by Bess McBride
“Yes, that is the cook, I believe. But it is not proper for you to be here without another lady present.”
“Well, as I said, I’m a cousin, so I’m family.”
“Yes, as you said.”
I nodded. I wasn’t so sure the captain was worried about the social niceties as he was about finding out who I was.
“Soooo...” I said. “I’d better get back inside.”
Captain Thompson bowed. “Yes, of course. Is there anything I can do for you?”
I had half turned away, hoping he would get the hint, but I turned around again, confusing Robbie, who had started to follow me.
“Do for me?”
“Yes, anything. I can find someone in the village to come help you nurse the laird. I could speak to the doctor to ensure that everything possible is being done. Anything you need.”
I tilted my head, wondering why he was offering.
“No, we’ve actually sent all the staff away for fear of exposure to the fever. The doctor did what he could. He should be coming back soon to check on the laird. Other than that, I don’t know of anything that could be done. But thank you,” I finished with a half smile.
“I will return in a few days’ time to see how you fare, Mistress Scott,” Captain Thompson said with a bow.
“You don’t need to do that,” I said. “We’re fine.”
“Nevertheless, I think I must.”
I shook my head but decided against arguing with him. I wasn’t absolutely sure Highlanders had the right to tell a British officer he couldn’t visit.
I nodded.
“Good day, Mistress Scott.” Captain Thompson bowed again and turned to head for the boat. I watched as the three men climbed in and Duncan rowed them away. I reentered the castle and headed straight for James’ room, Robbie at my heels.
I tapped lightly on the door, not wishing to awaken him. Bracken pulled open the door.
“Is he asleep?” I whispered.
“Nay, mistress. He is awake and awaiting your return.”
I slipped in, and Bracken left. Robbie slipped under the bed.
“There ye be,” James said. “Where did ye go? Did ye rest?”
“No, I ate and then went outside for a walk around the castle.”
“It is a bonnie place. The loch and the hills beyond?”
I sat down in the chair by the bed and nodded. “Yes, it’s very beautiful.” I had some time ago decided not to mention that the castle probably fell into ruins at some point between the eighteenth and twenty-first centuries.
“Bracken tells me that ye have finally agreed to move to a room of yer own. I am pleased. I ken ye will get more sleep on a soft bed than on that sofa.” He nodded toward the sofa in front of the fireplace. The fire was out, but the room seemed comfortably warm in the noon air.
“James,” I said tentatively.
“Aye?”
“A British captain and lieutenant came just now. Duncan rowed them over.”
James stiffened.
“Are they still here?”
“No, I told them you had typhoid fever. That scared the lieutenant, but the captain didn’t seem as worried. He says he’s coming back in a few days to check on things.”
“Check on things?”
“Well, you, me, I guess. He wanted to know who I was. I said I was a distant relative from the Colonies.”
“I should have thought they would run once they heard I had the typhoid,” James said. “Ye did well to tell them ye were a relative. Ye werena inclined to tell them the truth, were ye? About the time travel? I dinna think that is a good idea.”
“No, no,” I said with a reassuring smile. “I wouldn’t dare. I’m not sure why they have to come back though.”
“I know Captain Thompson. He is a good enough sort. The English presence in Scotland is inescapable, but I am fortunate that I wasna executed. Verra fortunate indeed. Many who survived Culloden were.”
I patted his hand, and he covered my hand with his own.
“I wish that I could help ye with the captain. Did he say what he wanted?”
I shook my head.
“Not really. Just to see you originally, and now to see how you and I are doing.”
James’ eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head and stared at me.
“Dinna tell me the captain is smitten with ye?”
“What?” I sputtered. “No!”
“Well, I was within moments. It is possible.” James smiled, though rather weakly.
“You’re tired,” I said, my cheeks pink as could be. “You need to sleep.”
“Aye,” James said. “I am tired.” I pulled my hand from his and helped him slide back down on his pillow. He grabbed my hand again when I rose to leave.
“Be careful with the English, Maggie. Even a fair man such as Captain Thompson cannot be trusted with yer truth.”
“I know, James. I know. I won’t say a word. Sleep now.”
James kept hold of my hand and closed his eyes. I sat in the chair and waited to hear steady breathing. I left my hand in his and dozed myself.
The following morning, Dr. MacDougall returned. He examined James and turned to Bracken and me.
“I dinna ken what kind of nursing ye are doing, Mistress Scott, but ye must continue. His fever is down, and he looks much better.” The doctor stared at me curiously. “Are ye using some special herbs or medicines?”
I shook my head, throwing a look toward Bracken and James.
“No, nothing special,” I said with a shrug.
“It is her gentle touch which heals me, Doctor,” James said with a wink in my direction. I blushed.
“I heard some rumor in the village that ye are tending to the young lass, Morna Anderson, with a special tablet of some sort. I didna ken she had typhoid, but she describes the symptoms she had as such.”
I locked my hands behind me and threw a hasty look at James, who tried to push himself up in bed, his expression now serious.
“Nay, I can vouch that Mistress Scott hasna been handing out potions and such, Dr. MacDougall. The young lass has been directed to come to the house for naethin more than a tablet of flour. As ye ken, there is no medicine to cure the typhoid. Mistress Scott gave me some of the tablets, and I too believed that I was being cured by them. Ye see the good it has done me!”
“Tablets of flour,” Dr. MacDougall repeated with a skeptical twist of his bushy white eyebrows.
“Aye,” James said, daring the doctor to argue.
“Well, I dinna think flour will cure typhoid, but I suppose it can do no harm. Let the girl take the tablets if she believes they are helping.”
I nodded and unclenched my aching fingers.
The doctor left, and I slipped into the chair at James’ bedside. Bracken left the room to get James some more broth for lunch.
“I dinna wish to frighten ye, my dear, but giving out potions and such reckons of witchcraft. I think we must bring the girl back to the castle, if only to keep her silent. She can sleep in the stables for now. They are warm enough, probably warmer than her own home.”
“Witchcraft?” I whispered. “Oh, I thought we were worried about the time travel.”
“Traveling through time would be seen as witchcraft, Maggie. People are burned alive for less. I didna wish to say such sooner, as I didna want to scare ye.”
I gasped and slumped in the chair. Witchcraft!
“Oh, James, what am I going to do?”
“Naethin for now. The doctor seemed fair content with my explanation. Dinna worry.”
“Don’t worry?” I murmured. “That’s easy to say. You’re not the one handing out potions or traveling through time.”
“I will protect ye, Maggie.”
I looked at James, still as weak as a kitten, and I wondered how he was going to manage to protect me.
“Dinna look at me with doubt in yer eyes, Maggie. I will protect ye. If naethin else, I can give ye my name, and none will harm ye.”
“What?” I
squeaked. “Give me your name. Do you mean...”
“Aye, if it comes to that, aye!”
“Oh, James, that seems rather extreme,” I murmured, looking away from his face.
He reached for my hand and tugged, forcing me to look at him.
“I ken such a proposal from a man as disease ridden as me must be repugnant, and I wouldna suggest such a thing except to protect ye, Maggie.”
I could see the hurt in his blue eyes.
“Oh, James, no, I’m sorry. I wasn’t even thinking about your illness. I wasn’t. It’s just that...”
I didn’t know what to say.
“I can’t think about anything like that right now.”
“Dinna fash yerself about it, Maggie. It was only an offer to protect ye.”
“I’ll be all right, James. Really, I will.” I actually didn’t believe my own words, but what could I say? If I had ever wondered whether to stay in the eighteenth century for a while or go, the doctor convinced me I needed to skedaddle. I wondered that Beth wasn’t frightened. But then again, she was married to a man she loved, and she had a child on the way. And she hadn’t been handing out potions!
“Aye, of course,” James said. He let go of my hand and closed his eyes. I had the distinct impression he wanted me to leave, and I rose and slipped out of the room.
That evening when Morna came to get her pill, Bracken told her she needed to stay in the barn until she was well if she wanted to come back to work. He provided her with blankets, cups, plates and food. I gave the girl her pill but said nothing.
When I returned to James’ room, Bracken stopped me at the door.
“His lairdship is resting and asked that ye take yer supper and get some rest yerself. He asked me to take his medicine to him.”
My eyes widened as I stared at the closed door behind Bracken. Was I fired? Dismissed? What had happened?
I gave Bracken James’ pill without a word and turned to head for my own room. I washed up and slipped into one of the nightgowns Beth had sent me. Crawling into bed, I lay there wishing for a television or something to entertain me. I thought about many things, but I did my best to avoid thoughts of James.
I fell asleep eventually, but was awakened by an urgent knocking on my door. I opened my eyes to darkness.
“Hello?” I called out.
The door opened, and Bracken entered, a candle lighting the distress on his face.
“The master has taken a turn for the worse, Mistress Scott. Please come.”
I scrambled out of bed, ignoring my nightgown, and ran past Bracken and into James’ room. James tossed and turned in bed, throwing his head from side to side, clutching at his stomach. He moaned pitifully, and my heart went out to him. What had happened? I thought he’d been on the mend. Weren’t the pills working?
“James, James,” I whispered, putting a hand to his feverish brow. “Are you in pain?”
But James didn’t respond. He only moaned, and I turned to Bracken.
“Get me a wet cloth and a cup of clean water,” I barked. Bracken returned with the cup and the cool cloth, and I wiped James’ forehead with it. I noticed that the fire was lit, and I directed Bracken to put it out. James didn’t need any more heat.
“There you go, sweetie,” I said softly as I bathed James’ forehead and neck. “There you go.” I opened his nightshirt and ran the cloth down his chest.
Setting the cloth aside, I sat on the bed next to James and lifted him to help him take the paracetamol. Water ran down his chin, but I saw him swallow, and I knew he had gotten the pills down.
My heart broke to see him suffering so, and I was terrified the treatment wasn’t working—less terrified though than I would have been had I not had another round of dosing for him.
Knowing that my body heat would do nothing to lower his temperature, I reluctantly lowered him to the pillow and stood over him, continuing to bathe his skin.
I looked over my shoulder at the hovering butler.
“You can go, Bracken. I’ll stay with him tonight. Where is Robbie?”
“The dog is in the kitchen, mistress. I willna go far but will be right outside should ye need me.”
“Oh, Bracken.” I sighed. I hated to think of the old man sitting on the floor sleeping, but I probably couldn’t dissuade him, so I let it go.
Bracken left, and I moved over to the bureau to dip the compress into the cool water. I returned to James’ side to continue bathing his burning skin. I had never felt skin so hot in my entire life, and I no longer felt confident that James would survive the typhoid fever. He seemed to be relapsing, and I didn’t know what to do to help him.
“James,” I whispered, wiping down his hot hands. I placed a kiss on one hand. “What’s happening? What can I do?”
It wasn’t like I could summon a tub of ice water to cool him down. I was contemplating asking poor Bracken to bring up buckets of cool water so that he and I could dunk James into a tub, when James started to tremble.
His entire body shook, and I grabbed his arms and held on tight as if I could stop the trembling. Then he arched his back and cried out.
“James,” I sobbed in terror, loosening my hold in case I was hurting him. “James!”
I don’t think he heard me, thankfully. My crying wasn’t helping anything, but I couldn’t stop.
James’ trembling worsened to the point of convulsions, and I wondered if he was having a seizure. I’d never seen one before. Panicked, I rolled him onto his side, some part of my brain remembering an article I’d read stating one should turn a person in the throes of a seizure onto his side to prevent choking.
Tears ran down my face as I gently held James on his side. In my terror, I wanted to scream for Bracken, but what could the old butler do? He knew less about what was happening to James than I.
“Just relax, sweetie,” I whispered, trying to control the break in my voice. “Just relax. Everything’s going to be all right.” I was sure the last words were meant for me.
I felt certain that James was going to die. I couldn’t bring his fever down, and I didn’t know what to do.
Chapter Sixteen
It seemed as if hours passed, but probably only twenty long, terrifying minutes elapsed before James stopped trembling. His eyelids fluttered as if he was trying to lift them but couldn’t. I leaned in to listen to his breathing. Fast and shallow, it began to slow and deepen, and I straightened to look at him. Sweat broke out on his forehead and ran down the side of his face.
The fever had broken!
I ran for a dry cloth and mopped up his face. Sweat saturated his nightshirt, and I knew I couldn’t leave him wallowing in wet clothing to grow cold. I needed Bracken’s help. I trotted to the door and opened it to find the butler lying on the floor, wrapped in a length of plaid blanket. I bent and shook his shoulder.
“Bracken! I need your help!”
Bracken jumped up immediately and swayed for a moment.
“Aye, mistress!” he said, rubbing his eyes. “Is it the master?” He followed me back into the room.
“Yes, he had a fever, but it has broken, and now he’s soaking wet. I need to change his nightshirt and his bedding. It’s all wet now.”
“I will see to the master, mistress. He willna take kindly to it if ye were to see him without clothing.”
“I’m not leaving, Bracken. I’ve seen a naked man before.”
Bracken’s eyes widened, but he acquiesced.
“He is a bit heavy. I will be glad of the help.”
Bracken took a nightshirt from a dresser, and together we changed a very heavy and unconscious James from his wet nightshirt into a dry one. Sick or not, I couldn’t help but admire the length of his tall, handsome body. I shook my head. Who stares at a sick naked man?
Between us, Bracken and I devised a way to change James’ bedding by rolling him from one side of the bed to the other as we worked. I assumed that a conscious James had been of much more help when Bracken had tended to his needs earlier.
“He is heavy!” I grunted as I rolled him to the far side of the bed while Bracken worked on the damp side.
“Aye, although a bit lighter at the moment, I would say.”
I looked up at Bracken and almost laughed, but refrained. I didn’t think the old man had been joking.
After much tussling and tugging, we finally got James and the bed changed, and Bracken left the room. I settled into the chair and dabbed at the remaining moisture in James’ hair.
He moaned occasionally, and I wanted to give him his pain medicine, but I didn’t want to wake him. He tossed and turned restlessly. After giving it some thought, I climbed into bed with James and held him in my arms. His body temperature was now cool, no longer feverish, and he seemed to settle with his head against my chest.
I must have fallen asleep holding him, because the next thing I knew a hand touched my cheek. I opened my eyes and saw a crack of daylight through the curtains and James looking up at me, his hand on my face.
“Good morning,” he said in a husky voice.
I smiled down at him, ignoring my initial reaction to jump out of the bed.
“Good morning.”
He dropped his hand and raised his head to look at me.
“I dinna ken what to think, ye here in my bed and all.” Though his face seemed drawn and gaunt, his smile still charmed me.
“Don’t think too much about it. You were moaning, and I was just trying to make you feel better. How are you this morning? Are you in pain? You had a terrible fever. I was terrified.”
“Were ye?” he asked. “For me?”
“Well, of course for you,” I said. “I don’t understand why you relapsed after starting the medication. Maybe that’s normal. I don’t know.”
James pushed himself to a sitting position next to me.
“Ye are completely compromised,” he said. “Did anyone see ye here...in the bed?”
“Bracken knows I’m in the room in my nightgown,” I said.
“Och!” James exclaimed. “That isna good.”
“It’s not a problem,” I said. “He came to get me when your fever started. It was hardly the time to worry about proper clothing.”
“Aye, perhaps,” James said in a dubious tone. “I worry for yer reputation, Maggie.”