The Highlander's Secret Maiden: A Scottish Historical Romance Novel

by Lydia Kendall

  This was the first time Georgina had seen this rather vulnerable side of Conall. He was so full of charm and confidence all the time that she’d imagined him as not having any hidden depths.

  “Well I’m sure you do your best,” Georgina said in response, “especially as it’s just the three of you left. At least you have each other to rely upon.”

  “Aye. It would be nice tae expand the family though, have some bairns o’ our own,” Conall said longingly.

  Georgina felt herself blush as his gaze fixed upon her as he spoke. Was that a wink and all? The movement was so slight I could barely tell. Gosh, is he talking about me?

  “Oh, aye, here we go again,” Fiona burst out, “let’s pick on Fiona as the childless braud o’ the family.” She folded her arms violently, glaring in Conall’s direction.

  Clearly this topic of conversation was a sore point, Georgina thought.

  “Och, lass, hald yer wheest, I wisnae speakin’ about ye,” Conall retorted with a sigh. “I was talkin’ about meself. It’s aboot time I found a fair maiden and make an honest woman oot o’ her.”

  Clearly, this time he definitely winked at me.

  “Ye’ll find yerself the right man yet, Fiona,” he continued, “and if they’re daft enough tae turn ye doon, they’ll be getting’ a square hit tae the jaw.”

  Fiona merely hmmphed and re-crossed her arms, looking away from her brother’s direction.

  “Well, I’ve fair enjoyed the pleasure o’ yer company this evenin’, including ye Fiona, but I’ve got business tae attend to. A laird’s work is never done,” Conall said, making a show of bending down to kiss Georgina’s hand as he spoke, his eyes never leaving hers.

  “Why I’m most flattered,” Georgina choked out, still taken aback at his recent show of caring vulnerability, “Good evening, Conall.”

  They waited until Conall had left the room before Fiona let out what was on both of their minds; “what on earth has gotten intae him?”

  Chapter 19

  It was pouring down with rain by the time home was in sight for Marcas. He’d long blocked out the pain in his leg, grinning and bearing it as they kept on from the inn just outside of Edinburgh, all the way up through the winding road.

  They’d been forced to stop off in Inverness for supplies, having run out of food and Marcas’ wound beginning to look more and more precarious by the minute. It was more of an excuse for Alpin to visit some of his favorite haunts, where he had a woman in each. Luckily, the first one was adept enough to provide clean bandages for Marcas before disappearing with Alpin in a coy fit of giggles.

  “I’m tellin’ ye man,” Alpin had encouraged, “there are plenty o’ lasses tae go aboot in this town, a fair few that could surely let ye forget that ye ever hurt yer leg in the first place. Or are ye too hung up on that English filly?”

  “Ach, I’m in no shape tae be able tae please a lass Alpin,” Marcas bantered back, “I don’t do a half-arsed job when I set oot tae do somethin’.” In truth, none of the women they encountered even came close to Georgina. He simply hadn’t been able to get their kiss out of his head ever since it happened.

  “Home is finally in sight man,” Alpin called over from his own horse as they made their way up the hill from the village.

  “Aye, isn’t it a sight for sore eyes!” Marcas yelled back. Oh, thank God. I don’t think I could take another hour o’ this.

  The longer they’d rode up North, the worse the pain in his leg was getting from rubbing against the horse’s flank. He’d been alternating between holding his left leg slightly out from the horse’s body, leaving his quad muscle tight and tense and letting it relax where it would continue to rub against the movement of the horse.

  Finally, they rode up in front of the castle where his brother Conall was stood waiting for them.

  “Aye, Marcas, glad ye made it back in one piece. I was startin’ tae worry the English had gotten ye!” Conall called out in greeting, his tone light-hearted.

  “They’ll have tae try harder than that no doubt,” Marcas yelled back as he tightened the reins and encouraged the horse to come to a halt. Where is Georgina? Did Conall succeed in getting her away from Bolton?

  “Well? What’s the news?” Marcas demanded.

  “Ach, me plan went without a hitch. I bribed Bolton’s carriage driver tae slow doon their journey and smuggle the lass oot o’ the inn during the night. The pair o’ us travelled up here wi’ no bother,” Conall explained.

  Marcas nodded at this update, bristling slightly at ‘the pair o’ us’ comment. Here Conall was, getting her to cozy up tae him once again. What if something happened between them on the road?

  “Alpin, me man,” Conall greeted him with a tight handshake, “job well done oot there.”

  “Aye, it’s no bother, Conall,” Alpin replied, his tone filled with pride.

  “Ye’ll be comin’ in for a bit o’ ale I trust?” Conall asked, to which Alpin agreed enthusiastically.

  Marcas was itching to get inside and rest his leg and, more importantly, to finally see Georgina again. Part of him was hoping that she’d come running out to attend to him as soon as he arrived outside of the castle.

  “Where’s the lasses at then?” Marcas asked, trying to downplay his disappointment. He carefully swung his injured leg over the horse, lowering himself down to the ground. Oh, ye buggeer, he was powerless to stop himself from letting out a hiss between his teeth as he put weight on his left leg once again before he all but crumbled to the ground.

  It took Conall and Alpin’s combined strength to heave him up on his feet and help him up the steps and into the castle. Soon Mrs. Loganach caught sight of them all and came clucking around Marcas, ordering for him to be taken straight up to bed.

  “Why, ye look as white as a sheet lad,” she said as she examined his disheveled appearance and felt his forehead. “And yer feverish and all. Bloody hell, ye’ve no done yersel’ any favors travelin’ wi’ that wound that’s fer sure.”

  He really did feel lousy and his head was swimming. He was determined to limp up the stairs without help but he could hardly get far before Alpin grabbed one of his arms and wrapped it around his own shoulders, taking Marcas’ weight as he assisted him up to his bedchambers.

  Oh, this is killer, my body feels like a dead weight that I can hardly lift, what the hell is goin’ on? As they neared his bedchamber, Marcas began to feel woozy. He was sweating, and his skin felt like it was burning up. Surely, I can’t have caught a fever. Highlander’s like me are supposed tae be too strong and warrior-like fer this nonsense.

  Soon enough he was lying down on his bed covers, Mrs. Loganach coming with a basin of cool water and an empty pot in case of sickness.

  “Ach, Mrs. Loganach, this is surely going above and beyond yer duties. I’m sure I’ll manage just fine fae here,” Marcas insisted.

  The family cook just frowned at him with her hands on her hips. “Noo Marcas, yer only a human being. We all fall sick and get scrapes and that fae time to time, there’s no use being shamed o’ it,” she said gently.

  Luckily neither Alpin nor Conall was in the room, so he let his guard down a little to thank Mrs. Loganach for her help.

  “Well I’d best get back tae the kitchen, the meat’s no gonnae cook itself. Fiona and the English lass were off oot at the horses, so yer sister will likely look in on ye and take over fae here,” Mrs. Loganach explained as she exited the room, not before insisting that he get some rest.

  It didn’t take him long to fall asleep and when he finally opened his eyes again he didn’t have a scooby what the time was. All he knew was his body ached from head to toe, and he hardly knew whether he was hot or cold.

  A soft knock sounded on his door and before he could call out, the door gently opened to reveal his sister Fiona. His heart skipped a beat as she crept into the room and he saw Georgina’s concerned face right behind her.

  Oh, hell, this is hardly how I want her to see me. I pictured our reunion being more m
e as the heroic warrier, swooping in to save her from some misfortune or other, not me looking like death’s door.

  “Oh, heaven’s sake, Marcas, ye look awful,” Fiona stated in her usual blunt manner. Oh, gee thanks, just rub it in why don’t ye.

  “Well hello tae ye too,” Marcas said sarcastically.

  “Mrs. Loganach says ye have a fever,” Fiona began, gingerly sitting down on the edge of the bed to peer at his poorly figure in closer detail.

  As she rabbited on, he stopped listening and was drawn instead to the sight of Georgina. Clearly, she’s even bonnier than I remembered. Her eyes were wide, and her eyebrows drawn down in worry; her gaze fixed on him as she took in his incapacitated state.

  He barely noticed as Fiona left the room, leaving the two of them alone.

  “I see yer back safe and sound,” Marcas croaked.

  “Yes, I am indeed. Conall told me that you’d become injured trying to come and get me from the asylum,” Georgina said, slightly hesitantly.

  Her voice sounds like heaven.

  “Aye, it was during a struggle wi’ our old friend Bolton. His sword got the better o’ me I doubt,” he admitted.

  “Well if I know Morgan, I’m sure he used less than admirable techniques to wound you,” she said. He smiled at her for saying this.

  “The bugger sure did,” he said, feeling his heart flutter as she smiled, and he matched it with one of his own.

  “Oh, Marcas, I am sorry to see you like this,” she said, her voice filled with anguish as she hurried over to him and laid her hand upon his.

  “Ach, it’s nothin’ I can’t shake off,” he said, looking into her eyes. If it wasn’t fer this fever I’d be grabbing ye and kissing ye.

  “Let me take a look at your injury,” she said, reaching out to move the sheet to one side. As much as he didn’t want her seeing him in a weakened state, it made him feel warm inside to have her caring about his wellbeing.

  “Oh, my god!” she exclaimed, “Marcas, I think yer leg’s infected.” She was looking down at it in horror.

  “Ach, nothin’ a bit o’ rest won’t fix,” he said offhandedly, downplaying the pain.

  “Just look at the size of your leg! We need to call a doctor!” she yelled out.

  “What’s this noo?” Fiona asked as she re-entered the room.

  Oh, for god’s sake, just give us a minute alone, why don’t ye. He’d been enjoying Georgina’s worry over him, dissolving any fears that she’d forgotten about their kiss already.

  “Oh, good god, yer leg’s a sight tae look at,” Fiona exclaimed, her nose wrinkling. “I think Georgina’s right, we’d best call for Doctor MacEanain.”

  “Why don’t I stay with him while you send for the doctor?” Georgina asked Fiona.

  “Yea, ye keep an eye on him. If he insists there’s no need tae make a fuss, just ignore him, he’s just tryin’ tae impress ye,” Fiona said. She was addressing Georgina, but she narrowed her eyes at Marcas at the last of her words.

  “Och hald yer wheest, Fiona, I’ll no' give Georgina any hassle,” he said, giving Georgina a subtle wink when Fiona wasn’t looking. Her smile was cheeky at the sight of this, and they shared a silent moment of laughter before Fiona gave him a final look over.

  “Right well, I’ll be back as soon as I can wi’ Doctor MacEanain. Try no' tae do anything stupid in that time,” his sister commanded before dashing off out of the room.

  “It’s like she thinks I’m gonnae get up and run fer five miles before challengin’ the nearest fella for a duel,” he joked.

  Georgina let out a giggle at his words, and he relished the way her eyes crinkled as she laughed, her smile stretching as wide as it would go.

  “Although, just the sight o’ ye is enough tae make me feel all better,” he said as he took her hand in his once more.

  A blush crept into her cheeks as she smiled shyly at him, “Oh, how I’m glad to see you Marcas, even if it is like this,” she said.

  “If I weren’t so sick I would be pullin’ ye in fer a kiss right noo,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze.

  “How about we wait until you’re no longer an invalid?” Georgina asked teasingly, her eyes burning into his just like they had done that night

  “I was fair put out that morning when I realized ye were gone,” Marcas admitted, “we took tae the road right away once I realized that ye’d been captured. I was ready tae kill any man that even thought about harming ye.”

  “It was just awful. One minute I was light hearted with happiness, taking a stroll under the moonlight and the next this strange man grabbed me and dragged me off.” As she recounted her experience of being kidnapped, he winced as she described the way she was hit on the side of the head after she tried to struggle out of his grasp.

  If I weren’t bedridden I’d be out there scouring the country for that piece o’ filth.

  “Sweetheart, it makes me ache all the more for ye, tae hear that ye’ve had to go through all that,” he said. “Yer safe now an’ that’s all that matters.”

  “What matters is for you to recover,” Georgina said, brushing off any concerns about her own experience and focusing instead on him. “I’d rather not dwell on it all. You’re right, I’m safe now and everything else is in the past.”

  He lay his head back down on the damp pillow, which was soaked in sweat, with a groan, the energy required to prop himself becoming rather too much. Georgina mopped his brow, holding the cold towel down to soothe his burning skin. It felt wonderful.

  Her touch was gentle as she continued to wash his feverish skin. He watched her wince as she looked underneath the soiled bandage around his leg, nothing more than a torn piece of rag really. She washed the excess blood that had dried onto his skin as best she could.

  “Does this hurt?” she asked as he sucked his breath in through his teeth as the wound began to throb again.

  “Ach no, it’s fine,” he exhaled though clenched teeth.

  “I’d better go and get some clean water, this bowl is full of dirt and blood,” she stated, her nose wrinkling slightly as she looked at it.

  “Fine hid lass, I’ll be here,” he said jokingly, managing to get a smile out of her.

  She returned minutes later with fresh water, and some for him to drink as well, encouraging him to sit up and swallow some down.

  “Mrs. Loganach says that dinner is almost ready,” Georgina announced as she put the cup down next to him, “she would like to send you some up.”

  “Well I wouldn’t say no tae a decent plate o’ food,” Marcas said indulgently.

  “She also says she’s not taking no for an answer,” Georgina continued and smiled.

  “Best no' disappoint her then,” Marcas said with a wink.

  It wasn’t long before Fiona returned, with Doctor MacEanain in tow.

  “Well now lad, what have ye gotten yerself intae this time?” he asked.

  “Och, just a stab tae the leg doctor,” Marcas said, wishing the girls would leave so that Georgina wouldn’t have to watch him look weak in front of someone else.

  Doctor MacEanain took a loud sharp breath in when he took in the sight of Marcas’ leg. “Well lass, ye did the right thing by calling fer me,” he said, addressing Fiona, “if ye’d left it he might have lost a leg.”

  To Marcas’ relief, the doctor ushered Fiona and Georgina out of the room so that he could get to work uninterrupted.

  “Right, let’s see what we’re dealing with,” Doctor MacEanain said as he unwrapped the wound to take a good look. Silently, he washed the injury and began to apply an herbal balm to the now clean area of skin.

  “Oh, ye bugger!” Marcas exclaimed, the balm stinging like hell.

  “Hold still, this will draw out the infection,” the doctor instructed.

  Soon, he’d wrapped the wound back up and ordered Marcas to drink some foul-tasting liquid which would supposedly ease his fever.

  “Take this twice a day, apply the remedy tae yer leg regularly and make sure yer get
ting plenty of meat and veg,” was the doctor’s final instruction before moving to leave the room. “And I’ll be telling all this tae yer sister as well to make sure she keeps an eye on ye.”

  “Right ye are Doc,” Marcas said as he exited the room.

  What a fuss over nothing. The lads will think I’m a wimp fer havin’ the doctor called out. I suppose I’d better play up the fact I could’ve lost a leg, that’ll shut them up. 'Least it makes me sound tough in front o’ Georgina.

  Soon, there was another knock at the door and Georgina entered, plate of food in hand, after he called “Come in.”