Aurora’s voice filled the space, making Archer turn to face the door. Already, his daughter was bounding toward the bed, her eyes locked on her brother with worry creased brows.
“Is he all right?” she asked, her voice was waspish and seemed much older than her six years. “Will he be all right?”
She arrived at the bed, leveling the last question directly at the healer. Her tone was hard and filled with an authority that would have been comical in other circumstances.
“He’s goin’ to be fine, lass,” the healer muttered, never once taking her gaze off of the work she was performing on Louis. “But ye’ll want to stand back. This leg is goin’ to be a bit tender and ye daenae want to jostle it any.”
Aurora nodded, immediately retreating several steps from the foot of her brother’s bed. But she did not take her eyes off him. Not once.
Archer felt more than saw someone arrive at his side. He didn’t need to look to know who had just arrived. He could smell her, could feel her warmth, and could sense her with every fiber of his being.
“How is the lad doin’?” Emilie asked, her voice low enough that only Archer could hear.
He still did not turn to look at her, opting instead to keep his gaze focused on his son.
“He’s goin’ to be all right,” Archer grunted, the relief filling him still palpable as he finally said the words out loud. “Just a few days of some pain.”
Archer started as he felt pressure on his arm. He glanced down at it, shocked to see Emilie’s hand resting on his bicep.
She meant it in a comforting gesture. Archer felt sure of that. But he found no comfort in it at all.
The warmth of her hand resting on him washed through him, chafing against the deepest part of his soul.
How long had it been since someone had offered him comfort? How long had it been since someone had looked at him withthe softness and encouragement that he could feel her looking at him with?
Too close. I am too close.
Shrugging his shoulder, Archer stepped back from under her touch.
“Come and see me with any updates,” he commanded the healer, not waiting for a response as he turned and strode from the room.
Today was a mistake. I never should have let her convince me to do this. If I hadnae, Louis wouldnae be hurt. And she wouldnae feel like she can be this close to me.
Archer strode toward his chambers, wanting the solace and the silence of the space to help get his wits about him. The moment he reached the door, he threw it open and stepped inside.
The sound of the door snapping shut behind him sent him whirling, finding Emilie standing before it.
“Why are ye avoidin’ them?” she asked, leveling her gaze at him and crossing her arms across her chest.
Gone was the dithering, wilting flower that she had been a few days ago. The woman standing before him was the one who had sat across from him, riding home from their wedding. It was the woman who had intrigued him.
It was the woman who was the most dangerous to Archer, and to everything he wanted his life to look like.
“Avoidin’ who? I daenae ken what ye’re jabberin’ about,” he said, shaking his head.
He turned his back to his wife again, stalking over to his bed. But once he reached it, he could not sit down.
His skin felt like it was on fire, tiny pinpricks of heat rushing across his body. He needed to move. So, Archer began to pace.
“Ye ken exactly what I’m talkin’ about,” Emilie said, drawing Archer’s attention once more.
He looked at her while he paced, turning his head this way and that to keep her in his line of sight.
Emilie dropped her hands back to her side and began to take a step forward before seeming to think better of it.
Maybe she realized if she wasnae standin’ directly in front of that door, that I would walk out of it right now.
“Why are ye always so distant with the bairns?” she pressed on, her blue eyes icy as she regarded him. “Daenae play daft. Nae when I’ve seen the way ye act around them. But then today, in the forest, ye were the first at Louis’ side. So, why? Why do ye seem to go out of yer way to pretend that ye daenae care and keep yer distance, especially when it’s quite clear ye care a lot?”