Page 108 of Heart of Iron
Twenty-four
Sunlight shimmered through gauzy lace curtains.
Lena moaned under her breath and tried to cover her eyes.Then she blinked.This wasn’t her room.Where was she?
Sitting up sent a shaft of throbbing pain through the base of her skull.Wincing, she cracked her eyelids open and looked around.
Bare timber floor.Rough hewn furniture.A table in the corner with a single chair seated by it.And a pair of boots, attached to long muscular legs.
Will.
She was at Will’s flat.
Sunlight caught the coppery tips of his hair and burnished his tanned skin.He dozed, propped up in an old armchair, his arms crossed over his chest and his head nodding forward.Dark circles shadowed his eyes and his jaw bore the signs of several days’ rough growth.
The last time she’d seen him he’d been frantic; tucking her into his own cot, muttering that she was safe, that she would be all right now.Telling her again and again that he was sorry.
Lena frowned.When had that happened?She had a vague flashing memory of pain and heat, and then screaming as someone dropped her into what felt like a vat of burning oil.Honoria peering at her worriedly as she tried to give her water.Will snapping at Honoria, driving her from the room as he dragged Lena out of bed and brought her here.
What the devil had happened?
Tossing aside the blankets, she tried to stand up.The world spun and she staggered into the stove, her nightgown tumbling around her ankles.The faint odor of lavender clung to her.Not her usual soap.Someone must have been bathing her.
Will blinked sleepily.“Lena?”He leaped to his feet and caught her, as if she were too fragile to even stand.“What are you doin’ out of bed?”
The heat of his body was a welcome sensation.She burrowed her face against his chest and breathed deep.His scent was so familiar, so warm and masculine, but beneath that she caught myriad scents.Starched linen, soap, sweat, a hint of her sister’s perfume, even the oil he used to clean the heavy hunting knife he wore strapped to his thigh.
How curious.
“Can you shut the curtains?”she asked.“It’s so bright.”
His scent changed, became somehow sharper.“It’s your eyes.They’ll adjust, but it’ll take a few days.”
“Adjust to what?”
Another pause.His scent became even bitterer.“Lena.”He cleared his throat.“Do you remember aught of what happened?”
The seriousness in his face and tone sobered her.She fought for recollection and failed.“What’s wrong?What happened?Is everyone all right?”
“How do you feel?”
An odd question.She considered her body.Now that she was on her feet she felt better, an incredible lightness of being that she couldn’t quite explain.“Very thirsty?”And another pressing need she didn’t want to admit.Heat flushed through her cheeks.“Do you think I could…use your washroom?”
Will stared at her for a long moment, coppery rings burning around his pupils.He gave a short nod.“O’ course.”
Herding her to the washroom as if she were an invalid, he started to follow her inside.
“Will!”She tried to shut the door in his face.“What are you doing?”
“Lookin’ after you.”
“Not in here,” she replied firmly.“Out!”
It took a moment, but his lips thinned and he turned on his heel.“I’ll fetch you some water to wash with.”
He brought water, soap, and a small towel.As soon as he shut the door, she turned to the unmentionable.Perhaps she had been hasty.By the time she washed her hands in the jug of water on his washstand, her knees were shaking.And the water looked damned good.She was half tempted to drink it straight from his shaving jug but forced herself to merely rinse her mouth and scrub her teeth.Using his washrag, she stripped her nightgown off then washed herself with the cloth and soap.Lavender scent assailed her.He’d definitely been bathing her.
Tugging her nightgown over her head, she ignored her discarded drawers.She wanted clean clothes, something to drink, and a good hot meal.
