Rose's Redemption by Dinah McLeod

Author:Dinah McLeod [McLeod, Dinah]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Blushing Books Publications
Published: 2016-08-09T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

The loud rapping at the door jarred her awake. As her eyes suddenly fluttered open, she realized two things. One, the sunlight streaming in through the window pane was much too bright. And two, she was sleeping on the floor.

She swallowed and realized that her mouth was dry as a wad of cotton. And her head felt nearly as fuzzy. Maybe, she hoped, if she didn’t answer, whoever it was would go away.

But if anything, the knocking only became more persistent as time went on. Though she tried to ignore it, the noise seemed to pulse inside her very being.

“Rose! Are you in there? What’s going on?” Gabe’s voice called sharply as he continued to bang. “If you don’t answer me, I’ll tear this door right off the hinges, you know I will.”

Oh, she knew only too well. The man really needed to focus on someone else for a change—surely other gems needed his attention more than she did.

“I’m fine!” she croaked as loudly as she dared.

“Rose? Is that you?”

“I’m fine!” she called back, wincing at the loudness of her own voice.

“Come to the door.”

“Gabe—”

“Now!” he bellowed, loudly enough that she thought it was the sound of his voice that shook the door.

Rose stumbled to her feet, wincing as her muscles creaked. She wouldn’t be sleeping on the hard wood again anytime soon. The rug on the floor wasn’t nearly as comfortable as her mattress.

She unlatched the door and opened it a crack, glaring out. She saw Gabe staring back, his expression a stern frown.

“You didn’t come down to breakfast.”

“Sleeping.”

His frown deepened and his brow furrowed. “Are you all right?”

“Sick.”

He eyed her through the slit, nodding his agreement. She hadn’t yet looked into her mirror, but she knew she must look frightful. “You should have sent word.”

She thought about asking how she would have managed to do that, but decided it took too many syllables. Right now, all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep until she’d missed lunch. And, come to think of it, until dinner had passed as well. The way her belly was roiling, she wouldn’t be eating anytime soon.

“Sorry.”

“Shall I tell Madame Jewel that you won’t be working today?”

She nodded meekly.

“All right. Do you need anything?”

She shook her head, immensely grateful for nonverbal communication.

Gabe gave her one more long, scrutinizing look. “I’ll have some food sent up just in case. I’ll have it put right outside your door.”

“Thank you.”

“Feel better.”

The moment he turned to leave, she closed the door. She leaned against it for a moment, summoning her strength before she began to venture toward her bed. She’d made it halfway there when she turned and ran for the chamber pot. She made it just in time, emptying the contents of her turbulent tummy with retching gags that had tears streaming down her cheeks.

When she finished, she washed her mouth out with water and at last collapsed onto her bed. She pulled the sheet over her head and was asleep before she could count to three.

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