Hesitant, she attempted to discern if he slept or merely had his eyes closed. He finally opened them and stared at her.
“I brought you a cup of hot tea.”
“I can smell it. What’s in it?” Thane wrinkled his nose as he pushed himself back against the pillows until he sat upright in bed.
“Mint and sugar.” Jemma held the cup out to him. “Take a sip. The mint should help settle your stomach.”
“I don’t think so.” Thane clenched his jaw and pressed his lips together as his stomach gurgled.
“Don’t act so childish. Just take a sip.” Jemma held the cup to his mouth and refused to budge until he parted his lips and took a drink.
Surprised by the pleasant flavor of the tea, Thane took the cup along with another long swallow. “That’s good.”
Jemma waggled a finger at him, filled with smug satisfaction. “You should mind me. I know what’s best for you and I intend to see that you get it.”
“Are you sure about that?” Thane asked. Although the words sounded innocent, the look in his eyes and his intended meaning made her blush.
The happy chatter of Jack and Lily saved her from making a comment as she rose to her feet and hurried from the room, shutting the door behind her.
“Good morning, darlings. Did you sleep well?” she asked, dropping to her knees so Lily could give her a hug. Jack wrapped one arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek.
“I dreamed I rode on a dolphin, Auntie Jemma. It was such fun.” Jack’s face beamed with excitement as he pulled out a chair at the table and waited for her to take a seat. Pleased her nephew remembered his manners, she nodded at him encouragingly as she sat down and settled her skirts.
Lily climbed into the chair next to her and Jack took the chair on her other side.
After asking a blessing on the meal, the children ate with hearty enthusiasm. Jack wanted to check on Rigsly and take him for a walk while Lily chatted about playing with her new friend in the ladies’ reading room.
“Is Uncle Thane still gone?” Jack asked, remembering the disappearance of his uncle the previous day.
“No, love. He’s here, but you children will have to leave him be today. I know, Jack, you hoped to spend time with your uncle exploring the ship, but perhaps Mr. Tipton will find someone to help you walk Sir Rigsly.”
Disappointed, Jack dipped his head and silently finished his breakfast. Lily wiggled incessantly as she ate, humming her own little tune and intermittently tossing her curly head from one side to the other.
Since she was eating and not causing a fuss, Jemma let her be. After setting aside two pieces of dry toast, Jemma finished her breakfast and made herself another cup of tea. She enjoyed the strong mint flavor and hoped it would help settle Thane’s stomach.
Once the children finished their meal, she asked them to wash their hands and faces, brush their teeth then get dressed. In their shared bedroom, she got out Lily’s garments and made her bed, waiting for the morning tussle with the strong-willed child to ensue.
Jack hurried into the room, dressed, made his bed, and tidied his things before taking one of his lesson books and going to sit by the window in the parlor.
Lily skipped into the room and climbed onto the bed next to where Jemma sat. “Time to get dressed, Lily.”
“I’ll do it myself!” Lily stated, as she did every morning. She tugged at her nightdress, getting it halfway off and stuck on her head. The child began to whimper so Jemma gently removed it then handed Lily her undergarments.
Lily insisted she put on each piece herself. Too tired to worry about whether Lily’s chemise was on inside out or backwards, Jemma let her do as she wished.
“Hold up your arms, lovey, and I’ll drop the dress over your head.” Jemma gathered the pale yellow gown in her hands.
Lily crossed her arms and shoved her hands into her armpits while her lower lip came out in a pout. “No. I’ll do it myself.”
“Lily, lift your arms up, please. Auntie needs to go see how your Uncle Thane is faring and we need to get you ready to go out for the day.”
“No.”
“Please, Lily. Just lift your arms up, poppet.”
“No.”
Playfully poking a finger into Lily’s side, Jemma made her giggle. The little girl lifted her arms into the air and Jemma dropped the dress over her head. Quickly settling it into place, Jemma fastened the buttons up the back, tied the sash then set Lily on the bed so she could put on her shoes.
“I want to do my shoes,” Lily insisted, holding out both hands.
Jemma handed her one of the soft, black leather shoes and pointed to her left foot. “Put that one on your left foot.”
Lily began tugging it on her right foot and Jemma tapped her other foot. “This is your left foot. Put it on this one.”
“Why?”
Vexed, she held back a sigh and the desire to take the shoes, stuff Lily’s feet in them and move along with her day. Instead, Jemma gave the little girl a tender smile.
“If you put your shoes on the wrong feet, they will hurt. You don’t want to spend all day with hurting toes do you?”
Lily shook her head with such enthusiasm, her curls danced in a tangled mess.
Jemma clenched her hands as Lily put on her shoes. The child threw herself back and lifted a foot so fast in the air, she kicked Jemma’s nose. “Can I button them?”
Gently rubbing at her nose, stinging from Lily’s unintended abuse, Jemma picked up the buttonhook and took the little foot in her hand. Expertly fastening the buttons on one shoe, she quickly finished the other.
“When you get older you can button them, but not yet, Lily.” Jemma stood and picked up a hairbrush as Lily attempted to run out the bedroom door. She snatched the child in one arm and sat back down on the bed, brushing the wild tendrils into some form of order. She pulled them back from Lily’s face and fastened a yellow bow in the downy locks then kissed the wiggly child on her nose.
“Why don’t you take a picture book and sit with Jack for a while then we’ll go out for a stroll.”
“Okay.” Lily grabbed one of her books and skipped out the door to join her brother.
Relieved, Jemma straightened the bed, put away Lily’s things, and stepped into the parlor just in time to see Lily open the door to the other bedroom.
“Lily, come back here, please.” Concerned what the little girl would do or say, Jemma stopped in the doorway just in time to see Thane leaning over the side of the bed with his head buried in the chamber pot and Lily patting his bare back.
With a groan, Thane lifted his head and gave her a look that let her know he didn’t appreciate an audience to his suffering.
Lily scrambled onto the bed next to him and leaned her head against his arm. “Uncle Thane has an owie, Auntie Jemma. Fix it. Fix Uncle Thane’s owie. Please?”
“I’m trying to, poppet, but you need to leave your uncle alone right now. Okay?”
Lily’s lip protruded in a pout and tears shimmered in her eyes, but she slid off the bed and shuffled across the floor, burying her face against Jemma’s skirts.
“I appreciate you coming to check on me, Lily. You do as your aunt says.” Thane lifted himself enough to smile at the little girl before flopping back against his pillows.
Lily sniffled and left the room, running over to Jack and sitting close to him as he gazed at Jemma with a concerned glance.
“Your uncle is seasick, Jack. Nothing to worry about. He’ll be perfectly fine soon.”
Thane muttered something she couldn’t hear. She gave him a warning glance and closed the door to the bedroom, leaving him to wallow in his misery alone.
Tipton chose that moment to tap at the door and enter, ready to pick up the breakfast tray. Lily ran over to him and tugged on his hand.
“Mr. Tipton, my uncle’s sick and Auntie Jemma said we can’t play with him today.”
Tipton squatted down and gave Lily a serious look. “Is that right? I must say, that sounds like
a terrible bit of business for your uncle. Perhaps you and your brother would like to go with me to take the tray back to the kitchen then I could escort you to Mr. Johnson. He’ll be walking your dog soon and wouldn’t mind the company, if your aunt approves, of course.”
Jemma nodded her head in grateful appreciation. It would be hard to keep the children entertained and provide the care Thane needed. If she could get them out from underfoot for even an hour or two, it would give both Thane and her time to rest and regroup.
Lily squealed and did an excited little dance while Jack calmly closed his book and picked up his cap.
Tipton picked up the tray in one hand and held out the other to Lily, who grasped it excitedly.
Jemma hurried to the door and glanced down at Lily before she stepped into the hall. “Be on your best behavior, both of you, and mind your manners.”
“Yes, Auntie Jemma.” Jack nodded solemnly, although a spark of adventure twinkled in his eyes. Lily grinned and blew her a kiss before skipping down the hall with Tipton.
As soon as they disappeared around the corner, Jemma closed the door and hurried to the bedroom.
Focused on caring for the sick man, she emptied the chamber pot then rinsed out the towel she’d used to sponge Thane’s face. She wiped it soothingly across his brow, down his cheeks, and along his chin. “I take it the tea didn’t set well?”
“Not particularly, then again, water doesn’t set well either.”
“We must keep you drinking liquids. I’ll have Tipton send for the doctor. He took the children with him, so we have a small reprieve before they return. Would you like to take a bath? It might help you feel better?”
“Are you offering to help with that, too?” Thane opened his eyes and gave her a cocky smile. At least she assumed that was his intention although it looked more like a grimace in his current state.
“Certainly not. I’d be utterly offended by your implied suggestions if you weren’t so thoroughly incapacitated.” Jemma pulled back his covers and helped him gain his feet. He swayed slightly as he leaned against her and they made their way to the bath.
She began running water into the tub while Thane leaned against the doorframe for support. “In fact, in your current condition, you hold no threat to me at all, so I shall ignore your comments and pretend you’ve grown delirious in your weakened state.”
Thane chuckled and moved aside as she tried to step past him in the narrow space. He inhaled a whiff of her fragrance. Instead of making him sick, he found the aroma pleasant. In the tight quarters, her arm rubbed against his stomach as she squeezed out the door and color heightened her cheeks.
“I’ll be here if you need anything. Take your time,” she said, not looking at him as she stepped across the parlor, putting distance between them.
“Thanks.”
After closing the bathroom door, Thane took off his cotton drawers and slid into the tub, sinking into the warm water. Mortified Jemma had not only discovered his tendency toward seasickness, but that she’d cared for him like a child, he felt somewhat emasculated. It wasn’t a feeling he liked or wanted to know with any degree of familiarity.
If he could keep himself steady enough to dress and make it to the gentlemen’s lounge, he’d spend the day there, so she wouldn’t be witness to his weakness or feel compelled to care for him.
The tender feel of her cool fingers on his brow, the way she’d brushed against him numerous times as she cared for him during the night, the slight weight of her on the mattress next to him made him realize how much he wanted his wife.
Although her tongue was no less sharp, the more he got to know her, the more he witnessed a gentle, giving spirit that truly cared for others.
Reluctant to embarrass himself further, Thane finished his bath, brushed his teeth, and realized he’d have to make a dash for the bedroom in a towel because he refused to put on his drawers from the previous day.
With the towel secured around his waist, he cracked open the door and didn’t see Jemma in the parlor.
Swiftly covering the few steps to the bedroom, he rushed inside and closed the door. In the moment it took him to steady his spinning head, a startled gasp sounded across the room. Jemma leaned over the bed as she put a fresh pillowcase on his pillow, gaping at his nearly naked form.
“Whatever are you doing?” she asked, staring at him, unable to take her eyes away or turn her back to the fine masculine form hovering in front of the door, wearing nothing but a towel about his waist. Muscles she had no idea existed bunched as he crossed his arms in front of him and took a sidelong step toward the dresser.
His fingers grasped the knob of a drawer and he jerked it open, pulling out a wad of white cotton. “Getting dressed. Unless you plan to help with that, too, I suggest you turn your back or leave the room. However, I’m more than willing for you to stay if you like.” A devilish smile rode his generous mouth as he pretended to loosen the towel around his waist.
“Mercy!” Jemma tossed down the pillow in her hand and made a hasty exit out the door before slamming it behind her.
Thane chuckled as he pulled on his drawers. A wave of sickness forced him to rest against the fresh sheets and his next coherent thought was of Jemma carefully tucking the sheet around him, murmuring something about him being an insufferable brute.
Content, he let himself rest in slumber.
Chapter Ten
The next two days passed in a blur of illness for Thane, but he finally began to feel better. He didn’t know if it was Jemma’s thoughtful attention, the peppermints she insisted he suck, or the calmer waters they traveled on, but he awoke that morning hungry and ready to be out of bed.
A quick glance offered assurance that Jemma slept soundly beside him. He took advantage of the opportunity to study her. Although she’d braided her hair before she climbed into bed the previous evening, the lively tresses worked free of the confines and fell in a tumble around her. Not wanting to chance waking her, he resisted the itch in his fingers to brush tendrils back from her face and caress the silky, fragrant strands.
Creamy skin and pink cheeks looked like fine porcelain. From the few times he touched her, he knew it felt every bit as soft and smooth as it looked.
Slightly parted lips drew his attention and he longed, quite desperately, to kiss them. Kiss them repeatedly until she surrendered to the passion that sizzled between them. She’d never acknowledge or admit it existed, no matter how obvious it might be.
Rashly, he’d assured her theirs would be a marriage in name only. Not a man to go back on his word, he’d honor his vow. How he wished he’d never made that promise because he could think of little else beyond making Jemma truly his.
The fact that she was just a few feet away with only the cotton of her nightdress separating him from her luscious curves forced him out of bed before he did something that would shock or anger her.
As he pushed himself up, his hand bumped something and he picked up Lily’s beloved doll. Thoughts of the little imp sneaking in and tucking her doll into bed with him, hoping to make him feel better, made him smile. Gently, he set it on his pillow.
Quietly gathering a change of clothes, he adjourned to the bathroom and took a leisurely bath, shaved, and combed his hair then brushed his teeth. Satisfied with his proper grooming, he opened the door and almost tripped over Jack.
“Hello, son. How are you today?” he asked, reaching out a hand and patting the boy’s shoulder.
“Fine, sir. Are you well?” Jack asked with a hopeful glimmer in his eye.
“I’m feeling much better.” Thane glanced at the clock on the wall, noting the time. “What are you doing up so early?”
“I just needed to use the facilities,” Jack said, pointing to the bathroom behind Thane.
“Of course. If you aren’t sleepy, why don’t you get dressed and the two of us can take a little stroll while the girls sleep.”
“Yes, sir!” Jack excitedly responded by rushing in the bathroom and shutting the d
oor. Thane chuckled and carried his dirty clothes back to the bedroom. After slipping on a waistcoat and coat, he picked up his boots and walked into the parlor, closing the bedroom door behind him.
Quietly opening the window, he breathed in the fresh air and watched as the sun stretched golden fingers across the morning sky.
Jack rushed out of the bathroom to his room and soon emerged half-dressed, carrying his shoes in one hand and his shirt in the other.
Thane motioned him over to his chair and helped him finish dressing. He ruffled the boy’s hair before Jack settled a cap on his head. Concerned Jemma would worry if she awoke and discovered him gone, Thane found a piece of paper in the small corner desk and penned a hasty note.
He left the note on the table in the center of the room then he and Jack went for a walk around the deck, taking Rigsly for a morning stroll before returning to the room. Tipton met them in the hall and his face lit as he noticed Thane up and about.
“It is a fine thing to see you out this morning, sir. Indeed, are you well upon this day?”
“Reckon I am, Tipton. Thank you so much for your assistance while I was ill. It’s appreciated.”
“You are most welcome, sir. I’ll be back in an hour to collect the breakfast dishes, unless you and Mrs. Jordan would like to dine in the main saloon this morning.”
“No. Whatever you brought is fine.”
Tipton tipped his head and hurried down the hall while Jack and Thane walked into the room to find Jemma and Lily sitting at the table, waiting for them. Jemma bent her auburn head over Lily’s strawberry blond curls and the sight of the two together made Thane’s heart skip a beat.
The woman who haunted his dreams glanced up at him with a warm smile. “You appear much improved today.”
“I feel better. Thanks for taking care of me.”
“My pleasure. I’m accustomed to caring for whiny little ones.” The teasing grin she gave him made him smirk. He raised an eyebrow at her, deciding she no longer seemed quite as aloof as she had when they boarded the ship just a few days earlier.
After breakfast, Tipton offered to take Lily and Jack with him, as had become the routine while Thane was ill. Grateful for an hour of quiet, Jemma sent them on their way, turning from the door to find Thane watching her.
Crumpets & Cowpies: (Sweet Historical Western Romance) (Baker City Brides Book 1) Page 12