Page 47 of A Rake's Redemption
“Belief?” the physician asked. “In God, you mean?”
Inis shook her head groggily. “In faeries.”
“I see,” he said, his voice placating.
“Nae, ye doonaseeat all,” Inis said stubbornly. “’Tis faeries that brought me here.”
Alex gave her a worried look and then turned to the doctor. “Are you sure she did not receive a blow to the head?”
“I do not think so. I felt no bumps, and there are no bruises.”
“Why would Inis suddenly talk of faeries then?” Alex asked.
“Because they sent me here,” Inis said slowly, trying to string her thoughts together. “I think…a faerie gave me the idea to come.”
Dr. Baxter scrutinized her. “What did this faerie look like?”
“I do not think it wise to continue this conversation,” Alex said.
“I am trying to determine if Inis is coherent,” the doctor replied and turned back to her. “What did this faerie look like?”
“I dinna see her.”
“Ah. So why do you think this…faerie…is real?”
Inis blinked slowly, trying to recall. “I felt her.”
Alex gave her a startled look. “Youfelther?”
“Aye. By the burn.”
“You were burned?”
“Nae. By the…stream. ’Tis where I felt the faerie.”
Dr. Baxter fixed his eyes on Inis. “How did you do that?”
“She ruffled my hair.”
The doctor frowned. “But you just said you did not see the faerie…her, I mean.”
Inis gave a soft sigh. “She was in the air.”
“The breeze you mean?” he asked. “The wind ruffled your hair?”
“’Twas nae wind. Nae leaves stirred on the trees. ’Twas just my hair.” Inis blinked even more slowly. “And I thought I heard laughter.”
“The sound of…” Alex gave the doctor an anxious look. “I think Inis is more seriously hurt than you thought.”
“It is probably the effect of the laudanum,” Dr. Baxter replied. “However, a cold compress might be a good idea in case there is swelling to the head.”
“I will see that one is sent up immediately,” Alex said.
“And I will come back tomorrow to check on her,” the doctor said as he gathered his things. “Right now, I think she needs rest.”
Inis’s eyes started to droop as they walked toward the hall, but she thought she saw silvery, shimmering sparkles in the air as the door closed. Her mind started to drift, and the last thing she heard was the soft, tinkling sound of a distant bell.
…
