Mischance by Smith Carla Susan

Author:Smith, Carla Susan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-01-09T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Catherine felt as if she were on fire. She tried to swallow, but all that did was aggravate the rawness in her throat. She wanted to lick her lips, but her swollen mouth refused to open. Every muscle in her body felt bruised, and she winced at the pain searing through her, pain that alternated between agony so sharp it stole her breath, and a dull, throbbing ache that made her think she might never rise again. Even her hair felt as if it had been flayed.

What had happened to her?

From somewhere inside her head a voice explained that her body hurt because it was fighting to restore her health. She had a fever, which meant she was very sick. The knowledge was reassuring in an odd, disjointed way. Catherine knew about fevers. A fever came with illness, and with illness there was often pain. What she couldn’t comprehend was why there was so much pain. Hesitantly she tried opening her eyes, but one refused to cooperate, remaining firmly shut as if some demonic seamstress had sewn her eyelids together. Panic threaded through her, even though the stinging throb that accompanied her effort clearly said her eye was injured in some way. Forcing her lips apart, she sucked down a greedy mouthful of air, then heard a sharp whistle as she exhaled. How could she be afraid when she sounded as if she was summoning a dog? Realizing that she might actually be doing more harm than good, Catherine sensibly gave up trying to force her eye open. As a reward her anxiety level decreased. Cautiously she opened her other eye, and focused on her surroundings.

The lone burning candle offered poor illumination, and as she tried to lift her head to better see, her entire body screamed in agony. She gasped as a wave of dizziness swept through her. Catherine ground her teeth together in an effort to dispel the discomfort, but a sizzling spasm running from temple to jaw declared her face had suffered the same punishment. Now instead of calling for a dog, she began to pant like one, fighting against the agony with short, openmouthed breaths.

With a supreme effort she managed to push herself up on one side before falling onto her back, shrieking as jagged bolts of fire ripped through her. Tears streamed down her face as she rolled onto her side, coming face to face with a young girl who stared back at her with a panic filled expression.

“Oh Lord!” Tilly exclaimed, putting her small hand on Catherine’s brow and feeling the burn against her palm.

Flinching, Catherine pulled back, muttering weakly, “Who…are…you?”

“Please, Miss, don’t get up! Lie back down and I’ll get you some nice cool water.”

Tilly wasn’t sure exactly what Catherine was trying to say through her swollen lips, but there was no mistaking her intent. Placing her hands on Catherine’s shoulders, the young housemaid attempted to push her charge back down onto the bed. Unfortunately, Tilly’s charge was stronger than she, and it took only a moment before the slight housemaid was rudely knocked to the floor.

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