Page 23 of Redemption

“Leave me be. Both of you,” he growled in frustration at their mothering behavior. “It’s just a headache.”

“A bad one from the looks of you,” Rhea snapped. “You need to sit down before you fall down.So stop arguing and let us help you.”

“I agree with Miss Bennett, Percy,” his sister’s voice echoed with exasperation. “We need to get you to a chair.”

“I can manage to find my way to the dining room on my own power,” he muttered as the sound of their voices intensified the pounding in his head. With a wave of his hand, he directed both women to move forward.

Despite the worried look on her face, Patience slowly nodded. His sister turned away and continued down the hall. Beside him, Rhea made a sound of annoyance. When she didn’t move, he glared down at her, but an obstinate expression darkened her lovely features.

“How do you propose we lift you up off the floor if you faint?” The glare she directed at him made his lips twist in a slight smile.

“I imagine you’ll have to leave me where I drop,” he grunted. One hand still braced against the corridor’s wall, he slowly began to make his way to the dining room.

“Stubborn man.”

He barely heard her retort, but it tugged another pained smile to his lips. Upon entering the dining room, the table with its two place settings was a reminder that his sister had been expecting only him for the meal. He grimaced as Patience disappeared into the kitchen. Despite the throbbing in his head, he pulled out a chair at the table and politely gestured for Rhea to take a seat. She released a sound of disgust and nodded at the chair.

“Oh, do sit down before you collapse, Percy.” Despite the harsh sounding words, there was a soft note of concern in her voice. Her full lips thinned with exasperation, she moved to the opposite side of the table. She sat down and scowled at him. The headache had drained him of energy, and he sank into the chair he’d pulled out for Rhea. The tension of her mouth eased slightly, and relief swept across her face. The fact that she’d been worried about him sent an unusually large amount of pleasure sailing through him. Violet eyes narrowed, Rhea studied him for a moment.

“Why did you bring me here if you were feeling unwell?”

“I was feeling perfectly fine. I have these headaches unexpectedly from time to time.”

“And you have no warning at all when you’re about to have one?”

“No.” It was the truth. He never had any idea when the an dara sealladh would rear its head, or whether it would leave a painful reminder of its presence.

“And you accuse me of brevity.”

The mockery in her voice made him grit his teeth. The consequence was another jolt of pain. A frown furrowed her forehead, but anything she was about to say was preempted by Patience.

“Mrs. Hughes will bring our meal in momentarily.” His sister set a plate and flatware in front of him and eyed him carefully. The curiosity in her brown eyes said she knew the an dara sealladh was the reason for his sudden headache. “You still look a bit pale, Percy.”

“I’m fine,” he bit out. “The pain is already beginning to dissipate.”

“As Miss Bennett has already pointed out—liar.”

Clearly annoyed with him, Patience’s sympathy for his discomfort vanished as she sat down at the head of the table. Seated between him and Rhea, his sister’s scarred profile was fully exposed to him, while Rhea only had glimpses of Patience’s burnt flesh. With a clarity that startled him, Percy realized Rhea had deliberately refused his chair to save his sister any emotional distress. He wasn’t sure if his conclusion was based on what the an dara sealladh had shown him or his growing understanding of the woman Rhea was. The only thing that mattered was her kindness. It warmed his heart that she would be so thoughtful where Patience was concerned.

“I hope you like mutton stew, Miss Bennett.”

“I do,” Rhea replied with a smile that vanished almost before it tilted her lips. It was like watching the sun suddenly blotted out behind a dark cloud. “I’ve not had it since… my mother died.”

Although he was certain she’d been about to say something else, the pain in her voice twisted his gut. It made him want to leap to his feet, charge around the table, and scoop her up into his arms. It was a primal urge, and for not the first time, he found it impossible to understand his reaction. A sympathetic expression on her face, Patience reached out to touch the back of Rhea’s hand.

“It’s obvious you miss her a great deal.” Patience’s voice was soothing as she shook her head with understanding.

“Yes, very much,” Rhea said softly.

“I think you are most fortunate. I don’t remember my mother.”

Whether it was their mutual loss of a mother or Rhea’s lack of curiosity about Patience’s scars, his sister seemed to warm to Rhea. They exchanged a few more pleasantries before their conversation was forestalled by Mrs. Hughes entering the dining room. The cook carried a steaming bowl of stew, while behind her was a boy Percy hadn’t seen in the orphanage before. Tall and lanky, he carried a basket of bread and a crock of butter. As Mrs. Hughes walked around the table, the boy came into Rhea’s line of sight. The instant Rhea saw him, she stiffened, but other than a flash of emotion in her violet gaze, there was no sign she recognized the boy.

“Don’t just stand there, Edgar, set the bread in front of Mr. Rockwood, and get back to the kitchen. You have potatoes to scrub for supper,” Mrs. Hughes scolded. The cook made a clucking noise with her tongue as she looked at the boy.

Edgar quickly obeyed the cook’s order and placed the basket of warm bread in front of Percy. A quick glance in the boy’s direction revealed the lad was staring at Rhea with cold calculation. Rhea reached for a piece of bread and began to butter it as if she were completely unaware of the boy. Percy met her gaze across the table, and she arched an eyebrow at him in a quizzical fashion. He frowned in puzzlement as she dropped her gaze to stare at the plate Mrs. Hughes had filled with hot stew. Edgar hadn’t moved since setting the bread on the table, and as Percy glanced at the boy, he saw Edgar still studying Rhea. Percy coughed softly.

“That will be all, Edgar.”