He slipped his hand inside the ripped portion of her garment to slip the cloth around to her back when he hit a spot that caused her to gasp and gave him pause. The spot was badly swollen.

“That’s it,” he said. “You’re disrobing and I’m going to look over every part of you to make certain there are no more potentially dangerous wounds.”

Chapter 5

“I most certainly will not disrobe,” Snow said emphatically.

“You would die for the sake of propriety?” he asked and gave her no chance to answer. “Another stick, stone, who knows what could be embedded in you. If it’s not removed quickly it will fester and you will fever and die. That’s what your stubbornness will do for you.”

She could hear her sisters in her head warning her to do what she must to survive, especially Willow. She would have had Snow’s garments off by now and searching every part of her body. But it was far different standing in front of her sister naked than Tarass.

It needed to be done, but there had to be a way that it could be done without her being completely naked in front of him.

A thought came to her, making her feel hopeful. “What if I disrobe and keep a blanket around me and you glance at the areas causing me pain or discomfort?”

He shook his head, though answered the opposite. “Fine, we’ll do it that way.” Anything that would allow him to make sure she was all right. He would do whatever it took to see her returned safely and unharmed to her family.

Tarass moved the chair away from the bed and helped her to stand, then he gathered up the blanket on the bed and directed her hand to it. “Here’s the blanket. I’m going to stand by the hearth with my back to you until you tell me you’re ready.”

“Your word on that?” she asked.

“You have my word,” he said, annoyed that she felt the need to ask and walked over to the hearth. “My back is to you.”

Snow had to take his word that he spoke the truth, no other options left to her.

She hoped to hurry out of her garments, but they were damp, actually more than damp and it was difficult getting them off. The pains that struck her didn’t help either and while she fought with the stubborn garments she kept telling herself that she was wise to do this.

She pulled and tugged and gasped a few times as she struggled to shed her tunic and shift after finally shedding her wool hose.

Tarass warned himself to let her be. This was the way she wanted it. She’d get out of her garments eventually. But every gasp and wince was like the tip of a dagger poking him. Until finally she gasped one too many times.