Lonely is the Knight (Merriweather Sisters Time Travel Romance Book 3) (22 page)

“Heat water over the fire and bring me clean cloths.” She rummaged in the sack she’d brought with her, and the smell of herbs filled the air.

“Tell me what I can do to help.” Charlotte was shaking so badly she wasn’t sure how much help she would be, but Henry had saved her life and she would do everything she could to help him.

“You are his lady. Speak softly to him as I clean the wound.” She motioned to Chester and the other men. “We will require a fourth man to hold him still.”

Chester blanched, and Charlotte thought her face must look the same. Without a word, he turned and left the room. It seemed like seconds later he returned with another man.

“I have informed the captain. We must not let everyone know how grave his injuries are.”

The woman poured the herbs into the water. A man brought the alcohol she’d requested. She looked up at them. “Hold him still.”

The healer opened the bottle, the pungent fumes filling the room. When she poured the liquid over the wound, Henry arched up, screaming, before he fell back again, unconscious.
 

One of the men looked nervous. “Is it the fever sickness?”

Chester rolled his eyes. “’Tis his leg, dolt.”

To know Henry was in so much pain and she couldn’t make it better, she wished there was a hospital nearby—and with that thought, Charlotte remembered. The antibiotics.

As soon as she was alone, she would get them and give them to Henry. This definitely qualified as an emergency.

The woman cleaned the wound and Charlotte had to look away. Henry cried out, cursed in several languages, making the men chuckle, and then fell silent again. It was repeated over and over. Charlotte wondered where she’d learned to do such a thing. As if the healer heard her thoughts, she met her eyes and said, “An old priest in a monastery told me about foul humors that enter the body. He said using alcohol on needles or anything that touches a wound will prevent foul humors.”

Was another traveler here? Or simply a learned man? Likely she would never know, but the thought wouldn’t leave her mind. If she and her sisters had managed to travel through time, why wouldn’t there be others? It was too bad there wasn’t a way for them all to come together and talk. There had to be so much they could learn from each other.

Candles were brought into the room and lit as the old lady stitched up the wound and bandaged it. Charlotte dipped the cloth into cool water and placed it on Henry’s forehead, repeating as his fever warmed the rag. One of the kitchen girls brought food to the chamber. Her stomach rumbled. When had she last eaten? Maybe breakfast?
 

After the woman finished, she patted Charlotte on the arm. “Make him drink a cup every few hours. He may not keep it down, but you must keep trying. Three days. That is all I can do.”

Charlotte took the woman’s hands. “I don’t know how to thank you. What payment is required?”

The woman gave her a quizzical look. “Payment?”

Charlotte nodded. The healer smiled, showing a few missing teeth. “Lord Ravenskirk has always been good to me. There is no money required. I shelter here while the enemy is outside. Though perhaps I might harvest herbs from the gardens?”

“Of course. Take whatever you need.” Charlotte hoped she wasn’t overstepping her bounds. “You said you live in the village. We don’t have a healer in residence. Would you consider living here and being the castle healer?”

The woman beamed at her. “I have a daughter, and she has three bairns. They would live with me.”

“Yes. They are most welcome. We will find proper accommodations for everyone once this is over with.”

“You are a strong woman, Lady Ravenskirk. Our lord has chosen well.” She gathered up her things and shuffled toward the door. She turned and looked back at Charlotte. “Call if you have need of me.”

Charlotte looked to the men in the room. “Thank you all for helping. I do not want to alarm the people. Too many already know. Can we keep this quiet?”

Chester said, “They know he was injured, but not how greatly. I will say he is resting and you are attending to him, lady. The rest are loyal and will not gossip.”

“I’ll stay with him. You must be hungry. Go and eat.”

The men quietly left the room, and Charlotte was finally alone with him. Henry was still unconscious. Every once in a while he would moan and call out. She dipped a ladle into the cauldron, pouring the brew into a cup. She could put the antibiotics in the drink.
 

Certain she was alone at last, Charlotte went to the trunk at the bottom of the bed. She opened it and pulled out her messenger bag. It seemed so long ago she’d left North Carolina for London. She dumped the contents on the bed and sorted through them, looking for a small cloth bundle.

“No, no, no.” She unwrapped the small glass vial. She’d been so certain Henry would be fine when she gave him antibiotics. But somehow the lid must’ve come loose, and she was now looking at what looked like cloudy seawater. She twisted the lid off and sniffed. It smelled salty. Was it possible any of the antibiotic was left?

She touched her finger to the liquid and then to her tongue. It tasted salty, not bitter, as she’d expected it to. She looked at Henry. Likely it wouldn’t kill him. Before she could think about it too long, Charlotte dumped it into the mug.
If you’re up there listening, Aunt Pittypat, please don’t let him die.

Charlotte lifted his head up. “Wake up, Henry. You must wake.”

His eyes fluttered and opened partway. She held the cup to his mouth. “It’s going to taste terrible, but you have to drink it.”

She poured half of the brew down his throat before he started coughing and sputtering. As she waited for the fit to subside, she pleaded, “Just a little bit more.”

She got the rest of it down and sat back exhausted. All she could do now was wait. Thank goodness it was growing dark. The assault on the walls had stopped for the night. Charlotte had heard the boom every time something from the trebuchet hit the walls. How quickly she’d grown used to the thundering. Now the absence of sound made her notice it had stopped. If they didn’t find a way out of this, eventually the walls would fall. And she didn’t want to think on the hand-to-hand battle that would come after.

It had been three days since the assault on the walls. Charlotte’s nerves were frayed with the constant worry the wall would fall and they would face a battle. She knew the big history events, knew the Black Plague happened during this century, but she’d never really given much thought to small skirmishes or battles. She naïvely assumed it wouldn’t happen to her. And now here she was in the middle of a small war.

At times like this, she missed the modern world. Missed her boring job, people grouchy as they waiting in line at the grocery store, judging the contents of other shoppers’ baskets.

She’d taken a bath and dressed in clean clothes for the first time in—well, she couldn’t remember, but knew she smelled pretty ripe when she finally had time for a bath. Charlotte sat down next to Henry, taking his hand in hers. It was funny. Coming to love someone after you were already married to them. But that was exactly what had happened to her. She had a crush on him at the beginning, which developed into friendship, and then into something more. He married her out of his chivalrous knightly vows. But now…she thought he was coming to love her too.

Henry’s eyes fluttered and he tried to sit up.

“Wait. Let me help you.” She thought he looked much better. “Don’t fall over while I get you something to drink.”

He managed a small smile. “Married such a short time and you’re already plaguing me.”

For the first time since he’d fallen ill, she grinned. “I’ve been so worried about you. I should kill you for making me worry so much.”

“Tell me all that has happened. I must see to the men.” He put his feet down on the floor. Charlotte stopped him, a hand on his shoulder. She could see the pulse fluttering at his throat.

“You are not going anywhere. You will stay in this bed until the healer says you are well enough to get up.”

She arranged the covers around him and handed him a cup of ale.

“I quite like this shrewish wife of mine.”

She rolled her eyes. “By the way, I offered the healer, along with her daughter and three children, a place at the castle. She saved your life and I thought we should have someone here. I hope that was all right?”

“You are Lady Ravenskirk. ’Tis your right to bring those we need to the castle.”

She climbed into bed beside him. He rested his head in her lap while she told him what had been happening while he was healing. As she finished talking, another assault on the walls sent dust and small pieces of mortar falling from the ceiling. She cringed.
 

“I’m worried the walls won’t hold.”

“They are twenty feet thick. They will hold.” Though he didn’t look totally convinced.

He finished the ale and put on his Prince Charming smile. “I’m hungry.” She gave him bread and cheese. He arched a brow. “I want a proper meal with meat.”

“You’ll throw up if I give you that. You haven’t eaten in days. Eat this first and keep it down. Then I’ll bring you a proper meal.”

He pouted. “And two of the small cakes?”

She kissed him on the cheek. “Yes. If you’re a good patient.”

Charlotte was telling Henry every detail she could remember since he’d been ill when Royce strode into the room.

“Henry. ’Tis good to see you awake. We were most worried.”

“You worry like an old woman. I am fine and will see you in the lists tomorrow.”

His captain grinned. “I’ll knock you on your arse.”

“See what I must put up with? No one fears me.”

“A messenger made it through the enemy. He shot an arrow with a message attached over the wall. Liam found it. He is waiting in the water by the corner of the east wall and will make the swim tonight.”

“How do we know he’s not a spy for Hallsey?” Charlotte asked.

“The note ended with
We miss Holden but we miss you more
.”

Charlotte started to cry. “My sisters know I’m here. It’s from them. Holden is Holden Beach. Where I’m from.”

Henry stroked her cheek. “Help me up. I would have speech with the man.”

She wanted to protest, but on second thought, it was important. She looked to Royce. “I can’t lift him; he weighs a ton. Can you help me get him up?”

Henry grumbled then shut his mouth. “He can help me up, but he is not helping me dress like some small child.”

His captain laughed. “You fight like a wee child. Why shouldn’t I dress you?”

They traded insults as Henry stood on his feet swaying back and forth like a drunk. He found his center and stood steady. Tears rolled down her face.

“What’s amiss? Why do you weep, my love?”

“I’m so happy to see you up and well. You don’t know how I worried about you. Don’t ever do that to me again.”

Royce backed out of the room, giving them privacy. Henry opened his arms, and Charlotte went to him as he held her tight.

“The priest told me I would not repeat the past. And my vow to myself is not binding. I have been so worried I would end up like my parents, hating who I married, that I vowed never to marry.”

He kissed her lightly on the lips. “Rescuing you from the rubble took my fear away. I was so worried about losing you. I want you to know I love you. I think I fell in love with you the moment I saw your blue toes on the beach. I love you, Charlotte. Body and soul. I belong to you and I will love you all the days of my life.”

Charlotte started to cry again, and then the hiccups began. “I love you too, Henry. I’ve known it for a while but didn’t know how to say it. I too never thought love was something I would have. It seems we are perfectly suited to each other, husband.”

“Say it again.”

“What?”

“Husband.”

Charlotte smiled. “Husband. My Henry. I love you more than all the stars in the sky.”

He stumbled slightly as they made their way down to the hall. He kept her close, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Charlotte wasn’t sure if it was for him or for her. Either way, she didn’t care. She was happy. And soon she would be reunited with her sisters. Even the relentless assault shaking the walls couldn’t ruin her mood.