Page 29 of A Treasure Worth Seeking

“I’m almost… I…” she trailed off weakly.

He came through the door and saw her listless arms hanging loosely at her sides. A look of great tenderness came over his face and he knelt down in front of her.

He buttoned the nightshirt from her breast to her knees with dispatch, as though afraid to prolong it. As he reached the last button, he paused. In the next heartbeat, his cheek was pressed against her bare knees as his strong hands molded the backs of her calves. She wanted to reach out and touch the burnished hair that tickled her skin, but couldn’t summon the strength. His hands moved up the backs of her legs, massaging the tired, useless muscles.

He raised his head and dropped a brief kiss on her knee before he secured the last button. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her into the bedroom. She was coming to look forward to the strong arms enfolding her and drawing her against that hard body.

She saw that the doctor and Melanie were still making the bed and talking in subdued tones. She was growing drowsy under the effects of the shot, and her head fell against Lance’s chest when he sat down in the easy chair with her in his lap.

A delicious languor overcame her. The rise and fall of his chest was rhythmic under her head, and the hairs exposed by his open shirt teased her nose. Unconsciously, she snuggled down deeper in his lap and slipped her hand inside his shirt, resting it on the crisp curly mat.

She didn’t even know when her fingers instinctively sought that small bud of flesh nestled in those curls or the anguished joy it brought Lance when she touched him so privately. Without word, without thought, a small deed communicated a heart’s secret desire. Lance’s hand followed hers, slipping under the fabric of his shirt to cover that smaller hand, pressing it against him as if he wanted her to become part of his flesh.

It must have been her imagination when she felt him bury his face in her hair. The murmured words she heard were indistinguishable, but rife with emotion. And the sweet brush of lips across her forehead was surely part of a dream. But whether it was her imagination or not, she wanted this feeling to last forever and mumbled a feeble protest when she felt Lance rise with her and cross to the bed.

He was gently spreading the covers over her when she heard Dr. Joshua say, “Let her sleep tomorrow as much as she wants to.”

“Will she be all right?” Was it Lance who asked that question so anxiously? It must have been. Wasn’t he the only man here except for the doctor?

“Yeah. She’ll be okay. She’ll feel like hell tomorrow, but by the next day, she should be on the mend. Call me if she’s not.”

Erin heard their good-byes and through half-closed eyes saw the light go out. But not everyone left. Someone was coming back toward the bed. She thought whoever it was lifted her hand and pressed it against a hard, whiskered cheek before bringing it to his mouth and planting a deep, moist kiss into its palm.

She wanted to know who it was. But she couldn’t stay awake.

Besides, it was probably only her imagination again.

Chapter Seven

Judging by the position of the sun through the windows, she thought it must be sometime in the afternoon when she awakened. She lay motionless, waiting for another cramp to squeeze her stomach, but nothing happened. The only symptoms that remained were a debility in every limb and a soreness in every muscle.

Turning over onto her side, she saw that someone had thoughtfully left an ice bucket on the bedside table. She opened it, took out two small cubes of ice, and placed them on her parched, starchy tongue. She was asleep before they had melted completely.

Late evening had shaded the sky to a soft purple when she woke up to the clatter of dishes. She rolled over and saw Melanie pushing through the open door carrying a tray.

“You’re awake,” she exclaimed happily. “I was beginning to think you’d sleep forever, but Mr. Barrett said that under no circumstances were you to be awakened.”

“Melanie?” Erin croaked. What had happened to her voice? She cleared her dry throat and tried again. “Melanie, I’m so sorry to bother you this way.”

“Erin! Please don’t offend me by apologizing. You couldn’t help getting sick.”

“I know, but I’ve been such a bother to you. As if you didn’t have enough on your mind.” She struggled to sit up, but barely managed to prop herself against the pillows.

Melanie set the tray on the table. “I’m the one who should apologize.” She glanced down at her clasped hands. “I couldn’t help you last night. Ever since I was a little girl, I have been terrified of illness. Anytime I’m around someone who is sick, I take on their symptoms. Forgive me, Erin, for leaving you alone when you needed me.”

Erin took Melanie’s hand in hers. “I was too busy to notice,” she said and made the effort to smile. “I feel much better now.”

“Oh, I’m so glad. Mr. Barrett thought you may want some crackers and tea. He has been acting so strangely all day. Do you know what he did last night? He told Dr. Joshua that you were his wife. I didn’t say anything. When he gets that fierce look on his face—you know the one—I would agree to anything he said.” Melanie didn’t notice that her sister-in-law’s face had drained of what little color it had. She continued: “He said your stomach would be empty. Can you eat something without… uh… throwing up again?” she asked worriedly.

“I don’t know,” Erin said. The thought of food was still obnoxious, and now her hollow stomach was fluttering nervously after hearing what Melanie had said about Lance. However, this weakness was annoying. “I’ll nibble them gradually.”

Melanie sat at the foot of the bed and talked to Erin while she ate two of the crackers. Then she sipped the tepid tea to moisten her mouth.

“The red telephone has been ringing all day. I think something is going on, but so far Mr. Barrett hasn’t told me anything.”

“Maybe there’s really nothing to tell,” Erin consoled the younger woman, who looked so helpless and forlorn. Again Erin apologized for being unable to lend her physical support.

“You just get well so you’ll be healthy when Ken does come home,” Melanie said as she stood up. “Would you like to visit the little girl’s room?”

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