“Aye,” Dwyn agreed with relief, glad she didn’t have to ask for a brush and the basin of water her sister was collecting andbringing back to her. Her throat was really sore and her voice broken. The less she talked, the better, until she had somethingto drink.
“Here.” Aileen set the bowl of water on the bedside table and handed the hairbrush to Una, then turned away to rush back fora strip of linen and the soap that were on the same table the ewer and basin had sat on.
“I’ll brush yer hair,” Una offered, and climbed onto the bed to sit behind her.
“Geordie was most gentle and caring with ye last night,” Aileen announced as she moved back with the other items.
“Aye,” Dwyn whispered as Una began to draw the brush through her hair. “I remember.”
“He’s such a wonderful man, sister,” Aileen said with awe as she dipped the linen in the room temperature water and then rubbedthe soft soap on it. “I am ever so glad we came here.”
Dwyn didn’t respond to that; she didn’t get the chance. Aileen had finished soaping the linen and was now washing her facefor her. Did she speak, she was like to end up with a mouthful of suds. Feeling like a child, Dwyn tried to reach up to takethe cloth from her and take over the job, but it was gone before she could.
“They delayed the feast and dancing until tomorrow so ye can attend,” Aileen added as she turned to rinse out the linen inthe water, and Dwyn’s eyes popped open with dismay.
“Oh, but—” Her voice died there and she moved her tongue around inside her mouth, trying to build up enough saliva to swallowand wet her throat. Aside from painful, her throat felt dry and scaly, and she was sure if she could just moisten it, shewould be better able to talk.
“Oh, stop,” Una said from behind her as she continued to drag the brush through the tangles in her hair. “I ken ye want toprotest that they should no’ delay it on yer account and so on. But they have and that’s that. Besides, ye deserve to enjoya nice feast and dancing after all ye’ve been through here.” She made a sound of exasperation and then pointed out, “First,someone got yer feet all cut up, and now ye’ve been made sick—”
“No one got me feet cut up,” Dwyn managed in a raspy whisper. “That, unlike the poison, was an accident.”
“Nay,” Una assured her. “It was no’ an accident. The Buchanans think someone deliberately put the glass there after ye wentinto the garderobe so ye’d get yer feet all cut up.”
“It’s true,” Aileen said solemnly when Dwyn started to shake her head. “They have been talking about it all day, trying tosort out who could be behind that and poisoning ye.”
Dwyn’s mouth curved down unhappily at this news. She’d heard Rory saying that something had been put in her drink and thatwas why she was sick, but she hadn’t realized that they thought the glass on the floor had been deliberate too. It seemedshe’d really angered someone here, and the only people she could think of who disliked her enough to perhaps do somethinglike this were—
“Laird Buchanan sent Lady Catriona and Lady Sasha and their families away,” Una said with grim satisfaction, speaking thenames she’d just been thinking.
Dwyn turned to glance at her. “They—?” She left the rest unsaid, mostly because she had no voice and it hurt to talk.
But Una understood what she wanted to ask and grimaced. “They canno’ prove it, but suspect they were behind both attacks though.”
“Aye, but that’s no’ the only reason he sent them away. In fact, he said without proof he would no’ have sent them away, butRory and Alick were no’ interested in the lasses and they needed their rooms.”
When Dwyn’s eyebrows rose at that, Aileen explained, “They needed one o’ the rooms fer a new lass and her family who arrivedtoday, and Una and I are moving to the other room so ye and—”
“So ye can rest and recover more quickly,” Una interrupted firmly.
“Oh,” Aileen said with dismay. “Aye, so ye can rest.”
Dwyn narrowed her gaze on the lass. Her sister’s eyes were wide, as if she’d just realized she’d nearly said something sheshouldn’t have. Aileen never had been able to lie worth beans, but before Dwyn could question her about what she’d reallybeen going to say, a soft knock on the door drew their attention.
“That’ll be Geordie. He said he would fetch back food fer ye,” Aileen said with relief, and rushed to the door.
Dwyn frowned, and stared after her sister, watching as she opened the door for Geordie to come in. He entered with a trayin hand that held a pitcher, goblets and a large platter of food. His eyes found her sitting up on the bed and a smile softenedthe grim expression he’d initially had on his face, and then he carried the tray to a small table and two chairs to the sideof the hearth and set it down.
“They have brought out sweet pasties for the guests below, Una and Aileen,” Geordie announced as he picked up the pitcherand poured the liquid it held into the goblets. “Yer father asked me to tell ye that and send ye down.”
“I have no’ finished brushing her hair,” Una said, but was climbing off the bed as she did.
“I shall finish fer ye,” Geordie announced, turning with both goblets in hand.
Much to Dwyn’s amazement, her sisters nodded and immediately hurried out of the room, leaving her alone with Geordie. Theyeven closed the door behind them, which really wasn’t proper at all. She should not be alone in a room with a male with thedoor closed. It was just—Come to think of it, she’d been alone with him and him in bed with her when she’d
