She frowned and put a hand to her abdomen. Had the food been bad? But surely it was too soon to feel the effects, and the meat was fresh, brought in just two days ago. She watched the others but saw no sign of discomfort. In fact, everyone dug into their food with seeming satisfaction for the taste.
She reached for the goblet that had replaced the bitter ale when another cramp viciously seized her stomach. She gasped for breath but the pain was so intense that she doubled over.
Another pain knifed through her, gripping her middle in an unrelenting knot. Her vision blurred and she felt a sudden urge to vomit.
She shot to her feet and in her haste, knocked over Ewan’s goblet. The liquid spilled over the table and into Ewan’s lap.
Ewan jerked his head from his conversation with McDonald, a frown marring his lips. She swayed and then doubled over, a cry escaping as fire twisted her innards.
Rionna jumped up and bent anxiously over Mairin, her face creased with concern. Around her, murmurs arose as everyone focused on their mistress and her obvious distress.
“Mairin!”
Ewan was on his feet, his hands reaching to steady her. She would have fallen had he not hauled her up against him. She went limp, her legs no longer able to sustain her weight.
“Mairin, what’s wrong?” Ewan demanded.
“Sick,” she gasped. “Oh God, Ewan, I think I’m dying. The pain.”
She sagged again and Ewan went down with her, easing her weight to the floor. Above her, Alaric’s worried face appeared.
“What the hell is going on, Ewan?” Alaric demanded. He shoved Rionna back and maintained a protective perimeter around Mairin.
And then she turned her head and retched all over the floor. The sound was awful even to her own ears, but it felt ten times worse.
It was as if she’d swallowed a million pieces of glass and they were shredding her insides.
She curled into a ball on the floor in so much pain that in a moment of weakness, she prayed for death.
“Nay!” Ewan roared. “You won’t die. I won’t allow it. Do you hear me, Mairin? I won’t allow it. You will obey me, goddamn it! For once you will obey!”
She whimpered as Ewan hauled her from the floor. She winced as his shouts rung in her ears. He yelled orders and the hall was alive with the sound of scrambling feet and answering exclamations.
She was jostled about in Ewan’s arms as he charged up the stairs. He burst into their chamber, all the while shouting demands to the rest of his clan.
He wasn’t gentle as he laid her on the bed. Her stomach heaved again as the smell of her own vomit seared her nostrils. Her dress. It was ruined. Now she couldn’t even be buried in it.
Ewan clasped her face in his hands and leaned down until their noses were nearly touching.
“No one is burying you, lass. Do you hear? You will live or, so help me, I’ll follow you to hell and drag you back kicking and screaming the entire way.”
“I hurt,” she whimpered.
His touch gentled as he smoothed the hair from her face. “I know, lass. I know you hurt. I’d bear it for you if I could. Promise me you’ll fight. Promise me!”
She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to fight, and the pain screaming through her insides made her want to curl into a ball and close her eyes, but when she tried, Ewan shook her until her teeth rattled in her head.
“Ewan, what’s wrong with me?” she whispered, as another wave of pain overwhelmd her.
His face was grim and going more blurry by the minute. “You’ve been poisoned.”
Chapter 27
It had been many years since Ewan had prayed. Not since the birth of his son, when he’d prayed over his wife’s bedside as she struggled to bring forth the life within her.
But he found himself offering fervent prayer now as he stood over Mairin’s bedside. Maddie flew in behind him with Bertha on her heels.
“You must make her vomit, Laird,” Bertha said. “There’s no time to waste. We don’t know how much of the poison she took in and she must rid her stomach of all its contents.”
Ewan bent and grasped Mairin by the shoulders, rolling her to the edge of the bed so her head hung over the side. He took her face gently between his hands and pried her mouth with his thumb.
She twisted and fought against him but he tightened his grip, refusing to give way.
“Listen to me, Mairin,” he said urgently. “We must rid your stomach of its contents. I must make you vomit. I’m sorry, but I have no choice.”
As soon as her lips parted, he thrust his fingers to the back of her throat and she gagged and convulsed. With only one arm to hold her, it was difficult.
“Help me hold her,” he barked to Maddie. “If you can’t do it, call one of my brothers.”
Bertha and Maddie both leaped forward, pressing their full weight against Mairin’s body.
Mairin gagged again and she vomited onto the floor.
“Again, Laird,” Bertha urged. “I know ’tis difficult to see her in such pain, but if she’s to survive, it must be done.”
He’d do anything to keep her from dying, even if it meant causing her agony. He held her head and forced her to retch. Again and again she heaved until nothing more would push itself out. Her entire body was so rigid, it was a wonder she hadn’t broken any bones yet.
Still he pressed on, determined to keep her alive. Finally Bertha touched his arm. “ ’Tis done. You can release her now.”
Maddie got up and wet a rag with water from the washbasin and thrust it at Ewan. He wiped Mairin’s mouth and then her flushed, sweaty forehead.