Maddy had ever heard. Directly after he kicked them out of the room, a door slammed, and a cool breeze whistled over her from the impact.
Finally, her eyelids didn't feel too heavy to open. She blinked against the light for several moments. She perceived his form standing near the bed and waited as her vision began to focus.
He raked his fingers through his disheveled hair as a pretty red-haired lady frowned up at him.
'She'll wake soon, Ethan. The fever has broken.'
'They said thatyesterday . And still she has no'.'
'If she did right now,' the woman said, 'you would scare the poor girl to death. You've no' shaved or changed your clothes in days. And you look half-mad.'
'You ken Iam half-mad, well on the verge.'
When he began pacing, she said, 'You must calm yourself. Your anger with the physicians will no' help your wife'—her gaze flickered over Maddy and away, then returned immediately—'but slamming the door like that just might wake her.'
'What do you—?' His shoulders tensed. He rasped, 'Are you sayin' she's…?'
'You dinna tell me she has such pretty blue eyes. Look behind you, son.'
He whirled around, seeming to loom over the bed. Maddy stared up in shock. His eyes were red and wild, his beard growing. His clothes were wrinkled, his sleeves rolled. He looked as if he wanted to launch himself at her.
The woman said something in Gaelic that made Ethan scowl and his hand shoot up to hisbeard ? He froze, and his brows drew together.
How long had he been with her?
Ethan looked at her with such yearning, but he seemed to force himself to back away from her. 'You need tae drink,' he suddenly said, dashing to a nearby pitcher. When he poured, Maddy could hear the pitcher clanking against the glass.
The woman raised her eyebrows at Ethan, then told Maddy, 'I'm Lady Fiona, your mother-in-law, and I'm verra pleased to be meeting you this morning.'
When Ethan returned to the bed with a glass of water, Maddy asked, 'Where am I?'
He lifted Maddy's head and helped her drink. 'You're in London, in our town house.' Maddy couldn't seem to drink it fast enough. 'Easy, then,' he murmured.
When he took the nearly empty glass away, Maddy asked, 'C-Corrine?'
'I could no' find her, but I have men searching in Paris,' he said. 'Maddy, I doona believe she'd been sick.'
Maddy closed her eyes with worry, then quickly opened them, afraid to go to sleep again.
He ran his hand over the back of his neck. 'But Bea—'
'No,' she whispered. 'I know.'
Lady Fiona said something in Gaelic, then in English added, 'Ethan, why don't you go get cleaned up now while I visit with my new daughter-in-law?'
He hesitated, then the two of them seemed to share a look. Before he turned to the door, Ethan gruffly said to Maddy, 'Verra glad you're better, lass.' As he trudged from the room, she thought she saw him swiping a sleeve over his eyes.Oh, Ethan.
Once he'd left, Lady Fiona said, 'He's been worried about you, to say the least.' She sat on the edge of the bed. 'Now, I know you must have many questions….'
'I didn't get anyone sick here, did I?'
'None of us. No' at all. To be on the safe side, I'm staying in this house for a week.' She added dryly, 'I hope you like cards.'
Biting her bottom lip, Maddy said, 'I…Lady Fiona, I lost the baby, didn't I?'
Fiona brushed Maddy's hair back from her forehead. 'Aye, but a slew of doctors all agree you'll be able to have more.'
She'd known she'd miscarried, but still, hearing the news made sadness sweep over her, sharp and heavy. 'But Ethan's not…well?'
'He does no' look it, but he's no' in ill health. I doona think he's slept in a week.' She raised her brows as she said, 'He loves you quite, well,fiercely . I'm just happy you'll be able to be together and start anew.'
Maddy's eyes began to grow heavy again. 'Lady Fiona, I don't know what you've been told—'
'Lass, I know everything. But understand, he's changed. Speaking no' as his mother but one woman to another…when a man like Ethan finally learns to love, it's forever.'
'Bloody hell!'
He'd nicked himself again. His hands were shaking so badly, yet Fiona expected him to shave and clean up? Said he'd frightened his own wife with his appearance.
He probably had as he'd battled the nigh overwhelming urge to squeeze her in his arms. Maddy's eyes had been wide in her pale face as she stared up at him.
It had been everything he could do to force himself to leave that room—but earlier his mother had suggested she speak with Maddy alone once she woke. Fiona had told him there was a small chance Maddy might not even have known about the baby.
He clung to that.
When he nicked himself again, he threw the razor down. He rested his hands on the basin and hung his head.Please, doona let her have known. With Bea's death and his betrayal and Corrine's disappearance, he didn't know how much more his lass could take….
How long did his mother want with Maddy?
Ethan couldn't stay away any longer. He hastily dressed, then returned. As he strode in, Maddy's eyes were heavy-lidded, as if she was struggling to stay awake.
When he hurried to sit beside her, she weakly lifted her hand to graze her fingertips over a nick on his jaw. He took her small hand in his, kissing her palm, but she'd already closed her eyes. Just as he felt a surge of panic, Fiona said, 'She's just sleeping now, Ethan.'
'Did she know about the babe?'Say no….
'Aye, she did. But she's a strong one, I can tell. She'll heal from all this if you help her.'
Maddy might not want his help—or want anything to do with him. 'Did she say anythin' about me?' he asked, sounding as desperate as he was. 'About what I did?'
'She broached it. But she's in love with you, son. I can tell. You will be able to win her back.'
Never again would he feel anger toward Fiona for what she'd said and done in the hours after his father's death.If Maddy had… He shuddered and squeezed his eyes closed. 'I need you tae leave.'
Without a word, she hastened from the room.
Just before he lost all control of his emotions.
Forty-six
Over the last five nights, Ethan had silently crept into her room to sleep with her, easing away each morning. Her fierce Highlander craving to sleep with her made her heart soften, but then she grew exasperated.
Every time she'd tried to talk to him about what had happened, he'd shied away, clearly thinking she was not strong enough to handle his confessions after only six days of recovery. But she was healing rapidly now that she'd turned the corner. Today, she'd been able to sit up for a good part of the afternoon to play cards with Lady Fiona, who was scheduled to return to Scotland the next day.
She truly liked Fiona, enjoying that she still scolded Ethan. He grumbled, but Maddy sensed that whatever conflict between them had finally been resolved.
Maddy needed to get something resolved with him as well, settled for good or ill, just so she could begin to make sense of all that had transpired.
That night, she made herself stay awake, waiting for him to steal into the room. He came directly after midnight and quietly undressed. When he slowly pulled back the cover, about to ease in and join her, she said, 'Ethan, don't you think it's time we discussed what happened?'
He exhaled. 'Aye, I suppose it is.' He slung on his trousers without energy, then turned up the bedroom lamp. After placing pillows behind her and helping her sit up in bed, he pulled a chair beside her. 'How did you find
