Chapter 8
Annella woke from a shot of pain searing from her chest. She looked around and saw Rory looking down at her and could see the tenderness in his eyes. She had been laying her head on his lap like a pillow. Knowing that this was completely inappropriate, she tried to move away.
“Nay dinna move. It will only hurt worse.”
He took his hand and placed it on the top of her head and gently glided his thumb across her forehead.
“Ye had me worried, lass. I was no’ sure ye would make it through the night. I ken ye are in pain. I’m no’ sure what I can do for ye out here. We dinna have a healer or maid here to help ye. We will ride back to Dunstan as quickly as we can. My mother will be there to help ye. She is a healer.” He bent over and picked up a small jug. “I have brought ye some water to drink.” He held the container up to her lips to allow her to drink. Spilling some water down her chin, he used the sleeve of this leine shirt and patted her face and neck dry.
She took a few more sips and looked away so that Rory could not see the tears rolling down her cheeks. She felt humiliated and angry. She did not want Rory to see her like this and she did not know how to tell him that Stewart forced her to marry him.
What made matters worse was she needed some private time and she knew that he was going to have to help her. For a man to help a woman to the privy was unheard of but she had to swallow her pride and ask for the assistance she needed.
With a shallow breath she opened her mouth but nothing came out. Rory gave her a puzzled look.
“What is it, my lady?”
“I need some privacy,” she faintly said.
“Ah.” Rory looked around not sure what else to say. Normally a maid would help a lady in these matters but there was no one around. “I can bring ye, my lady.” He stood up from the makeshift pallet and as gently as he could he picked her up.
She coughed several times, moaned out and grabbed her chest. “I think my rib is broken. The coughing makes the pain worse.”
“We will have to bandage it up. It will feel better once it is.”
They walked out of the tent to see the men breaking their fast.
“Good morning, my laird. I have a plate of cheese and bread for ye and some warm broth for Lady Annella,” Angus said.
“Thank ye, Angus. I am taking Lady Annella out for some privacy. Make sure nay one of ye leaves the camp.”
“Aye, my laird.”
In Rory’s arms, he carried her over to a small brook and carefully sat her down on a rock. “I can turn around if ye like but I will no’ be leaving ye here alone. I dinna ken this area and dinna want to take my chances of someone coming upon ye.”
Not wanting to argue because Rory did have a sound point, she nodded with agreement. She slowly unraveled the plaid from around her shoulders and tried to lift up the skirt from her torn chemise but she was too sore. “My laird, I can no’…”
Rory turned around and saw her struggling.
“Here my lady, I will help ye but I promise I will look away.” He turned his head and felt for the seam of the bottom of her skirt. He held it up so that she could relieve herself.
This has to be the most embarrassing thing e’er. “I am finished,” she said feeling completely humiliated.
Rory dropped her skirt and picked up the plaid from the ground and wrapped her up in it again and lifted her into his arms. As much as she felt embarrassed by needing to depend on him like this, she enjoyed being held by him. They walked back to the tent in silence.
“I will be back, my lady. I need to get ye some bandages for yer ribs and I will get ye yer broth that Angus made for ye.”
“Thank ye, my laird,” she whispered faintly.
“Call me Rory, my lady.”
He smiled. She felt her breaths quicken. Not certain if it was because she was ill and injured or if it was her body’s reaction to him.
Rory walked out of the tent and headed to his bag to pull out some bandages he needed to wrap Annella’s ribs. His body felt tense holding her in his arms that he had to make himself leave the tent to get some fresh air. He wanted to take her pain away but at the same time wanted to ravish her.
Holding her in his arms throughout the night was pure torture. Seeing her exposed neck and the flesh of the top of her chest made him grow hard with need. He had rubbed her silky arms up and down trying to offer her comfort but also gave him pleasure by touching her soft skin.
Thinking about what the Earl had said angered him. Was she really married to Stewart? Had he forced himself on her and taken her maidenhood? He wanted to hurry back to Dunstan to leave Annella in his mother’s care so that he could go after Stewart and kill the man.
“How is she doing, my laird?” Angus asked interrupting Rory’s thoughts.
“The lass might have a broken rib. I need to wrap it up. She is still coughing quite a bit. We need to leave as soon as we can. My mother will have herbs and drinking potions prepared for her to heal.”
“I will tear down the camp at once, my laird.”
“Good, let me ken when ye are finished”
Rory walked over to the fire where Angus had set down the broth for Annella to drink. He took the plate of cheeses and bread for himself and the broth and headed back into the tent.
“My lady, I have brought ye something to eat. It is only broth but I think anything else would make yer stomach unsettled. Once we are back at Dunstan, my mother will help ye and let ye ken when ye can start eating solid food again. After we eat, I will wrap yer ribs. Then we must be off.”
Part of her did not want to return, to see the damage the English and Stewart had done. She wasn’t ready to face the devastation that she knew would be waiting for her. Laird Stewart had taken so much from her. She made a vow to herself that she would get her revenge.
After only taking a small portion of broth, Annella felt nauseated and tired. Rory was glad that she appeared drowsy. If she could sleep while she rode on the horse with him, it wouldn’t be so hard on her. He moved over to the pallet where she was laying. With the bandages in his hand, he gestured that it was time to examine her ribs.
“My lady, if I may I will need to look at yer ribs. I need to see if they are broken in order to make sure that I secure the wrap properly.”
Making sure that she wouldn’t protest, he removed the plaid that was covering her. He looked up at her to see her facial expression to make sure that she was going to willingly accept his help. Her eyes held no emotion and he continued to examine her. He placed his large hand onto the lower part of her right abdomen and worked his fingers upward towards her ribs. With his hand on her body, he had to fight the urge to caress her. Touching her sent shivers down his spine. Her skin felt so soft under his rough fingers. Even bruised, she was beautiful.
“I dinna believe these are broken, my lady. Only bruised but I still will need to wrap them. It will help wit the pain.”
He loosened the bandages and began to wrap it around the lower part of her chest and tied it securely. When his hands came around the front of her, he grazed the underside of her breasts. The feathery touch of her mounds made him stir. His mouth dropped and he looked up at her. She was looking at him with the same fervent expression.
She lightly bit her bottom lip and Rory felt his insides scramble. He raised his hand to stroke her cheek, not taking his eyes off hers. She closed her eyes at his touch. He started to lean in to brush his lips to hers when he was abruptly interrupted by Angus outside the tent calling for him. Damn. He let out a hasty breath and Annella instantly opened her eyes.
“My laird, my apologies for the interruption. Ye said to tell ye as soon as the camp was packed up.”
Staring into Rory’s eyes, Annella could feel his disappointment.
“Alright, Angus. Mount the horses; we are leaving.” Rory stood and with one swift movement, he lifted her up into his arms.
Annella felt an odd sense of coldness from him. She looked up and saw the bitterness in his eyes. He l
ifted her up onto the horse and threw his leg up behind her not saying a word. She rested her back against his chest. Feeling tired, she yawned and snuggled into the plaid Rory had wrapped around her. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
Rory pressed Torran to run at a steady pace. Now that he knew that Annella had bruised ribs, he was concerned that riding would make the pain worse. He couldn’t bear to cause her anymore pain. He held her close hoping to ease some of the movement from the horse underneath her.
This action both calmed his nerves and made his blood burn hotter. With her arse bouncing up and down rubbing against his manhood, it took all he had to concentrate on something else. God in heaven. He hoped that the plaid was thick enough between them that she could not feel the hardness bulging from underneath. He desperately tried to concentrate on the road ahead.
“My laird, do ye think we can make it to Dunstan by nightfall?” Colin asked riding up next to him.
Quietly, not to wake Annella he answered back, “Aye, we must ride as fast as we must but as slow as we can. We can no’ risk Lady Annella to have any further injuries.”
“Has she said what has happened to her?”
“Nay and I dinna want to pressure her into telling me. I will wait until she is well to speak to her. I am no’ sure she kens what to expect at Dunstan. She has no’ mentioned her father, nor have I.”
“The lass will be in for quite a shock, my laird.”
“Aye. I ken. My mother will be there to help her,” he said looking down at the wee lass in his arms. And so will I.
He knew that losing his father was hard on him and his brother. He couldn’t imagine the blow it will be on Annella. Damn Longshanks and his despicable, bastard nephew. He held onto the reins tighter in his hand until he felt the rope burn into this skin.
After a few hours of riding, Rory had directed his men to stop and rest the horses. Annella was still resting in his arms.
“My lady. We have stopped for a break to stretch out our limbs. Do ye need some privacy?” he whispered.
She looked up at him with blurry eyes and tiredly bobbed her head. Rory scooted back and swung his leg over to dismount. He lifted his arms up to grab onto Annella’s waist and guided her down. Sliding her body down his, he held onto her longer than he needed to. He put one of his arms behind her legs and lifted her into the air. He didn’t want Annella to take the chance trying to walk, in case her legs were still too weak, causing her to fall.
He walked over to some nearby bushes and set her down on the slope of a small incline. With a tree next to her, she raised her hand to prop herself up as he adjusted her skirt making it easier for her to lift it so she could alleviate herself. Turning around, he patiently waited for her to finish. Once she called out to him that she was done, he moved around the tree to pick her back up and brought her over to the fire where Angus was sitting. She watched him walk away towards Colin.
“My lady,” Angus said as he bowed his head to her. “I have no’ been properly introduced to ye. Me name is Angus. I am Laird MacKinnon’s squire.”
Annella coughed to clear her throat and with a hoarse voice she replied, “Nice to meet ye, Angus.”
“I am glad that we found ye, my lady. Laird MacKinnon was verra worried about ye. He cares verra much for ye, I think.”
Annella glanced over at Rory and inwardly smiled. She too had begun to care a great deal for him. To hear someone else say it however, she wondered if that was truly how he felt. At times she believed that he cared for her but he hasn’t said anything so she couldn’t be sure. But what did that matter now? She couldn’t undo her marriage to Stewart. The vows were given by a priest and before the eyes of God.
Just then Rory sat down between them and handed her a small bowl. “My Lady, I have some broth for ye and whiskey to drink. It will help dull the pain. We should be crossing the border to yer lands soon and will be at Dunstan by nightfall.”
The fear inside Annella grew stronger. She kept telling herself that she needed to be brave. Now was not the time to cower. She knew that in her condition, she needed to get back home. Berta, if she were still alive, would help care for her as she always had. Poor Berta, please God let her be alright. The only good reasons she could think of returning home was a hot bath, a warm meal and sleeping in her own bed.
Stewart’s nerves jumped as the Earl forcefully swept his hand across the desk causing the stacks of maps and letters to go crashing down onto the floor. Still residing at Caerlaverock Castle, waiting for the return of Laird Maxwell, the Earl was angered by the loss of his prisoner and the attack on his men.
“My laird, if ye can put yer trust and faith in me. Let me take a group of men and ride out after them. I am a good tracker and my knowledge of the Highlands would come in verra useful to ye. I will see to it personally to kill that whoreson and bring my disobedient wife back,” Stewart zealously offered.
Stewart was worried that the marriage between him and Annella was unsealed as they had not yet consummated the marriage bed. After striking her down, she did not wake until Rory and his men arrived. He needed the priest to witness the bedding or even the blood stained sheets in order to gain control of her lands and that was exactly what he was going to do.
Chapter 9
Before she knew it, they had crossed the border to her lands and were only a few more miles away. The sun had already set but that did not stop Rory from riding. He was an exceptional rider.
The moon shined brightly offering enough light so that they could see the path ahead. At the top of the hill, they looked down over her village and keep. Annella froze. She felt the eeriness that something was amiss. The village had been badly destroyed. Torran trotted slowly down the hill and into the village. They rode in silence observing the damaged crofts and barns. The village was vacant.
Annella’s chest tightened with sadness. Were they all dead? She fought hard to hold back the tears and hid her face against Rory’s chest. He tightened his hold around her. She needed him, his comfort and his support.
The devastation to the village was worse than Rory thought. He couldn’t imagine what was going on inside Annella’s head. They continued to ride towards the keep. From a distance, he saw two guards standing outside the gates.
“Halt. Ye there. That’s far enough. Who are ye?” one called out.
“It is Laird MacKinnon. I have brought home Lady Annella.”
“My lady?” The man called out almost in tears. He ran over to Rory’s horse. “Oh my lady. We thought we lost ye to those devils. Thank God ye are alive.” The guard turned around and yelled out, “Open the gates, Lady Annella has returned.”
The gates were lowered and immediately the guards in the bailey rushed over to them. Many of them praised God for her safe return.
Annella observed the keep. It was nearly destroyed. A part of the roof had collapsed and the rest was badly burned.
“It is good to see ye, my laird. Thank ye for returning our lady to us,” Alastair said as he stepped by the side of Rory’s horse, holding up his hand to shake Rory’s. “I can take her now. Yer cousin and mother have also just arrived.”
“Good. Have my mother get a bath sent up to Lady Annella’s room.”
“Where is everyone?” Annella asked in despair of seeing only a few of her clansmen.
“Those who survived have taken refuge with the Dundas clan. Only a few of us remained behind, my lady,” Alastair explained.
Rory put his hand on Annella’s cheek and whispered, “Dinna worry, lass. I will come see how ye fair after my mother has looked over ye and ye have had yer bath. I promise.” With tears in her eyes, she nodded her head and the guard carried her off inside the keep. Looking back over to Alastair he said, “I need to speak to ye at once.”
With her eyes closed and head tilted back along the rim of the tub, Annella breathed in the warm steam of her bath water. The heated water had already begun to relax her sore muscles. She was home and nothing at that moment could make her feel any
better. She gazed over to the hearth at the far end of the room and stared into the fire. She watched as the flames danced around each other while thinking about what her life was going to be like now, with her father gone.
She knew she would have to help rebuild the village, take account of their supplies, delegate the staff all new duties and so many other minuscule tasks she wasn’t even aware of yet. Because she was now married to Laird Stewart, the land would become his, but she was not going to let him take it away from her. She thought perhaps she could get assistance from her sister’s husband.
The Dundas clan so far had been good allies. She knew she could count on her sister to convince her husband to help Annella organize the keep and perhaps offer her protection. She hasn’t seen her sister for almost a year since she wed Laird Dundas. She missed her dearly.
Just breathe, she told herself. Now that she was home safe, one other thing she had not thought about until now, Rory. Now that he has done his duty and returned her to her home, he would most likely be leaving. He had no reason to stay. He is laird of his own clan and his people need him.
Thinking back over the past few days, she realized how strong her bond with Rory had become. He helped care for her, fed her and not once did he leave her side, until now. Now that she was in the care of his mother, he left to attend to other matters. Her heart fluttered at the thought that he promised to visit after she bathed.
“Ye sweet thing. I can no’ imagine why anyone would do something so terrible to such a young lass,” Lady Kenna, Rory’s mother said as she put her hand on Annella’s cheek to assess the bruises.
April Holthaus - The MacKinnon Clan 01 Page 7
