A Queen's Traitor by Sam Burnell

Author:Sam Burnell [Burnell, Sam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-12-01T05:00:00+00:00

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It was ten days before Jack - with Lizbet’s help - sat up in bed and demanded something more than soup. In those days, Lizbet had watched his breathing strengthen and his senses begin to return. After four days his eyes were open and after six more he was sitting up and, with help, drinking and taking the soup Lucy was bringing for him.

“Look at that,” Jack held out his right hand and watched it tremble, “Do you think that will ever stop?”

“I’m sure it will; if you could have seen yourself a week ago, a shaking hand would have been the least of your worries, my lad,” Lizbet chided, as she sent another spoonful of soup towards his mouth.

“Watch out, woman, it’s hot, you’re pouring it down my chest,” Jack protested, trying to get his mouth round the spoon she was holding just too far away.

“I think, my bonny boy, you are well enough to do that yourself now.” She dumped the soup bowl and spoon in his lap.

“But it tastes so much nicer when you do it,” Jack smiled. “Come here and give me a taste of you.”

“Ah now no, Master’s told me I’m not to lay my hands on you,” Lizbet moved down the bed out of arm’s reach.

“Why not?” Jack snorted.

Lizbet leant forward, a serious look on her face. “Jack, there’s parts of you that are not that well held together, give yourself time.” She brightened, “I don’t want you bleeding all over me.”

“Where’s Richard anyway? I want to talk to him?” Jack changed the subject away from his injuries.

“He’s gone to visit that sour-faced cow, said he’d not be long,” Lizbet supplied, smoothing out his blankets.

“Sour-faced cow?” Jack asked confused.

“Aye, every time I see her she looks down her nose at me. He said she’s a cousin of his; all I can say is I’m glad she’s lodging somewhere else. No man’s type if you ask me. She’ll not keep a man that one,” Lizbet concluded, the edge of animosity in her voice.

“Oh, Catherine,” Jack said, realising who she was talking about, “She is not too bad when you get to know her.”

“She needs to learn a thing or two about life and men, is all I can say,” Lizbet countered haughtily.

“I think she might have learnt a few hard lessons already, Lizbet. Leave the girl alone,” Jack losing interest in the soup pushed the bowl from him.

A few minutes later he’d fallen back to sleep and Lizbet, pulling the piled pillows out, gently laid him back down. Lucy told her she wasn’t to use any more dwale, unless she herself personally said so. Instead she had crushed feverfew mixed with saffron and laudanum to make into a hot drink for him should he need it. Lizbet was sorry her patient was asleep again; in his lucid moments she was starting to get to like him. The body she was helping to heal would be quite a nice one when she was finished and if anyone was going to get some enjoyment from it, Lizbet was.

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