“Yes.” She started to sit up, then fell back. “Oh.”
“Careful.” He was up in an instant and beside the bed. With a by-now practiced hand, he felt her forehead. Her skin was much cooler. “I think your fever has broken.”
“I hope so.” She tried to sit again and fell back once more. “I feel dizzy.”
“’Tis nae surprising.” He took an extra pillow and plumped it up, then started to lean over her. She gave him a wary look.
“What are you doing?”
He stared at her.Does she think I’m going to take advantage of her? Now? Like this?He frowned. He’d just spent…but no, she wouldn’t know that he had been sitting by her bedside throughout this ordeal. “I am going to help ye sit up. Ye are weak as an unwhelped pup.”
Her brow furrowed. “You are comparing me to a dog?”
“Nae. Well…aye, but I doona mean an insult.” He leaned over once more and put a hand under each of her elbows to prop her against the headboard. Then, to lighten the moment—or perhaps to squelch the instant desire that rose at their closeness—he added, “I am quite fond of dogs, ye ken.”
He saw a spark flare in her eyes and couldn’t help but grin in relief. If he was already riling her, she must be feeling much better. Although there was no reason to cause her strain by arguing. “Are ye thirsty?”
She looked as though she were going to argue anyway, then simply nodded. He poured water from the pitcher into a glass. “Do ye want help?”
She gave him an arch look and held out her hand. “I think I can manage to drink by myself.”
“If ye wish.” He put the glass into her hand and folded her fingers around it. He could feel her hand tremble beneath his and tried not to think of how often he’d stroked that soft, small hand while she lay fevered. He held on, guiding the glass to her lips.
“I can do this. I am not a child.”
He didn’t need to be told. Everything male in him was aware of everything female in her. Ever since undressing Juliana and then getting into bed with her half-naked, he’d been able to think of little else. Except her possibly dying of fever. Now that she had come back to life, he needed to push all those fanciful thoughts aside.
“I ken ye are nae a bairn, but Sima would prefer nae to have to change the sheets if ye spill the water everywhere.” He held on to the glass firmly. She managed a feeble glare, but apparently thirst won out over sparring with him. She started to drink in big gulps.
“Nae so fast.” He eased the glass away. “Ye doona want it all to come back up.”
Her brows drew together again, but she didn’t argue. “Where is Sima? I need to thank her for her help.”
“She’s been taking care of Greer and Aileen. They’ve been fevered, too.”
She gave him a strange look that he couldn’t quite decipher. “How long have I been abed?”
“’Tis the beginning of the fourth day.”
Her eyes widened. “Fourth day?”
“Aye.” He tilted his head to study her, wondering if she’d been aware of him at all. “What do ye remember?”
“I remember being on the roof by the tower. I remember that you found us…” She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and looked at him. “I should thank you for that. You saved my life—”
“I was almost too late.”
“You had no way of knowing where we were. No one did.” She grimaced. “It was all my fault. I was really stupid.”
To hear Juliana be so humble and self-blaming was a bit disconcerting and made him oddly uncomfortable. “Ye couldna have kenned the handle would break off.”
“It was still an asinine thing to do.”
“’Tis past. Do ye remember anything else?”
She grew thoughtful. “I remember you carrying me, I think.”
“I did. Ye swooned.”
