The Lady Quill Chronicles - The Promise

The Lady Quill Chronicles - The Promise - Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Six

 Adele stood just inside the tent opening. Rafe cursed roughly under his breath, nothing in Adele’s face suggested that she had heard his remark but somehow he knew she had.

“Good morning, my lord,” she moved toward the bed and the men parted before her. “How do you feel Finan?” as she spoke her fingers touched his forehead, exploring his skin for any sign of lingering feverishness. Finan gritted his teeth at such handling and glowered at Rafe.

“Well enough,” he answered shortly.

Nothing in her demeanour changed at the sharpness of his tone but she dropped her hand to his cheek and then his neck.

“Are you hungry?”

It was on the tip of Finan’s tongue to deny it, purely on principle, but his stomach overruled his brain and he nodded.

“Some bread and cheese with a little meat,” his eyes took on a faintly glazed expression of anticipation. “And some mead.”

Adele shook her head regretfully.

“I think perhaps it would be unwise,” she turned to Drogo and asked that he might bring her eggs and milk. Finan’s mouth dropped open.

“Eggs?…Milk!” His tone was disbelieving, “I am no infant, my lady!”

Adele turned to him her eyes sympathetic.

“Tis best, Finan, you are still weak and need your rest.”

Finan came close to telling her precisely what she could do with her eggs and milk but just in time caught sight of the warning in Rafe’s eyes and decided better of it.

“This is not necessary,” he managed to grind out. “I do not wish to trouble you.”

Adele’s rich laughter filled the tent.

“Tis I who you wish would cease to trouble you, Finan!”

Finan could not deny the truth of her statement, but that only made things worse. She smiled again and turned to kneel beside the fire. Finan cast a furious glance at Rafe and reached out grasping a handful of his tunic to jerk him down so that his head was next to his.

“Get her out of here!”

“You know, I don’t think I shall,” grinned Rafe.

“Rafe, I mean it, I will not be petted and cosseted by that woman.”

Rafe’s shoulders began to shake.

“I rather think you will though,” he observed.

Finan gazed up at him his indignation taking away the power of speech. Rafe relented.

“Finan, please, she has brought you this far, she will see you recover as quickly as possible.”

Finan snorted.

“She’ll drive me out of mind, and I will not be held responsible for my actions if I have lost my senses.”

Adele turned from the fire carrying a wooden bowl in one hand and a cup in the other.

“I promise I will not drive you to insanity, Finan,” assured Adele. “And if you will submit to just a little cosseting, the barest minimum, I think the experience will not kill either of us.”

Finan looked a little abashed that she had heard his whispered comments. She kneeled beside him and held out the  prepared eggs, Finan was surprised how appetising the aroma was and felt his stomach growl in anticipation.