"No," Michael said, looking at Brian. "You know to ask for it if you want it, Brian."
"Look, she knew what..." Brian began.
"No, now, you look. She is 7 months pregnant. She's getting a little tired of being this size now, and its making her touchy. You should certainly expect this. I realize she was bedbound with the triplets by this time, and right now, she's fighting to be up out of bed after her injuries from James. Given her advanced pregnancy, gaining her strength back is harder work. You're a healer, why do I need to explain this to you?
"And lets please not forget that she just presumed her husband and her father were in a duel to the death. You might have been in the duel, but she was thinking she was going to lose one or the other of you and was helpless to stop it. I realize this was necessary, but do try dialing down the stress a bit...."
"Dialing it down?" Brian frowned. "An hour ago, we were in a moonlight swim in a Mexican lagoon, and not missing the snow one little bit. I'm not the one dialing it up! Its our beloved leader and his hairbrained schemes that's got everyone in an uproar."
"Hold your tongue," Michael bristled. "You have no clue whatsoever what he has to live with every day, the stress and the strain in his body and his brain that keeps him trapped within himself. A lesser man would have gone mad by now. I'll deal with Robert. You need to focus in on your wife and the new baby. And its time you brought Angus back from Paris to take care of your estate. The others have the kids well taken care of."
"Alright," Brian sighed, sitting up. "I have things I have to do. I have no choice. Jess, could I have some clothes, please? The wet swim trunks really are cold now. I'd like to get cleaned up and into some thing warmer."
"You're going to need help getting cleaned up, Lad," Michael said. "You've got more bandages than not right now. And I don't know I fyou even know if you broke anything yet."
"I usually do," Brian sighed. When he dueled Robert, usually Brian broke something or another. He wasn't all that worried about it. "When I figure out what that is, I'll let someone know. Deal?"
In the meantime, Marcus knew that Brian had inadvertently hurt Khaat's feelings. Well intentioned as Brian had been to protect her, he hadn't used his words well. Marcus believed Khaat was an exceptionally beautiful woman, and he intended to try to boost her spirits. He went back to her room and found her there, just looking out the window at the snow.
"I have a request," he said to her. She turned and looked.
"Yes?" she asked.
"I'm getting a bit claustrophobic," he lied. "Do you mind if I go out for some air?"
"No. By all means," she said. "You don't know how to leave me anymore. Its fine."
"Hey," he said, "I have an idea. "Why don't you get your coat and your boots and you can go with me?"
"Me?" she frowned. "You'd want me along? Marcus, I'd just slow you up."
"Do I look like I'm in a hurry?" He laughed. "Come on. It would do us both good. We could go into London for lunch. I know a lovely little quiet Italian place. There's a chocolatier across the street and a few other shops I think you'd like."
"Do you always take your clients on unnecessary outings?" she gave him a slight smile.
"As long as we don't have to go to any cigar shops, I'm good with it," he laughed. "It used to be the first stop I had to make with my old clients."
"How do you feel about baby shops?"
"I'm actually really good with that," he laughed, relieved. He got his black wool coat and got her coat and her boots. He helped her with her boots and her coat and put his own coat on. "Come on. I presume we should tell someone we're going to be gone for an hour or two. I presume they won't mind you being gone that long. Seems like they have enough on their hands with their two patients." He took her and they headed downstairs to let someone know they were going out."