by Lynsay Sands
Chapter Twelve
Willa was slow to wake up. Exhaustion seemed to cover her like a cloak and every muscle in her body ached. She felt horrible. Waking up really didn't seem a good idea. More sleep obviously was needed. Satisfied with that decision, she sniffled miserably, let her eyes droop closed and settled back into slumber again.
A groan sounded from the opposite side of the bed, and Willa scowled as she was drawn back to wakefulness again. The sound was familiar. She suspected it was that sound or one similar that had awakened her in the first place. Rather rude of her husband, she decided, since he'd kept her up half the night with his coughing. And that after falling asleep on her, she recalled, some of her irritation returning.
After torturing her with pleasure for what seemed like hours, the man had mounted her as Eada had said he would, and plunged into her, taking her innocence. That hadn't been painful at all. Well, not really. A twinge mostly. Not at all the agony she'd expected. Then he'd pumped himself in and out of her as Eada had also described, which had been merely interesting at first. Then his motion had started to stir some of her earlier excitement. She'd just started to tense up, her fingers curling into her palms again to keep from hugging him closer and urging him on, when he'd cried out and spilled his seed into her. No sooner had he completed the act than he'd collapsed atop her, remaining there without further movement.
At first, Willa had thought that he was simply recovering from his exertion and would resume his attentions and ease the tension that had built in her again. Then she'd heard what could only be a snore and had realized that he was sleeping on her! There would be no more sweet agony.
Irritated and disappointed, she'd pushed him off her in a fine huff, but he'd not awoken to appreciate it. Willa had rolled onto her side with her back to him and tried to go to sleep, but he'd kept her awake most of the night with his coughing. Her emotions had run the gamut through the night. Her irritation with him had given way to concern at the harsh, deep coughing, until she realized that he was sleeping right through it while she could not. Her irritation had promptly returned.
Now she was exhausted and grumpy and not at all happy to be awoken by his grunts and moans.
Another groan reached her ears and she turned to glare at him, only to see that he was trying to ease into a sitting position and having some trouble doing so. The grimace on his face could be mistaken for nothing but agony. Concern again replaced her anger.
"What is it? Is something wrong?" she asked with mounting alarm, turning on the bed and sitting up so that she could look at him.
He was off the bed in a trice, dragging the linen with him and quickly wrapping it around his hips as he turned away. "There is naught wrong. I am fine. "
Hugh had managed to gain his feet without another groan, but Willa had seen the way his face paled at the action and she was not fooled. Frowning with concern, she watched him take one stiff step after another. He'd taken the linen right off the bed to cover himself, but the night before he hadn't been at all shy about being naked in front of her. He was hiding something. And that something was making him walk most gingerly.
Determined to find out what was wrong, Willa slid silently out of bed and walked around behind him to step on the edge of the linen trailing on the ground. Not expecting the action, Hugh was taken by surprise. The cloth slid from his fingers before he could snatch it back. Giving up on the linen, he whirled quickly to face her, covering the sore with his hand.
"What was that?" Willa asked sweetly as she tossed the linen on the bed.
Hugh eyed her warily. "What was what?"
"What was that on your arse?" she clarified, then promptly ran around him to tug his hand away. She gaped in horror.
"What?" Hugh asked, the worry obvious in his voice. "What is it?"
"A great boil, my lord," Willa announced with awe as she examined the swollen and angry looking sore on his behind. Then she decided, "Nay, not a boil. A carbuncle. 'Tis too big to be a boil. "
She glanced up at his face then. He was terribly red in the face and obviously embarrassed. Willa rolled her eyes and straightened. "Get back into bed. "
"I am not getting back into bed. " He straightened, gathering his tattered dignity about him once more now that she wasn't bent over peering at his sore bottom.
"Hugh, it must be tended. Get back on the bed," Willa insisted.
"I haven't the time to have it tended. I am a very busy man. I am an earl. " He puffed up even as he said it and Willa's lips twisted.
"You are an earl with a carbuncle on your butt, my lord. Please let it be looked after. " He deflated somewhat then and Willa pressed her advantage by adding, "One of these was what killed Ilbert. "
That got his attention; he whirled back to face her with horror. "What? Ilbert, the third man sent to guard you at the cottage?"
Willa nodded solemnly. "Aye. He developed one near. . . " She gestured vaguely toward the groin area. "Where the leg joins the body. He became ill, feverish. It had poisoned the blood. He did not realize that was the source of the fever. By the time he brought the problem to Eada, there was little she could do about it. "
"Dear God," Hugh breathed. "Death by a boil. " He shuddered at the very thought of such an ignominious death, then turned and crawled back onto his stomach on the bed. "Very well. Tend to it. "
Willa just shook her head and started to dress. She had her gown on and was gathering his clothes together before he finally glanced around to see what was taking her so long. She saw him frown when he took in her clothed state.
"Where are you going? I thought you were going to - "
"I am going to fetch Eada. "
"Oh, nay!" He reared up onto his hands and knees on the bed. "I am not letting that witch near my arse!"
"You must, my lord," Willa said patiently. Raising one hand, she poked at the sore on his derriere. She wasn't at all surprised when he gave a grunt of pain and collapsed back onto his stomach. She could only wonder at how the boil had grown so big without his showing signs of it ere now.
"How long have you had this?" she asked. He mumbled something into his arms that she couldn't hear. "What was that, husband?"
"It started while I was standing guard at the cottage, but the bath I took before the wedding made it better. It hardly even bothered me until I awoke this morning. It seems ten times worse than it first was. "
"Was your bathwater hot?"
"Aye. The servants were trying to impress me, I think. "
Willa nodded. "The hot water probably softened it and allowed it to drain. It has refilled, however. "
Hugh grunted at that unnecessary report. "Can you not tend it yourself?"
Willa glanced up at his face sympathetically. She didn't blame him. This was a terribly embarrassing ailment, and Eada would berate him for not admitting to it and having it tended sooner. "I fear not, my lord. Perhaps if you had let me know about it sooner, I could have taken care of it myself. Unfortunately, now it surpasses my skills. Eada is needed here. "
She started for the door, then paused and collected his clothes from the floor, taking them with her in case he tried to make a bolt for it. Willa had not spent so many years stuck at the cottage with three men trailing her everywhere without learning that they could be the biggest babies at times.
Hugh watched morosely as his wife left the room. He had not missed the fact that she'd taken his clothes with her. He supposed that was to prevent his fleeing. As if he would. He wasn't afraid of the witch. Mind you, he didn't like the idea of her examining his derriere as Willa had just done. The very idea of her warty old hands poking at his tender flesh made him squirm. But, if it had to be tended, it had to be tended. He'd be damned if his epitaph was going to read, "Felled by a great carbuncle!"
Sighing, Hugh lowered his face into his folded arms. He felt like a fool. He lay there for a moment indulging in self-pity, then lifted his head, arched up on his arms and twisted about,
trying to see the carbuncle. It wasn't possible, of course. The damn thing was not visible no matter how he contorted himself.
The door opened and Hugh scowled toward it as his wife and the old witch entered. His expression had absolutely no effect on either of them. They weren't even looking; they were conversing together as they closed the door and crossed the room to the bed. He let his head drop back into his folded arms, trying to pretend he wasn't there as they moved to the side of the bed and the witch bent to examine him.
A cold hand touched his derriere, there was much tsk tsking, then the old hag spoke, her voice moving away even as she did. "Ye should have come to me sooner. Dangerous, this. Lucky yer blood is not already poisoned. "
He felt the mattress give and lifted his head to see that Willa had sat down on the edge. She took his hand in a soothing manner. Hugh met her sympathetic gaze, then peered over his shoulder to see that the witch had moved to the fire. He couldn't tell what she was doing and suspected he did not want to know.
"A grown man should know better than to behave so," the hag said as she moved back toward the bed.
Hugh scorched her with his eyes, then let his head fall back onto his arms. His neck was beginning to get a crick from the odd angle. But that didn't mean he was willing to take a lecture from that nasty old biddie. It was bad enough he had to subject himself to her treatment, he was damned if he would listen to her lecture, too. "Listen you gouty old harpy, just - arrgh!
Hugh roared as searing pain shot through his butt cheek.
"My lord! What is about?" Baldulf's voice called out. Hugh hadn't heard the door open as the man entered in response to his yell. Unfortunately, he didn't have the breath to respond. He was gasping in pain.
"There is nothing amiss, Baldulf. Everything is fine," Willa said quickly. "Put that sword away. "
"I think we would feel better if we heard that from Hugh," came another voice. It was enough to make Hugh regain his breath.
"God's teeth! Lucan, is that you?"
"Aye. I stopped to ask Baldulf if you were up yet and we heard you scream. "
Hugh did groan now, humiliation eradicating his pain for a moment.
"Good God, what have you done to his arse!" Lucan's voice was closer now and Hugh could only surmise that he'd moved nearer to survey the matter.
"I bit it!" Eada snapped impatiently.
"She did nothing," Willa assured them. "Hugh did this on his own. "
"I did not do anything to myself," Hugh growled. " 'Twas sitting on that damned horse for days on end waiting for you to agree to be my wife that did it!"
" 'Tis a carbuncle," Eada interjected dryly. "He left it too long without telling anyone. 'Tis terribly infected. "
"I'd say so," Baldulf's voice commented. "Dear God, I have never seen one that big before. It must be the size of my fist. "
"Nasty," Lucan agreed.
"Aye, he should have told someone," Willa repeated.
"How ever did you sit on it?" Baldulf asked.
Hugh rolled his eyes at the question. "With great care. "
"You would have been sitting comfortably long ago, had you bothered to mention it to anyone," Willa said.
"Oh well, as to that, I don't blame him," Lucan commented. "Damned embarrassing business, having a boil on your arse. "
" 'Tis a carbuncle," Willa corrected.
"And not so embarrassing," Wynekyn said soothingly. "Every soldier has them at one time or another. "
"Wynekyn!" Hugh shifted about on the bed, attempting to see how many people were in the room. But he couldn't see past Willa. "Is everyone here?"
"I knew a fellow once who had one that just would not go away," he heard Jollivet say. "It grew and grew and - "
"Jollivet! Is that you? That had better not be you! And you had best not be looking at my arse!"
"Never fear, cousin, 'tis a fine arse. "
Hugh growled in his throat. Then a cry of pain was surprised from him as Eada squeezed his butt.
"What the hell are you doing back there?" He craned his head around, trying to see what she was up to.
"Draining it," she said shortly. "Have to get the infection out. "
"She has to, son," Wynekyn said soothingly. "Just try to rest easy. It will be over soon. "
"Rest easy! Rest easy? I will rest easy just as soon as everyone gets the hell out of here, by God! Begone! All of you! Begone!"
There was the shuffle of feet as they moved to obey, then Hugh yelled, "Wait! A word of this to anyone and I shall - "
"Oh now, my lord husband. " Willa patted him on the head as if he were a grumpy child. "There's no need to threaten them. Who would they tell? Everyone is here. "
Hugh glared up at her, but she was too busy sneezing to pay him any heed.
"There. 'Tis finished. " Eada followed that comment with a light tap on his unmarred cheek. Hugh ignored her impertinence in his relief that the procedure was over. He started to rise. She stopped him with a hand on his butt and pushed downward. "Where do ye think ye're goin'? Ye're abed today. "
"Aye," Willa agreed.
"But - "
"Ye risk blood poisoning do ye not take care of this properly," Eada said sternly. "Ye need to lie here and keep this poultice on it to drain out the infection. Yer on yer belly for the next day or so. "
"Besides, sleep is the best thing for healing, husband," Willa said and sneezed again, then continued, "If you had just told us sooner - "
Hugh frowned as the sentence ended in yet another sneeze. "Are you sick? You are flushed and sneezing. "
"Am not. " The denial was ruined by another sneeze. "So, I am sneezing. "
"And flushed," he insisted. "Have you a fever?" His glance slid to Eada and he ordered, "See if she has a fever. "
Willa tried to avoid the hand the old which put out, but wasn't quick enough. "Aye. She has a fever. "
"Well. " Hugh suddenly looked more chipper. "Then you can keep me company in bed today. After all, sleep is the best thing for healing," he mimicked.
Willa's eyes narrowed on his face. "Sleeping with you is what gave me this, my lord. You gave me your cold. You made me sick!"
Hugh couldn't help grinning at the accusation. "Odd. Mine appears to be gone. " He sniffled. "Well, almost. "
"Aye. Because you gave it to me!"
"You are the one who insisted that I bed you last night," he pointed out with amusement.
"Well, you need not have - "
"Children!" Eada glared. "Get into bed, both of you! Now!"
Willa obeyed immediately. Hugh was already in the bed and he continued to grin as the old witch scowled at them both and ordered, "Try to get along. 'Twill help the healing. " Then, gathering her things together, she shook her head and headed for the door. "I'll have Alsneta bring something up to break your fast. "
"I am not hungry," Willa said petulantly.
"Have the taster, Gawain, bring it," Hugh ordered, ignoring his wife's childish pout. The old witch nodded as she closed the door. Hugh turned his gaze to Willa to find her still glaring at him. She was angry that he'd made her sick. He'd also done a lousy job of bedding her, he thought unhappily. He'd worked hard to bring about the babbling the treatise had mentioned. But to no avail. She'd lain silent and still, her glassy eyes a silent reproach. Then, he'd proceeded to fall asleep on her. At least, he suspected he had. The last thing he recalled was his incredible release, then sagging on top of her, too exhausted even to roll away. He was pretty sure that he'd not removed himself under his own power, though he had awoken on his belly on the bed beside her.
Hugh glanced at his wife again. Willa was asleep now. He scowled. He was glad she was getting her rest; she would need it to combat the cold he'd given her. However, that left him butt up on the bed with nothing to do and no one to talk to. He started to tap his fingers on the mattress, his brain a blank, then a soft snuffle from the other side of the bed drew his gaze and he g
rinned. She was snoring. Such a dainty little thing and she was snoring. Must be the cold, he decided, as she snored again.
His gaze drifted down over her body. Neither of them had bothered with the linens. They lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. She still wore the gown she'd donned to go fetch Eada. Willa had clambered back into bed without bothering to remove it in her scramble to obey the old witch. She couldn't be comfortable in her gown. His gaze moved over the ugly, overlarge garment. He must see to it that she had new dresses.
Willa moaned and shifted fretfully in her sleep, and Hugh was positive her discomfort must be due to her restrictive clothing. She would be more comfortable naked, he decided, his gaze moving over the soft mounds of her breasts hidden by the garment. Hugh licked his lips. Aye, definitely more comfortable out of the gown.
Ignoring the pain any movement caused in his backside, he shifted closer to her, eased onto his side and set to work at her lacings. Willa stirred as he worked but didn't wake until he was struggling to remove her gown. Blinking her eyes open, she muttered irritably and tried to brush his hand away. "What are you doing?"
"I am trying to undress you. "
She came fully awake, her expression uncertain. "Did you wish to consummate again?"
"Nay. Of course not. You need your rest. I just thought you would be more comfortable unclothed. Sit up," he instructed.
Willa sat up and raised her arms dutifully as he lifted her gown over her head.
"We have to see you better dressed. A countess should wear jewels and fine silks. "
"Silks," Willa repeated sleepily as he thrust the gown aside. She sank back on the bed, a frown coming to her face as she realized she was completely naked. "Where are the bed linens?"
"On the floor. "
"Oh. " She hesitated, then shrugged and turned on her side, apparently too tired to bother fetching them. The cold had knocked him out much the same way, Hugh recalled. The poultice Eada had placed on his backside had fallen off. He found it on the bed, lay down and slapped it in the general vicinity of the pain.
Willa murmured sleepily and shifted beside him. Hugh glanced over to see that she was asleep again. As he watched, she coughed in her sleep, sniffled, then rolled onto her back, her arm landing by her head. Hugh found his gaze going over her body. He suspected she would not be so open to his view again for a while. She'd been naked last night, but tense and stiff. Now she was relaxed and soft-looking, her breasts rising and falling with each breath. Rising and falling. Rising and falling.
Hugh licked his lips as he watched. Her breasts looked terribly lickable. Easing sideways until his arm brushed her side, he eyed her face, then leaned forward to lick one roseate nipple. It immediately sprang to life under the caress, standing at attention. Of course, one lick wasn't enough and he leaned down for another.
Willa shifted, arching upward into the caress and Hugh smiled as he suckled her breast. This was encouraging. He trailed a hand over her ribs, then across her belly, rubbing gently. She writhed and twitched at his touch. He let his hand drop to her hip, cupping the soft flesh there, and pressing against the bone. Willa twisted under his touch, murmuring incoherently as she pressed her hips upward under his hand. This was more movement and sound than he'd managed to elicit from her despite his best efforts last night.
"Damn," Hugh breathed against her wet nipple. Obviously, he hadn't relaxed her enough last night. She was responding now and murmuring incoherently, if not babbling. He let his hand slide between her legs and pressed against her as she gasped and arched into his palm.
It was the gasp that did it. The action ended in a coughing fit that brought her awake. Willa sat up abruptly, shuddering as her body was wracked by the deep cough.
Hugh released her nipple just in time to get out of the way. He removed his hand from between her legs and pounded her back, ignoring the pain the action caused in his behind. It was a bad fit. Willa wasn't able to catch her breath for some time. Concern and guilt filled Hugh as he tried to help her through it. If he hadn't been touching her while she slept, he was sure she wouldn't have coughed. It ended finally, and she dropped back weakly in bed.
Hugh promptly eased out of bed to fetch the linens and some furs. He covered Willa, then rolled several spare furs and arranged them behind her back, lifting her upright.
She murmured her gratitude, then sniffled miserably. Hugh tried not to wince with guilt. He was fully erect again and hoped she hadn't noticed. He would never bother her while she was ill. Well, alright, so he had, but he wouldn't again.