“Give it to me now.”
She blew out a breath, puffing out her cheeks, and Fergus found it adorable.
“She has just taken her first dose of medicine. It’ll take a few days to start workin’, and things might get worse before they get better.”
Fergus frowned. “Aye? What does that mean?”
“It means the medicine takes a while to get into her system. That she might cough more for a few days until she gets the bad out of her lungs.”
“I suppose it cannae be helped.”
“It cannae,” Jeane agreed. “But I swear to ye, I’m doin’ all I can to make her better.”
“I believe that.”
“Do ye?”
“Aye. If I didnae, things wouldnae be so calm between us, little mouse.”
“I daenae know if I’d call it calm,” she drawled, and Fergus fought a smile.
“What would ye call it then, lass?”
“I daenae ken,” she said quietly, looking away from him. “I suppose we daenae have a bad workin’ relationship.”
“Workin’ relationship? We’re betrothed, lass. I’d say we are beyond a workin’ relationship.”
Jeane glared at him, glancing around at the other men at the table. The staff was already clearing up, but Mary brought Fergus a heaping plate. He started to eat in earnest as Jeane picked at her stew.
“Ye arenae eatin’ enough.”
“I am,” Jeane assured him. “My stomach has been a bit off.”
He frowned. “Are ye sick?”
She shook her head. “Nay. Just unused to all this fine food.”
“Doesnae yer father feed ye?”
She gave him a small, bitter smile. “Nae like this.”
Fergus frowned. The more he learned about Bennet Forrest, the more he hated him.
“Well, ye can eat all ye like here, lass.”
“Aye,” she said quietly, looking up at him with those big doe eyes.
Fergus let out a breath. “I’d like to take ye back to yer chambers.”
“Are ye askin’ to walk me there?” Jeane asked, with a teasing lilt to her voice.
Fergus’ eyes widened. Was the lass flirting with him? He had not had a woman look at him without fear in so many years; it was hard to tell.
“Aye,” he said quietly.
“I thought ye didnae ask things like that. Thought ye just took.”
Fergus startled at her words. He supposed it did not look good, his kidnapping her from the woods and forcing her into work, but it had quickly become more than that.
