Lost Creek Hollow domestic pressures

mona was startled all the same, for she had turned so far inward that even her senses had failed to notify her of the man's presence. and so she started, and stumbled in the snow, whirling to face the stranger who wore the scent of her pack. "oh!" came the cardinal's exclamation, followed by a trembling smile. "i'm all right. just a bit of indigestion, i think." mona was quite mortified to be discussing her sickness with the male, who clearly had smelled it, and, all gods forbid, perhaps even seen it. 
her nerves flared; the jerking of her body, coupled with her misery at having been found out, culminated in a sudden spear of nausea. "i'm sorry," was all the little firebrand could squeak, before turning away just in time to throw up a second time into the snow along her path. when she had finished, the stalwart sniffled and in spite of herself, mona began to cry quietly from embarassment.