by Sondra Grey
She’d kissed a man before, and she quite enjoyed it. It was one of the few things that she and her mother ever were at cross-purposes about. “You don’t know what they want from you!” Deirdre used to holler at her.
“Oh, yes I do!” Isla had declared.
“Do you plan to be the talk of Elleric, girl? You give yourself to a lad and no lad will marry you. With your face, you can have the pick of the lot. You could marry one the Stewart’s get! But they won’t have you soiled!” Deirdre had a strange obsession with seeing Isla well-married. She would sneer constantly at the airs the nobility put on, and yet plot Isla’s marriage to one of their sons. Deirdre had been barely appeased when Joss Stewart’s son Gavin had seemed interested. “He’s a fine boy!” Deirdre had allowed, albeit grudgingly. “You can do better, but you’ll live a fine life.”
Isla stared at the beams that ran across the ceiling of her room. Her hurt over Gavin was slowly starting to build to anger. She understood that he was upset over his brother’s death, but to call her a witch? And in front of the whole town! To chase her from her home not three months after she’d lost her mother, not two months before they were to marry…
But she couldn’t keep her mind on Gavin, it kept turning back to Calum. What might Deirdre say about her daughter attracting the attention of a clan Chieftain? She’d say: tread carefully, daughter.
The next morning, when the terrible maid Maggie swept into her room, she was more sour than usual and it took Isla a few minutes to remember last night: Lady Campbell’s loud words in the hall. How many people in the castle had heard the exchange between the laird and his sister. How many had seen him follow her out into the courtyard?
Isla stifled a groan and waited for Maggie to leave before she washed and dressed and went into Hugh’s room to check on him.
Dundur’s nephew was awake and looked a bit harried. Isla guessed correctly when she said, “Your mother was in to visit?”
“I can’t believe she was awake this early,” said the boy, more uncharitable than Isla had yet to see him. Isla was surprised too, but didn’t want to mention to Hugh how drunk his mother had been the night before.
“She’s a mother,” Isla suggested, “perhaps she was just anxious over your wellbeing.”
Hugh grimaced, “Perhaps, but I think it had more to do with the stag hunt. The castle was up early preparing to ride out. The commotion probably woke her too.”
Ah yes, the women had been talking about the hunt yesterday, and were quite excited over the dinner that evening: venison. The thought cheered Isla out of her murky mood. She might make herself useful later and help in the kitchen.
“You’re healing nicely,” she told him, checking on his stitches, “And no infection, which is a miracle.”
Hugh nodded, “I’m feeling better. Do you think I can get up soon?”
Isla looked at the wound and pursed her lips. “Two more days,” she said. “I’m going to take the sutures out today, later this afternoon, and I’d like you to give yourself two more days before you start moving around. I don’t want the movement to strain the wound. It was deep. I’d rather you start to scar a bit before you stand up and ruin everything.”
Hugh nodded.
“Do you know,” said Isla, resisting the urge to ruffle his hair. He was nearly a man, no need to treat him like a boy, “I think you’re the most patient I’ve ever treated.”
Hugh blushed at the strange compliment, and Isla smiled sweetly at him. “I’m going to go help in the kitchens and I’ll be back around lunchtime. Will you be all right until then?”
“Will you keep my mother busy?”
Isla laughed and shook her head. “She’s your mother, Hugh. I’ll let you handle her.”
CHAPTER FIVE
I sla was working in the kitchens when the commotion began. From the surprise on everyone’s face, Isla knew it was too early for the hunters to return. And yet, suddenly there was a great commotion in the hall, and people poured out of the kitchen to see what was occurring.
“We’d better go and see.” Mrs. Allan suggested, dropping dough she was kneading and dusting her hands on her apron. Isla hurried after her.
The courtyard was chaos. Horses whinnied and stomped in the center of the yard, sending the livestock swarming about the edges. People were gathering around the horses, calling out, there were some gasps and some screams as well. Isla could hear a voice above them all, the lady Campbell, wailing as if to raise the dead. Hugh? Had he tried to get out of bed too soon? Isla pushed through the throng of clansmen and women until she could just make out a small group in the middle of them. They were hovering over someone laid out on the ground. There was praying and crying.
“Make way!” Isla ordered, her voice parting a few people in front of her. “Make way and let me see!”
When the clans realized it was the healer coming, they grabbed at her arms and pushed her through until she was inside the circle of hovering riders.
Isla gasped. Laid out on the ground was the Laird of Dundur. Blood coated his face and he wasn’t moving. “Move out of my way,” she said, her voice calm and stern with authority. “Lady Campbell?” The woman was grasping her brother’s shirt, screeching and was beyond hearing Isla. “Someone remove Lady Campbell,” Isla ordered.
It took the woman’s husband and three other men to pry Lady Campbell from her brother’s side. But there was finally room, and Isla knelt down by the large and completely unconscious form of Calum Grant. She reached out to check his pulse first and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. It was strong. He’d been knocked unconscious, not dead.
“I need clean water,” she said. Head wounds tended to bleed profusely and she couldn’t quite tell what the damage was. Someone over her shoulder handed her a skin full of clean water, which she poured across the laird’s face, keeping it from his eyes, nose and mouth. As the blood cleared she saw the wound. Near his hairline, growing more purple by the second. Someone else handed her a kerchief, and she dabbed at the wound a moment before nodding. It would need a few stitches to keep it closed, and she couldn’t be sure how bad the bruise was going to get. She’d need to monitor that.
“He’s all right for now,” she said, her voice rising above the crowd. “Carefully bring him to his room. Bring hot water, needle and thread,” she looked around spying Geordie’s sandy blond head near the back of the crowd. “Geordie?” She had to call his name over the hubbub and the blond parted looking down at her. “Can you get my medicines?” If anyone was to sit in the laird’s room with her, to calm an unusual panic that was building up inside her chest, she wanted it to be Geordie.
The young man nodded without a word and darted off. A few others bent down to heft the Laird’s large, unwieldy form from the courtyard and up to his room.
Isla had yet to visit the top floor of the keep. The Lairds room took up the whole floor. There was a solar and an enormous bedroom with an elaborately carved bedframe and beautiful, deep green bedcloths that could be pulled to shield the bed from view. They were open now, the light from outside streamlining in and making what might otherwise be a dark room into something comfortable and vibrant. It was by far the most luxurious room in the small castle.
“Strip the covers,” Isla ordered. “And place something beneath him. I doubt he’ll want his blood all over these fine sheets.”
Someone laid wool blankets on the bed and then the laird was laid gently atop them.
Isla was deeply shaken and tried to hide it. There was something devastating about seeing someone so hale lying so prone.
“What happened?” she asked. She needed to keep his retainers distracted as she cleaned the wound. It wasn’t through bleeding yet and she didn’t want to place pressure on what was shaping up to be a spectacular knot. They were all pale and worried, and she knew she was going to be hard pressed to get them to leave when their laird’s health was in jeopardy.
“’Twas Campbell,” said a clansman, gruffly. “Stupid arse was still drunk from la
st night. Nearly fell from his horse when the thing was in full gallop, slid right from the saddle and was nearly trampled. The laird leapt down to calm the horse and got a good kick to the side of his head for the trouble.”
“A horse’s hoof did this?” Isla said. No wonder he was out cold.
“Yes ma’am.”
“Is Geordie here?”
“Shall I fetch him?” someone offered.
“He’ll in Hugh’s rooms, grabbing my medicines. Tell him I need the arnica paste.”
By the time the wound had stopped bleeding, and she’d stitched it closed and applied an arnica salve to the bruise, Isla decided she needed to see if they could get the laird awake. She and her mother had tended a few head injuries in Elleric. There was one case so bad that when the man was knocked unconscious, he’d never woken up. Isla knew from Deirdre that it was better to monitor a head wound by speaking directly to the patient. Only Dundur could tell her how bad his head really was.
She tried calling his name, tried shaking him gently, pouring cool water over his face – he was out.
She waited with him for two hours until she remembered that she had two patients and so she set Geordie to watching the laird breath and went to remove Hugh’s sutures.
“My mother was in and told me what happened,” the boy said, wincing as Isla worked to remove the thread from his healing wound. “Will he wake up?”
She sighed. “We won’t know until he’s woken.”
She must have answered that question twenty times before dinner. Finally, when several clansmen brought up trays of food and looked ready to eat in his room. She assured them that she’d let them all know when he came to.
Alone now, Isla watched the large figure on the bed. His chest rose and fell in shallow but steady breaths. Isla stood restlessly and circled the room. Her mind kept returning to the night before, to his hands on her skin, his lips at her cheek. What if that was the last time she’d ever see him awake? And she hadn’t kissed him.
She crossed and uncrossed her arms, and then went over to the bed to check his pulse for the twentieth time. She pressed her fingers lightly to the smooth skin beneath his jaw. It was warm but not feverish. Still full of life. Isla breathed a sigh of relief. Alone now, with the unconscious laird, she was free to look at him.
Lord, he was beautiful. While Isla had always been attracted to the fair-haired Elleric boys, there was something raw and vital about this highland laird. Even unconscious he looked strong, chin firm, cheek bones high, nose bold – as if he’d been carved from the stony hills themselves. His clansmen had stripped him of his bloody clothes and so he lay there, covers pulled to his waist, chest bare and muscles stark, even in repose.
Isla wanted to touch him, wanted to run her hands through the dark curling hair on his chest, wanted to run her lips along his cheek like he’d done to her the night before. But the healer in her wouldn’t allow her to take advantage of a patient, and so she looked instead, allowing herself small touches: a hand on the side of his face, on his brow.
His lashes were dark, thick curtains against his cheek, she was staring at them when they fluttered.
Isla caught her breath and, sure enough, his breathing changed. One eye cracked open, pupils large, whites lightly blood shot, but as his eyes found hers, his mouth tipped up at the edges. “Found your way to my bed, did you lass?”
Isla was speechless for a moment, watching helplessly as the laird raised his hand to frame her face, lifted his head off the bed.
He roared and dropped his head back down into the pillow. His eyes scrunched up tight and then he let out a loud, sharp curse before letting loose a long string of gradually weakening profanity. When he finally quieted, his breathing shallow and pained.
At the sound of their laird’s shouting, two clansmen rushed in and crowded the bed.
“Calum?” one of them demanded. Their laird waved a weak and erratic hand, moving his mouth but no sound came out. The clansmen leaned closer, “What are you saying?” they demanded.
“Get OUT,” he said, with force if not more volume.
“But…”
“OUT!”
The men backed away from the bed cautiously, and Isla followed them to the door. “You can tell the others that he’s awake. But best to stay away for now.”
The clansmen cast worried looks at the bed, but did as their laird and the healer bade them. When Isla turned back to the bed, Dundur was groaning, his hand reaching to probe his head.
“Stop that!” Isla ordered, reaching out to capture his wrist and pin it to his side. The laird’s eyes were closed, his mouth a grimace of pain.
“What on earth,” he muttered. “I feel like I’ve been kicked by a horse.”
“Apparently, you were.”
“Blasted Campbell!”
Isla breathed a sigh of relief. He was awake and had the presence of mind to be angry. “Do you remember the incident, then?”
“I remember the idiot getting dragged by the ankle from his saddle. I should have let him hang there.”
“I’m sure your sister is glad you didn’t.” Isla cautiously released his wrist, and Dundur cautiously opened his lids and squinted at her.
“You’ve been unconscious for a few hours.” Isla informed him. “I’m sure everyone is relieved that you’re awake.”
Dundur said nothing, but closed his eyes again and lay still, breathing through his nose. Isla had seen head injuries before. They made people sick, and she retrieved a clean chamber pot, placed it by his bed and then relocated to the small table and chairs in the corner of the room where a large chessboard sat with its pieces still set up. She’d noted the chessboard when they’d brought him into the room, but hadn’t studied it closely. It looked like the laird was in the middle of a game with someone. Isla distracted herself by studying the chessboard, giving the laird time to adjust to his pain in the head.
“How bad is it?” he asked after a moment or two, and Isla turned her attention back to the bed.
Isla stood up and peered down at the wound as if for the first time. “You’ll have to tell me,” she told him. “Describe the pain.”
He pinched his lips together.
“Is it coming in waves or is it steady?”
“Steady.” Isla breathed a sigh of relief. The patient who’d died, said the pain had come in waves, and he’d vomited something awful before succumbing to sleep and not waking up.
“I can brew you some willow bark tea if your stomach can stand to drink it. I feel you might be queasy for a little while yet, and you’ll have a terrible headache for a few days to come.”
He grunted in assent and Isla moved into the hall to see who might be available to fetch boiling water from the kitchens. Two clansmen stood tensely near the mouth of the stairwell, and Geordie was sitting in a chair that someone had dragged into the hall.
Isla gave him a sachet of the willow bark and gave him instructions for the tea. Geordie got up to follow her instructions and one the clansmen, a Grant cousin with large forearms and the laird’s bold nose stepped forward. “Is he calmer? May I speak to him?”
“I’ll let you speak to him if he asks for you,” said Isla calmly, and she turned back inside.
Dundur hadn’t even tried to lever himself to sitting. He lay back in his pillows, eyes closed, mouth a grim line.
“Your clansmen are asking for you.”
When he didn’t respond and Isla felt her pulse quicken. “Are you awake?”
He said nothing, and Isla rushed to the bed, “Calum!” she gripped his forearm and his eyes snapped open to glare at her.
Isla took a deep breath to steady herself. “It’s important you stay awake,” she told him. “At least for a little while. One of our village crofters fell from the roof. He went to sleep and didn’t wake up.”
“I’d be satisfied with not waking up now.”
Isla stared at him levelly, “You mean to tell me that your sixteen-year-old nephew is braver than you? Why he’s been lai
d up for a week with barely a complaint about the pain.”
“Compare me to him when he’s had his head knocked in.”
“I’d rather he keep his head undented, I wouldn’t wish a horse’s kick on that boy.”
Dundur cracked an eyelid open to study her. “Meaning you’d wish it on me?”
“Hugh didn’t chase me through the forest, kidnap me, and keep me prisoner in his castle.” Isla met him stare for stare.
Dundur grunted and closed his eyes again. “Something tells me you’re not hating here as much as you’d like me to believe.”
Isla didn’t respond to him. A few minutes passed with Dundur breathing steadily, shifting every so often to signal to Isla that he was still awake.
Dundur opened his eyes only when Geordie came into the room bearing the tea. “All right there, Calum?” asked Geordie, voice soft. He handed the steaming tea to Isla.
“See if you can help him sit up, Geordie.” Isla commanded. “He’ll choke on this if he tries to swallow it lying down.”
Dundur might have been fine complaining before Isla, but he was stubborn before Geordie, levering himself up before the clansman could help.
Isla handed him the tea and he took it, sipping at it tentatively and breathing through his nose, no doubt staving off nausea.
“I put in mint in case his stomach was sour,” Geordie said to her and Isla nodded; she could smell it.
Geordie motioned Isla over to the table, where they could speak without being overheard. “You might want to allow Fergus to come in and speak to him,” said Geordie. “The clan would feel a good deal better if they heard from their chieftain with their own ears.”
Isla nodded and murmured that she’d speak to the laird about it, but if he wasn’t up to seeing anyone, she wasn’t going to let them bother him.
“If you’re hungry, lass, and looking for some peace, I’ll stay with him. Make sure he stays conscious. You can get some supper from the kitchens.” Geordie offered.
