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over his face.
    “There,” the Englishman said loudly. “I am sure your vision will correct itself soon enough. Just keep the damp cloth on it and be patient for now.”
    “Are his eyes still troubling him then?” Averill’s soft voice asked as the door closed. Her footsteps moved closer to the bed.
    “’Tis still blurry,” Will lied, sounding terribly glib. “I am sure ’twill improve as he regains strength though.”
    “Aye. I am sure you are right,” Averill murmured, but she sounded concerned, and Kade felt a moment’s conscience at tricking her like this. He even considered taking the cloth away and telling the truth, but then he thought of the old woman, Mabs, and being stuck with only her for company between quick visits from Will, and he let the lie stand.
    “I see you have brought him his nooning repast,” Will commented, as the scent of what Kade suspected would be more chicken broth reached his nose. His stomach immediately rolled over, lettinghim know it was hungry. However, he was hardly pleased at the prospect of another liquid meal. He needed solid food to rebuild his strength and was about to say as much when the other man added, “Bread and cheese, too? Is he ready for solid food, do you think?”
    Kade could hear the teasing in his voice, but found himself rising to the bait and snapping, “Too right, I am.”
    Will chuckled with satisfaction, the sound moving away as he headed for the door. “Then I shall leave you to your meal and take myself off to the lists.”
    “I shall join ye soon,” Kade promised.
    “I am sure you will, friend,” Will said, and the door closed, leaving the room silent but for the rustle of Averill’s gown as she moved around the bed.
    “How is your head?” she asked, the question accompanied by a sound he suspected was her setting down the tray.
    Kade’s hands itched to remove the cloth over his eyes, but he restrained himself, and admitted, “It aches a bit, but no’ like it did.”
    “Then perhaps we can remove the cloth from your eyes long enough for you to eat,” she murmured, and he felt her fingers brush against his face as she reached for the cloth. Kade blinked his eyes as she lifted it away and turned to set it back by the bowl of water. His gaze slid swiftly over her, taking in the hair so many disliked, then moving to the birthmark on her cheek. It was all as he recalled: a fall of glorious flame-colored waves and a tiny strawberry on her cheek. Neither what he would have considered ugly or disfiguring. And then she turned back and paused. Sucking her lower lip into her mouth, she nibbled at it worriedly, then asked, “C-can you see me?”
    Kade’s eyebrows rose at the tiny stammer and the way she lifted one hand as if to cover her birthmark. Recalling Will’s suggestion that she might avoid him if she thought he could see her, he cleared his throat, and pointed out, “Will told ye that me vision is still blurred.”
    “Aye.” She relaxed, her shoulders almost sagging with her relief, then smiled widely, appearing quite beautiful in that moment. “I just thought—Never mind, it does not matter,” she interrupted herself, and turned to the tray of food she’d brought with her. “I brought you both broth and some watered-down ale, but also some bread and cheese. I thought if the liquids stayed down, you might like to try more solid food after.”
    “Aye.” Kade sighed at the very thought. He’d rather just stick with the solids but had already learned that his stomach—like the rest of him—wasn’t as strong as he would have liked.
    “Here.” She turned back with the broth in hand but paused and frowned, then set it aside and turned back to bend over him. “Let me help you sit up.”
    Kade grimaced at the need for aid but allowed her to help him sit and arrange the pillows behindhim so that he was upright to eat. She then retrieved the broth and held it to his lips, allowing him to sip a bit.
    “Your men have left for