Damn, he was miserable.
He touched his forehead, trying to ascertain if he still had a fever, but if his brow was hot, then so was his hand; he couldn’t tell a thing other than the fact that he was damned sweaty and certainly in need of a good bath.
He tried to sniff the air around him, but he was so congested that he ended up coughing.
He sighed. Well, if he stank, at least he didn’t have to smell it.
He heard a soft sound at the door and looked up to see Francesca entering the room. She moved quietly on stockinged feet, clearly trying to avoid disturbing him. As she approached the bed, however, she finally looked at him and let out a little, “Oh!” of surprise.
“You’re awake,” she said.
He nodded. “What time is it?”
“Half eight. Not too late, really, except that you fell asleep last evening before the supper hour.”
He nodded again, since he didn’t really have anything pertinent to add to the conversation. And besides that, he was too tired to speak.
“How are you feeling?” she asked, sitting down beside him. “And would you like something to eat?”
“Like hell, and no, thank you.”
Her lips curved slightly. “Something to drink?”
He nodded.
She picked up a small bowl that had been sitting on a nearby table. A saucer had been resting on top of it, presumably to keep the contents warm. “It’s from last night,” she said apologetically, “but I’ve had it covered, so it shouldn’t be too dreadful.”
“Broth?” he asked.
She nodded, holding a spoon to his lips. “Is it too cold?”
He sipped a little, then shook his head. It was barely lukewarm, but he didn’t think he could stand anything overheated, anyway.
She fed him in silence for a minute or so, and then, once he said he’d had enough, she set the bowl back down, carefully replacing the lid, even though he imagined she would wish to order up a new bowl for his next meal. “Do you have a fever?” she whispered.
He tried to summon a devil-may-care smile. “I have no idea.”
She reached out to touch his forehead.
“Didn’t have time to bathe,” he mumbled, apologizing for his slippery visage without actually uttering the word sweat in her presence.
She made no sign of having heard his attempt at a joke, instead just furrowed her brow as she pressed her hand against him more closely. And then, surprising him with her swiftness, she stood and leaned over him, touching her lips to his forehead.
“Frannie?”
“You’re hot,” she said, barely breathing the words. “You’re hot!”
He did nothing but blink.
“You still have a fever,” she said excitedly. “Don’t you understand? If you still have a fever, it can’t be malaria!”
For a moment he couldn’t breathe. She was right. He couldn’t believe it had not occurred to him, but she was right. The malarial fevers always disappeared by morning. They hit again the next day, of course, often with horrible force, but they always dissipated, giving him a day’s respite before once again laying him low.
“It’s not malaria,” she said again, her eyes suspiciously bright.
“I told you it wasn’t,” he said, but inside, he knew the truth—He hadn’t been so sure.
“You’re not going to die,” she whispered, her lower lip catching in her teeth.
His eyes flew to hers. “Were you worried I would?” he asked quietly.
“Of course I was,” she returned, no longer trying to hide the choking sound in her voice. “My God, Michael, I can’t believe you—Do you have any idea how I—Oh, for God’s sake.”
He had no idea what she’d just said, but he had a feeling it was good.
She stood, the back of her chair bumping against the wall. A cloth napkin had been sitting beside the broth; she snatched it up and used it to dab at her eyes.
“Frannie?” he murmured.
“You’re such a man,” she said with a scowl.
He could do nothing but raise his eyebrows at that.
“You should know I—” But she stopped, broke herself off.
“What is it, Frannie?”
She shook her head. “Not yet,” she said, and he got the impression she was talking more to herself than to him. “Soon, but not yet.”
He blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“I have to go out,” she said, her words oddly curt and abrupt. “There’s something I need to do.”
“At half eight in the morning?”
“I’ll be back soon,” she said, hurrying toward the door. “Don’t go anywhere.”
“Well, damn,” he tried to joke, “there go my plans to visit the King.”
But Francesca was so distracted she didn’t even bother to poke at his rather pathetic attempt at humor. “Soon,” she said, the word coming out strangely like a promise. “I’ll be back soon.”
All he could do was shrug and watch the door as she shut it behind her.
Chapter 24
…I am not certain how to tell you this, and moreover, I am not certain how the news will be received, but Michael and I were married three days ago. I don’t know how to describe the events leading up to the marriage, except to say that it simply felt like the right thing to do. Please know that this in no way diminishes the love I felt for John. He will always hold a special and cherished place in my heart, as do you…
—from the Countess of Kilmartin to the dowager Countess of Kilmartin, three days after her marriage to the Earl of Kilmartin
A quarter of an hour later, Michael was feeling remarkably better. Not well, of course; not by any stretch of the imagination could he have convinced himself—or anyone else for that matter—that he was his regular hale and hearty self. But the broth must have restored him a bit, as had the conversation, and when he got up to use the chamberpot, he found he was steadier on his legs than he would have thought. He followed this task with a bit of a makeshift bath, using a dampened cloth to wash the worst of the perspiration from his body. After donning a clean dressing gown, he felt almost human again.
He started to walk back to his bed, but he just couldn’t bring himself to slide his body back between those sweaty sheets, so instead he rang for a servant and sat down in his leather wingbacked chair, turning it slightly so that he might gaze out the window.
It was sunny. That was a nice change. The weather had been dismal for both the weeks of his marriage. He hadn’t particularly minded; when one spent as much time making love to one’s wife as he had done, one didn’t particularly care if the sun was shining.
But now, escaping his sickbed, he found that his spirits were buoyed by the sparkle of the sunlight on the dewy grass.
A movement out the window caught his eye, and he realized that it was Francesca, hurrying across the lawn. She was too far away to see clearly, but she was bundled up in her most serviceable coat, and was clutching something in her hand.
He leaned forward for a better look, but she disappeared from view, slipping behind a hedgerow.
Just then, Reivers entered the room. “You rang, my lord?”
Michael turned to face him. “Yes. Could you see to having someone come and change the sheets?”