They ate in silence for several minutes, and then Dwyn said, “Una and Aileen told me that yer brother sent Lady Catriona andLady Sasha away.”
Geordie swallowed the food in his mouth, before saying, “Aye. Rory and Alick were no’ interested in them, and they were justtaking up space and being unpleasant, so Aulay asked them to leave.”
Dwyn watched him take another bite of the beef that had been sent up, but after watching him chew and swallow, she said, “Aileensaid the rooms were needed, one for a new lass who arrived today?”
“Aye, Aulay mentioned another lady had arrived with her escort,” he admitted, and then smiled wryly. “I think he mentionedthe lady’s name, but I paid him little attention. I shall ask him later and tell ye who it is though,” he promised.
Dwyn nodded, but said, “Aileen said that they were taking the other room and leaving me here. Una said it was so that I couldrest and recover, but that’s no’ necessary. I should be fine now, and it seems silly for us to be split up like that whenyou and your brothers could take the other room,” she pointed out.
“Me brothers are sleeping in the barracks until more women leave,” he said, reaching for a pastie now.
Dwyn was silent for a minute, but then said, “I got the feeling Aileen was going to give another reason for why we were beingsplit up before Una interrupted to say it was so I could rest and recover.”
Geordie glanced up at that, his eyes wide and almost guilty-looking, and then relief washed over his face when a knock soundedat the door. Standing abruptly, he hurried over to open it and then stepped back to allow Rory in. The healer was followedby two men carrying a large bathtub, and several women carting pails of water, half of which were steaming.
“How is your stomach accepting food now?” Rory asked, moving toward her as soon as he spotted her at the table.
“Good, thank ye,” Dwyn answered, wishing she’d had more time to question Geordie before the man had interrupted. She had afeeling there was something she needed to know here.
“Good, good.” Rory beamed at her as if she had done something to make herself feel better, when she suspected the truth waswhatever had been put in her drink had obviously just moved out of her system.
“Should I carry her to the bed so ye can look at her feet?” Geordie asked, leaving the door to join them.
“Aye,” Rory said at once. “Hopefully they are much improved too.”
“Aye,” he agreed, and scooped her up out of her chair to carry her to the bed. Once he’d set her down, both men went to workremoving the leather Rory had put over the binding, and then unwrapping the linens too.
“Hmm,” Rory said, raising her feet to peer over them. “They are much improved.”
“Aye,” Geordie agreed, looking them over as well.
Rory set her right foot down and began to press on the bottom of her left foot, and then glanced at her face in question.“Does that hurt?”
Dwyn hesitated, and then admitted, “’Tis a little tender in spots, but no’ much.”
Nodding, he set that foot down, raised her right again and began to press on it as he had the first. He paused when Dwyn suckedin a pained breath though.
“That one hurts,” he said sympathetically and Dwyn grimaced, but nodded.
“Ye’ve made it bleed again,” Geordie growled with displeasure.
“Just the large cut, and just a little,” Rory said soothingly as he set the foot back. “It is healing, but no’ quite ready.I think ’twill be fine by tomorrow though. She should be able to stand on it then.”
“So, she canno’ walk yet?” Geordie asked.
“She can put weight on her left foot, but should not use her right yet.”
“So, she canno’ walk,” Geordie pointed out dryly.
“She can stand on one foot to dress though,” Rory pointed out when Dwyn’s shoulders sagged with disappointment. “Ye’ll onlyneed carry her to the garderobe and set her down inside the door. She’ll no’ need her sisters to help her in the room itselfanymore.”
Dwyn breathed out with relief at that news. It was almost better than walking when she thought about it. She could continueto enjoy being in Geordie’s arms when he carried her around, but would now avoid the embarrassment of needing help in thegarderobe. She could hop to the bench herself from the door, and stand on one foot while she pulled her skirts up. Aye, thiswas better.
“I shall leave the salve and fresh linens fer ye to replace on the still-tender foot after her bath, Geordie. But,” he added,eyeing Dwyn sternly, “ye must wear yer slipper on the unbandaged foot for the next little while until ’tis completely healed.The cuts have all scabbed over or healed altogether now, and the chance of infection is small at this point, but better no’to take risks.”
Rory waited until Dwyn nodded obediently, and then he stood. “I’ll leave ye to yer bath, then.”
“Thank ye, Rory,” Geordie said, standing to see him out. He didn’t just see him out, but followed him out into the hall. Whenthe two men paused briefly to speak, Dwyn turned her attention to the bath being prepared for her. The men who had carriedin the tub had left while Rory had examined her feet, as had a good half of the women after dumping their water in. The remainingwomen would soon be gone too, she saw as they emptied their pails into the quickly filling tub and turned to trudge out oneafter another, their empty pails swinging from their hands.
There were only two left in the room when Geordie finished talking to his brother and came back into the room, and one ofthem was already walking toward the door. The younger woman smiled from Dwyn to Geordie and then slid out through the doorGeordie was holding open. Dwyn then turned to the older woman as she finished emptying her pails
