Helen stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on Charles's arm. "Would you like me to stay with her?"

He didn't answer her for a moment, still lost in his own thoughts. "I'm sorry, what? No. No, I'll stay with her."

Helen inclined her head. "Of course. If you would like any assistance, however ..."

Charles finally refocused his eyes and gave his cousin his full attention. "I appreciate your offer, Helen. I may very well take you up on it."

"Do not hesitate to wake me up," she said. Then she took her daughter's hand and drew her toward the door. "Come along, Claire. Ellie will never be able to rest with so many people milling about."

Cordelia also strode toward the door. "I'll be back in an hour to check on her," she said. "But she looks to be over the worst of it."

Charles looked down at his now sleeping wife. She certainly looked better than she had just ten minutes ago. But that wasn't saying much; the only way she could have looked worse was if she'd started spitting up blood. Her skin was still translucent and greenish, but her breathing was even, and she didn't appear to be in any pain.

He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips, saying a soft prayer as he did so. It was going to be a long night.

Chapter 20

By noon the next day, Ellie's color was nearly back to normal, and it was clear to Charles that her bout with food poisoning would not leave her with any lingering illness. Cordelia agreed with his assessment, but she instructed Charles to feed her chunks of bread to sop up whatever poison might be lingering in her stomach.

He took Cordelia's advice to heart, and by supper-time Ellie was alert and begging him not to force her to eat any more bread.

"Not another piece," Ellie pleaded. "It turns my stomach."

"Everything will turn your stomach," he said in a matter-of-fact voice. He'd long since learned that she responded best to plain speaking.

She moaned. "Then don't make me eat."

"I must. It helps to absorb the poison."

"But it was only bad milk. Surely it doesn't linger in my stomach."

"Bad milk, bad eggs ... There is no way to know what really caused the attack." He stared at her with an odd look in his eyes. "All I know is that last night you looked like you were going to die."

Ellie fell silent. Last night she had felt like she was going to die. "Very well," she said quietly. "Give me another piece of bread."

Charles handed her a slice. "I think Cordelia has the right idea of this. You do seem less sluggish since you started eating the bread."

"Cordelia does seem considerably more lucid since my unfortunate bout with poison."

He regarded her thoughtfully. "I rather think Cordelia just needed someone to listen to her from time to time."

"Speaking of people who want to be listened to from time to time ..." Ellie said, nodding toward the open door to her room.

"Good evening, Ellie!" Judith said brightly. "You've slept the whole day away."

"I know. Terribly lazy of me, don't you think?"

Judith just shrugged. "I painted you a picture."

"Oh, it's lovely!" Ellie exclaimed. "It's such a beautiful ... a beautiful..." She looked to Charles who was no help at all. "Rabbit?"

"Exactly."

Ellie let out a relieved breath.

"I saw one in the garden. I thought you'd like his ears."

"I do. I love his ears. They are very pointy."

Judith's face turned serious. "Mama told me you drank some bad milk."

"Yes, it's given me a horrid stomachache, I'm afraid."

"You must always smell milk before you drink it," Judith instructed. "Always."

"I certainly will from now on." Ellie patted the little girl's hand. "I appreciate your advice."

Judith nodded. "I always give good advice."

Ellie smothered a laugh. "Come here, poppet, and give me a hug. That will be the nicest medicine I've had all day."

Judith climbed onto the bed and snuggled into El-lie's embrace. "Would you like a kiss?"

"Oh, indeed."

"It will make you better," the little girl said as she planted a loud smack on Ellie's cheek. "Maybe not right away, but it will."

Ellie stroked her hair. "I'm sure it will, poppet. I'm beginning to feel better already."

As Charles stood in the corner, silently regarding his wife and cousin, his heart swelled to overflowing. Ellie was still recovering from the worst attack of food poisoning he'd ever witnessed, and here she was, cuddling his young cousin.

She was amazing. There was no other way to describe her, and if that weren't enough, she was clearly going to make the best damned mother England had ever seen. Hell, she already made the best wife he could ever have imagined.

He felt his eyes grow suspiciously moist, and he suddenly realized that he had to tell her he loved her. And he had to do it now, this very instant. Otherwise he was certain his heart would burst. Or his blood would boil. Or maybe all his hair would fall out. All he knew was that the words "I love you" were welling up within him and he had to say them aloud. It just wasn't something he could contain within the boundaries of his heart any longer.

He wasn't sure if she returned the sentiment, although he suspected that if she didn't, she felt something at least close to love, and that would be good enough for him right now. He had plenty of time to make her love him. A lifetime, in fact.

Charles was coming to greatly appreciate the permanence of the marriage bond.

"Judith," he said abruptly. "I need to speak with Ellie right now."