She lay there a moment, studying her surroundings without moving her head, unable to see much in the dark reaches of the room. It took her several moments to orient herself and remember where she was, and then it all came back to her.De Cleveley’s holding, Devlin had told her. They had gained entrance according to plan. She didn’t know if she felt better or worse to know that.
They were in.
But what wasn’t according to plan was her wound. That had nearly destroyed everything. Shifting slightly, she had barely moved when there was a face in her field of vision. She recognized the gentle and lovely features as the Lady Elyse.
“My lady?” Elyse said, a warm smile on her face. “How are you feeling?”
Emllyn wasn’t entirely sure; she blinked as she pondered the question. Her thinking and reasoning seemed to be clearer, at any rate.
“My head aches a great deal,” she said, her voice hoarse and scratchy. She moved her body a little, including her leg. “My leg hurts also, which is of no great surprise.”
Elyse smiled sympathetically. “I know,” she said, putting a gentle hand on her forehead to feel for fever. “Your fever seems to have eased.”
“Is it still there?”
“Still, but it seems much less.”
Emllyn was grateful for the improvement. She began to look around the room, noting that other than Elyse and a serving woman who was over near the hearth, they were alone. Devlin wasn’t in the room. Seized with anxiety, Emllyn tried to sit up.
“Where is D… John?” she stumbled as she tried to climb off the bed. “Where did he go?”
Elyse rushed to her side, putting her hands on the woman to try and keep her in bed. “He is supping with my father,” she assured her quickly. “He is well, my lady. Do not fear.”
Emllyn wasn’t eased in the least. Her eyes welled with fat tears. “Bring him here,” she begged tightly. “Please bring him here.”
Elyse was trying her best to soothe her. “My lady, I swear he is unharmed,” she said. “As soon as he finished eating, he will return.”
Emllyn struggled with her fear, wiping away the tears that fell. Elyse was so soothing and kind that she couldn’t help but be eased. Still, she was very worried.
“I am afraid the knights will try to harm him because he is Irish,” she said. “He… he saved my life. I owe him much. I do not want him out of my sight.”
Elyse nodded soothingly, gently forcing her back on the bed. “I will go myself and bring him here,” she said. “He seems to be very attached to you as well. I suspect we could not keep him from you if we tried.”
Emllyn’s anxiety eased as a concern of another sort took hold at Elyse’s statement.He is very attached to you.There was something about the way she said it, as if Devlin’s attention was more than just simple camaraderie. She said it as if it was meant to be something sweet, and the statement unnerved her. It also excited her.
“Why would you say that?” she asked.
Since her patient was now awake and fairly mobile, Elyse began to remove Emllyn from the heavy cloak she was wearing. It was filthy and torn.
“Because he is very protective of you,” she said, gently pulling at the cloak and removing Emllyn’s arms from it. “It is apparent that he feels responsible for you.”
Emllyn fell silent, pondering the woman’s observations, as Elyse proceeded to remove her from the cloak and surcoat. When she was down to the shift, she called for a bath and in little time, a small army of servants brought forth a big copper tub, lined with linen, and began filling it with warm water.
Meanwhile, Elyse had gone to her wardrobe, overflowing with goods, and brought forth a beautiful silk robe that she put around Emllyn’s shoulders as the servants filled the tub. She also brought forth things for the bath; soaps, scrapers, oils, and a giant sponge.
Emllyn watched the activity and felt tears sting her eyes again; God, it would be so good to be clean and warm again. She felt as if she hadn’t been clean or warm, in pleasant company or in a well-furnished room, for years. The past few days of her life had made such an imprint on her that it was difficult to think past them. She was to be treated with kindness and civility again, and not surrounded by people that hated her. The tears were those of joy.
When the tub was nearly full, Elyse put her hand in it and tested the water. Satisfied, she poured a measure of oil in thewater that made the room smell like roses. Then she went to Emllyn where she sat upon the bed.
“I realize that you have an injury and that you still are with fever, and mayhap it is very foolish to put you in water under those conditions, but mayhap a bath will make you feel better,” she said. “Let’s try, shall we?”
Emllyn nodded as she went to stand gingerly on her sore leg. Elyse grabbed hold of her and steadied her as she walked to the bath.
“Thank you, my lady,” Emllyn said. “Your thoughtfulness is appreciated.”
Elyse simply smiled as she helped remove Emllyn from her shift, exposing her naked body to the glow of the firelight. Elyse tried not to stare but she had to admit that Lady Emllyn had a delicious figure, ripe and round in all of the right places. Elyse was rather slender, everywhere. She wished for such full breasts as Emllyn had. As Emllyn carefully lowered herself into the bath, Elyse helped her keep her leg out of the water by propping it up on the edge of the tub.
“I am sorry the water is not terribly hot,” Elyse said. “I did not want to aggravate your fever. But we shall get you warm and clean, my lady, have no fear. Water will wash away all of the sins of the world, I say.”
