backing away from Rogan and pointing to Anna. “It grows bright.”
The salve had soaked into Anna’s skin, causing the rash to look as if it burned her skin; an effect of the salve Aliss had not considered a problem. She had no time to explain this to the woman, her concern being for James.
He had a fever and the wound festered.
Aliss turned to the woman who cowered in her husband’s arms. Her fear of losing her grandson caused her foolish accusations; Aliss did not wish to cause her any more pain, but she needed Anna’s help.
“Do you trust me?” she asked the woman.
The woman nodded without hesitation.
“Then believe me when I tell you that Anna is no threat to your grandson, and leave us both to try to save him.”
Rogan and John assisted in getting the distraught couple out of the cottage while Aliss and Anna went to work on James.
Shortly after midnight, Rogan attempted to get Aliss to return to the cottage and rest but she refused. James’s fever had risen and fallen throughout the evening and she could not leave his side. It was imperative that she continue to rub him down with a damp cloth that had been soaked in a mixture of herbs. She also had to keep the blankets stripped off him in hopes of ridding him completely of the fever. Only then would he have a fighting chance.
Just before dawn the fever finally broke, releasing James to rest comfortably. She sent a protesting Anna home, the young woman insisting that she should remain and look after him. Aliss felt that James’s grandmother could do what was necessary until morning and would probably want to help, relieved that her grandson still lived.
Rogan was standing by the fireplace when she returned home and she eased his concerned expression. “James is still with us.”
“Your hard toil is much appreciated.”
“It is what I am here to do—heal. Then I go home,” she reminded him, and intended to keep on reminding him.
He stared at her a moment, then bid her good night and went off to his room.
His lack of response worried her.
Would he be true to his word?
Chapter 8
“W here is Aliss?” Rogan asked of Anna, as he caught her leaving her cottage.
“Last I saw her she was speaking with Derek.” She smiled. “He feels so much better. He is almost his old self.”
“I know.” He nodded then shook his head. “Aliss is not with him, I just saw Derek.”
“James?” she questioned, and her smile grew brighter. “He is healing so nicely, sitting up, finally eating well this past week, and Aliss says the stitches will come out soon.”
“Yes, I heard,” Rogan said, having heard nothing else in the last few days. The people were excited; if the healer could save James from death, surely she could cure the persistent illness. “She is not there, either.”
“Perhaps she rests—”
“Aliss rest?” Rogan snapped sarcastically, and Anna took a step back. “She has been up since before dawn and suppertime is near and I can find neither hide nor hair of her.”
Anna’s brow shot up. “Laurel. She is due to deliver in a couple of weeks—”
Rogan shook his head and marched off, mumbling to himself. Aliss had worked herself senseless since arriving here; little sleep, little food, endless healings, and not a thought for her own well-being.
Her day started before anyone else’s in the village and never seemed to end. He had grown tired of watching her hectic pace, but no amount of threats deterred her from her course.
Last night she had really tested his mettle when, after he had insisted that she get some needed rest, she persisted in working with her herbs and potions, although she had promised she would retire soon.
He left her only to return in the morning to find her sound asleep, her head resting on the table. She had never gone to bed, though exhaustion had claimed her as she had worked. When he had woken her, thinking to see that she slept in her bed for at least a couple of hours, she immediately started her
The salve had soaked into Anna’s skin, causing the rash to look as if it burned her skin; an effect of the salve Aliss had not considered a problem. She had no time to explain this to the woman, her concern being for James.
He had a fever and the wound festered.
Aliss turned to the woman who cowered in her husband’s arms. Her fear of losing her grandson caused her foolish accusations; Aliss did not wish to cause her any more pain, but she needed Anna’s help.
“Do you trust me?” she asked the woman.
The woman nodded without hesitation.
“Then believe me when I tell you that Anna is no threat to your grandson, and leave us both to try to save him.”
Rogan and John assisted in getting the distraught couple out of the cottage while Aliss and Anna went to work on James.
Shortly after midnight, Rogan attempted to get Aliss to return to the cottage and rest but she refused. James’s fever had risen and fallen throughout the evening and she could not leave his side. It was imperative that she continue to rub him down with a damp cloth that had been soaked in a mixture of herbs. She also had to keep the blankets stripped off him in hopes of ridding him completely of the fever. Only then would he have a fighting chance.
Just before dawn the fever finally broke, releasing James to rest comfortably. She sent a protesting Anna home, the young woman insisting that she should remain and look after him. Aliss felt that James’s grandmother could do what was necessary until morning and would probably want to help, relieved that her grandson still lived.
Rogan was standing by the fireplace when she returned home and she eased his concerned expression. “James is still with us.”
“Your hard toil is much appreciated.”
“It is what I am here to do—heal. Then I go home,” she reminded him, and intended to keep on reminding him.
He stared at her a moment, then bid her good night and went off to his room.
His lack of response worried her.
Would he be true to his word?
Chapter 8
“W here is Aliss?” Rogan asked of Anna, as he caught her leaving her cottage.
“Last I saw her she was speaking with Derek.” She smiled. “He feels so much better. He is almost his old self.”
“I know.” He nodded then shook his head. “Aliss is not with him, I just saw Derek.”
“James?” she questioned, and her smile grew brighter. “He is healing so nicely, sitting up, finally eating well this past week, and Aliss says the stitches will come out soon.”
“Yes, I heard,” Rogan said, having heard nothing else in the last few days. The people were excited; if the healer could save James from death, surely she could cure the persistent illness. “She is not there, either.”
“Perhaps she rests—”
“Aliss rest?” Rogan snapped sarcastically, and Anna took a step back. “She has been up since before dawn and suppertime is near and I can find neither hide nor hair of her.”
Anna’s brow shot up. “Laurel. She is due to deliver in a couple of weeks—”
Rogan shook his head and marched off, mumbling to himself. Aliss had worked herself senseless since arriving here; little sleep, little food, endless healings, and not a thought for her own well-being.
Her day started before anyone else’s in the village and never seemed to end. He had grown tired of watching her hectic pace, but no amount of threats deterred her from her course.
Last night she had really tested his mettle when, after he had insisted that she get some needed rest, she persisted in working with her herbs and potions, although she had promised she would retire soon.
He left her only to return in the morning to find her sound asleep, her head resting on the table. She had never gone to bed, though exhaustion had claimed her as she had worked. When he had woken her, thinking to see that she slept in her bed for at least a couple of hours, she immediately started her
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