Page 41 of Sutherland's Secret
His brows came together in a thunderous expression. “What things?”
She extricated her hand from his. “Things. Get some sleep.”
“I’m no’ tired. What are ye no’ telling me, Ella?”
She liked that he called her Ella. It lent an intimacy to them.
“I’m not telling you anything. You’re too untrusting.”
He laid his head against the pillow and eyed her, but she wouldn’t say any more, and she walked out and headed for the kitchen so she could serve his men their evening meal.
Chapter 17
“Guard!”
When Brice got no immediate response, he bellowed louder, then winced as it pulled his wound.
Colin sauntered in. “Aye?”
“Where’s my guard?” Brice asked, pushing himself to a sitting position and swinging his legs off the bed.
“Whoa.” Colin lurched toward Brice as if to catch him. “What in the bloody hell are ye doing?”
“Going to the great hall. Help me up.” He raised his hand for Colin to take.
Colin stood just out of reach. “Eleanor has already instructed that someone bring up yer meal.”
“I don’t want my meal brought up. I want to eat in the great hall.” He stood and swayed. His shoulder pounded with the beat of his heart, and his knees almost gave out. Colin shot a hand out to steady him. “Ye’re daft. Ye canno’ eat in the hall just yet. Ye were shot just yesterday.”
“I know that,” Brice snapped. “But Eleanor is up to something, and I’ll know what it is.”
Colin appeared guarded. “What do ye think she’s up to?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll find out. She’s been very evasive.” Brice thought about what they had done in bed that afternoon. She hadn’t been evasive then. She’d been every boyhood dream he’d ever dreamed come to life. God, but she’d made him come undone. He couldn’t get enough of her and would have been more than happy to spend the next sennight in bed with her. Just thinking of it had his blood heating. Thank the Lord that his shirt covered his manly parts.
“Hand me my kilt,” he breathed through the pain in his shoulder. God’s blood, but getting shot hurt like the devil.
Colin silently handed him his kilt. Brice looked at it and cursed. There was no way he could put it on in his present condition. He couldn’t roll into it like he needed to do. With a growl, he flung it on the floor and headed toward his armoire to dig out a pair of breeches. He rarely wore breeches, but they would be much easier to put on.
Once dressed, he faced Colin. “Let us go.”
“Are ye sure about this?” Colin looked skeptical.
“Very.” Brice headed toward his door on unsteady legs and holding his arm close to his side so he wouldn’t move his shoulder. He faltered when he faced the steep steps into the hall. Cold sweat broke out all over his body, and he suppressed the need to shiver.
“Brice—”
He held up his hand to silence Colin. Ella had been lying about something, and he was going to find out what. Slowly he marched down the steps, gritting his teeth with each jostle of his arm. By now it was on fire; he was almost certain it was bleeding again.
When he’d been making love to Ella, it hadn’t bothered him at all. Or if it had, he hadn’t felt it, being far too concerned with other things.
He entered the hall, and almost all conversation stopped as the men and women looked at him. He tried to grin but feared he’d failed as he made his way to his seat. He didn’t sit at the head of the table, as most clan leaders did. He liked to be among his men, and to converse with them as he ate, so he sat wherever there happened to be an open seat. Luckily tonight there was one close to the steps, so he didn’t have to walk far. He was never so grateful for that.
Colin sat across from him and looked at him closely. Conversations resumed and the serving girls came out with platters of food. The thought of eating didn’t sit well with his stomach, but he smiled at the girl as she placed a plate of food in front of him. He looked around at the tables, trying to find Ella, but he didn’t see her. He frowned.
Hannah was at the entrance to the kitchen, directing the girls where to go. One of the girls exited the kitchen, laden with a heaping tray.
Brice froze. He knew that blond hair and that face. He knew that gown as well. He’d given a passing thought to it this afternoon, but other thoughts and deeds had taken over, and he’d forgotten to ask why she was in a plain linen gown when she had an entire wardrobe of his wife’s old gowns to choose from.
