Chapter 23

Quentin got to his feet. When he saw the whip mark on Noelle's arm, he gasped and asked, "Does it hurt?"

Noelle frowned a bit and said, "Just a little."

Quentin sighed, then lifted her and took her upstairs. Noelle's heart skipped a beat. She sensed Quentin's tension and could almost hear his fast-beating heart. Her mind drifted.

He placed her on the bed in the upstairs bedroom. Then, he quickly grabbed the first aid kit Robert had given him and helped Noelle treat her wound.

As he was a man, Quentin could endure being whipped with relative ease, but Noelle was different. Her skin was sensitive and prone to bruising even from minor bumps. He couldn't fathom the pain she must be experiencing.

As Quentin applied the ointment, he asked, "Does it hurt? If it does, you can pinch me!"

Noelle's heart skipped a beat once more. She pondered whether his concern meant he still had feelings for her. Yet, later, she considered that perhaps it stemmed from his guilt over her suffering for his