Page 51 of The Silent Songbird

“Only blisters.” Evangeline’s cheeks burned, and she wished she could hide as Westley bent and stared down at her hands as well.

“Those look worse than ever,” he said.

“Get me my healing salve,” Lady le Wyse said, still studying her hands with a troubled downturn of her brows. “And some bandages. My dear, I’m so sorry.”

“It is only because my hands were too soft. I should have kept my hands wrapped after . . . after Westley put some salve on them two days ago. They will toughen up soon and be like the other servants’ hands.”

Lady le Wyse made a clicking sound with her tongue against her teeth. “You should have told someone. Westley should have told me. You don’t have to suffer wounds like this untreated. It is dangerous, besides. Open sores like these could become septic.”

Her hands were quite bloody and raw. “I am sorry. Forgive me.”

“Child, it is not your fault. There is nothing to forgive.” She took the pot of salve from Westley and smeared it on Evangeline’s palms.

“Mother!” Cate’s voice called from another part of the castle. “Mother, we need you! The little ones won’t stay in bed.”

Lady le Wyse wiped her hands on a cloth. “I’d better go see what is amiss with my children.” She smiled apologetically. “Westley, you can finish this task. You know what to do. He is very gentle.” She patted her son’s cheek and then hurried out.

Westley looked hesitant as he stood over her with the little salve pot in one hand and a roll of bandages in the other. Then he sat in front of her on the stool his mother had vacated.

“I’m very sorry about tonight. This should not have happened.”

Would he say it was just a misunderstanding, as the other servants had done? Did he believe Sabina was sincere in her tears and protestations of innocence, that she had not known the mushrooms were poisonous?

He looked into her eyes. “I don’t want to think what might have happened to you.”

“Yes, I am grateful your father and Reeve Folsham came to myaid. Those people would have fastened me in the pillory, at the very least.” There was that tone of defiance in her voice again. She wasn’t even sure why she was so angry at Westley. But she was. “I cannot blame them. They thought I was trying to poison them with Satan’s cap mushrooms.”

He was quiet as he took her hand in his, his skin warm and tingly. But she clenched her teeth, refusing to find his touch pleasant.

He smeared the thick yellow salve on her open blisters, his face tense as he concentrated on the task. The open wounds reacted to the cold salve with a slightly painful sensation that sent chills across her shoulders and down her back. But his hand was gentle and warm.

When he finished, he closed the jar, wiped his hand, and took up the bandage roll. He wrapped it around her hand.

“Can you make it tighter? I’m afraid it might fall off.”

He glanced into her eyes. Then he undid the bandage and started over. “I was trying not to cause more pain.”

“It does not hurt.”At least, not as much as you believing I would lie about your friend trying to kill you, or that I would try to poison people.

“I am sorry I did not check your hands again.”

“As I said before, it was my fault. I should have wrapped them. I can wrap my own hands, after all.”

“Well, I should have checked since I knew you had blisters.”

“It is not your place, as the lord’s son, to check the servants’ blistered hands.”

“I am only trying to be kind.” He tied the bandage snugly, then grabbed her other hand.

“Oh, you are very kind, my lord.” Evangeline bit the inside of her mouth at the sarcasm in her voice.Stop, Evangeline. Just stop.

He glanced at her face, then down again as he wrapped the second hand. “Is this not too loose? Too tight?”

“It is perfect, my lord.” Again she bit the inside of her cheek. She should not have baited him with the unwelcome address of “my lord.”

The moment he tied the bandage in place, she rose from the chair. But he held on to her hand, his fingers wrapping firmly around her wrist.

“I am sorry about what happened to you, Eva. It was wrong, and I am ashamed of my people for their violence and rush to judge.”