Sorrell was still a bit stunned from throwing herself against her husband. The impact had been hard, though his arm had gone around her fast enough. She turned to give the wound a look and a bout of dizziness hit her as she pulled at the tear in her sleeve. It was nothing more than a scratch. It would be fine, she went to tell him, but her words failed to reach her mouth and everything around her began to fade.
Faint?
No, it wasn’t possible. She’d never fainted. She wouldn’t let herself, her last thought as she slumped into darkness.
Ruddock caught his wife up in his arms as soon as he felt her body go limp and he let out several oaths as he hurried her to the keep.
“She’s fine. It’s a minor wound, barely a scratch. Some honey and a bandage will see it right in no time.”
Sorrell listened to her sister Willow’s reassuring voice as she drifted out of the faint. She couldn’t believe she’d fainted. She’d never fainted and it annoyed her that she had. It certainly hadn’t been the wound that did it. It was throwing herself so hard at her husband and hitting solid muscle that had done her in.
“Does she need to rest? Do I need to delay our departure?”
A day or two, Sorrell thought, giving her more time with her sisters, and guilt stabbed at her. She had heard the worry in her husband’s voice. He was concerned enough to delay their departure if necessary. She wasn’t one to lie and she wouldn’t start now.
“While I would love to have my sister remain a day or two more, the wound does not warrant a delay in your departure,” Willow said. “Sorrell would say the same if asked. Sorrell will always speak the truth to you whether you want to hear it or not.”
“It’s one of the things I admire about her,” Ruddock said. “It isn’t always easy to keep a truthful tongue.”
“Why not?” Sorrell asked, opening her eyes.
She was surprised when James answered.
“Sometimes the truth can cause more pain than it’s worth.”
Ruddock nodded at James, agreeing and knowing that only someone who lived through the difficulty of undeserved lies could understand the truth of his words.
He went and sat beside his wife on the bed, tucking one of her wild red curls behind her ear. Her hair was as brazen in color as she was in manner. He tapped her gently on the tip of her nose. “Never again put your life in danger to save mine.”
“Would you do it for me? A foolish question,” she said shaking her head. “Of course, you would and I would do the same for you.”
“You will not. I forbid it,” Ruddock demanded and heard a low chuckle come from her sisters.
“Why did someone try to kill you?” she asked, ignoring his command and thinking that she had yet to take him to task for his commanding manner with her.
For a number of reasons, he thought, but said, “I don’t know, but I plan to find out and don’t think you’re going to get involved in it.”
He heard her sisters chuckle again.
There was no way she won’t get involved with finding out who attempted to kill her husband, but for now she would hold her tongue… on that matter.
“I’ll go fetch what I need to tend your wound,” Willow said, thinking it best the couple had a few moments alone and stretched her hand out to Snow, intending to give her a tug to let her know she should join her, when Snow spoke up.
“I’ll go with you,” Snow said and scooped up a sleeping Thaw from in front of the hearth and took Willow’s hand she felt at hers.
“I’ll see how the search goes,” James said, understanding what Willow intended and got a smile from her.
“I’ll be along shortly,” Ruddock assured him.
“James,” Sorrell called out just when he went to step out of the room and he turned. “Did you agree to two stocks being built?”
“I did,” James said and went on to explain. “There will be curiosity seekers when word spreads about Lord Northwick’s power coming to this area. Stocks will be a deterrent to those who flaunt our rules and they will be used with caution. And I hope never to use either of them on any of our clan, but if necessary I will. Your husband is a wise man, don’t question him.”
Ruddock spoke as soon as he heard the door click closed. “I can think of one person you would have put in the stocks by now and probably more than once, if you had had one.”
“Maybe I would have put Melvin in the stocks and more than once,” she said grudgingly. “But you can’t be that wise if you ordered him and Dole to build a fence after the disaster that happened when you had him repair one.”