Read Noble Hearts 03 - The Courageous Heart for Free Online Page B

door behind him , juggling the children in her arms. The baby was quiet now and the boy popped his head up from her shoulder to look around as they crossed through the fragrant steam of the kitchen to a small side room . Ethan lay Madeline on the room’s long table.
    “Where are we?” Joanna demanded, angry and bewildered . She stared at him, eyes as big as moons , chest heaving . “Where have you brought us? Who was that and what did he mean by ‘sister or wife’?” She shook her head and all but shouted her last question, “What the hell are you doing here?”
    Ethan eased Madeline out of his arms and rolled his shoulders to regain his circulation. He side-stepped Joanna, not meeting her eyes, to stick his head into the kitchen. “Bess, fetch Rebecca,” he called to th e maid working near the stove.
    Bess glanced up with a nod and darted out of the room towards the main part of the inn.
    He turned back to Joanna. “Let me help.” He pulled the boy out of her arms, giving Joanna a chance to cradle the red-headed baby. The boy didn’t fuss as Ethan held him but he didn’t look happy. Black hair, blue -green eyes. There was no doubt who the child was. He had his mother’s pout.
    “You can’t keep us p risoner here,” Joanna growled.
    He didn’t know how to reply to the statement . Instead he stared at the red-headed baby in her arms. There was no doub t whose child that was either.
    “What’s wrong with her,” he nodded towards Madeline.
    Joanna ignored him and spun to face Madeline’s prone form on the table. “My lady?” she spoke, brushing the fine sweat that misted Madeline’s forehead with her sleeve. “ I knew this would happen. My lady, wake up. Wake up.” Madeline didn’t stir. Joanna straightened , anxious and pleading . “I need water.”
    “What seems to be the trouble in here?” Rebecca de Talemunt’s large frame appeared in the doorway. She took one look at Madeline and rushed to the table. “Who is this? She’s burning up. Dunkirke, fetch some water!”
     
    Joanna jerked to take action at the command but stopped dead as Ethan replied, “Yes, ma’am.” He put Wulfric down and fled the room. She stared after him, dumbfounded. Ethan had never obeyed an order in his life.
    “We should move her to a bed.” The large woman shook her head as she smoothed a hand across Madeline’s pasty face. She scooped Madeline into her arms. “Oy gevalt, she’s burning up! It’s good you brought her to me.”
    Too stunned to do anything but follow, Joanna held Meg close, took Wulfric’s hand, and tailed the woman out into the kitchen, across to a hall, then up a narrow flight of stairs.
    “Get that door,” the woman directed her when they reached the second floor.
    Joanna did as she was told and opened the door into a small but clean inn room. The large woman carried Madeline to the narrow bed and lay her down. Joanna shuffled in behind her with the children.
    “How long has she had this fever?” the woman asked.
    “I’m not sure,” Joanna answered. “We had a long journey from Derbyshire and Lady Madeline hasn’t been in the best of health since Meg was born. We’ve all been trying to keep her from too much activity, but.… ” She dropped her explanation, fear that she was ashamed to feel closing in on her.
    The woman glanced at the babe in Joanna’s arms. She spared a smile for Wulfric before turning her attention to Madeline once more. “Are you her lady’s maid?”
    “No, ma’am. This is Lady Madeline of Kedleridge. My mistress, the Countess of Derby, and the Earl of Derby and Lady Madeline’s husband Jack, I mean Lord John, were just arrested at the Tower. We barely escaped.” She spilled the story before she could stop herself.
    The large woman goggled at her. “Arrested at the Tower?”
    Any explanation Joanna wanted to give was cut short at the sound of footsteps clomping up the stairs. A moment later Ethan appeared in the doorway with a bucket of water in one