Page 53 of Never Kiss a Scot
“Mr. Tate is off to fetch Dr. McKenzie, and Mrs. Tate is bringing you some tea. How is your stomach?”
“I…I’m better, I think. My stomach is still cramping, but I don’t feel like I’m going to be sick anymore.” She tried to sit up but collapsed back down. Her face was ashen and her lips were pale, almost white. Fear dug into Brock’s chest as he carefully guided her back up to the head of the bed. He propped several pillows behind her.
“Does that feel all right?” he asked, tucking her hair behind her ears.
“Yes, thank you.” She reached for his hand, but her arm wavered and dropped. “Lord,” she whispered. “I feel as weak as a newborn kitten.”
“Perhaps you caught an illness when we visited the tenants. I heard from my footman that the grippe has been going around.”
Joanna whimpered a little, her body tensing as she almost heaved again. “Perhaps,” she finally whispered.
“Stay and rest. Do you want to try some water? A bit of tea?” He fetched a cloth and wiped cleaned the floor beside the bed.
“Perhaps some water,” Joanna finally said. Her voice was so weak, each word a struggle. He took a pitcher of water and poured it into a glass and brought it to Joanna. He held it up to her lips, and she swallowed down a few precious gulps, which filled him with relief. He set the glass down on the side table and joined her on the bed, holding her hand.
“I’m so sorry, Brock,” she murmured, her eyes closing. His heart stopped as he frantically checked her pulse. She was still alive. His muscles relaxed but only just. She had fallen asleep. He hummed an old nameless tune as he waited, hoping she could hear it through her sleep and that it soothed her. It seemed to take hours for Tate to return, but the clock on the mantel of his fireplace said only an hour had passed. When Tate arrived, Dr. McKenzie on his heels, Brock could have hugged them both.
“My lord,” Dr. McKenzie greeted solemnly. “I am told the new Countess of Kincade isn’t feeling well?”
“Aye, she’s very unwell.” Brock waved him over to the bed, and the doctor, a man in his late forties, frowned as he placed his spectacles on. He lifted Joanna’s head and examined her face. The doctor took hold of her wrist and removed his pocket watch from his waistcoat. He remained silent, holding on to the watch and her wrist. Then he pursed his lips.
“Her heartbeat is slow, far too slow for someone so young. Is she sickly by nature, my lord?”
“No, she was a strong and healthy lass until we went to bed an hour ago.” What had changed? What had happened to her tonight to cause such an illness? Maybe she got the grippe from one of the tenants? But Annis, Dougal, and the children had looked healthy. So what had happened?
“Ah…” Dr. McKenzie pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Has she changed any habits, done anything new?”
Brock rubbed the back of his neck as his face flushed. “Well, we’re newly married, and…”
“You’ve been seeing to your marital duties?” The doctor’s eyes twinkled a little.
“Aye, exactly.”
“Well, that sort of activity wouldn’t cause this, unless…you haven’t been seeing to your duties for a few months? She could be with child. In some cases, a woman can grow faint in the early months.”
“No, she was a virgin until a few days ago.”
“Well, we’ll rule out a child then. Has she changed her diet drastically or eaten anything unusual?”
“No, not that I can think of. She ate the same dinner as I did.”
The footman, Duncan, who had been lingering near the door spoke up. “She had some tea after dinner in her chamber, my lord.”
“Tea?” Brock couldn’t see what that had to do with anything.
Dr. McKenzie was quiet a long moment, and he stroked his chin, frowning before he spoke.
“Lad, could you bring me her cup, if it hasn’t been washed yet?” the doctor asked.
Duncan looked stricken. “I’m sorry, Doctor, it’s already been sent to the kitchen.”
The doctor turned back to Joanna and produced a small dark-blue bottle with smelling salts, which he uncorked and waved under her nose. She jerked awake and stared up at them with tired eyes.
“My lady, I’m Dr. Joseph McKenzie. I need to ask you some questions. Is your mouth numb? Do you experience any burning or tingling?”
“My mouth feels a bit numb. It’s been tingling for a few hours, since before Lord Kincade and I fell asleep.”
“What?” Brock gasped. “Why did you not say anything, lass?”
