“Here, Dwyn, drink.”
Blinking, she turned from looking at the door to find Geordie in front of her now, holding out one of the goblets. She staredat it blankly, and then lifted her gaze to his face, still trying to sort out why she was being left alone in a room withhim with the door closed. Her sisters knew better than that, as did their father, but he’d apparently wanted them below . . .
“Can ye hold it?” he asked with concern when she hesitated.
Dwyn reached for the glass with one hand, but then quickly added her other hand to help hold it when she found she was indeedweak. The retching had apparently taken more out of her than she’d realized, Dwyn thought with disgust as she raised the gobletto her lips and sipped tentatively. It was mead, as she expected, and delicious, but she was almost afraid to drink too muchand start retching again, so she started with the sip, and then lowered the glass to wait a moment as she swished it aroundin her mouth and swallowed.
“Mavis is arranging for a bath to be brought up once the water warms,” he announced, setting his own goblet down on the table.“It may take some time though.”
Dwyn murmured in response to that, and then stiffened in surprise when he crawled onto the bed beside her. When he continuedto move around behind her, Dwyn glanced around to see him pick up the brush Una had apparently left there. Eyes wide, shequickly turned forward as he began to run it slowly through her hair.
For a moment, she just sat there, feeling odd and a little uncomfortable with everything, but when he murmured, “How is yerstomach? Is the mead bothering it?” she glanced down at the goblet she’d lowered to her lap, and took a moment to pay attentionto her stomach. It seemed to have accepted the mead well, she acknowledged, and said with relief, “It seems fine with themead.”
Her voice was still raspy and broken, and she wasn’t surprised when he urged, “Try some more.”
Nodding, she raised the goblet and took a larger sip this time, and again swished it around her mouth before swallowing. Butwhen that stayed down and her stomach didn’t rebel, she took a proper drink, and then another as Geordie continued to brushher hair.
“I love yer hair,” he murmured after a moment, and she felt him lift it away from her neck and raise it out behind her. “’Tisso soft and fine. Lovely.”
Dwyn stilled, her fingers tightening on her goblet, and then he let it fall back into place and asked, “Ye must be hungry.Would ye like to try a little food?”
“Aye,” she said, relieved when her voice was a little less raspy this time and it didn’t pain her as much to speak. The liquidwas helping, Dwyn thought, and then glanced around with surprise when Geordie was suddenly shifting past her to stand. Whenhe took the goblet and set it on the table, then bent toward her, she automatically raised her arms to wrap them around hisneck as he picked her up.
“I think we’ll start with something light and then move from there,” he said as he carried her to the table. “Cook sent upbroth to start with, as well as meat, cheese and fruit. But why do we no’ see how the broth settles ere we try anything else?”
Dwyn nodded, but her hungry eyes were on the tray with the food on it and her mouth was watering at the thought of eating.The mead had eased her mouth and throat, but it had also made her aware of how empty her stomach was and the hunger gnawingat it.
Geordie set her in the nearer chair, and lifted a small wooden bowl of broth from the tray to set it before her, but thenturned to head back to the bed to get her empty goblet and his full one. He was back quickly though, and took the oppositechair.
“Did yer sisters tell ye Jetta delayed the feast until tomorrow so ye could attend?” he asked as he poured more mead intoher goblet.
Dwyn swallowed the broth and nodded. “Aye. ’Twas very kind o’ her, but I feel bad that she did. I’m sure everyone else wasdisappointed, and ’tis no’ as if I could have danced at the feast anyway,” she pointed out.
“Ye might be able to. Rory is going to come up with the bath, and check yer feet while they prepare it. He’s hoping they’vehealed enough ye can put weight on them again and can walk and dance. If no’ tonight, then by tomorrow.”
“Oh,” Dwyn breathed, smiling at the thought. While she loved the excuse of needing to be carried to be in Geordie’s arms,it could also be embarrassing when it came to things like using the garderobe. Fortunately, her sisters had helped her inthe garderobe, but he’d still had to carry her there and set her on the wooden bench, and then carry her away after. Mostembarrassing, she thought with a grimace, and hoped she wouldn’t have to go again now that she was eating. At least, not untilRory had seen her feet, and hopefully said she could put weight on them again.
“How is yer stomach faring now?” Geordie asked, drawing her attention back to him. “Is the broth bothering it?”
“Nay,” Dwyn said, relieved to be able to say so.
“Would ye like to try some meat, cheese and bread?” he suggested.
Dwyn looked at the food. Her mind was very aware she’d missed several meals and wanted the food, but her stomach was tellingher it was starting to feel full from just the drink and broth. Sighing, she said, “Perhaps just a little bread and fruit.I’m almost full already.”
“What about a pastie, then?” he suggested, drawing her attention to the fruit-filled pastries she hadn’t noticed until henow pointed them out.
“Oh, aye,” she said with a smile. “That would be perfect.”
Nodding, he picked one up and set it before her, then
