The Gilded Fan Part 25

'He's just exhausted,' she soothed, but Aunt Hesketh only glared at her, as if she knew nothing. Since this showed a return to something like her old spirits, Midori didn't mind too much and made no response.

'It's in the hands of G.o.d, as you well know, Sister,' her uncle admonished. 'We can only pray; you know He is testing our faith. We must examine ourselves to see what we have done to deserve these tribulations.'

Years of listening to Uncle Marston had by now taught Midori what that meant. Her family believed if something bad befell them, it was a punishment from G.o.d for something they had done, even if it was just a trifling thing, like having vain thoughts or eating too much. Midori couldn't make herself believe that it seemed to her a bit extreme. But she respected the others' thoughts on the matter and went with them to pray for Nico.

They didn't need to know that she was asking her own G.o.ds and ancestors for help, too.

'How are you feeling now?'

Nico had finally woken up and he opened his eyes to find that Midori had brought him a tray of food.

'Have been better,' he replied, half-shutting his eyes against the light coming through the window. 'But at least my head doesn't feel like someone's trying to pierce it with hot irons now; it's just a dull ache.'

He watched her as she put the tray down on the floor next to his bed, which was low and rickety. In truth, seeing her was all the medicine he needed. Despite the dull clothes and the fact that she'd lost some weight, she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever met, and he drank in the sight of her. Flawless skin, slightly flushed from her efforts, a tress of auburn hair that escaped the ridiculous cap they made her wear, glinting in the sunlight. Eyes like dark green forest pools, with those long dusky lashes brushing her cheeks. And her mouth, so perfect and soft ...

He cursed himself for a fool. He shouldn't have let her slip through his fingers when he'd had the chance. How could I not have known I love her? But perhaps it wasn't too late? He'd done what she wanted him to now, fought for his family's beliefs many times over. Could he find a way to woo her? At least she wasn't glaring at him and he took that as a good sign.

'Here, I've brought you some feverfew. It will help cure your headache. Eat this, please.'

He struggled into a sitting position and she handed him two small pieces of bread spread with a little bit of honey, with raw feverfew in between. He obediently chewed and swallowed, even though the bitter taste of the plant made him grimace.

'You were lucky. I don't know how you managed to get yourself home in that state,' Midori said, as she prodded his pillows into shape behind him.

'It's all a bit of a blur. Several times I contemplated just lying down by the roadside to die, but somehow I continued.' He looked up at her from under lowered lashes, feeling more uncertain than he ever had before in his life. 'I thought "if anyone can heal me, Midori can" but ... perhaps I shouldn't have come back?'

She stopped what she was doing and stared him straight in the eyes. 'Of course you should. In fact, you shouldn't have gone off in the first place. That was my fault and I'm sorry, I ... I didn't mean to rile you so.'

Nico took hold of one of her hands and pulled her down to sit at the edge of his bed. 'No, you were right. I'm the one who should apologise. It's my duty to defend you all, just as you said. I see that now. As soon as I'm healed, I'll continue to do that to the best of my ability.'

He saw her gaze become troubled. 'You're going back?'

'To the army? Not unless I have to. It wasn't the most wonderful experience I've ever had and most of my comrades the men I've been fighting alongside are gone or wounded. I meant, I'll join the town defenders if they'll have me.' He managed a smile and felt it was another good sign when she returned it. 'I realised while I was away that I wasn't of much use to my family dying elsewhere in the country. I said as much to the others before that last battle, and most of them agreed. One of them, Stephens by name, was the one who found me after the battle. He and a couple of others risked coming back to look for me and helped me escape. He rode halfway home with me and returned to his family over Okehampton way. Had a broken arm, so couldn't fight anyway.'

It had been hard saying goodbye to the boy, but Nico was glad Stephens would be with those he loved, whatever happened. He'd become fond of him during their time together.

He thought he heard Midori sigh whether with relief or at his stupidity, he didn't know. 'Well, try to eat a little so you regain your strength,' she said and pulled her hand out of his grasp. 'You may be needed for defence purposes sooner than you think. And Temperance and I are planning to wash your hair later. You've been warned.'

'That sounds like a terrible threat clean hair.' He pretended to be shocked. 'How will I survive?'

'I've no idea. Now eat, please. I'll be back shortly.'

'Yes, mistress, whatever you command.'

The smile she sent him on her way out of the room made him feel better than he had in months.

With a cloth wrapped round his nether regions to preserve his modesty, Midori helped manoeuvre Nico into a large tub which was normally used for laundry. He sighed with apparent pleasure as he sank into the hot water.

'Ah, that feels good. Heat seeping into my aching muscles ...' He leaned his head on the rim behind him.

'Your hair has grown so much you almost look like a Royalist, Nicholas.' Temperance regarded him critically, but Midori smiled.

'I like it,' she said. 'It suits you better this way.'

He looked up at her with a grin. 'Then I shan't cut it. Your word is my law.'

'Don't be silly.' She felt warmth creep into her cheeks and turned away. Just seeing him smile at her was having a strange effect and she knew it would almost be torture to handle his soft hair. But it had to be done, as it was so encrusted with grime and blood, you'd never know its true colour. 'Can you sit up a bit please, so I can pour this water over your head?'

He did as she asked. 'I'm sorry, I should be outside dunking my head under the pump, not putting you to all this trouble.'

'Of course not! You're not really supposed to stir from that bed until you've recovered. This won't take long and then you'll feel much better.'

She strived for a brisk tone, because washing Nico's wonderful hair reminded her of the stormy night on board his ship. Touching him in any way was delicious agony, but she had to do this for his sake, as well as the sake of keeping the bed linen clean. For all they knew, his head could be crawling with vermin.

Thankfully, it wasn't, but it took three jugs of water and a large quant.i.ty of home-made soap before the burnished gold colour of Nico's tresses could be seen again. As Midori dried it carefully, combing it strand by strand as slowly as she could so she wouldn't hurt him, she couldn't help but enjoy the task. His hair was so soft and silky she wanted to just bury her fingers in it and pull him close. But, of course, that was out of the question.

'You look much more like yourself now.' Temperance grinned at him. 'And less like a poor beggar.'

'I'm glad you think so,' he replied with an answering smile. 'I do feel rather more human now, I must admit. And I could quite get used to having two beautiful ladies wash my hair for me, so feel free to do it any time.'

Temperance giggled and flicked him with the end of a drying sheet. 'Forget it. You can do it yourself as soon as you're well again. We're not your slaves.'

'Alas no, but it was a nice thought. Perhaps I should kidnap the pair of you? Now where could I take you some place where slavery is allowed. It would have to be the Americas, I think,' he mused.

'Don't even think about it.' Midori joined in the conversation. 'Even if you did, you'd find it difficult to make us do anything for you. Right, Temperance?'

'Absolutely. Midori has been teaching me a thing or two about self-defence, so don't think you can get the better of me.'

Nico chuckled. 'Well, there goes that dream, then.'

'But you're welcome to take me to the Americas if you want,' Temperance added. 'I'd love to travel the world, see new lands. I want adventure, like Midori and her mother had.'

'Lord help us,' Nico muttered, but there was amus.e.m.e.nt lurking in his eyes. 'Another hoyden? Really, Midori, what have you been teaching her?'

'Nothing, I swear. I've done my best to persuade her adventuring isn't as great as it's made out to be. If you can change her mind, I'd be eternally grateful!'

'Never,' Temperance declared. 'I may only be able to dream, but you can't change my mind. If ever I get the chance, I'm leaving.' She gathered up two of the ewers and clattered down the stairs.

Midori shook her head and sighed. 'She's been so brave, but this has all been very hard for her,' she murmured. 'It's not how a girl should have to grow up, in a town under siege. It helps her to daydream, I think.'

Nico stood up and she wrapped a huge drying sheet round him from behind, averting her eyes as he discarded the cloth he'd kept round his middle even while sitting in the tub.

'Thank you,' he said. 'Poor Temperance. But then it isn't how anyone should have to live. We'll have to hope there's an end to it soon.'

'Amen to that, as Uncle would say.' Midori handed him a clean shirt and tried not to look as he tied the drying sheet round his hips and pulled the shirt over his head. But her mind had other ideas and she glanced at him from under her lashes, drinking in the sight of him. He was leaner than last time she'd seen him half-naked, and covered in new scars and bruises, but he was still beautiful to her. She felt her cheeks heat up again and swallowed a curse as she turned away. She shouldn't let him affect her this way.

'I'm decent now, so you can look again,' he teased from behind. When she twisted round towards him, he was lying under the covers, obviously relishing the fresh sheets Temperance had put on the bed while he was in the bath. His eyes twinkled up at her. 'I'm sorry I'm not a pretty sight, but hopefully I'll heal.'

'There's nothing wrong with how you look, as I'm sure you know,' Midori answered tartly and gathered up the damp cloths. 'Now I'd better take these downstairs. I shouldn't really be here alone with you anyway. Aunt Hesketh would have a fit.' It was true, it wasn't seemly for her to be alone with him, although as an invalid he surely couldn't be accounted a threat to her virtue, she reasoned.

As she reached the door, she heard him ask in that deep, slightly husky voice, 'Midori, did you miss me?'

She turned slowly and shook her head, keeping her expression solemn. 'No, not at all.' She saw his eyes open wide in outrage, then he registered the fact that her face had relaxed into a huge smile. 'Of course I did, you dolt,' she said. 'You're family and ...'

He raised his eyebrows at her, as if waiting for her to say he was more than that, but she closed her mouth stubbornly. His lips twitched. 'Well, come here and show me how much,' he ordered. 'I haven't had so much as a cousinly kiss to welcome me home.' Despite her best intentions, her legs obeyed his command and walked her back towards the bed. He grabbed her hand again to pull her down on to the edge, but she lost her footing and ended up sprawled on top of him instead, almost nose to nose.

'Well now, this wasn't quite what I meant, but I like it,' he joked, kissing her cheek, then moving along to the corner of her mouth.

'Nico,' she protested, laughing as he put his arms around her to pull her closer. When he kissed her full on the mouth, she pretended to cuff him, but kept their play-fighting to a minimum, mindful of his sore head. She was just about to try and get off him when a cold voice barked at them from the doorway.

'Midori! What is the meaning of this? Get out of here this instant. Your uncle shall hear of this unseemly behaviour, believe you me.'

Midori scrambled off the bed and straightened her gown. 'But I ...'

'Don't blame Midori, it was my fault,' Nico put in. 'I was only funning.'

'You're ill,' his stepmother said, as if that excused his behaviour, but not Midori's. 'Now go, Midori, what are you waiting for?'

Under Aunt Hesketh's implacable stare, Midori retreated, but not before Nico had sent her a conspiratorial wink. She shook her head at him and mouthed, 'You're incorrigible,' but she was smiling as she left. It was so good to have him home.

There was a bubble of happiness inside Midori, and nothing could dent it for the moment, not even the reprimand she received from her uncle. Just seeing Nico every day, growing stronger and with his bruises fading, was a delight. And even though Aunt Hesketh had a.s.sumed the reins of the household again and did her best to keep Midori busy elsewhere in the house, she wasn't able to stop Midori from visiting him occasionally.

'So were you really training Daniel, down there on the beach?' Nico asked on the third day, as Midori busied herself with pouring him a cup of light ale with some willow bark in it to soothe his headaches. Bringing it to him had proved a good excuse for coming upstairs.

She nodded. 'Yes. He was so set on fighting and I couldn't bear to see him go off unprepared. I wanted him to at least stand a chance. So far, he's done all right and Uncle is happy Daniel at least stayed in Plymouth.'

'I'm sorry,' he said.

She looked up. 'For what?'

'Not believing you. Jumping to conclusions.' He shrugged. 'Everything.'

'It's forgotten. Anyway, Daniel tells me I'm too old for him, so I'm afraid my hopes in that direction have already been dashed.' She sent him a teasing smile, hoping he would take the hint. She didn't want to talk about the past, she'd prefer to discuss the future, but so far he'd proved elusive on the subject. Midori was afraid she'd burned her bridges when she had refused his offer of marriage. Although he seemed happy to spend time with her, and flirted outrageously, she wasn't entirely sure what his intentions were now. Since he had faced death on the battlefield so many times, she wondered if he was just amusing himself while he still could. And she happened to be there, available. His eyes lit up with amus.e.m.e.nt and he chuckled. 'Did he really say that? What a clotpole.'

'Well, I am at least two years older than him. I suppose that seems ancient to someone his age.'

'Lord help me, what does that make me then? In my dotage?'

'Oh, undoubtedly. He's probably surprised you were able to fight at all.' Midori laughed. 'Never mind, I've recovered from that particular disappointment.'

'I'm glad to hear it.' His eyes twinkled at her again and she was pleased to see his gaze was clear now, not laced with pain. When he reached out to take her hand, she didn't resist. His calloused fingers sc.r.a.ped against her own work-roughened ones, and it sent a thrill racing through her veins. 'I suppose you consider me old,' he said. 'I have at least ten years on you, I think.'

Midori's brain had trouble focusing on his words. She'd much rather just enjoy the sensation of him touching her, however small the contact, but she tried to muster her thoughts. 'Hmm? Oh, no, I don't judge people by their age. And you still have the use of most of your faculties, don't you?'

He grinned and pulled her down to sit next to him. 'Oh, yes. Shall I prove it to you?'

As she looked into his eyes, so intensely blue in the light from the window, she thought she saw desire and longing. But then his expression grew serious. He took hold of her other hand as well, stroking her skin with his thumbs. She saw him take a deep breath. 'Midori, I was wondering ...'

She leaned closer, her whole body tingling with antic.i.p.ation. Was this the moment she'd been waiting for? 'Yes?'

His hands tightened on hers and he opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a hiss of outrage from the door.

'Get away from him, you hussy! How many times do I have to tell you? You're not wanted in here.'

Midori sat up straight and tried to let go of Nico's hands, but he held on. 'Don't,' he said quietly, then frowned up at Aunt Hesketh. 'I'd thank you not to refer to Midori in such terms. She's welcome in my sickroom any time.'

'Yes, I'm sure she is, but I'll not have that sort of thing going on in this house, thank you very much. She can go and work her wiles elsewhere. Ensnaring a wounded man! Have you no shame?' This last was directed at Midori, who gasped at the unfairness of the accusation.

'I'm not ensnaring anyone, and I have a right to talk to Nico as much as anyone else. Besides, I merely brought him a drink.'

'Talking, is it? Pah! You don't fool me.'

'That's enough!' Nico sat up, too, and swung his legs out of bed. 'Please can you hand me my breeches, Midori?' She quickly fetched them for him, but cast him an anxious glance as he pulled them on and stood up, leaving his shirt hanging loose.

'Are you sure you should be getting up? Your head ...'

'My head be d.a.m.ned.' Nico fixed his stepmother with a glare, stern enough to make her take a step back. 'I've had enough of your interference and insinuations. What is wrong with you? Why do you persist in thinking the worst of Midori?'

'They're not insinuations. I saw her making sheep's eyes at you only a moment ago. Can you deny it? She's a little fortune hunter, taking advantage of the fact that you're not yourself and ...'

'What are you talking about? I may be comfortably off, but I'm not that rich.'

Aunt Hesketh pursed her lips. 'Well, she's been nothing but a nuisance ever since she arrived and now you're here we certainly don't need the extra mouth to feed. I want her gone by the end of the week if she can't behave herself as she ought.'

'Gone where, Stepmother?' Nico's voice was like iced venom and he folded his arms across his chest. 'In case you haven't noticed, we're in a town that's besieged on all sides. Are you expecting her to swim across the Channel, perhaps?'

'Don't be ridiculous.' Aunt Hesketh's cheeks took on a ruddy hue. 'I'm sure she can find employment somewhere in Plymouth. She needs to earn her keep.'

Nico nodded. 'Of course. I was forgetting how little work she does around here, cooking, cleaning and running around all day. And you do so much, overseeing it all.'

The sarcasm in his voice was clear and tipped Aunt Hesketh over the edge. 'She doesn't belong here, I do!' she screeched. 'And I can't stand the sight of her!'

Nico narrowed his eyes at her. 'Now we come to the crux of the matter. What I want to know is why, and I intend to get to the bottom of this.' He headed for the door. 'Come, Midori, and you too, Stepmama. We are going to see Jacob. I believe he may be able to help solve this riddle.'

'Jacob? Why?' Aunt Hesketh gaped at him, but he ignored her. Instead he took Midori's hand and started down the stairs.

'We're going to the parlour. Now.' His voice brooked no opposition and, to Midori's surprise, Aunt Hesketh followed them as Nico bellowed for someone to fetch Jacob.

'This needs to be sorted out,' he said and threw open the door to the first-floor room. 'Please, sit down.'

Chapter Thirty.