“It be that hard Scottish head, Miss Miller,” Mary murmured sidelong to her. “He be a tough lad.”
The servant returned with the basin of water, cloths, and linen for bandages. Liam winced in pain as his wound was cleaned and disinfected with a dollop of whiskey, then bound with the linen. Like Freddie, he lay on the pillows with his eyes closed, seemingly exhausted by his injury. Mr. Noonan then cleaned the scrapes on his hands from his climb out of the well.
Mr. Noonan rose from the chair. “I will ask a servant to bring him food and a broth I will lace with some herbs. They will help him sleep. He should be able to return to his duties by tomorrow, Miss Miller.”
“Thank you, Mr. Noonan,” she said. “Will you be checking on my brother soon?”
“Right now, I will go there immediately.”
As he left, he ushered the group of servants out the door ahead of him, and quietly closed it behind him. Mary took the chair the steward had vacated and squeezed Liam’s hand. “Whet happened tae ye, son? Who hit ye?”
Liam glanced at Thea, silently asking permission to explain. “Mary,” she began, moving to stand on the far side of the bed so she could see both their faces. “No doubt you have heard through the staff gossip that someone has been trying to kill Lord Willowdale.”
“Aye, and that be a right evil thing tae dae. Lord Willowdale be a guid laird.”
“Liam went into the tunnels to try to find this villain, who we think is hiding in there and listening to everything that goes on in this house.”
Mary’s hazel eyes widened in horror and turned them on Liam. “This scoundrel be the one tae hurt ye?”
“Yes, Mum. But he believes he succeeded in his task.”
“And if he finds oot ye nae be dead? Whet then?”
“Mary,” Thea said slowly. “He was not targeting Liam specifically. If he believes that Liam survived, he will most likely flee the house. He cannot risk being caught, for he knows Liam would tell us about him.”
“That is right, Mum,” Liam went on. “Though I may not be able to resume my duties as a footman until after we catch him.”
“Let us consult Lord Willowdale and Mr. Noonan about that, Liam,” Thea responded quickly. “Think about it for a moment. The tunnels are dark, yes? He may not have gotten a clear look at your face. All the footmen, while on duty, wear the same livery, wigs and are close to one another in height. You may still be safe enough, and our villain will still think of himself as undiscovered.”
Thea dared not say more in front of Mary. She needed Liam near her, needed his strong, reassuring presence, could not bear to have him hidden away from her. Liam would protect her, would protect Freddie if given the chance. Meeting his eyes, she found them warm and caring, and quirked her lips upward, sardonic.
“Then it is decided, Mum,” Liam said, lifting Mary’s hand to his lips to kiss. “I will be all right and will return to my duties in the morning. I want to help catch this bugger.”
“Ye be careful, wi’ ye nae?”
“He had better,” Thea grumbled and caught Liam’s amused wink.
The servant knocked on the door and entered with a platter that included enough food for Thea and Mary as well as Liam. The maid curtseyed under the weight of it before setting it on the table against the wall. “Mr. Noonan says you have not eaten this evening, Miss Miller,” she said, “and says to tell you that you must.”
Thea eyed the sheer amount of food the girl brought and lifted her brow. “Does he hope to fatten me for slaughter?”
“Miss Miller?”
Mary chuckled behind her hand as the maid stared at her in bewilderment. “Never mind,” Thea said with a sigh. “I was hungry anyway.”
She walked to the table as the servant curtseyed again and departed while Mary also stood. Sitting at the table, Thea selected roast pork and chicken, warm bread and butter and an apple sweet tart. “Mary, I hope you have a bit of an appetite.”
Mary filled a cup from the pot of broth and watched Liam drink it all. “Aye, Miss Miller, I dae feel a wee bit hungry.”
“As do I,” Liam added, handing the cup back to her.
After helping Liam to sit up in bed with pillows at his back, Mary filled a plate for him, then sat with Thea to help her reduce the amount of food on the platter. Liam had no sooner eaten his share when he slid back down on the bed and fell asleep.
“I wish tae stay and watch o’er him, Miss Miller,” Mary said as Thea stood up to leave.
“Do whatever you need to do, Mary,” Thea said, her hand on the door. “Neither of you are to resume your work until he is ready, understood?”
Mary grinned and curtseyed. “Aye, Miss Miller.”
