.”
“Sheisgood at the game.”
Andrew stood up and tilted his head to the side as he asked, “Are ye staying here with her?”
“Weel, I think someone should, aye?”
“Aye, someone should. Good night, Sir Gybbon.”
“Good night, lad. Just where are ye sleeping?”
“With Benet and Joan’s lads at the end of the hall, so I willnae be verra far away if ye need to call me.”
“I will remember that. Sleep weel.”
He let the boy out and watched him run down to Benet’s door. To his surprise Benet and Joan’s two boys poked their heads out the door, grabbed hold of Andrew, and tugged him into the room. Gybbon hoped the boys suited each other well. Andrew could find himself with more brothers even if they were not blood connected. Bonds formed at their age could last a lifetime. Young as they were, all three could understand the fear, sorrow, and anger Andrew had bubbling inside him.
Stepping back into the bedroom and shutting the door, Gybbon returned to Mora’s bedside. He reached down to brush her hair back and froze. She was shivering, shivering hard, like some poor, naked beggar caught out in the snow. Despite telling himself it did not mean anything truly bad, he felt the touch of panic.
When Annys tended someone, he remembered that she always left a bell for the one who would sit with the sick person, one they could ring and Annys would come. He told himself to let the poor woman sleep, but then Mora hissed out the words “so cold” between tightly clenched teeth. Going to the door, he found the bell. He could still hear Mora mumbling behind him as he stepped out into the hall and rang the bell, before hurrying back to her side.
In just a few minutes Annys rushed in and hurried over to the bed. Deciding he would not mention that her voluminous night shift was on inside out and backward, Gybbon had to fight a grin. She looked at Mora, then dashed over to the chest set near the fire, opened it, and pulled out another blanket. He took it from her and spread it over a still shivering Mora. They did that twice more in the next hour, but Mora continued to shiver slightly.
“I have ne’er understood why this happens, but it often does,” said Annys. “I have ne’er had anyone appear to have suffered badly from it though. Dinnae look. I am just going to take another quick peek at her wound.”
Gybbon just shook his head. As soon as she had Mora’s night shift tugged up, he glanced at the wound himself. It looked healthy to him, still sealed and no hint of the poison that could too easily grow in such injuries, making even the smallest one become deadly. It was just an ugly reminder of how someone wished her dead and did not belong on such smooth, pale skin.
Annys stood up, put the night shift back in place, and pulled up the covers. “Just keep her warm and, if anything else changes, ring the bell.”
Gybbon looked at the door Annys had shut and decided it would have to be a big change and a worrisome one before he rang that bell again or he would never hear the end of it from Harcourt. He stood by the bed and wondered what he should do. The blankets had not solved the problem. Then he recalled what he had done from time to time when a boy forced to sleep in a cold room with other boys.
Smiling, he started to shed his clothes. When he was naked, he crawled under the covers, tugged her into his arms, and waited until her shivering stopped. Not long after, he decided that as soon as he could he would pull down a few of the blankets as it was too hot for him.
He lightly rubbed her back and she snuggled closer, putting her arms around him and laying her cheek against his chest. He could grow to like this, he thought, and smiled. Her night shift hid little of her shape when he held her so close. Curious if her skin felt as soft as it looked, he slipped his hand just under the hem and stroked her leg. Then he pulled his hand away with reluctance, knowing it was a grave trespass and not wishing to get caught and then have to try and explain what he had been doing. He had proven his suspicion. Her skin was as soft and smooth as it looked.
Moving just enough to reach out and turn down the added covers, he then held her close and closed his eyes. He would have a short rest, then return to just watching her for any sign of some new turn in her illness. Briefly peeking at Freya, who sprawled on the pillow near her head, he caught the cat watching him.
“Wake me when the sun starts to rise,” he said, and chuckled as he closed his eyes again.
* * *
Mora woke up slowly. She was so nice and warm when she could faintly recall being so very cold, the kind of cold that sank right down into your bones. Snuggling closer to the warmth, she suddenly realized that it was not a blanket wrapped around her legs. It was a leg. She shifted her legs a little. It was a big leg, too.
Cautiously, she opened her eyes and found herself staring at a big arm wrapped around her shoulders. Mora knew she should not be having so much trouble figuring this out, but it was as if her brain was wrapped in a fog. She turned her head and felt the slight tickle of hair against her nose.
It was hard, but she resisted the strong urge to leap out of bed. She felt no fear, which was odd, she thought. Leaning back a little, she looked up and saw Gybbon’s sleeping face. He looked years younger with his face relaxed in sleep.
That was why she had no fear, she decided. She also had no idea why he was in her bed and—she lifted the covers, then quickly put them back down—why he was naked. Glancing around, she saw no one else in the room and rested against him again.
