“Ye look like ye’ve never seen a bedroom before,” Paige said. “Are ye nae the Earl’s daughter? Surely ye came from a much fancier castle than this one?”
Cleopatra dropped her eyes and shook her head. “Truth is, my father kept all the fancy things to himself. My room in his house was probably much like the one you sleep in.”
Paige gasped at the thought, yet her surprise faded as she studied Cleopatra. “Ye’re serious?”
“Yes,” Cleopatra said. “This room is more than I could have ever wanted. Please tell the Laird thank you. For I doubt I will be seeing much of him now that we are back in his home.”
“Take heart, Miss,” Paige said. “There is a reason he brought ye back here, I’m sure of it. But I must say, it is nice to have a lady back in the Castle. After his first wife passed, the halls have been neglected.”
“Oh, I don’t think that will be my role here,” Cleopatra said with a soft smile.
“Either way, Miss, is there anythin’ I can do for ye? M’Laird requested I fetch the healer, but I can get ye some scran if ye like?”
Cleopatra’s stomach rumbled at the thought of food and nodded. “That would be lovely.”
“I’ll be back soon, until then, make yerself at home,” Paige bowed to her and took off, closing the door behind her.
Cleopatra’s heart sank as she scanned the decorated room. She moved to the bookcase and scanned the books that lined the shelves. Although it seemed she had stepped into a dream, she could feel the shadows darken around her.
My father must have sent someone to come after us. After all, how else would they have known where we would be? And why else would he have let Jude walk out of the manor so easily?
A light tap on the door pulled Cleopatra from her thoughts. She cleared her throat and straightened her dirty skirt. “Come in.”
To her surprise, Jude pushed through the door. He looked weary as he walked in. His eyes scanned the room as he sighed.
“Is everything all right?” Cleopatra asked, trying not to go to him. Every fiber in her being wanted to rush to him and comfort him, but they were no longer in the wild. Here, he was Laird and she knew there were customs to obey.
“Aye,” he said as he walked to the dresser next to the bed.
“Are you certain? You look as if you have seen a ghost.”
“It’s been a while since I was in this room,” Jude confessed.
“Was this your wife’s old room?” Cleopatra asked, although she already knew the answer. Jude nodded somberly. “How is Hugh?” Cleopatra asked, trying to shift the conversation. They had been through so much that she couldn’t bear to see him so disheartened a moment longer.
“He is fine,” Jude answered. “Now that he is home, all will be well.”
“That is good to hear. I hope he hasn’t been too traumatized by the events.”
“It’ll take time, but he is strong,” Jude said, stepping closer to Cleopatra. She could feel the heat of his body rolling off him and she reached out and clasped his wrist.
Jude’s eyes shifted to her hand. She knew there were no words she could say that would make the sadness in his face vanish, but still she found herself longing to make him smile.
“Like his father, I’m sure,” she said finding herself gravitating toward Jude.
“How is yer leg?” Jude asked suddenly as he stepped back from her.
“I should be right as rain in no time,” Cleopatra said as Jude extended his hand to the chair.
“Sit, let me inspect it,” he said.
Cleopatra’s heart fluttered as she moved to the chair and sat down. With her eyes locked on Jude, she watched as he carefully lifted the fabric of her tattered skirt to her knees. Her body shuddered as she felt his fingers drift over her calf.
Ever so carefully, he unwound the cloth. Cleopatra gasped as it peeled off the wound and sent pain coursing up to her knee. She tried not to recoil from his touch as he eased the last bit off her.
“Well?” she asked not ready for the answer. Jude’s face was stone cold as his eyes shot up to her face.
“Best wait for the healer,” Jude said. “At least ye still have yer life.”
“I’m sorry,” Cleopatra whispered. “I shouldn’t have run away like I did.”
“I understand why ye did it,” Jude answered as he rubbed her knee. The clearing of a throat caught them by surprise, and they whipped their heads to the door.
Standing with a leather bag was a young man with bifocals and a long black cloak. The man’s eyebrows rose as he spotted Jude on his knees. Instantly, Jude rose to his feet and stepped back.
“M’Laird,” the healer said bowing as the smirk on his face faded.
“Alex,” Jude said. “Take care of her to the best of yer abilities.”
“Of course, m’Laird,” Alex said, scrambling to Cleopatra’s side. Cleopatra watched as the young man lowered himself and snatched her by the ankle. He lifted her leg up and peered into the wound.
“What caused this?” Alex asked turning his attention to Jude.
“Wild dogs,” Jude answered.
“I see,” Alex mumbled as he lowered Cleopatra’s leg and turned his attention to his bag. “Well, let’s get ye fixed, shall we?”
Jude nodded as Cleopatra glanced at him. Her heart longed for Jude to stay, but before she could express her desires to keep him there, he had slipped out of the room without so much as a farewell.
“This is a bit nasty,” Alex said as he poured water over her wound. A burning sensation coursed through her leg, but before the pain could intensify, she found she had lost feeling in her toes.
“What are you doing?” Cleopatra asked. Alex glanced up to her as he pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose.
“We have to clean this and make sure it doesn’t get any more infected than
