heart.”
“Rest well, sir knight. I shall keep ye safe.” Gwyn smiled at him.
He took her hand in his and held it until he drifted to sleep. She remained longer than she needed, listening to his rhythmic breathing and marveling over how a lock of dark brown hair fell over one closed eye. She slowly traced one fingertip across his forehead, brushing the lock to the side. Without thinking, she leaned down and kissed his brow.
She stood up like a shot, surprised at her own action. She needed to get to her quarters before Isabelle raised the alarm. She needed to get away from this man before she betrayed any more confusing emotions.
What was she going to do with her English knight?
Seven
Gwyn woke the next morning before dawn. She had spent a nervous night, sneaking out of her bedchamber past her sleeping sisters to check on her slumbering knight. Every time she checked, he was where he should be, unconscious and breathing. Her plan was to bring Jack and David together at first light so they could negotiate a settlement. It would work. It had to.
A quick check on Jack revealed he was still sleeping, still breathing. Yet as she approached, she could see something was wrong. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead and he was hot to the touch. He had gotten the fever. His injured foot was swollen and red.
“Nay, nay, this isna right. Jack…Jack!” She shook him until his head lolled to one side and his eyes opened.
“Gwyn.” His voice was a whisper, as if it was all the energy he could muster. “Not well this morning. Give me a minute, then I’ll be ready to talk with your brother.” His eyes closed again. He was in no condition to meet with David—and may never be if she did not act fast.
Fortunately, she had recently been training with Isabelle regarding what to do with festering wounds. Gwyn ran to Isabelle’s stockpile of medicines, grabbed what was needed, and returned to Jack. Working fast, she held up his head and poured a healing draught down his throat. She then drained, washed, and redressed the wound. It was all she could do.
Would it be enough? It must be. But there was no way he could meet David today. He needed time to heal.
Her mind spinning, she went in search of her brother. He was planning to meet with the English that morning and must be warned. She took a deep breath. It was time to get creative.
She found David in his solar, being helped into his armor by his squire. “David? May I talk to ye now?”
“I need to prepare to meet wi’ the English, Gwyn. Can it wait?” David did not even look up at her, focusing his attention on the preparations of his armor.
“David. ’Tis important.”
David’s eyes met hers. He dismissed his squire with a wave of the hand. “What is it?”
“I must confess to ye that last evening, I took the key to the cistern gate and went outside.” She paused, waiting for the explosion. David did not disappoint.
“What?! Ye went outside wi’ the English on our doorstep? How could ye be so foolhardy? Do ye have any idea o’ what might have happened to ye?”
Gwyn nodded. “Aye, a good notion indeed.”
“Why? Why would ye put us all at risk?”
“There was a sick bairn. I needed an elder branch—”
“Nay, I’ll no’ listen to yer excuses. There can be no justification for doing such as ye did.” David crossed his arms and frowned at her. “Wait, why are ye telling me this? Ye’re not overly troubled wi’ confession.”
“Ye must no’ go to the meeting today wi’ the English. When I was outside, I overheard two soldiers talking. They spoke of a trap today for any who came to the parlay. Ye would go into the tent but ne’er come out.” Gwyn bit her lip at the slight fib she had told her brother.
David stilled. “Damn Sassenach,” he growled.
“Aye. I knew I must warn ye, though it would bring retribution on my head.” Gwyn breathed deep, relieved he had heeded her warning.
“Aye, it will, lass. I do appreciate yer honesty,
“Rest well, sir knight. I shall keep ye safe.” Gwyn smiled at him.
He took her hand in his and held it until he drifted to sleep. She remained longer than she needed, listening to his rhythmic breathing and marveling over how a lock of dark brown hair fell over one closed eye. She slowly traced one fingertip across his forehead, brushing the lock to the side. Without thinking, she leaned down and kissed his brow.
She stood up like a shot, surprised at her own action. She needed to get to her quarters before Isabelle raised the alarm. She needed to get away from this man before she betrayed any more confusing emotions.
What was she going to do with her English knight?
Seven
Gwyn woke the next morning before dawn. She had spent a nervous night, sneaking out of her bedchamber past her sleeping sisters to check on her slumbering knight. Every time she checked, he was where he should be, unconscious and breathing. Her plan was to bring Jack and David together at first light so they could negotiate a settlement. It would work. It had to.
A quick check on Jack revealed he was still sleeping, still breathing. Yet as she approached, she could see something was wrong. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead and he was hot to the touch. He had gotten the fever. His injured foot was swollen and red.
“Nay, nay, this isna right. Jack…Jack!” She shook him until his head lolled to one side and his eyes opened.
“Gwyn.” His voice was a whisper, as if it was all the energy he could muster. “Not well this morning. Give me a minute, then I’ll be ready to talk with your brother.” His eyes closed again. He was in no condition to meet with David—and may never be if she did not act fast.
Fortunately, she had recently been training with Isabelle regarding what to do with festering wounds. Gwyn ran to Isabelle’s stockpile of medicines, grabbed what was needed, and returned to Jack. Working fast, she held up his head and poured a healing draught down his throat. She then drained, washed, and redressed the wound. It was all she could do.
Would it be enough? It must be. But there was no way he could meet David today. He needed time to heal.
Her mind spinning, she went in search of her brother. He was planning to meet with the English that morning and must be warned. She took a deep breath. It was time to get creative.
She found David in his solar, being helped into his armor by his squire. “David? May I talk to ye now?”
“I need to prepare to meet wi’ the English, Gwyn. Can it wait?” David did not even look up at her, focusing his attention on the preparations of his armor.
“David. ’Tis important.”
David’s eyes met hers. He dismissed his squire with a wave of the hand. “What is it?”
“I must confess to ye that last evening, I took the key to the cistern gate and went outside.” She paused, waiting for the explosion. David did not disappoint.
“What?! Ye went outside wi’ the English on our doorstep? How could ye be so foolhardy? Do ye have any idea o’ what might have happened to ye?”
Gwyn nodded. “Aye, a good notion indeed.”
“Why? Why would ye put us all at risk?”
“There was a sick bairn. I needed an elder branch—”
“Nay, I’ll no’ listen to yer excuses. There can be no justification for doing such as ye did.” David crossed his arms and frowned at her. “Wait, why are ye telling me this? Ye’re not overly troubled wi’ confession.”
“Ye must no’ go to the meeting today wi’ the English. When I was outside, I overheard two soldiers talking. They spoke of a trap today for any who came to the parlay. Ye would go into the tent but ne’er come out.” Gwyn bit her lip at the slight fib she had told her brother.
David stilled. “Damn Sassenach,” he growled.
“Aye. I knew I must warn ye, though it would bring retribution on my head.” Gwyn breathed deep, relieved he had heeded her warning.
“Aye, it will, lass. I do appreciate yer honesty,
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