Katrina

Chapter Three

When the ache in her head seem to increase, Patrick had sent Katrina to lie down on the bed to try and ease it.

Outside it had still been light when she had finally dozed over. But now as she stirred from her slumber, feeling uncomfortably hot, she realised when she opened her eyes the room was in darkness.

Despite the fact she felt too warm, inside her bones felt strangely chilled. When she tried moved her limbs, they ached, and she found she was shivering uncontrollably.

She tried to swallow, but it was difficult, her throat felt dry and raw. She realised something was not right.

Alarmed, she attempted to try and get out of the bed, swinging her legs onto the rough stone floor, her head swam, made worse by the darkness and the unfamiliar surroundings.

Standing up unsteadily. she reached out to clutch the nearest thing available, which happen to be a chest of drawers, but in doing so, her arm swiped across the top of the drawers knocking over the washbowl and jug that sat on top of it, sending it noisily clattering to the ground, making her yelp with alarm.

Patrick, who had been ready to settle down for the night in his makeshift bed in the next room, heard the noise. He immediately got up taking the lamp with him to investigate.

He opened the door to find Katrina standing unsteadily by the bed, looking down at the jug and bowl she had knocked over. When she looked up at him, he could see her face was unusually flushed, a dull faraway look in her blue eyes, as if she could not focus properly on him.

"I'm sorry" she finally manage to croak "I-I don't think-" she started trying to take a step forward, but her legs suddenly felt weak. It took all her strength to stay upright

Realising she was on the verge of collapsing, Patrick hurriedly put the lamp down on the chest of drawers and went over to her, his arm going around her for support.

He could feel how hot she was even through the material of the dress

"Jesus! this is all we need," he exclaimed in dismay. His hand felt her forehead, it was burning, confirming his worst fears, she had a high temperature.

The soaking in the river had not been a good thing.

She was limp in his arms now, and he swooped her up into them so he could lay her on the bed again

"I think it would be best if you lie here and don't move around too much" he advised her

"I think you are right" she manage to reply faintly, "I feel so hot," she tugged at her dress weakly, wishing she could undo it and get out of it and into something cool

Patrick had disappeared for a few moments, but when he returned it was with a mug of water, he held it to her lips, "Take it easy now." he advised her holding her head up a little and she tried to gulp it down to relieve her parched burning throat.

He pondered on how only this morning everything had been fairly peaceful and uneventful in his life, but how quickly the situation had changed when he had encountered Katrina Linden that afternoon.

In that short space of time she was managing to turn his fairly tranquil life upside down.

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Myra O'Connell was, not a happy woman when her nearest neighbour, Patrick woke her in the early hours of the morning.

The plump widow muttered in annoyance when she heard the urgent banging on her door with Patrick yelling her name, so that she had to get out of her nice warm bed to find out what was going on.