Song of the Heart - Alexa Aston Page 0,66
It’s an old friend.” She made an effort to smile. “Are the children all right? Did Luke manage to survive his first thunderstorm?”
Garrett expelled a long breath. “Both Lyssa and Evan, as well as that mangy beast, are perfectly fine. You,” he continued softly, “are not, I’m afraid.”
He slipped his hand around her limp wrist, his thumb massaging it lightly. The sweet gesture brought her comfort despite her misery. “Your leg is broken, Madeleine,” he told her.
“I know.”
He looked at her quizzically. “The doctor said it’s not the first time something has happened to that leg.”
Madeleine knew he wanted her to fill in the blanks of her story but she remained silent.
After a moment, he shrugged and continued. “You will require much rest before you are up and about. My mother and Annie have promised to take good care of you. Mother even brought one of her chemises for you to wear.” He smiled at her. “The lilac sets off your eyes nicely.”
Panic suddenly coursed through Madeleine. Her jewels were sewn into her clothing. “My clothes!” she cried. “Where are my tunics?”
He leaned down and picked up her wet tunics and dropped them back onto the floor. “I’ll have them washed for you.”
“No!” she cried vehemently. “I must do that myself.” She leaned across him and tried to reach for the tunics but the pain flared. With a soft cry, she fell back onto the pillows.
“Do not concern yourself with the task, Madeleine. It will be done for you.”
She gritted her teeth. “Would you please hand them to me, my lord?”
He frowned but did as she requested. She held the tunics close, afraid to let them out of her sight. “I will take care of it myself.”
Garrett sighed. “Whatever you say.”
She sat brooding for a moment and then abruptly said, “I must return to the mummers, my lord.”
“Why?” he exploded. “You can’t even walk now, Madeleine. You may not walk for months. I can’t let you.”
“What did you say?” Icy fear filled her.
“You must stay at Stanbury, Madeleine. Farley’s mummers will go to their next stop, but you need time to heal.”
“Will it truly take that long to recover?”
Garrett gave her hand a quick squeeze. “The physician only said it will take time, that’s all. You may stay here as long as you like. If you’re worried about your keep, you may give Lyssa more lessons while you recover.”
“I would enjoy spending more time with Lyssa. But what of Evan, my lord? Gwenith gave him to my care. I had planned on taking him to his father, Lord Eversleigh in Sussex, when the mummers left Stanbury on the morrow.”
She clasped his hand tightly. “Is there any way Evan can remain here until I can honor Gwenith’s last wish? He could help in the stables or the kitchen, mayhap?”
Garrett placed his free hand atop hers, patting gently. “Master Evan is as welcome as you, Madeleine. I’m sure I can find something for him to do to keep him from mischief.”
“Then you would be the first, my lord.”
She gave him a smile but found her eyes drifting shut as relief washed over her. Her last conscious thought was she and Evan were safe.
Thanks to Lord Montayne.
*
Garrett reached to pick the wet clothes off the bed now that Madeleine had fallen asleep. He started to lay them across the chair to dry.
“That’s odd,” he said to himself. Although they were still damp, the garments were unusually heavy. He slipped his hand around them until he reached the hem of her skirts. Hard lumps lay within the layers.
He ripped open the hem and several pieces of jewelry fell to the floor. A sapphire bracelet caught his eye. He could not be mistaken. The piece matched the ring Madeleine had sold for Gwenith’s care, the one he’d bought from the old jeweler.
He tore at all the hems until the tunics were empty, then bent and examined the precious gems sparkling on the floor. Diamonds. Rubies. Emeralds. More sapphires. He spied three rings, two more bracelets, and a necklace, all of excellent quality.
They had to be worth a small fortune. No wonder she’d been so concerned about her tunics. Where had Madeleine gotten such priceless pieces? He refused to believe she was a thief. She seemed too good, too kind.
A thought struck him. Did they belong to the man who’d hurt her? Had she taken them as revenge? In order to escape? Or was she the noblewoman she’d so vehemently denied?
Garrett placed the clothes over the