My Laird's Love (My Laird's Castle Book 2) (16 page)

 
“Wait!” I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I couldn’t just let the poor girl lose her job. Nor could she stay. Nor could I knowingly let her spread typhoid if she was infectious or a carrier. “Let me go talk to her. Can you show me the kitchen?”

“Aye,” Bracken said. I took a last look at the sleeping James before following the butler out of the room. I called Robbie to accompany me, and we descended the main staircase and another set of stairs before reaching a large cavernous room. The kitchen.

A stout woman sitting at a large oak table jumped up and stared at me. Mrs. Bracken really did look as if she’d never been sick a day in her life. Rosy cheeks and bright cornflower-blue eyes shone under a plain white mobcap. She wore an apron over an indeterminate gray skirt and bodice, the whole encompassing a plump figure.
 

“This is Mistress Scott. She’s come to see about Morna,” Bracken said.

“Morna,” I echoed faintly. The tall serving girl?

“Mistress.” Mrs. Bracken curtsied in my direction.
 

“Hello, Mrs. Bracken,” I said.

I resisted my initial instinct to hold out my hand to the cook. Not only was I becoming a bit of a germophobe, I realized that shaking hands just wasn’t done.

“I’ll just go and get her.” Mrs. Bracken hurried into the next room and returned in seconds with the blonde. This time, I inspected her more closely, albeit from a distance. Wan and pale, she did indeed look as if she had been or was still ill. I hadn’t noticed how stringy her hair was beneath her white cap. She wore the same color dress as Mrs. Bracken. Morna curtsied toward me, wringing her hands in her apron.

“This is Morna, mistress,” Mrs. Bracken said.

I looked over at Bracken before turning my attention to the girl. I couldn’t know if she was a carrier of typhoid, but between her and Mrs. Bracken, she was the most likely.

“Morna, I understand you were sick some time ago?”

“Aye, mistress.” Morna nodded, staring at me with pale-blue eyes from a white face. “But I be better now.”

“Did you have typhoid fever?”

Morna drew in a sharp breath and threw a quick look in Mrs. Bracken’s direction.

“But I be well now, Mrs. Bracken! I promise!”

Mrs. Bracken turned a dark face on Morna.

“Get ye from this house, girl!” she barked with flashing eyes, pointing a finger toward the door.

“Wait, Mrs. Bracken, just a minute,” I said.

“Wait for what, mistress? The lass should have kent better to come here sick. She must go. Isna a wonder that his lairdship was taken sick.”

Tears ran down Morna’s face.

“We needed the money, Mrs. Bracken. I promise that I be well now. I dinna have the fever anymore.”

“Although you don’t have the fever anymore, you could still be carrying the disease, Morna,” I said. “Did you have diarrhea with your illness?”

“Diarrhea, mistress?” Morna’s cheeks burned bright red, and I suspected she knew what I was talking about.

“Yes, you know, an intestinal ailment?”

“Do ye mean from the bowels, mistress?” Mrs. Bracken asked. She turned to Morna. “Well, did ye, girl?”

Morna ducked her head.

“Aye, but no longer. It were terrible, but it be over.”

“Och!” Mrs. Bracken sighed. She turned to me. “What is it ye wish us to do, mistress?”

I pulled a bottle of antibiotics from my bodice. I couldn’t face the thought of giving Morna the entire bottle of hard-gained pills and trusting her to dose herself properly, so I came up with another solution.

“Morna, I’m so sorry, but you cannot work in the house until you are completely free from the disease. I am going to give you the same medicine as his lairdship is getting. But you must come every day for fourteen days twice a day to take the medicine, morning and evening. I cannot give you all the medication at once.”

“Canna I work while I take the medicine?” Morna asked.

I shook my head in sympathy.

“No, I’m afraid not. I think you’re still contagious.”

“Contagious, mistress?” Morna repeated.

“Yes, you can spread the disease even though you think it is gone.” I handed Morna the first pill, and she swallowed it without question and without water. “Come back tomorrow morning for your next pill.”

“Go now, girl,” Mrs. Bracken said. “I’ll set to washing the things that she has touched.”

Morna ran from the room, and I turned to Mrs. Bracken.
 

“Could you prepare some soup for his lairdship? He needs to eat. I know it’s a lot of work, but I appreciate that you’re going to wash things that Morna has touched. If she has handled food, it should be thrown away.”

“I can help ye, Mrs. Bracken,” her husband said. “Ye’ll be short a kitchen maid now, but there is nowt we can do about that for the moment.”

I thanked them and left the kitchen, leaving Robbie in their care to feed and let outside. I returned to James’ room, slipped in quietly and bent over the bed to feel his forehead. Still hot, but the paracetamol hadn’t really had much time to work.

His eyes fluttered open, and I regretted waking him.
 

“Dinna leave me again, Maggie,” he said, grabbing my hand. “I shall surely die if ye do.”

 
My heart stopped for a moment before it started to race, but James’ eyes closed again, and I had the impression he was in a semiconscious state. He probably didn’t even realize what he was saying.

His hand though continued its grip on mine, and I sat down on the edge of the bed while he slept. I studied his face, reddened from the fever, and I imagined the medicine attacking whatever bacteria was making him ill.

His chestnut hair spread out over the pillow, and he looked utterly vulnerable with his eyes closed. With my free hand, I smoothed his hair, delighting in the softness of his curls. I would have run my fingers across his face, but I didn’t want to wake him.

I rose from the bed, attempting to slip my hand from his without jerking out of his grasp, but could not free myself. With a sigh, I sat back down. I pulled my legs up with difficulty, given my skirts, and I lay down beside him, intending to rest for only a few minutes.
 

Chapter Thirteen

The sound of the door opening awakened me, and I shot up, confused about my surroundings. I turned toward the door to see Bracken entering with a tray, which he set down on the bureau. Robbie followed him in and scooted under the bed once again.

I sat up and looked over at James. Startled, I saw that his eyes were open and alert. He looked as if he had been watching me.

I slid off the side of the bed in a jumble of skirts and hoop, and straightened up.

“I’m sorry. I fell asleep!” I said breathlessly.

“As well ye should have,” James said in a raspy voice. I suspected he was dehydrated.
 

“Bracken has brought some soup. I’ll get it.” I approached the bureau and took one of two bowls of soup from the tray. “Thank you, Bracken,” I said.

Bracken nodded and left the room quietly.

I carried the soup toward the bed and set it down on the side table before lifting James up on the pillow. Picking up the spoon, I fed him like a baby, unsure if he could manage himself. He didn’t even try, and that frightened me.
 

At one point, he grimaced in pain.

“What is it? Are you in pain?” I asked.
 

“Aye, my gut pains me,” he said. “I will have to ask ye to leave the room, I fear. Dinna go too far though.”

“Oh!” I said. “Of course.” Of course, he had diarrhea, and my presence was probably inhibiting him. I set the soup down and rose to leave the room.

“Send Bracken in afore ye return. I need his assistance, ye ken, to get out of bed and clean up,” James said, his cheeks redder than ever.

“I will,” I said.

I left the room to find Bracken waiting just outside the door.
 

“Oh, I’m glad you’re still here, Bracken. His lairdship is...well, his stomach, you know?”

Bracken looked stumped, and I struggled for words.

“Well, he’s having diarrhea, and he says he needs your help. I guess he means the chamber pot?”

Bracken nodded, enlightenment showing on his face.

“Aye, mistress. I ken yer meaning. Isna the first time his gut has pained him.”

“Oh, I thought he’d been sleeping the whole time I was gone.”

“Nay, mistress. He has been up and down, and calling for ye in between times. He has rested little.”

My heart melted.

Bracken entered the room, and I sank down onto the carpeted hallway to wait. Time passed, though I had no idea how much. It seemed like a long time, and I worried for James’ welfare. At last Bracken emerged with a wad of material that looked like bedding and clothing.

“The master bid me change his clothing and bedding. We sent all the maids away, ye ken,” Bracken said. “He says he’s fit to receive ye now.” Bracken turned and carried the load away. I knocked softly on the door and entered upon hearing James’ voice.

He sat up in bed, holding his soup bowl and eating. His clothing appeared to be fresh. He wore a white linen shirt, open at the collar. A new coverlet ended at his waist, covering his legs. I could tell he’d shaven as well, or Bracken had shaved him.

I took a seat in the chair next to the bed.
 

“Ye must eat and then get some rest, Maggie,” James said, lowering his spoon. “I ken the other bowl of soup is for ye. I hope it hasna grown too cold.”

I looked over at the bowl on the bureau and rose to go get it. Returning to the seat beside the bed, I spooned some of the broth into my mouth. Savory and not yet cool, the soup warmed me. I had grown cold sitting on the floor in the hallway.
 

“I’m not tired,” I lied.

“Ye are,” he said. “And ye shall sleep. Bracken slept through much of his watch. He is rested. When ye have finished eating, Bracken will see ye to a room, and ye shall sleep.”

“I can’t sleep the day away,” I said. “Why don’t I just take a short nap on that couch there?” I pointed to a dark-blue silk-covered sofa in front of the fireplace. “Besides, I want to be sure you get your next pill on time. Twelve hours after the last one, whenever that was.”

“Bracken tells me ye gave me the medication at eight o’clock. I do wish ye would consider retiring to a room with more privacy for yerself, but I dinna mind if ye wish to rest in here. I would be glad of yer company. Ye must promise though that ye will sleep.”

“I’ll sleep,” I said, certain that I would. I finished the soup, as did James. I took his bowl and mine and returned them to the bureau. Returning to James’ bedside, I ran my hand over his forehead. Although he was still warm to the touch, I was reassured to note that his fever had lessened.
 

He took my hand and clasped it between his own.

“Rest now,” he said. “I will sleep if ye do.”

“It’s a deal,” I said with a smile. I made my way over to the sofa and lay down on it, my pannier forcing me to lie on my back, though I was really a side sleeper. I lay that way for about five minutes before lifting my head and torso to peer over the edge of the sofa. James appeared to have fallen asleep. I stood up, lifted my skirts and untied the waistband of the pannier to wriggle out of it. Setting it aside, I dropped back onto the couch in a fluff of skirts and fell instantly asleep.

I awoke some time later to the sound of James’ voice. He was moaning. I jumped up and ran to his side, checking his temperature. His fever had spiked again, and I decided to awaken him for some more pain medication. Robbie, appearing as anxious as me, came out from under the bed, panting.

“James,” I said softly. “James.”

He turned his head toward me and then away, twisting and turning as if he was in pain. I retrieved the pills from the bottle on his bedside table and shook his shoulder gently.

“James,” I repeated, more firmly now. “Wake up. I need to give you your pain medicine.”

“No!” he said forcefully, raising his arm and knocking my hand away. I jumped away from the bed and bent to retrieve the pills that had flown from my hand.

I stared down at James, aghast, but his eyes were closed, and he continued to moan. Against my better judgment, I leaned in to hear what he was saying.

“Dinna leave me,” he said. “Dinna leave, Maggie. Stay wi me.”

I straightened abruptly and gazed at him, my heart swelling with tenderness. What woman could resist the pleas of a man who begged her to stay?
 

“Shhhh, James, I’m not going anywhere right now. I promise.” I sat back down on the bed and smoothed his hair from his hot forehead. “Shhhh.”

James opened his eyes and turned his head in my direction, reaching for me. I backed up for a moment, but his hand, when he grabbed mine, was gentle this time.

“I heard ye,” he said, his eyes fixed and staring into mine. “I hear yer words, and I shall hold ye to them.”

I swallowed hard. I didn’t know what I was going to do when James got better, but that was something to be dealt with in the future. Not now.