Perhaps she might just rest her head on the edge of his bed, use it as a pillow of sorts to add a bit of comfort while she sat. Elizabeth curled her arm up beneath her head and fell asleep.
“Izzie?” Valen asked, his voice groggy. “What are you doing in hell?”
Her eyes blinked open. She struggled to comprehend and sat up, rubbing her eyes. “We’re not in hell, dearest. You’re alive.”
He dragged down the sheet and stared at his wound.
She jumped up and tried to cover him, but he stopped her.
“Not in hell? Then what are these demons doing on me?” He snatched off two of the leeches and threw them across the room. The engorged slugs splattered against the tapestry and oozed down the stone wall.
“No. Valen you shouldn’t. The doctor said they will stop the bleeding.”
By then he’d yanked the third leech off. The sucking sound made her flinch.
“Saw injured men who ought to have lived sucked to death by these vermin.” He said as he hurled the wiggling creature.
Elizabeth watched in horror as it plopped onto the shirt of the doctor, who stirred and brushed at his mustache as if a mosquito had flown past.
“No,” she whispered. “The doctor should decide. I’ll wake him.”
Valen grabbed her arm. “Don’t bother. I won’t allow it anyway.”
The stunned leech came to life and slithered across the physician’s waistcoat, leaving a trail of red.
Elizabeth shook her head. “I ought to wake him.” At the very least, she ought to retrieve that leech before it found a new home on the physician. But that would mean picking it up. She wrinkled her nose. With a tiny bit of good fortune, the hideous thing would simply crawl away and die.
Valen tugged on her arm. “Don’t let him bleed me. No leeches. Promise.”
She leaned over him. He seemed so very tired, but it was a marvel to see the familiar stubbornness back in his eyes. She attempted to protest. “But surely the doctor knows—”
“Promise.” He tugged her closer.
She had no power to deny him. Indeed, he might ask anything and she would do it. “Very well. I promise.”
The shadow of a smile curved his lips, and Valen closed his eyes. “That’s my little marmot.”
“On second thought—” She bristled, but he had fallen back into oblivion again.
Elizabeth wiped him down with a fresh cloth, covered him up, and settled back in the chair. This time, making no pretense of trying to stay awake, she rested both arms on the edge of his mattress, laid her head down, and closed her eyes.
“Izzie?” Valen whispered.
She glanced up. His hand groped out from under the bedding, reaching for her. She slipped her hand under his palm. Valen took a deep breath and closed his fingers around hers. They both drifted contentedly back to sleep.
23
To Hem or Not to Hem
Morning whiskered its way under her eyelids, but Elizabeth brushed it away. She was too tired to care about what time it was. Valen’s hand was still warm as he held hers. Like pesky mayflies, voices buzzed softly in the room, disturbing the edge of Elizabeth’s slumber. In her drowsy state, she wondered if a pair of angels had come to watch over Valen as he slept.
“An interesting couple, are they not?”
“Yes.”
“Ill-suited from the very beginning.”
“How so?”
“Too much alike, I’d say.”
He sighed deeply. “And yet...”
“And yet quite opposite in many respects.”
“Hmm.” He coughed.
“Precisely,” she declared triumphantly. “Just enough trouble to keep life interesting. Perfect. A match made in heaven.”
“I’d prefer if they stay on earth for the time being. I want a grandson.”
“Don’t worry.” She chuckled wickedly. “I daresay they’ll be littering the manor house with a brood of hellions in no time.”
Elizabeth’s mind fluttered. She recognized that mischievous cackle, and it certainly didn’t belong to an angel. She raised her head and struggled to get her bearings.
Lord Ransley laughed, and it turned into a cough.
“Good morning, my dear.” Lady Alameda cooed. “I see you observed the proprieties and perched in that pathetic little chair the entire night. No doubt you have a stiff neck to show for it.”
She was right, of course. Elizabeth rubbed at the neck in question while the doctor still snored and probably hadn’t budged all night. She wondered where the evil little leech had gotten off to. In a fleeting panic, she checked her ankles. To her great relief, she did not find an ugly globular worm sucking on either of her legs.
Springing up, she checked Valen’s color and folded down the sheets to make certain the wound was not festering.
Lady Alameda put her hands on Elizabeth’s shoulders and pulled her back. “Why don’t you go and wash up, dear. I had the servants move your things to a room down the hall.”
Had she slept through all of that? Still. She couldn’t leave him. “No. I—”
“Elizabeth. There are others to care for him now. You must tend to your own needs for the moment.”
She shook her head. “No. I have to stay. I gave him my word. No bloodletting. No more leeches. He made me swear to it.”
“Yes. I see he dashed the little darlings against the wall.” She glanced pointedly at the tapestry. “You mustn’t worry. I will see to it that your promise is kept. Isn’t that correct, doctor?” She kicked out with her right shoe and connected with the physician’s foot.
“What? What?” he sputtered. “Certainly.” The surgeon stood, adjusting his waistcoat and jacket. “Wretched mosquitoes.” He grimaced and swatted at his calf before snatching his watch from the bed table and tapping on it. “Is that the time?” He wound it and clipped it back onto his waistcoat, itching at his pant leg with the toe of his shoe.
Elizabeth hadn’t noticed any
