13. Chapter Twelve

As determined as Craig had been about taking over his duties for Robin, when he opened his eyes the next morning, he knew it would be some time before he could do that. He was burning with fever and there wasn't a place on his body that didn't ache.

He reached over to touch Lorena's soft hair, and she opened her eyes. "How do ye feel?"

"Terrible. Can ye fetch Helena and see what she can do?"

The look on his wife's face almost made him move away from her. "What is amiss?"

She took a deep breath and attempted a smile. She didn't quite make it. "I just got over sweating sickness; I am sure I ken how to take care of ye. There is no need to bother Helena."

"She's the clan healer."

"I am yer wife! I just had sweating sickness. I helped tend sick people at Clyth Castle. I am no' a dimwit. Ye are no' bleeding to death or clutching yer chest in pain."

Before he could respond, there was a slight knock at the door. "Aye," Craig said.

Helena stepped in, all bright and cheerful, carrying her medicant basket. She smiled at them both. "How is our patient this morn?"

"Sick," Lorena said and bent to scoop up her shift. She walked away from the bed and started washing her face.

After casting Lenora a puzzling look, Helena said, "'Tis sorry I am to hear that. No' that I thought ye would be cured yet, but I ken sweating sickness can be difficult to deal with."

"Aye," Lorena said from the washbowl.

Craig had a feeling that something was troubling Lorena. Then he thought that perhaps ‘twas his fever.

"I've brought some clean cloths to wipe ye down and someone from the kitchen will be up shortly with cool water and a cup of broth for ye since I doona think ye will be able to hold down food yet."

Craig shook his head. "Nay. I doona think I could hold anything down."

From the side of his eye he saw Lorena pulling on her clothes, seeming to give a great deal of attention to tugging on her stockings and slipping on her shoes.

The door opened and two maids entered carrying a jug, bowl and a mug of the broth. "Ah, thank ye lasses. Ye can put the things over there," Helena said as she pointed to the small table next to his bed.

She took one of the cloths and dipped it in the water just as Lorena walked up to the bed. Helena began to wipe him down and then turned to Lorena, "Do ye want to do this?"

"Nay. Ye do such a fine job. I'm sure I couldna do it as well as ye." She turned and left the room.

Helena watched his wife leave and turned to him. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Nay. Lorena is just tired from the travel. She'll be fine."

***

Lorena stomped down the stairs and headed to the great hall. Since she had visited Dun Ugadale before when David was trying to negotiate a betrothal agreement, she was familiar with the layout of the keep.

When she entered the room, she felt almost as alone as she did when she was suffering at the hands of her brother and her husband.

"Lorena!" She turned as Robin walked into the room. He waved at her, "Come sit with me."

Grateful to see one friendly face, she followed him to the dais where they both sat. Before they even settled in, Craig's brother, Finn joined them. "'Tis sorry I am to not have been here yesterday when ye arrived. I was on my way back from our southern border to handle some disputes."

Not sure how to respond to that, she smiled. "'Tis good to see ye, Finn."

"I understand Craig is sick. How is he this morn?"

Before she could answer, Robin jumped in. "Helena is with him, so we'll have a report when she joins us."

She wanted so much to comment on that, but since she thought Helena might have taken offense at the way she left the bedchamber, she decided ‘twas better to keep her mouth closed.

"Aye, Helena will take good care of him, Lorena," Finn said as he filled his trencher with boiled eggs, pieces of fried pork and a slice of warm bread.

She smiled through her teeth. "Aye, I'm sure she will. We all ken what a great healer she is." Lorena stabbed her meat with her knife as though the animal still needed killing.

True to the ways of men, neither man showed any sign of being curious or offended by what she said. Arrogant oafs.

"I'm sure yer anxious to find yer place here, Lorena," Finn said between bites.

She pushed her food around her plate. "I'm no' sure there is a place for me here."

That remark finally got Robin's attention. "Nay, lass. There is much for ye to do here."

"Do ye have a suggestion?"

"Aye, I do. Just speak with Helena, she has answers to everything."

The stabbing became quite fierce. Once again neither man noticed. She sighed and looked around the great hall. "Where are yer sisters Mairi and Kendra?"

"I sent them to visit kinfolk shortly before Helena and I married. With no mother here to guide them, I thought a visit to another keep would help them. ‘Twas good, too, because Helena needed time to settle in and take her place as lady of the manor." He grinned. "I shouldna have worried. Helena had won everyone over in no time."

"Of course she did." Stab, stab. She put the knife down. "Ah, but now that ye have Helena. I'm sure she can do it all. Guiding yer sisters, running the keep, healing everyone's scratches, and delivering babies."

Robin thought for a minute. "Ye may be right, Lorena. Mayhap I will think about bringing my sisters back in a short while. I will speak to my wife about that." He smiled. "'Twas a good suggestion."

She picked her knife up again and the stabbing became so loud that Finn looked over at her. "Is yer meat no' tender, lass? Try another piece."

Her only consolation was knowing that her husband was not the only dimwit in the family. "If ye will excuse me, I wish to take a stroll in the lovely garden."

Robin smiled at her again. "Be sure to go to the flower area. Helena—"

She walked away as quickly as possible, Robin's words fading as she fisted her hands at her sides and growled. She had only been here hours and already she'd had Helena shoved down her throat so many times that she hated the woman and they hadn't even had one conversation. No wonder Robin decided to taunt the Gunn to dump Lorena and marry the perfect, lovely, helpful Helena.

Like most keeps, it was necessary to pass through the kitchen to get to the gardens, since most, if not all, of the gardens were full of vegetables and herbs to feed the people in the keep.

Lorena stopped when she entered the room. Everyone was busy, the lasses at the tables chopping vegetables, another one cutting herbs that would most likely be used for the evening meal.

"Can I help ye, lass?" The woman at the kettle over the hearth turned to her.

"Nay but thank ye. I was just passing through to the garden."

The friendly, round, red-cheeked woman smiled at her. "And ye must be Craig's new wife."

"Aye. My name is Lenora." She had to stop herself before she mentioned "Gunn."

"'Tis a pleasure to meet ye. My name is Maude and as ye can see, I am the cook. Are ye hungry? Did ye get to break yer fast?"

Pleased at the woman's friendliness, she relaxed for the first time almost since she'd arrived at Dun Ugadale.

"Aye. I did, but if ye had an oatcake laying around I wouldn't mind a bite or two."

"Kerry, go get Miss Lenora a couple of oatcakes and some tea."

"Nay," Lenora said. "I ken my way around a kitchen. I can get my own." She'd noticed when she'd come in that there was a stack of oatcakes on one of the counters. She helped herself to two of them and placed them on the table where the lasses were busy with their chores.

Assuming, like most kitchens, there was always a pot of hot water on the hearth, she scooped out a portion into a cup and placed that next to the oatcakes. One of the young lasses pointed, "Over there ye'll find the tea and also the butter and honey for yer oatcakes."

"Thank ye," Lenora said.

Once she was settled with her tea and oatcakes with butter and honey, she caught the eye of the lass Maude had called Kerry. "I am Lenora, Craig's wife."

The lass dipped her head. "Aye, we kenned he was marrying." She grinned. "There were a few lasses who dinna care for that news."

That was a problem Lenora had pushed to the back of her mind. At one time she was concerned about being married to Craig because when she'd been here before, she'd noticed that Craig seemed to have an eye for the lasses and they for him.

Another lass, next to Lenora, leaned over and spoke softly. "My name is Eileen, and I doona think ye have anything to fash yerself about. I've known Mister Craig for a long time. He is an honorable mon. I'm sure now that he is married, the lasses will no longer interest him."

Finally, a bright spot in her time so far at Dun Ugadale. She enjoyed her oatcakes, and the familiar smells and noises of the kitchen warmed her. When she lived at Clyth Castle, she had spent time in the kitchen with their cook, which is how she learned enough to fix the fish and rabbit when she and Craig were camping on their trip.

"Yer husband is asking for ye." Helena entered the kitchen and smiled at Lenora. She placed the cloth she used to wipe Craig down into a bucket that was apparently for the laundress.

"Let the lass finished her oatcakes," Maude said.

"Of course," Helena said, "I dinna notice ye were eating. I'm sure Craig can wait until ye're finished." She smiled again and Lorena wanted to take all that cheer and…

She was happy to see Helena leave the kitchen. She knew she would have to speak with the woman and see what duties she planned for her sometime soon. What would make her happy was to work in the kitchen, although that would probably not be allowed as the wife of the laird's brother.

But then, Helena was the laird's wife, and she apparently ran around the clan fixing everyone up. She popped the last of the oatcake into her mouth and stood. "Thank ye verra much for the delicious oatcakes." She walked over to Maude. "I have a way to fix oatcakes with a bit of cinnamon."

The cook smiled at her. "Do ye now? That sounds verra interesting. Mayhap I'll have ye show me how to do it."

"Actually, I like working in the kitchen. I would enjoy showing ye how to do it." When Maude looked interested, she continued, "I have some other ways to fix meat pies and apple tarts."

"Well, lass, I can certainly use more hands in the kitchen, especially the cooking kind. Why doona ye speak with Helena and see if she can spare ye to help out here?"

Her happiness was dimmed by the mention of getting Helena's permission, but despite how annoyed she had grown with the woman since her arrival, she had to admit that aye, the woman was caring and kind. And there truly had been nothing to dislike the woman for. ‘Twas only everyone else telling her how wonderful Helena was that had put a thorn in her side.

She arrived at their bedchamber and entered the room. Craig laid still, his chest moving up and down. She grew closer to him, and he must have sensed her, because he opened his eyes. "There ye are. I thought ye deserted me."

"Nay. I just went down to break my fast."

He reached his hand out. "Come closer."

She settled alongside him on the side of the bed. "How are ye feeling?"

"Hot. Achy. Ready to leave this bed."

"I doona think that will be anytime soon. Remember, I was sick for more than a week."

He waved his hand. "Yer a woman."

She glowered at him. "I thought we established that on our trip here. I doona see what being a woman has to do with having sweating sickness."

"I doona wish to argue with ye." He took her hand and ran his finger over her knuckles. "I think we had enough arguments on our way here."

As much as she hated to again agree with him, she nodded. The trip had been more exhausting because they were constantly arguing over silly things.

"Do ye ken where Robin will send ye when ye're better?"

"No' yet. Things change all the time, so what needs surveillance this week might no' need it next week." He drew circles on her hand. "Are ye hoping I am gone for a long time?"

She huffed. "I thought ye were the one to ask Robin to send ye away for a long time."

He laughed. "Aye, I did, dinna I?"

She thought for a minute, wondering if it was a good idea. Mentally shrugging she said, "I think I'm going to work in the kitchen."

"Helena said that was all right?"

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. It had been more than an hour since she heard some sort of praise about the woman. "I haven't spoken to her about it yet."

Craig studied her for a moment then tugged her so she lay alongside him. "I feel as though ye doona feel comfortable with Helena."

Since they were having a calm, friendly moment, she decided to let her guard down, which would probably turn out to be a problem. "Ye must realize that there would be a tad of awkwardness between us. I was supposed to marry the laird and he convinced ye to take his place so he could marry Helena."

He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "I've told ye before, ‘twas no sacrifice on my part. Robin would no' have allowed me, or Finn, to stay single forever. If I had to marry, it was nice to marry a beautiful woman."

She tried to avoid the blush, but to no avail. "A woman who fights with ye all the time."

"No' all the time," he said softly. He shifted so he lay on his side, facing her. "We had some moments that were more pleasure than fighting."

"Ye are sick, Craig!"

"Whoosh. I'm ne'er too sick to make love to my wife."

She felt the immediate reaction in her body from his words. Before she could respond, there was a slight knock on the door. Lenora quickly sat up and straightened her skirt. "Aye."

The door opened and Helena stepped in. She took one look at the two of them and stepped back. "I apologize, I dinna mean to interrupt anything."

Lenora stood pushing back the strands of hair that had fallen from her braid. "My husband forgets he is sick."

Helena laughed, then said. "I thought it might be a good time for me and ye to talk. I doona think I welcomed ye properly and then Craig got sick. Can ye join me in my solar?"

"Where is Helena's solar?" Lorena asked as the woman left the room.

"When you leave this room turn to the left and it is at the end of the hall."

"You look tired," Lorena said.

"Aye, I am going to sleep for a while. Enjoy yer visit with Helena."

With a deep breath, Lorena bent and kissed Craig on the forehead for absolutely no reason she could understand. Then with nervous flutters in her stomach, she left the room as if she was going to her execution.

Helena's solar was beautifully decorated. Perfect. Just like the woman. Lorena stood just inside the door. Helena smiled at her. "Will you have a seat? Did ye want some tea?"

"Nay. I just had tea and wonderful bannocks in the kitchen."

"Did ye meet Maude? She's a fine cook."

"I did. I enjoyed speaking with her and telling her about recipes that I have tried myself. In fact, I was hoping that I could work in the kitchen."

Helena frowned. "Oh goodness."

Lorena held her breath until the woman spoke.

"I had hopes of training ye to be my assistant."

St. Stephen's bollocks, not only was she to be denied the work she would enjoy, but she also now had to receive training from the perfect Helena? The woman who stole her husband?

Mayhap she could go with Craig on his assignment for Robin.