Tallie's Knight Part 26

Beautiful, healing sweat. A sob escaped her.

"Come now," said the doctor.

"Carlotta and the good John Black will stay here with your husband and your maid will put you to bed. You must sleep. You have slept little the last three days, siT Tallie nodded. Was it really only three days since they had arrived in the town of Susa? It. seemed so much longer... A nightmare journey down from the mountains with Magnus strapped onto a mule, unconscious, his head swaying and bouncing with every b.u.mp so that she was terrified he would break his neck. But he hadn't. And then the fruitless, interminable search for a place which would house a stranger with no money and a fever.

Thank G.o.d for Carlotta, who was some sort of relative by marriage to one of the porters. She had glanced indifferently at Magnus bundled on his mule and begun to argue with the porter in a thick dialect Tallie hadn't been able to follow. Tallie had been terrified that Carlotta, like all the others, would shut the door in their faces. She'd pushed past the porter and, summoning up her best schoolgirl Italian, had begged Carlotta to help her husband. Carlotta, a large, flamboyant-looking woman with improbably brilliant rust-coloured hair, had taken one look at Tallie's youthful, tear-stained face and flung the door wide.

Within moments she'd sent a boy running to fetch the dot- tore, called for wine and refreshments for Tallie and the others, and loudly supervised the men carrying Magnus up to a bedroom. She had stripped Magnus's s.h.i.+vering body with firm, motherly hands and had him sponged down and in her dead husband's best linen nights.h.i.+rt by the time the physician had arrived.

He'd examined the patient carefully. To Tallie's relief he had announced that the patient was unfit for cupping--she hated seeing people being bled. But then, to her horror, he had produced from his bag a small box containing a half-dozen leeches, which he had applied to Magnus's skin with deft fingers. She'd watched, appalled, as the leeches swelled and grew fatter, until at last, s.h.i.+ny and bloated, they'd fallen off, leaving a trickle of blood behind them. Tallie had felt ill just watching, but she hadn't been able to leave.

The doctor had carefully collected the gross leeches and replaced them in the box. He'd then shaken out a mysterious- looking powder, mixed it with wine, added several drops from a thick greenish bottle and administered the mixture through a funnel forced between Magnus's clenched teeth.

"Laudanum. He will sleep now," he had said to Tallie in careful French. He'd given Carlotta more instructions in rapid Italian and left.

And that had only been three days ago, Tallie thought in's Knight credulously. It was all a blur to her now. days and nights spent at Magnus's bedside, watching him toss and turn and mutter unintelligibly, sponging him down when he was hot, rugging him up when he was cold. and all the time praying that he would live.

"Come, signora, it is time you slept. Your husband is safe now," the doctor said again.

Tallie nodded, and winced as she gently prised her husband's fingers apart. She stood up stiffly, tried to flex her fingers and winced again.

The doctor made a low exclamation and, frowning, bent to look closer.

Tallie hurriedly thrust her hand in a fold of her skirts.

"Signora, you permit?" Tallie shook her head and moved to step back, but the doctor ignored her. He reached down, gently brought her hand from its hiding place, and examined it. He swore softly in Italian.

"Why did you not say something?" he said in a low, angry voice.

Tallie shook her head, embarra.s.sed.

"It's nothing--a bit stiff, that's all."

Carlotta came up behind him and peered curiously over his shoulder.

She gasped. Tallie's left hand was black and blue with bruises, where her husband had gripped it in his fever. Several fingers were swollen.

She could hardly move them.

"Ice for the signora's hand, immediately," the doctor snapped.

Carlotta ushered Tallie from the room in a tender rush, scolding her gently in Italian, interspersing her comments with shrill calls to the servant to hurry up with the ice.

Tallie had no choice but to be swept away in the motherly embrace. It was strange, but oddly comforting to have someone fussing over her, even for such a trivial matter. No one had ever done it before, not even when she had been ill at school. She couldn't recall her mother very well, but perhaps her mother had fussed over her like this when she was a baby. Tallie laid her good hand on her belly, feeling the faint swelling beneath it. One day she, too, would fuss over this child the way that Carlotta was fussing over her. It was a wonderful thought. A tear trickled down her cheeks. Oh, heavens, she was more tired than she realised.

Her hand was plunged into a bowl of ice-water, and after the first excruciating pain there was a blessed numbness. After a while the feeling started to come back. It throbbed, but not as badly as before.

Carlotta smoothed on some foul-smelling ointment and wrapped the hand lightly in a cloth, then bustled her into a huge warm nightgown and tucked her into bed.

"Signora... Carlotta, I must thank you--' Tallie began, but Carlotta shushed her and pressed her gently back on the pillows, smoothing her hair with a gentle rhythmic touch. She started humming--a lullaby, Tallie supposed--and a faint smile crossed her lips as she recognised that she was indeed being mothered like a small child. It was foolish, for she was a grown, married woman, and not a child at all... but it was very comforting... She closed her eyes and slept.

"Magnus, you must stay in bed! The physician said--' " d.a.m.n that blasted leech. I have no intention of idling--' "But you are not yet strong enough--' Magnus flung back the covers and swung his legs to the edge of the bed. He sat there a moment, then shakily stood up, gripping the carved wooden bed head for support.

Tallie, despite her anxiety, found herself smiling. Carlotta's late husband had evidently been much shorter than Magnus, for his nights.h.i.+rt dangled well above Magnus's knees. The length of hard, hairy leg looked incongruous beneath the embroidered linen. She bit her lip and tried to look cross.

"You are not supposed to be up this soon," she said severely.

"Nonsense. I feel perfectly well. And besides I am bored--' " But--' "And d.a.m.nably lonely," he finished, giving her a heated look.

Tallie blushed. This time she could not stop the smile which quivered on her lips. She, too, had been lonely in the bed next door. It was amazing how quickly one could become accustomed to sharing a bed. Only a few months ago she had been unable to imagine it as anything but an intrusion, an inconvenience, an invasion of her privacy. but now she would not wish to fall asleep anywhere except in her husband's warm, j strong arms. She'd missed his warmth, missed the wonderful feeling of belonging, the feeling of safety she felt when she fell asleep in his embrace. She loved waking up in the night and finding his long hairy leg wrapped around hers, loved resting her cheek on his smooth, hard chest and hearing his heart thudding steadily under her ear, loved the way he sometimes woke her in the morning. "Morning, sweetheart..."

knowing that it was the prelude to a splendid bout of lovemaking.

She loved those mornings best, watching his sleepy eyes focus, then darken into that brooding, storm-cloud grey that meant he wanted to make love to her. The look never failed to thrill her. And the feel of his unshaven jaw sc.r.a.ping sensuously against the softness of her skin. A pleasurable shudder pa.s.sed through her. Yes, she had been lonely in her bed, too.

"Fetch me that robe, would you?" Magnus said.

"It's chilly."

The man was impossibly stubborn! She didn't want to a.s.sist him, but he was clearly going to get up whether or not she agreed, and it was cold. Reluctantly she went to do his bidding, but before she reached the hook where the robe was hanging he took a few steps and wavered dangerously.

She raced back to his swaying form.

"I told you it was too early to venture out of bed," she scolded.

"The physician said you must rest for another few days and regain your strength before you try to move. If you try too soon, you could have a relapse."

"d.a.m.ned quack!"

"He saved your life."

"What would a blasted village leech know?"

Tallie, incensed by his stubbornness, abruptly let him go and stood back. Magnus swayed. His knees started to buckle. She gave him a tiny push and he collapsed onto the bed, swearing.

Hiding a triumphant smile, she bent to lift his legs back into the bed, but with a jerk Magnus pulled her on top of him.

"That's more like it," he growled in soft satisfaction, and planted his mouth on hers.

Tallie gave up the struggle. It was bliss to be back in his arms again, and a kiss wouldn't tax his strength too much, surely. She kissed him back with all the fervour in her heart. Oh, she loved this stubborn man so much. His kiss deepened, and hazily she felt his hands seeking to undo the fastenings of her gown.

"Madonna mia! Stop that at once! It is not the time!" It was Carlotta in the doorway.

Magnus swore. Tallie tried to pull back from his embrace, but he refused to let her go. Trust his strength to come back now, she thought, embarra.s.sed.

"Signora Thalia, Signer Magnus, you must stop it now! Basta! Enough!"

"Out, d.a.m.n it, signora} Now!" snapped Magnus.

"A man and his wife are ent.i.tled to... to-Confound it, Tallie, what's the Italian for privacy?"

Carlotta ignored him. She hurried over to the bed, scolding in an under voice and tugged Tallie off.

"Quick!" she whispered.

"Fasten your gown. And as for you. Signer Magnus--' She broke off and began to smooth the covers over him.

"Blast you, woman--' " Hus.h.!.+ " Carlotta snapped.

"It is the Father."

"What father? I haven't got a father," retorted Magnus angrily.

"d.a.m.n it, woman, what the devil do you think you are doing?" He tried to fend off the hands that were busily b.u.t.toning his nights.h.i.+rt to the neck, but Carlotta would have none of it.

"It is the Fatheri' she hissed. Footsteps sounded on the landing outside and she turned, smoothed her dress with quick, anxious hands and waited, a deferential smile on her lips.

"h.e.l.l and the devil confound you, woman, I told you I haven't got a fath--' The door opened and an elderly priest in a long black robe entered. He paused on the threshold, took out a small vial and sprinkled a few drops of liquid around the room, murmuring in Latin.

"Holy water," whispered Carlotta, crossing herself.

Magnus closed his eyes in resignation and Tallie stifled a giggle.

What if the priest had just walked in on them? Thank heavens Carlotta had come in first. But what was he doing here anyway?

"How do you do?" the priest said in slow, rusty English.

"I am Father Astuto. Carlotta tell me you make the difficult..." he frowned, then his brow cleared 'convalescence. " He bowed, clearly delighted at having remembered such a complicated word.

"I come to entertain you with English conversation. I speak the English well, no? So we shall converse."

He placed his vial of holy water on the bedside stand, pulled up a chair and sat facing Magnus with such a look of pleased and proud expectancy that Tallie was hard put to it to maintain a straight face.

Magnus groaned and rolled his eyes.

"You are in pain, my son." Father Astuto laid a thin, veined hand on Magnus's brow.

"Do not try to talk. Repose yourself and I will talk to you of my life and my travels. It will be of great interest to an Englishman. I was born in the small village of-' A smothered choke of laughter escaped Tallie. Magnus opened one eye and glared balefully at her. Clapping a hand over her mouth, she hurried from the room. Behind her. Father Astuto's voice droned on.

"Coffee, Signora Thalia?" said Carlotta, following her down thestairs."The Father, he will stay at least three hours.""Th ... three hours?" quavered Tallie.Carlotta nodded."Three, possibly four." She gave Tallie a sly glance."That will keep your husband quiet, no?"Tallie's jaw dropped. She stared- at her hostess incredulously.

"You mean?"'// Dottore said he must stay in bed, yes? And who better to keep himthere than Father Astuto? He loves to practise his English. He willcome every morning for the rest of the week. "

Carlotta winked.

"And if your husband doesn't sleep for the rest of the afternoon, then Father Astuto is losing his touch."

"Carlotta, you are brilliant!" Tallie exclaimed.

"I couldn't keep him from over-exerting himself, but Magnus is too

polite to argue with a priest... especially such a sweet old man. How splendidly devious!"

And she laughed until tears ran down her cheeks.

Finally she sat drinking Carlotta's strong, milky coffee. Magnus was recuperating safely and she had no need to worry about him anymore.

And with Carlotta and Father Astuto's help he would be out of the way for at least a week. This was the opportunity she hoped she might get.

A chance to trace the last footsteps of her mother.

"Signora Carlotta," she said slowly.

"My parents are both dead."

"Ahh, you poor child--' Carlotta began, her broad face crumpling in

sympathy."They died in Italy," Tallie interrupted the flow."What? In Italia? No.""Yes, somewhere between Turin and the mountains.""Eh? Near Torino, you say?"Tallie nodded."Yes, but I'm not sure where, exactly. Near some small village. There was a coach accident. It was about seven years ago. Did you hear of anything like that happening around here?"

Carlotta frowned.

"You say your mamma and your papa died in this accident?" She shook her head slowly.

"I do remember something about an Englishman's coach... It was near the village where my husband's sister-in-law's uncle lives, but I do not remember anything about an English lady in the coach. And I would know, yes, for English ladies are not common in these hills." She patted Tallie's hand sympathetically.

"I am sorry, child."Tallie felt the excitement inside her grow. It was as the letter hadsaid. Her mother had not died in the coach accident with her father.

"But you do remember a coach accident where an Englishman was killed?

About seven years ago? "

Carlotta nodded.

Tallie took a. deep breath.

"Carlotta, can I trust you?"

Carlotta frowned, and drew herself up as if insulted.