Tira felt herself pushed down onto a stool near the cot, and again she felt the blood seep from her face at Errol’s deathlike pallor.
Tears burned her eyes, but she forced them away to lean closer and take one of his calloused hands into her own, squeezing Errol’s fingers.
His breathing shallow, his lips pale.
Lips that had once kissed hers…Tira longing so desperately for that innocent time last year before life had taken a terrible turn and torn them apart for what she had feared would be forever.
She had given up all hope and wanted to die—but she wasn’t dead, Tira silently mouthing a fervent prayer that Errol not die, either.
Even if they could never be together again—aye, how could they when the thought of any man touching her conjured horrible memories of Thorgren?
“Tira, squeeze his hand tighter. Canna you see his eyelids moving? A good sign, aye, Ambrose?”
Tira glanced up to find the older man hovered near Cora, nodding his gray head as he leaned over the cot to get a better look.
“Aye, he appears tae be waking, but who can say? I’ve seen lesser blows tae the head after a battle and the man never wakes?—”
“No, you mustna say it!” Tira cut him off, her voice grown hoarse as her gaze flew back to Errol. His eyelids were moving as if trying to open them, while to her surprise she suddenly felt the slightest squeeze to her fingers. Relief swamping her, she bent down to whisper in his ear, “Errol, can you hear me? It’s Tira—ah, God, please wake up!”
Her heart racing, she heard no response at first until he sucked in so deep a breath that it seemed he was choking.
His face flushing red and then he winced and turned to look at her, his blue eyes opened wide as if he couldn’t believe she sat beside him.
His hand gripping Tira’s so tightly now that she winced, too, flushing warmly herself when the weakest of grins crossed his face.
“Was that you yelling in my ear, lass?”
She bobbed her head, releasing Errol’s hand and rising from the stool so the healer could take her place to examine him—only for Errol to groan in protest.
“No, Tira, dinna leave me…”
She didn’t know what to do, not wanting to get in Ambrose’s way, until Cora drew her to the other side of the cot where she was pushed down gently to sit upon the edge.
Errol even shifted over slightly to give her more room, though he grimaced at what must have been a sharp pain across his head, Ambrose clucking his tongue with disapproval.
“Young lady, you should still be in your bedchamber—or at the very most, attending tae your wee bairns, andyou, young man, must lie quietly until you’ve had more time tae rest. Do you both hear me?”
Errol nodded, though again he winced at what the movement cost him. Tira started to rise to oblige the healer only for Errol to catch her hand and draw her back down beside him.
“So I must be on my deathbed tae bring you tae see me?”
His voice hoarse, he wasn’t grinning now, but stared at her so intently that Tira felt her face grow warmer.
“Not your deathbed, Errol, please dinna say it. I heard you were injured and…and I feel so terrible for treating you so badly?—”
“Aye, the worst week of my life after a worse year. I thought you were dead, lass—we were told as much, or I would have begged the king sooner for ships and men tae search for you. Can you ever forgive me?”
Tira stared at him in confusion, her heart pitching in her chest as she whispered, “Dead?”
Errol gave the slightest nod, his eyes filling with moisture in the flickering lamplight above their heads. “Fishermen found a young woman’s body on the beach, her hair long and blond, and no clothing upon her. They guessed the raiders had tossed her overboard, as they had done to others, and she drowned trying tae swim tae shore—and they buried her. It was only when they heard of your abduction that they believed you were the dead lass and sent word to your father, and it proved too much for him. He died before you were sighted in November and I learned you were alive, yet we failed you then, too…”
His voice cracking, Errol’s chest seemed to heave and then he began to cough, Tira never having heard a man sob before as Cora took her by the elbow to urge her to her feet.
“Tira, let us leave him for now. There will be time enough tae talk further about what is tae come…what must come for the sake of you and your bairns.”
She didn’t have a chance to say a word, Cora leading her from the infirmary even as she glanced behind her to see Errol reaching out for her, though the healer pressed his hand back upon the cot.
His pained wheezing following her out the door, Tira’s eyes welled with tears at what he had revealed to her…such shame filling her that she could have ever blamed him for a moment of her captivity.
