My Laird's Love (My Laird's Castle Book 2) (17 page)

“Come on now. Take your pain medication,” I said briskly in my best nurse voice. I lifted him, gave him the pills and a glass of water to drink. He took the whole, and I lowered him to the bed again.

“Thank ye, Maggie,” he said hoarsely. His expression softened, and he seemed less desperate than a moment ago. “Where is my aunt? Colin and Beth? Tell me they are gone from the house.”

“Yes, they left. The servants were sent away too. Only Bracken, his wife, and I remain.”

“And I have been begging ye to stay, no? How could I be so selfish? Ye must go, Maggie. Ye must go from the house. Bracken can tend to me.”

I shook my head.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ve been vaccinated against typhoid. I’m all right. I’m staying right here.”

He shook his head in confusion.

“Vaccinated? I dinna ken the word.”

“It is a medicine they give me to ensure that I do not get the disease. Not invented yet.”

James closed his eyes for a moment.

“My head pains me,” he said. He opened his eyes again. “Would that we had such a thing in the eighteenth century.”
 

I rose and soaked a fresh cloth in the cool water on the bureau before returning to James’ bedside to bathe his forehead. As was becoming his habit, he covered my hand with his, following my progress.

“Aye, that feels better,” he murmured, closing his eyes. “How did ye find it when ye returned to the future? I think ye must have struggled to come back?”

“Not at all,” I said firmly. “I had every intention of returning with the medicine. As it happens, I met Colin and Beth’s descendants. The current Laird Anderson found me and took me to his sister, who is a doctor. She got me the medicine.”

“Did ye tell them about Colin and Beth?” James opened his eyes again to look at me. “That ye have traveled through time? Surely they thought ye a mad woman.”

“They did,” I said with a smile. “For a while. But they watched me disappear again, so I’m pretty sure they know something’s up.”

“Something is up? I dinna ken yer meaning.”

“Something’s up. Something was out of place, different, extraordinary.”

“Something’s up,” James repeated thoughtfully. “The pain in my head eases,” he said.

“That’s the paracetamol,” I said. “You’ll take your next antibiotic at around eight o’clock tonight. Do you think you can drink some more soup? I’ll ring for someone to bring some hot soup.”

“Aye, just a wee bit more,” he said. “I need my wits about me to understand all yer words. Antibiotics. Paracetamol.”

“Medicines,” I said, reaching behind him to pull on a swath of material hanging from the wall, which I assume summoned someone. The ever-faithful Bracken showed up in about three minutes, and I asked him for some hot soup for James.

“And a wee bit of bread,” James called out, albeit weakly. Bracken nodded and backed out of the room.

I turned and smiled.
 

“Good,” I said. “I’m glad you have an appetite.”

“I fear what goes in will go out just as quickly, but I am hungry,” James said with a hoarse chuckle.
 

I shook my head, with a curve of my lips. A check of his forehead revealed his temperature was decreasing, and I rose to toss the cloth into the basin, vowing to ask Bracken for fresh water and cloths.

I returned to James’ side to help him sit up again.

“I wouldna have ye see me this way, Maggie, but then again I am ever so grateful to ye for caring for me. Bracken is a fine nursemaid but not so bonnie as ye.”

“How a man in the first throes of typhoid fever can dish out compliments is beyond me!” I said, my face flaming.
 

James tilted his head. “Is that a good thing or no? I canna tell from yer tone.”

“It’s not a bad thing,” I reassured him.

Bracken returned in minutes with two more bowls of soup and a plate of brown bread. James and I drank soup, and James nibbled on some of the bread.
 

“Ah! I canna eat as much as I thought I could,” he said. “My gut is starting to pain me again. Ring for Bracken again, would ye?”

I took his food and set it on the table, cursing myself for letting him eat too much. Broth was all he needed for now. I rang for Bracken, who returned in a few moments. In that time, I watched James’ face contort in pain, pain that the paracetamol simply couldn’t touch.

I had stored the opium in the top drawer of the bureau, and I wondered if I should give him some.

“I’ll wait outside,” I said, hurrying to the door. I threw a look over my shoulder to see Bracken lifting James from the bed, and then I ran from the room. I settled myself in my usual spot on the floor, unwilling to stray too far from James.
 

I must have dozed, because I opened my eyes to see Bracken bent over me, touching my shoulder. Robbie stood by his side, eyeing me curiously.

“Mistress, he has fallen asleep again, and I have cleaned up. Dinna ye wish to rest in a room of yer own?”

I shook my head and pushed myself to my feet. My skirts, without the hoop, were tremendously long and dragged the ground.
 

“No, I’m fine. I’d rather be here. Could you let me know when it’s eight o’clock?”

Bracken nodded and held the door open for me. “As ye wish, mistress. I’ll take Robbie wi me to the kitchen for a bit.”

I entered the room to find James sleeping, and I took up my napping position on the sofa once again.

Some time later, I heard James moan, and I shot up off the couch and dashed to his bedside. I could only guess at the time, but a crack in the curtains showed it was dark. It was probably time for his paracetamol.

“James?” I asked softly, trying not to wake him if he was asleep. I put my hand to his forehead. His skin felt less hot than it had.

“I am awake,” he said, opening his eyes. “Did I wake ye? I saw ye asleep on the couch.”

“Oh, did you?” I asked. “No, I was just dozing. Are you in pain?”

“Aye, my gut and my head,” he said.
 

“The doctor gave me opium. Would you rather have that? It’s probably more effective for the pain.”

James moved his head to the side.

“No, nae opium. It would only make me feel worse. I dinna like the stuff.”

With a sigh of sympathy—and maybe a little relief that I wouldn’t be responsible for creating an addict—I opened the bottle of pain medication and gave him two more pills.
 

“I think it’s about time for your antibiotic as well. Here you go,” I said, handing him yet another pill.

“Are ye sure ye’re no trying to kill me, lass?” he said with a weak chuckle. “I have never taken so much medicine in my life.”

I laughed with him, resisting an urge to bend over and kiss his forehead. Hardly the actions of a nurse.
 

“We take a lot of medicine in the twenty-first century in one form or another. Keeps us from catching a lot of these diseases that you get here in the eighteenth century.”

He gave a slight nod of his head, though it looked as if it pained him.
 

“Can you sleep? That’s the best thing for you right now.”

“I could, but I would rather talk with ye.”

“About what?” I asked.

“Tell me about yer betrothed.”

I drew in a sharp breath, surprised at the question. I didn’t really want to tell James about Sam, and I especially didn’t want to describe his illness.

“I can see it pains ye, lass. If ye would rather no...”

Chapter Fourteen

“We can speak of something else,” James said.

As I tried to think of another subject, I realized that I did actually want James to know about Sam.

“No, that’s okay,” I said. “I’ll tell you about him. Sam and I met in high school.” I kept my eyes from James’ face, looking instead at the hangings above his bed. “That is, when we were fifteen. We met in band.”

I caught a movement and looked down at James. He looked a bit confused, and I realized I’d better either explain my terms or make my story very generic.

“In music class,” I amended. “We both played the same instrument. We started dating when I turned sixteen, when my parents allowed me to date. And we dated for years, even when we went away to another school, higher education. Eventually, we graduated, got jobs and decided to marry. Sam is the only man I’ve ever...” I was going to say “been with” but decided to omit that detail.

“Anyway, about two years ago, Sam was diagnosed with leukemia. It is a disease of the bone marrow, often deadly, but sometimes treatable. Sam underwent lots of treatment, lots of chemotherapy...” I caught myself again, noting James trying hard to follow me. “Well, let’s just say he underwent about a year and a half of medical treatment. At first we thought it was working, that he was in remission. Cured,” I added. “And we planned our wedding, which was to be six months ago.
 

“But Sam fell ill again, and he died two days before our wedding. Even though he was dying, we were still going to go ahead and get married, but we ran out of time. He ran out of time.”

Hot tears formed in the corners of my eyes, and my throat ached. I avoided looking at James and took several steadying breaths until I had myself under control.
 

I felt a hand cover mine, and I looked at James. The sympathy in his eyes was evident, and I bit my lip. This couldn’t be good for him.

“Well, that’s my story,” I said, “and nothing for you to worry about. Typhoid fever is curable with the medicine I brought. You will
not
die.” I said the last words with a bit more firmness than I intended.

“Nae if ye have owt to say about it.” He smiled, a sleepy smile, and I ran a hand over his forehead again, his skin now comfortably cool.

“Sleep,” I whispered. “Just sleep.”

“Aye,” James said. He kept hold of my hand, and I waited until I heard steady breathing before pulling my hand from his.
 

I moved to the basin to wash my hands with soap and water and was just about to go in search of Bracken and some bathwater and a room, when he knocked softly on the door and entered, Robbie at his heels. “Duncan has come with a case for ye from Lady Anderson,” he whispered, throwing a quick look toward James. “Do ye wish me to leave it in a room?”

“Yes, please, Bracken. I was just about to come ask you for some hot water to bathe in and a room. I’m filthy, my clothes must stink, and I could use some sleep. Do you think you could help me out with all that?”

“Aye, mistress. I will deliver the case to the next room and bring ye some hot water. I will watch over the master while ye rest. Does he require owt?”

“No, I gave him all his medicines. It’s about eight o’clock, right?”

Bracken nodded. “Aye, I was just coming to tell ye as ye asked, when Duncan came with the case.”

“I wonder what’s in it,” I said. I moved over to the sofa and retrieved my pannier. Bracken’s wispy white eyebrows shot up, but he said nothing, choosing to look away. He opened the door for me, and I followed him to the next room, where I promptly stashed the hoop in a corner behind the door.

 
The butler bent and retrieved a box sitting near the door. He carried it to the foot of the bed.

“I will return with the water, mistress.”

He left, and I surveyed the room, a mirror image to James’ bedroom. Dark-red velvet hangings and a coverlet matched the curtains. It felt chilly, and I promised myself I’d ask Bracken to start a fire when he returned.

I bent to open the large wooden case. A note lay on top of a pile of clothing. I smiled. Beth! Thank goodness for her. I opened the note.

Hey there,

I’m going to guess Bracken hasn’t offered you any of Aunt Edith’s clothes, nor would they fit, so I’m sending along a few changes of clothing.
 

Everything is going well here. No one is sick. Did you ever figure out who the carrier was at Castle Lochloon? You have to resolve that.

I heard about your adventures back in the twenty-first century, that you met our great-great-great—however many—grandkids! Oh, I wished I could have seen them! And to think that one of them is named Beth. Colin said you told him that they both look like him. After all those generations!

The good news is that means that Colin and I are going to have at least one child together. Thank goodness!
 

I’ll let you go. I hope you’re getting some sleep, and I hope James is responding to the antibiotics. Send word!

Thinking of you,

Beth
 

I folded the chatty note with a smile and closed the case, sitting down on a chair to await Bracken’s return.
 

He came back in short order with several buckets of steaming water, which he poured into a claw-foot tub hidden behind a screen.
 

“Oh, I thought I’d just do a sponge bath. I didn’t know you were carrying up all that water. Thank you, Bracken!”