Page 73 of Hold Fast

Ewan lifted her onto Calman’s back and scrambled up behind her, drawing her into his lap and shifting her legs so that he cradled her in his arms.

“Home, Calman,” he said, and the horse began a steady walk back to the keep.

Ewan held her close, trying his best to shield her from the damp chill. Perhaps she had eaten something disagreeable. Or perhaps she had gotten overheated. Sometimes people simply cast up their accounts, he reminded himself, forcing himself to breathe normally. One bout of sickness was not enough to cause alarm.

Una groaned, and Ewan tensed as she buried her face in his chest.

“We’re almost home, mo cridhe.Stay with me.”

His voice sounded as taut and strained as a bowstring, but he tried his best to keep the terror at bay. Una stirred in his arms.

“I am fine, Ewan,” she protested weakly, not opening her eyes. “I missed breakfast again this morning. I was too excited to be in the sunshine. That is all.”

He scowled down at her. “All the same, you’ll be in bed the rest of the night and all day tomorrow, Una.”

“Ewan, dinnae be ridiculous,” she protested, but without strength. “A piece of bread will set me to rights.”

“Bed, Una. And you’ll stay there if I have to tie you to it,” he growled.

She opened her mouth to protest again but snapped it closed just as suddenly, clapping a hand over her lips.

“Stop!” she cried through her fingers, and Calman skidded to a halt before Ewan could even pull on the reins and command him. And not a moment too soon, either. Una twisted away from Ewan and retched.

The fear that he had kept reined in broke free from its bonds and ran amuck in his heart.

“You are ill.”

“I’ll be fine, Ewan,” she said, patting his chest, but her eyes were closed and her skin had a gray pallor.

He wanted to believe her. He wanted to laugh at how grumpy she sounded but his mind whirred. As they rode through the gates and into the courtyard, the dogs ran out to meet them. Ewan hadn’t paid much attention lately, but as the dogs approached, he noticed that Greer’s belly appeared somewhat distended.

A nagging thought came. It cannae be that. She cannae…. Could she?

Fiona’s shout pierced through the other sounds of the courtyard. David approached with a groom, who took Calman’s reins as David reached his arms out to receive Una while Ewan dismounted. He took her immediately back. Fiona fussed and followed as he strode into the keep, not stopping until they were in their chamber where he began to, without ceremony, strip off her wet clothing. Una swatted his hands away ineffectively, but he had her bared to her skin before she could stop him. Fiona dragged a dry shift down over her head.

Ewan immediately picked her up despite her protests and carried her to the bed, placing her gently in the center. Fiona tucked the blankets around Una’s legs.

“What happened, m’laird?” Fiona asked as she pressed her hand to Una’s forehead and looked in her eyes.

“She hasnae eaten since yesterday. She’s cast up her accounts twice in the past few minutes. This after she fainted a week ago. ’Tis obvious she’s taking fever.”

“Give me some bread, and I shall be as I ever was,” Una snapped.

“Well, now, I dinnae think that’s quite true, Una—”

“Of course it’s true, Fiona. If you dinnae believe me, give me a crust and I shall show you.”

“Verra well.” Fiona sighed as she went to the side table to retrieve a piece of bread.

Una took a bite and then another, chewing with a smug, triumphant look on her face as she stared at Ewan. His pounding heart slowed a bit as she swallowed and took a third bite. But then her eyes flew open wide and she pointed frantically towards the wash basin. Fiona thrust it into her hands just in time for the bread to come back the way it had gone.

Ewan roared, dragging his hands through his soaked hair and pulled hard on the ends.

“What were you thinking, Una? You ken better than to tromp about when you havenae been well.”

“I didnae tromp!” she spat. “And besides, Iamwell!”

“You’ve taken ill.”