Edith shook her head.”She’s cold, Sir. Cold as death. Here, feel for yourself.”
She snatched Ben's hand and deposited the sleeping woman’s hands into it.
He stared down at them, small, slender, delicate—like her. Edith was correct, the mysterious woman was freezing. Ben covered her hands with both of his and rubbed. “Get her more blankets, and have braziers brought in.”
“But, Sir, I have been putting braziers in her bed all morning,” Edith told him. “She’s still has not warmed.”
Ben closed his eyes for an instant and then looked up to heaven when they opened again. He was never going to hear the end of this from Prudence. No matter. He was heir to his father’s estate. The money was mostly his.
“Call for the physician. Tell him it’s urgent.”
“Yes, Sir,” Edith bowed and hurried away.
Alone with the sleeping beauty behind piles of fruits, grains, and fresh herbs, Ben sat in the chair Edith had left empty. He let his dark gaze rove over the woman’s form, her face. Her complexion was paler than it had been earlier. Was she getting sicker? Why had she chosen his garden to pray and then to faint in his arms? Why had he taken her in? Was he responsible for her now? He ran his hand down his face. He was responsible to the king. He touched his hand to his shoulder as he rolled it. That was enough. He didn’t want to take this woman in, as if she were some helpless cat that needed a home, and protect her from a man who was chasing her. What did the man intend to do if he caught her?
“No.”
He leaped up at the sound of her then leaned down with his ear close to her lips. When she remained quiet and still, he turned his face to see her and felt her breath blend with his. He was too close. “Don’t try to speak. Rest.”
He didn’t know if she heard him or not, or why his voice had gone soft when he spoke to her. It made him want to grumble under his breath, but Stephen told him he did it often and it was unbecoming to a soldier.
“No! Leave me alone!” She didn’t cry out, seeming to only have enough breath and strength to speak quietly. “Stop! No…you can’t have it. I have to find…a way home.”
“Lady?” he said just as quietly. But she didn’t respond. Who was she running from? Her husband? Father? Whoever he was, he’d put a sword to her throat. Bastard. Where was her home?
“Your Grace,” Edith rushed back to the bed. In her arms, she carried four folded blankets. “The physician is on his way.” She dropped the extra blankets onto the bed, then unfolded the first to spread over the woman. Her gaze fell to something on the bed and she cast him a curious look.
He followed her gaze to where his hand grasped the mystery woman’s own hand. He pulled it away. For a moment, he felt as if he were standing on a ledge and his next step could be life or death. What was wrong with him? A woman in trouble falls into his arms and he can’t seem to leave her bedside? He needed more purpose, he told himself. He’d gone from the frightening thrill of being on the battlefield, blood rushing through his veins from his constantly pounding heart to being idle for a large part of the day. Either boredom or–
“Do you think she could be ill and it could be contagious?” he asked.
Edith blinked and took a step back.
“Leave the diagnosis to the physician, not to a servant, eh?” Barnaby Greeves, the town’s physician, entered the kitchen and strode to the back of it. Prudence and Sudbury followed behind him.
“Are you going to pay for a physician for her?” Prudence gave him a slight sneer while the physician examined the woman in the bed and removed her footwear.
“Yes.”
The sneer faded and worry creased her brow. “Why? Who is she? Who is her family?”
He clenched his jaw and kept his gaze on the patient. “Should I toss her to the side of the road?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” she asked, sincerely perplexed. When it came to helping others, his sister only helped those who could benefit her. There was no use trying to answer her question.
“Benjamin?” she demanded when he didn’t answer her.
“Prudence?” The earl of Sudbury stepped forward. “What are you doing? You will not badger him about his code. Not another word or I’ll carry you out over my shoulder.” He stared down at her from all six feet seven inches of him. He never used his size to intimidate her before. Ben was glad he stepped in now.
“Her body temperature is very low,” the physician announced, stepping back. “But I don’t think the cause is anything nefarious. She seems to be suffering from hunger and severe fatigue. She has traveled a great distance. Look here at her feet.” The physician pulled back all her blankets and exposed her bare legs and feet. The latter were rubbed raw. Both feet suffered the same blistered, bloody condition. Ben’s stomach knotted and his chest felt tight. Prudence sighed and looked away.
“I’d like for her to stay rested,” the physician continued. “Don’t move her, save only to try to get her to eat. Begin with soup today. Her stomach is weak from not eating and anything other than liquid could do more harm than good.”
Edith nodded.
“How long must we care for her?” Prudence asked the physician and was promptly hauled over Sudbury’s shoulder and taken away.
Ben looked down at the sleeping woman. He’d done everything he could. There was nothing left for him to do but trust her to Edith’s care. As he was practicing his swordplay, he couldn’t help how often he thought about her. But he tried with all his might to refocus on his task at hand. He needed to become stronger. and he wouldn’t deviate from it. The old hatred clung on tight and wouldn’t let him forget. He needed to fight.
