purpose.
“Good,” the big man muttered from his spot by the door.
Of course what she did was good . She’d learned from the best. She’d like to see him dare to lead Orabilis through this process, as he had her.
Dropping back onto her knees in front of her patient, she kept her eyes on the work in front of her, rubbing her hands together to force away the tremors that rippled through her fingers.
“I’ll do my best to avoid causing you any further pain, sir,” she said, daring a glance up.
“Don’t worry. You won’t hurt me,” he said quietly. “And my name is Chase, not sir.”
She glanced up just as he smiled. Only a tiny lifting of one corner of his mouth, but it was enough. His eyes captured hers and she caught her breath as a wave of recognition broke over her.
It was him ! How she had not known it from the moment he’d entered her door was beyond her. She’d never clearly seen his face, but those eyes! She’d been lost in them too many times not to know them now. Her whole body tingled with recognition, a physical reaction to their first meeting she’d never foreseen or imagined possible.
“And I am Halldor O’Donar,” the man next to the door boomed, laughter rolling in his voice. “Clearly, in the care of such a lovely healer, my brother has forgotten any manners he might have once had.”
“You’ve no the need to waste yer time on introductions to Mistress Christiana. Our good laird’s sister is no one you’ll be talking to again, I can assure you,” Ulfr said.
She flinched, almost having forgotten her brother’s hound still stood in the room.
“You have another healer here, do you?” Halldor questioned, waiting only for Ulfr to shake his head in answer. “No? Then I suspect we’ll be seeing this good lady regularly until my brother’s wounds have healed. That poultice she’s wrapping around his foot will need changing soon enough.”
Halldor was right about that. Unfortunately, some of the jars she’d selected for her mix were close toempty. She had enough for two, perhaps three more treatments.
After that, she’d be forced to seek Torquil’s permission to visit Orabilis.
“That poultice and bandage will want changing in two days’ time,” she advised Chase, watching his hands as he retied the straps around the furs covering his feet. “And best you find some proper footwear, aye? Or all the herbs in the world won’t help you.”
She risked a look up just as a full grin split his face. It was as if her heart had forgotten how to beat.
“Yeah. Proper footwear. I’ll do what I can about that. Thank you for your kindness . . .” He paused, that half-smile tugging at his mouth again before he finished. “Christiana.”
She nodded, and the three of them filed out, her knees so weak she leaned her back against the door as she watched them walk away.
Chase’s voice was deep and rich and his words had such a strange sound to them, befitting a man who came from a faraway land. With joy, she could listen to him speak for hours on end. And if the only word he chose to say over and over again was her name, she’d be well pleased.
It was only as they crossed the bailey toward the soldier’s lodgings that she remembered what she must do.
“Ulfr!” she called, stepping outside as the sun broke from behind the clouds where it had hiddenall day. A good omen. “I’d ask you to carry a message to our laird. I’d seek an audience with him, if it pleases him.”
Ulfr nodded his acknowledgment and strode off, leading the strangers to their new quarters.
No, she reminded herself as she hurried back inside her tower. Not strangers. They were much, much more than that. They were her savior and his brother.
N ine
C ASTLE M AC G AHAN
S OUTHERN H IGHLANDS, S COTLAND
B RIDGET M AC C ULLOCH PACED along the wall walk, a favorite spot since the first time her father had allowed her up here.
Her beloved father. Her murdered father.
Wild anger shafted through her
“Good,” the big man muttered from his spot by the door.
Of course what she did was good . She’d learned from the best. She’d like to see him dare to lead Orabilis through this process, as he had her.
Dropping back onto her knees in front of her patient, she kept her eyes on the work in front of her, rubbing her hands together to force away the tremors that rippled through her fingers.
“I’ll do my best to avoid causing you any further pain, sir,” she said, daring a glance up.
“Don’t worry. You won’t hurt me,” he said quietly. “And my name is Chase, not sir.”
She glanced up just as he smiled. Only a tiny lifting of one corner of his mouth, but it was enough. His eyes captured hers and she caught her breath as a wave of recognition broke over her.
It was him ! How she had not known it from the moment he’d entered her door was beyond her. She’d never clearly seen his face, but those eyes! She’d been lost in them too many times not to know them now. Her whole body tingled with recognition, a physical reaction to their first meeting she’d never foreseen or imagined possible.
“And I am Halldor O’Donar,” the man next to the door boomed, laughter rolling in his voice. “Clearly, in the care of such a lovely healer, my brother has forgotten any manners he might have once had.”
“You’ve no the need to waste yer time on introductions to Mistress Christiana. Our good laird’s sister is no one you’ll be talking to again, I can assure you,” Ulfr said.
She flinched, almost having forgotten her brother’s hound still stood in the room.
“You have another healer here, do you?” Halldor questioned, waiting only for Ulfr to shake his head in answer. “No? Then I suspect we’ll be seeing this good lady regularly until my brother’s wounds have healed. That poultice she’s wrapping around his foot will need changing soon enough.”
Halldor was right about that. Unfortunately, some of the jars she’d selected for her mix were close toempty. She had enough for two, perhaps three more treatments.
After that, she’d be forced to seek Torquil’s permission to visit Orabilis.
“That poultice and bandage will want changing in two days’ time,” she advised Chase, watching his hands as he retied the straps around the furs covering his feet. “And best you find some proper footwear, aye? Or all the herbs in the world won’t help you.”
She risked a look up just as a full grin split his face. It was as if her heart had forgotten how to beat.
“Yeah. Proper footwear. I’ll do what I can about that. Thank you for your kindness . . .” He paused, that half-smile tugging at his mouth again before he finished. “Christiana.”
She nodded, and the three of them filed out, her knees so weak she leaned her back against the door as she watched them walk away.
Chase’s voice was deep and rich and his words had such a strange sound to them, befitting a man who came from a faraway land. With joy, she could listen to him speak for hours on end. And if the only word he chose to say over and over again was her name, she’d be well pleased.
It was only as they crossed the bailey toward the soldier’s lodgings that she remembered what she must do.
“Ulfr!” she called, stepping outside as the sun broke from behind the clouds where it had hiddenall day. A good omen. “I’d ask you to carry a message to our laird. I’d seek an audience with him, if it pleases him.”
Ulfr nodded his acknowledgment and strode off, leading the strangers to their new quarters.
No, she reminded herself as she hurried back inside her tower. Not strangers. They were much, much more than that. They were her savior and his brother.
N ine
C ASTLE M AC G AHAN
S OUTHERN H IGHLANDS, S COTLAND
B RIDGET M AC C ULLOCH PACED along the wall walk, a favorite spot since the first time her father had allowed her up here.
Her beloved father. Her murdered father.
Wild anger shafted through her
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