heard Geordie ask the question, and was truly interested in the answer. It might give him an idea as to how long he had to convince Evina that the joining itself wasn’t the nightmare she’d been led to believe by their first experience together. However, he spotted Tildy coming out of Evina’s room then, and all of his attention focused on her.
It must mean Evina was done her bath, he thought as he watched the maid walk along the landing toward the stairs. Although the water and tub still had to be removed, Conran supposed. Tildy was probably coming down to fetch the servants back up to do just that, and then he could—
His thoughts died and he scowled when Tildy suddenly stopped halfway down the stairs and whirled back the way she’d come. The woman was shaking her head with apparent exasperation as she trudged back up the stairs. She seemed quite annoyed about something. His guess would be that she’d forgot something.
“Did ye hear that, Conny?”
“Hmm?” Conran muttered, aware of Aulay’s voice asking a question, but not really paying it any attention as he watched Tildy return to Evina’s door and open it. He completely missed whatever Aulay said next, because he was focused on Tildy. He’d seen the way the maid had seemed to blanch once she opened the door. By the time she began to shriek in horror and disappeared into the room, Conran was already on his feet and racing for the stairs.
He heard the cries of confusion and concern behind him as he ran, but Conran didn’t slow to explain. He didn’t know what the hell was happening himself, just that something was very wrong.
As fast as Conran moved, he knew his brothers were directly behind him. Because at least one of them crashed into his back when he stumbled to a halt just inside the room at the sight of Tildy trying to pull Evina’s naked and wet body from the tub. That wasn’t what brought him to a halt, however; it was the fact that Evina’s eyes were closed and she was as pale as death, her skin and lips bearing a slightly blue tinge that made his balls shrivel.
“Help me!”
That screech from Tildy did the trick, and Conran charged forward to scoop Evina out of the warm water.
“Set her on the bed,” Rory ordered, appearing beside him.
Conran obeyed automatically, carrying her still form to the bed and setting her there on her back.
“On her stomach! Turn her over, and let her head and upper chest hang off the bed.”
Conran glanced around at that barked order to peer uncertainly at the Maclean. The man hadn’t been at table, so must have come from his room, drawn by the scream as well.
“Do it!” the man barked, hobbling toward the bed.
Conran glanced to Rory, but did as the man said.
“Pound her back,” the Maclean growled, stopping beside him as Conran finished turning Evina unto her stomach on the edge of the bed so that her upper body hung off, her head dangling toward the floor.
“M’laird,” Rory began soothingly, and Conran glanced to him, awaiting his instruction. Rory was the healer. He would know what to do.
However, before Rory could finish whatever he’d intended to say, Donnan was suddenly there beside Conran, pushing on Evina’s back once, and then twice, and finally a third time, before he quickly turned her over and bent to kiss her.
“What the hell!” Conran roared, and reached for the man, but the Maclean caught his arm to stop him.
“He’s breathing for her,” he growled.
Conran turned his gaze back to Donnan and then shifted to the side to get a better look and saw the man wasn’t kissing her, so much as blowing air into her mouth while pinching her nose. His attention shifted to her chest and he saw it expand slightly with each breath, and then a choking sound drew his eyes back toward her face as Donnan straightened and Evina began sputtering and coughing.
“Damn,” Rory breathed. “I ne’er would have thought to do that.”
“Me wife did it to our son when he was a boy and fell into the loch, taking in water. She was desperate. She pushed on his back to get the water out that she could, and then she breathed into him until he could breathe for himself,” Fearghas said quietly. “It worked. Even she was surprised that it did.”
“Evina did the same for ye after she got ye out o’ the river when she