What have I been holdin’ onto?
Letting go of the coolness and distance, he turned his hand over, firmly grasping hers and lacing their fingers together. It was a moment of relief, as close to surrender as he would allow himself. Her touch was gentle and undemanding, as if she understood that this was all he was able to give.
* * *
“Nae, ye’re goin’ to wake her,” Liam whispered, his voice further away than it had been before. “Keep yerself calm.”
Katherine opened her eyes, squinting against the bright light spilling into the room. Her head hurt, and her throat was dry. It felt as if each and every one of her muscles had been overworked and overextended.
“I’m already awake,” she croaked, wincing at the way she sounded.
“We brought ye tea,” Agnes said, stepping around Liam with Tilly in tow. “Ye can use me room as long as ye need it.”
“Saints, I didnae mean to fall asleep here,” Katherine said, sitting up slowly. “Me apologies, Agnes. I will give ye yer space back after we have tea.”
“Ye didnae fall asleep,” Agnes said, huffing when Liam stopped her from coming closer. As Tilly set the tray to the side and poured Katherine a cup of tea, she said, “Ye fell over and then wouldnae wake up. Ye gave me quite a fright.”
“Oh,” Katherine murmured, accepting the porcelain mug from her maid. “Still... I didnae intend to take over yer bed.”
“I daenae mind if it helped ye to feel better,” Agnes assured her. Then, she looked up at her father. A warm smile spread over her features. “Thank ye for watchin’ over her, even if ye wouldnae let me stay.”
“I’m nae lettin’ ye stay now,” Liam said, grabbing onto her shoulders and turning her around. He gently ushered her toward the door. “Katherine needs her rest, and we still daenae ken if ye can catch whatever she came down with.”
“Can I have me book at least?” Agnes asked, gesturing at the collection of tales that had somehow found its way to the small writing desk in the corner of her room.
“Aye,” Liam said, retrieving it in a few long strides. When he handed the book over, he said, “Perhaps ye should practice readin’ aloud. Ye can read to Katherine when she’s feelin’ better.”
“Aye,” Agnes said before reluctantly walking toward the door. She cast one final look over her shoulder, locking eyes with Katherine. “Thank ye for stayin’ alive.”
As Agnes left, emotion clouded Katherine’s vision. She gazed into her tea, trying to keep her heart from rejoicing too loudly. Liam holding her hand while she was unwell and encouraging his daughter felt too good to be true. It could just be the relief of her fever breaking.
But all of this feels different, like he wanted to do all of this.And he seemed genuinely relieved that I awoke…
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Are ye feelin’ well enough for a lesson?”
Katherine looked away from her breakfast, smiling at Agnes. Finally, after two days of sickness that seemed to drain her ability to do anything beyond sleep, she had managed to get out of bed and move to the great hall. She wasn’t surprised that Agnes found her so quickly.
“I suppose we could do somethin’ light,” Katherine mused, picking up a bannock. She took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. As she ran through the possibilities, Agnes leaned in close.
“Perhaps ye can show me maps,” she said quietly. “I should ken the lay of the land, aye?”
“Aye, I suppose ye should,” Katherine said, smiling at her warmly. “We could go to the library to find some maps to study.”
“The newest ones are in Father’s study,” Agnes whispered. “Perhaps we could ask him to assist.”
“I’m nae sure he’d oblige,” Katherine observed, putting her half-eaten bannock on her plate. She hadn’t seen Liam since she’d awoken in Agnes’s bed. He hadn’t come to visit her though that didn’t necessarily mean that he was still avoiding her. She didn’t think she could stomach finding out that he was. “He’s a busy man. The two of us can manage with the maps in the library.”
“But did he nae say that me education was important?” Agnes asked, tilting her head innocently. She had her mind set, it seemed. “I think he would help. Kennin’ the surroundin’ areas is important.”
“Well,” Katherine said, deciding that it wasn’t worth her energy to try to reason with the girl. “I suppose that we can ask him. But if he’s busy, we willnae insist. We can begin our lesson in the library.”
“Excellent,” Agnes said, continuing to stand directly in front of her. “We will go when ye finish eatin’.”
“Are ye goin’ to stand there watchin’ me, then?” Katherine asked, wiping her fingers off on a napkin.
“It looks as if ye’re nearly finished,” Agnes said, putting her hands on her hips. “There’s nae point in goin’ back to me chambers or the solar.”
