Chapter Twenty-Four
Emma wanted to be pleased by his comment but was more concerned with how Morgan was pale and the way sweat had broken out on his forehead. She truly hoped he’d hadn’t damaged his ribs with his attack on Patrick.
Before she had the chance to admonish him, there was a knock on the door. Morgan immediately attempted to stand, but Emma placed her hand on his chest and pushed him back. “Doona move.”
She pulled the bed hangings across the bed and walked to the door. Two strapping lads walked in. “We came for Patrick’s things. He wants us to put them in the room next to yers.”
To her frustration, Morgan slid the curtains back and climbed from the bed. His face was even more pale, and she was ready to throttle him. He shook his head. “Nay. My wife will need that for a healing room.”
One of the lads frowned. “As ye ken, Laird, we have a healing hut outside the keep.”
Morgan waved his hand. “No matter. Just do as I say and take Patrick’s things to a room at the end of the hall and leave the room next to mine empty.”
Once the men left, Emma turned on him, her hands on her hips. “Ye might be able to fool all these ignorant men, but I know for a fact that ye are in pain.”
Before he could answer, she said, “Lie back down on that bed so I can examine ye.”
Although the pain was evident on his face, he smiled and said, “Aye, I doona mind lying down on the bed if ye join me. Even better, lie next to me so I can feel yer curves.”
She shook her head, ignoring his statement. “Slip off yer breeches.”
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but once he glanced at her face, he stopped. He gently lowered his breeches and she slid them off. “Turn over.”
The fool man grinned. “Why, so ye can get a look at my—”
“Do. No’. Say. It.”
She looked at the leg, which appeared fine. The stitches were in place, no blood or anything else oozed from the wound.
“Turn back over so I can see about yer ribs.”
Once he was flat on his back, she gently touched the area that had been bruised and he jumped.
“I ken ye do not want to hear this, husband, but as yer healer, I am ordering ye to stay in bed for at least a day or two.”
He turned his head to look up at her. “Nay.” He shook his head. “I canno’ show weakness. I need to take a turn at the lists.”
She crossed her arms and glared at him. “And would ye look stronger if ye collapsed in front of these men who would like to find any chance to challenge ye?”
He rolled over and stared at her. “Ye can give me one of yer potions to ease the pain.”
She sat alongside him and gently pushed the hair back from his forehead.
“Aye, I have a potion for the pain, but pain is yer body’s way of warning ye to ease up.
Ye will only damage yerself again if ye doona take care.
And taking a pain medication that will make ye drowsy before going to the lists would just get yerself sliced in half. ”
He reached out and took her hand, rubbing the knuckles with his thumb. He glanced away and stared out the window at the arriving gloaming.
“I will go to the kitchen and see if someone can direct me to the healing hut so I can get ye a tonic. But only if ye promise me ye won’t do anything for the rest of the day except rest.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Emma answered it. The same men who had taken Patrick’s things to the room Morgan assigned to him, entered. “My lady, do ye wish us to bring up yer things from the wagon now?”
“Aye. Please,” she said.
When they left, she said to Morgan, “Go sit in that chair over there.” She waved to a comfortable looking chair in front of the fire. “Ye can stay there until I return. By then all the things from the wagon should be up here.”
“When yer fetching the tonic, see if ye can find Gregory and ask him to join us.”
She smiled and hopped up. “I’ll find him and send him up. Do ye need me to help ye to the chair?”
“Nay. ’Tis just sore from jumping on Patrick. And Duncan’s hug. Ye go for the tonic and I’ll sit over there and speak with Gregory when he arrives.”
She left, and after asking questions from some maids and finally, some male servants, found where Gregory and his men were staying. She wove her way through the men sitting at tables in the great hall.
Gregory sat alongside two other men, drinking from a mug and quietly talking. She walked up to them. “Gregory, may I have a few minutes of yer time?”
“Aye, of course, Emma,” he grinned, “or should I say, Lady Gunn?”
She felt the heat climb to her face but offered him a smile. “If ye could come to our bedchamber, Morgan would like a word with ye.”
They climbed the stairs in silence and entered the room. Morgan had moved to the chair by the fireplace. Emma left them to mix up that tonic for her husband. Hopefully, the healing hut Patrick had mentioned would have what she needed since their wagon hadn’t been completely unloaded yet.
*
“What has ye so glum, Laird?” Gregory strode in, all confidence and strength.
“As my wife and healer said before we left Castle Leod, the trip worsened my leg and ribs. Jumping on my arse of a cousin when he insulted my wife dinna help. I feel as though I lost all the energy I worked so hard to gain.
“She said I am better off resting for what’s left of the day. She is right now mixing me a tonic to help my pain and make me sleep.”
“Emma has always been a fine healer. I would take her advice.”
Morgan ran his fingers through his hair. “I canno’ appear weak in any way if I am to take over command. I am sure there is a great deal of support for Patrick right now, but word has probably no’ spread that I am alive and have returned.”
Gregory frowned. “As Second-in-Command, ye must have had control and loyalty with yer men.”
“Aye. I did. However, they’ve been told for over a month that both my uncle and I were dead.”
Gregory rubbed his index finger and thumb over his chin. “I agree with yer wife. Take the rest of the day off and I’ll pass the word that ye are sending for the keep books and will be dealing with that for the rest of the day.
“Actually ye need to do just that. Rents should have been collected, money spent, stores of food checked and restocked, and so forth.”
“I need to meet with the warriors.”
Gregory nodded. “We will go ahead as planned to have them swear fealty and then I will gather them to the lists and tell them ye have ordered me to assess their skills.”
Morgan nodded. “I do no’ wish to see Patrick right now. I don’t trust him not to attack me again and I want time to watch his behavior. And, of course, I don’t want him to see any weakness on my part. Tell him he is to work with ye until I have the time to join them on the lists.”
Gregory crossed his arms over his chest. “How do ye plan to handle the oath of allegiance in the morning?”
“I’m hoping a meal and a good night’s rest will enable me to walk to the Great Hall in the morning and receive the men there.”
The door opened and Emma appeared. She held up a mug. “There was a tonic already in the kitchen left over from a lass who had burned her hand. I asked the cook if I could have it for myself, and she was quite pleasant about it.” She handed it to him and then began unpacking her trunks.
He put the tonic aside and he and Gregory finished what they needed to discuss. There came a soft knock on the door; Emma crossed the room to open it; a serving maid stood there with their evening meal on a tray. She placed it on the table near the door.
“Good evening, Laird, my lady.” She dipped slightly and smiled at them.
She was a bonny little lass and one he remembered, but could no’ recall her name.
After she left, Gregory grinned at Morgan. “Aye, it seems there are those who are accepting ye already.”
“Now I need to have the men follow their example,” Morgan said as Gregory walked to the door and turned, giving Morgan a wink after glancing at Emma. “Remember, Laird. Rest. Now that ye have a nice soft bed.” With a hearty laugh he left them.
Morgan reached out and grasped Emma’s wrist, tugging her forward so she landed on his lap.
“Morgan!” She tried to wrestle herself up, but he held firm. “Ye may no’ have noticed but Gregory is right. We are alone, and there is a comfortable bed but a few steps away.”
“Nay, Morgan. Ye need to rest.” She tugged, but he held fast.
“Nothing is more restful than sleep following a good tup.” He ran his finger down her cheek. “Now that we are alone, let me show ye what I can do to have ye shouting down the roof.”
“What…” He smothered her words with a kiss like he’d wanted to do since their wedding. She slumped in his arms, and he growled his approval.
Scooping her up in his arms, bruised ribs or not, he walked to the bed and tumbled her onto it, following her down.