Page 99 of A Fearless Heart
Judith picked up Cady’s wrist and laid her fingers over the pulse point for a long moment, when everyone seemed to hold still.
“Very fast,” Judith said at last. “But steadying. We should get her into bed.”
“I’ll take her,” Gabe said. He bent to pick her up, fighting off the disturbing feeling of repetition. Was he destined to always gather a helpless Cady in his arms?
Judith and Bond cleared the way to Cady’s room, lighting enough candles and opening doors along the way. Gabe put her into the rumpled bed, where she flinched and twisted as if having nightmares. It killed him to see her like that.
The maids set about making Cady more comfortable, adjusting her blankets and washing her forehead with cool water.
Then Cady said something.
Judith leaned forward eagerly. “My lady? Are you awake?”
“Get him out of here,” Cady whispered, her eyes on Gabe.
Bond looked over her shoulder. “Might be best, sir. She needs to be calm, and you don’t make her calm.”
Gabe wanted to object. He should be near Cady, especially now when she was so weak. But her eyes held so much anger that he knew any attempt to go closer could result in another attack.
“I’m going,” he said. “Take care of her.”
Downstairs, he took his frustration out on Rook. “You checked and she was fast asleep, huh.”
“I checked and there was no sound from her room and it was half three,” the boy noted. “What should I have thought?”
Gabe bit back a retort. This whole mess was his fault. Gathering everyone, knowing Cady was close by. He told Rook that he would go and get some sleep and return later to help set things right with Cady.
“You going to sleep in a church, sir? ’Cause you’re going to need a miracle to carry that off.”
With those heartening words, Gabe walked out into the darkness.
* * * *
Cady had never suffered such bad dreams as the night before. She dreamed she’d walked downstairs and directly into a strange party, except that her new servants were the guests and Gabe was the host and the party was in the kitchen and they were all plotting against her…
She opened her eyes to see Bond sitting on a chair not far away from the bed, not watching Cady but obviously watchingoverCady.
“What time is it?” Cady asked.
Bond looked over, her expression wary and concerned. “About half past eight, my lady.”
“Where is he?” She didn’t bother to say who. She didn’t have to.
“He left, but he’ll come back.”
“If he does, then don’t let him in.”
Bond’s eyes dropped. “As you say.”
“I’m serious, Bond. I know you all take orders from him, but not this time. Oh, and he needs to surrender the key I gave him.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Oscar chose this moment to jump up onto the bed, giving Cady a little jolt of surprise. But the cat then nuzzled her and curled up in the hollow made by her torso and her tucked up legs.
“I don’t know why I bother,” Cady said then, petting the cat. “It’s not as if I was ever in control while he’s around. He planned every step of this, didn’t he? Coming to Calderwood, getting me to London, place all of you here to keep an eye on me…”
“He’s worried about you, my lady. He doesn’t want you to be hurt.”
