Satisfied, Lily moved to the far end, where a pale, thin man lay with his eyes half open. She knelt beside him. “What is yer name?”
“Adam, me Lady,” he answered, his voice faint but firm.
“Well, Adam, ye must hang in there, do ye understand me? Ye have been given yer medicine, and now all we can do is wait for it to take effect. Daenae fret.”
Adam gave a short laugh that ended in a cough. “Ye’ve given me hope, me Lady. Before he left, Dr. Moseley told me I wouldnae last the night. I thought it was the truth.” He paused, a hint of anger in his eyes. “Now, I ken he was a fraudanda liar.”
Lily’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I am glad to have been of help, Adam. Ye focus on resting now.”
She rose and beckoned to the maid. “If the men need anything, tell the others on duty nae to hesitate to fetch me.”
The maid hesitated, twisting her fingers in her apron. “They wouldnae do that, me Lady. Nae when—” She stopped suddenly.
“Nae when what?” Lily asked.
The maid shook her head quickly. “Forgive me, me Lady. I forgot what I was about to say.”
Lily didn’t believe her, but she let it slide. “Tell the next shift the same.”
“Aye, me Lady.”
By the time she stepped out of the hall, tiredness clung to her bones. It was fully dark now, and nothing could be seen up above. The moon hid behind thick clouds, and the air was cool and still. The stars were scattered above, faint in the dark sky. She pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders as she crossed the passageway toward the main stairs.
Halfway up, she saw Nathan coming from the opposite end, the nearby candlelight catching his shiny red hair. She was instantly transported to the brief hour she had spent behind him on horseback before leaving her village.
“How are ye finding yer stay so far?” he asked, stopping before her.
Lily smiled faintly. “‘Tis fine. Even though I was carried out of the market square like a criminal, I believe there is good to be done here.”
Nathan’s expression softened. “I am sorry for that, me Lady. I was only following orders. I never meant to shame ye.”
She chuckled lightly. “I was only jesting, Nathan. Think nothing of it.”
He smiled, relieved. “Sleep well, me Lady.”
“And ye,” she replied, turning toward the stairwell.
The upper floor was quiet, and the passages were empty. She wished, briefly, that she’d asked for a candle. Still, she told herself she knew the way. She had been to her room before. She liked to believe the path was simple.
Her footsteps echoed softly as she walked, the darkness pressing close around her. She reached the familiar door and pushed it open. The room was pitch black, as the moonlight had not yet returned.
Too tired to think much of it, she closed the door behind her, found her way to the small table, and set her shawl aside. Her fingers moved over the laces of her gown, loosening them with ease. It felt almost absentminded, the way she slipped into her night shift and felt the cool fabric caress her skin.
The bed was soft and warm, and the blankets smelled faintly of roses. She climbed in with a sigh and sank into the mattress. A yawn escaped her, and she rolled onto her side, stretching her arms in the dark.
Then, she felt it.
Her hands brushed against something warm and solid. Something slightly hairy.
Her breath caught.
A chest.
She froze, her fingers splayed across the hard muscles. Her palm moved before her mind caught up, tracing down a strong abdomen, then back up to a jawline she could not see but recognized instantly.
Then came his voice, deep and unmistakable in the darkness.
“By all means,” Alasdair said, his tone edged with quiet amusement, “take yer time.”
