“You are being patronising, and I do not think I care for it. Duke Luke. Haha, Luke the Duke. Perhaps that is what I shall call you!” Emily grinned.
“You may call me whatever you wish.” Relief was clear in his voice, and was that a hint of amusement?
“You are making fun of me, aren’t you?” Emily shook her head slightly and instantly regretted it.
Nausea flared in her and for a moment, she thought she would vomit all over the man in front of her. She felt strong hands move her into a more upright position. A moment later the warmth of them vanished.
Luke’s eyes were full of concern as he peered intently at her. “Careful. You have had rather a bad fall.”
“Have I?” Emily could not remember falling, but that would perhaps explain why she was on the ground and not, as she had first thought, in a very uncomfortable bed.
Luke’s face swam in and out of focus. Some part of her brain knew there was a reason she should not think of him as Luke, but she could not remember it. It did not seem terribly important in that moment.
He nodded, his eyes roving across her as though searching for something. “Yes, I think you were thrown from your horse. You have hit your head.”
“That would explain why it hurts so much.” Emily raised a hand to her head but Luke caught it gently in his own, stopping her.
“It would be best not to touch it.” His hand was warm and strong around her fingers. “Your fingers are like ice.”
“Yours are nice and warm.” Emily grinned.
Luke hesitated before taking both of her cold hands and warming them with his breath. The slight touch of his lips sent pleasant shivers u her arms and down her spine.
“Do you have pain anywhere else?”
“Are you always so inquisitive?” Emily decided not to cant her head, suspecting that the movement might trigger another boutof nausea.Is it normal to feel so giddy? If I am hurt, surely I should not feel so… so floaty?
Luke smiled at her, his eyes twinkling. “Only on very special occasions. Now, please, focus sweetheart, do you have pain anywhere else?”
Emily thought, mentally going over all the aches and pains in her body. It felt very separate from her, which she decided was a good thing.I suspect if I could feel it, I would feel much worse.
Eventually she said, “my shoulder is the worst, though my whole body feels as though it were beaten by rocks.”
Luke nodded. “Do you think you can stand?”
“Why?” Emily asked.
“Because I need to get you to the house. It is getting cold and you are not in your right mind.” Luke gestured towards her.
“But I want to sleep.” Emily yawned, a wave of tiredness washing over her.If I close my eyes, then everything will be fine.
Luke’s voice sounded far away, and there was a note in it that Emily could not quite place. “You cannot sleep, you must not sleep.”
She closed her eyes, feeling as though she were submerged in a kind of thick soup. “Just a few minutes.”
“No. Emily, stay awake.” This time she heard the note clearly. Panic.
A moment later, she felt warm hands on each of her arms and then pain as Luke shook her gently. She yelped, her eyes flying open as she glared at him.
It is unfortunate that his eyes are so pretty when he is worried. It would be far easier to be angry at him.Emily did her best to scowl at the man, but it made her head hurt and she soon gave up the attempt.
“You cannot sleep, it is not safe.” Luke’s eyes were full of steel, his voice low and urgent.
“Fine.” Emily sighed, and found she could not muster the energy to be annoyed. “You know, you really are rather sweet. Or at least you are very sweet when you are not being impossibly irritating, Luke.”
“I see we have gone from Luke the Duke, to simply Luke.” An odd expression crossed his face.Amusement? Annoyance? Both?
“I am quite sure you were just calling me Emily.” She was fairly certain it had not been a dream, he had been asking her to stay awake. “Besides, I like your name. It has a nice flavour toit. Luke. Luuuuuuukkkke. It seems so bright and brilliant. Like your eyes.”
