The Beautiful Pretender (A Medieval Fairy Tale #2)(56)

Avelina bit her lip, probably to keep from crying out.

Two more women servants came in and he ordered them to take over the intense work of rubbing her feet between their hands.

Frau Schwitzer hurried into the room. Reinhart ordered, “Go find some dry clothes for her.”

Avelina’s teeth were chattering worse than ever as she huddled underneath the fur. It must be the wet clothing she was still wearing. He turned to the maidservants in the room.

“Get those wet clothes off her, now. Frau Schwitzer is coming with some dry ones.” He left the room and waited outside.

It wasn’t until that moment he realized he did not know where his cane was, and his ankle was throbbing almost as bad as the wolf bites to his shoulder and arm.

She had been so close to being killed . . . His stomach clenched again. Thank You, God, I got to her in time. Again.



The maidservants were undressing her. Avelina was nearly helpless—stiff with cold and shaking uncontrollably. The women quickly and efficiently divested her of her clothing and pulled a new, thicker underdress over her head, followed by a rich velvet cotehardie. Then they covered her again with the fur robe. It was all over in a matter of moments.

Avelina’s teeth still chattered. But at least the fog was finally clearing from her mind and she focused on the here and now and pushed away the terror and the attacking wolves from her mind.

Lord Thornbeck came back in and he and another servant went back to rubbing her feet, a grim look on his face. He had come and rescued her from the wolves, risking his life in the process. Did he still care for her? She had been so dazed, she had not really understood what was happening during the attack. But now . . .

O Lord God, let him not suffer any lasting effects from having saved me. Let his wounds heal and not fester. She could not bear it if any lasting harm came to him because of her.

“S-someone m-must see to your w-wounds, my lord.”

He looked at her with that unreadable but intense expression, as more people poured into the room.

“I have sent for a healer. She will be here soon. But first we must get you warm.” He moved away from her and spoke to a guard at the door, while the maidservants were still taking turns rubbing her feet. The stabbing pain was beginning to subside to a sharp ache.

An older woman came in dressed like a peasant. She carried a bag and set it beside Avelina and shooed the servants away. The woman touched Avelina’s toes, then squeezed them. She pushed Avelina’s skirt up enough to examine her ankle.

Avelina jerked her feet out of the woman’s grasp, pulled them in, and covered them with her skirts. “I refuse to l-let you treat m-my injuries until you look at Lord Thornbeck’s wounds.” She tried to clamp her teeth together, but they just would not stop chattering, especially when she talked.

“That is not for you to decide,” he said.

She hugged her knees. “I will not s-submit t-to anything until she l-looks at your wounds.”

He lowered his brows at her. “Avelina . . .”

Her heart leapt inside her. He called her by her name instead of Lady Dorothea, but his tone had an edge of warning.

“Your injuries are the most severe.”

She tried to shake her head, but it was difficult when her head felt so heavy and her movements were jerky and difficult. “N-not until sh-she looks at your arm and shoulder.”

“She has to get warm,” the healer said in a no-nonsense voice, as if she did not notice the tension between Avelina and the margrave. “She’s shivering and her lips are blue. If she doesn’t get warm, she will die. Her ankle can wait.”

“What must we do to warm her?”

“She is already close to the fire, but it’s not enough. Another person’s body heat is the best way.”

He glanced around. “Everyone out of the room, except Frau Schwitzer and Susanna. Don’t let anyone else in.”

The guard nodded. Everyone quickly exited the room except for Frau Schwitzer and the healer.

“No.” Avelina shook her head. “She has to examine your shoulder and arm first.” Tears threatened, since she knew she was too weak to force her point. Besides, she was no longer the respected daughter of an earl. She had no right to order the margrave about. He could strike her and no one would care. He could ridicule her and scoff at her and laugh her to scorn if he wished, and he would be well within his rights. But she could not rest until he had his wounds taken care of.

He stared down at her. She knew he must see the tears swimming in her eyes.

“I will get you warm. Susanna can look at my shoulder and arm at the same time. Scoot up.”

He stepped toward her, and she scooted forward on the couch. He sat down behind her, then wrapped his arms around hers, pulling her back firmly against his chest.

His warmth instantly seeped through her borrowed clothing to her skin. His chest warmed her back while his arms held the fur securely around her arms and shoulders.

Avelina sat stiffly, her shaking nearly stilled by the margrave’s nearness. She could feel his breath against her hair, his big hands holding on to her elbows. She was as snug as a moth in its cocoon.

“Cut the cloth on my arm and shoulder.” His voice rumbled near her ear.

The healer took some shears out of her bag and came to the side of the couch. She cut the sleeve of his surcoat and his shirt. When his arm was bare, Avelina shifted her head to his left shoulder to see the teeth marks and the blood matting up his arm hair. She cringed at the painful-looking injuries.