His body is what had betrayed him. He’d never suffered a moment of illness his entire life and Henry had gone so far as to pride himself on his good health and a strong constitution. Yet, he’d been laid low by a childhood illness, that if he’d suffered when most did, wouldn’t have delayed his conversation with Eve.
Henry lifted his hand and looked at his arm. The rash was still there. “When will this disappear?”
“A few days?” Pickmore shrugged as if he wasn’t certain. “But, if it’s any consolation, it’s gone from your face.”
Well, that was something, he supposed.
Maybe this was a mind over body situation. If Henry concentrated hard enough, he could will the rash to disappear and hurry this bloody convalescence along.
“I know that you are anxious to be out of the bed, but I urge caution or you might relapse.”
Henry slid a glance to his friend. “I assume you believe two more days are sufficient enough?”
He blinked and smiled. “Of course. That should do perfectly.”
“Thus, you win the wager and there is no risk of me taking ill again and proving Keegan right that I’m too stubborn for my own good.”
“Well, he isn’t wrong,” Pickmore agreed. “Further, I certainly wouldn’t risk your health on a wager.”
“Unlike I risked yours.”
Pickmore frowned.
“If I hadn’t insisted on getting here as quickly as possible, we would have never had an accident and my three friends wouldn’t be recovering from injuries.”
“The wager wasn’t yours,” Pickmore reminded him. “It wasn’t a wager at all. At least not ours and weallencouraged Jamie to beat his older brother’s record.”
Henry used to be nothing more than a spare not too long ago. “It nearly got us all killed,” Henry barked.
“We survived and we will all be back to normal in a few weeks,” Pickmore smiled. “The accident was not your fault.”
“The others might not agree with you.”
Pickmore frowned. “Since when have you ever given in to self-depreciation, Kilsyth? What the blazes is the matter with you?”
“I’m tired of lying in bed,” he grumbled.
“Are you certain that is all?” Pickmore asked with a knowing look.
“Neither Keegan nor Ashford stayed longer than a moment to check on me, as if they are avoiding my person. I can only assume it’s because upon reflection that they blame me for their injuries.”
Pickmore shook his head. “They don’t wish to overtax you.” Then he frowned. “Though it would serve Keegan well to do so since he is the one who wagered three weeks.”
“Norbright has stopped in, but claims estate business is pressing.”
“Well, he does own an estate, the very one we happen to be visiting,” Pickmore leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “What is really bothering you, Kilsyth?”
“Eve!” he final blurted out. “She left me again and I might not get her back.”
Pickmore started to chuckle but stopped himself with a wince and a steadying hand to his ribs.
“She’ll come around, I’m certain.”
“Not to see me, apparently,” Henry grumbled.
“Perhaps not, which is why when you recover, in two days of course, you will go to her.”
“Who’s to say she won’t disappear again?” He really was feeling sorry for himself, an emotion Henry was quite unused to, yet at this moment, one he embraced.
