Enoch’s voice cut through her efforts. “Mandie? Are you all right?”
She opened her eyes to meet his. Worry creased his brow as he studied her.
She managed a nod. “I’m well now, truly. Something from breakfast just didn’t agree with me. I’m ready to get back to work.”
He shook his head, his expression brooking no argument. “Absolutely not. You’re going back inside to rest. I’ll carry you there myself if I have to.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but the genuine concern in his eyes stopped her. Maybe he was right. Rest and food might be exactly what she needed to shake off this strange malaise.
With a sigh, she nodded. “I’ll go inside and rest a bit.”
Enoch’s hand on her elbow tightened, as if he didn’t quite trust her to make it back on her own. Then he released her, stepping back to give her space.
She turned toward the front of the barn, each step an effort as her body trembled with a bone-deep weariness that had nothing to do with the morning’s labor. The feeling of foreboding still clung to her, an inexplicable dread that made her want to glance over her shoulder with every step.
As they emerged into the sunlight, the others paused in their work, concern etched on their faces. “What happened? Are you sick?”
Before she could respond, Enoch spoke up. “She’s going inside to rest.”
She managed a small smile for them. “I’ll be all right. Just need a moment.” Then she stumbled toward the house.
Enoch stayed at her side, matching her pace. His hand hovered near her elbow as if ready to catch her should she stumble.
She wanted to bristle at his coddling, to insist she was fine and could manage on her own. But the truth was, his solid presence beside her helped, easing some of the inexplicable dread that still coiled in her gut.
As they reached the porch steps, Enoch’s hand came to rest on the small of her back, a gentle support as she climbed the stairs. The warmth of his touch seeped through her dress, and she leaned into it. Everything in her craved the solid reassurance of his strength.
And yet, even as she soaked in his comfort, the unease continued to churn within her. That half-remembered dread felt like a shadow she couldn’t quite escape.
Whatever it was, she would have to face it. Soon.
CHAPTER 14
Mandie lay in the stillness of her room, the weight of her exhaustion pressing her into the mattress like a stone. Outside her window, the late-morning sun shone bright over the pines lining the yard, but the beauty seemed distant, unreachable.
She should be up and preparing food for the others to eat when they came in at midday. But she couldn’t seem to make herself rise. What was this heaviness in her spirit? She no longer felt sick. Not after she came in and ate biscuits and sliced meat. She’d cleaned up the soot caked on her hands and dress, then sank into this bed.
She’d probably lain here an hour, and still she couldn’t find the courage—or maybe energy?—to rise.
Footsteps sounded in the main room. The tread was heavy but measured, a stride she’d come to recognize over the past days.
Enoch. Her insides tightened. Was he coming to check on her? Or merely to prepare food for the men’s midday meal? The thought of him entering her room, especially after seeing her make such a spectacle of herself outside…
The creaking of floorboards drew nearer, then paused outside her door. A gentle knock sounded, followed by Enoch’s deep voice. “Mandie? May I open the door?”
She drew in a breath, trying to collect herself before answering. “Yes, come in.” Her voice sounded thin, even to her own ears.
The door opened and Enoch stepped inside, his large frame filling the frame. His face and hands looked free of soot, and his collar and beard were wet. He must have washed up.
Worry still creased his forehead. “How are you feeling?” His gaze searched her face, as if trying to discern the truth for himself.
She managed a wan smile. “Better. Just tired.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but how could she explain the strange melancholy weighing her spirit? The unease she couldn’t quite shake.
He nodded, but the furrow remained between his brows. “You gave us a scare out there. I thought...” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I’m glad you’re all right.”
Something in his tone, in the intensity of his gaze, made her heart ache. Enoch Balfour was not a man prone to sentimentality or coddling. Yet here he stood, his concern for her well-being evident in every line of his rugged face.
Maybe he would worry like this about any stranger put in his charge.
