She spoke to Breya confidently, even though in her heart, she did not feel so. “I will wrap the wound tonight. Ye must keep him in bed, or else he will have no hope of recovery.”
Breya nodded furiously.
Charlotte continued, “And may I ask, what is it that ye eat from day to day? It could have an effect on his health.”
Breya looked a little taken aback at such a question. “Well, we eat meat when we can spare it. But often, we have milk, bread, and fish. Sometimes we can find vegetables and carrots when the planting has been good.”
Charlotte nodded her head. “So, I understand that fruits and vegetables do not come to the island very often?”
Breya shook her head. “Nae, Mistress. Especially nae in the last few years.”
“Ah, I see. Well, I will do my best for you to find what I can. I believe that he would benefit from eating these things. They may bring back his energy and blood to his face.”
Breya smiled. “So ye can cure him, Mistress?”
Charlotte took Breya’s hand in her own. Her face was concerned. “I will do my best, but I cannot promise anything. Your son is on my mind, I can assure you.”
She turned to David, who was mumbling incoherently. The fatigue was wearing him down so much. “David, you must rest. It is very important that you listen to your mother. Or else your sickness could become even worse. I have left herbs with your mother. You will need to drink tea today if you can stomach it.”
David could not reply more than a small nod, and Breya smiled weakly as she took Liam and Charlotte to the door. “Ye are God’s blessing tae us, Mistress. I pray for yer health and happiness.”
Charlotte smiled and left the house, walking slowly to her horse. My health and happiness, she thought to herself. What a lovely thing to say. No one in her circles, besides Julia, of course, would ever say such a kind thing, in such a kind way.
I wish for my health and happiness too. Now, how might that come about? She smiled as she thought about that fact that she needed to figure out what she was going to do, and as Liam assisted her to mount her horse, a flash came through her mind of the image of Angus, staring at her from across the dinner table, his eyes full of meaning.
Then she dropped the image as soon as it came to her, and her smile disappeared. “Are ye well, lass?” Liam asked, and she turned to him, comforted by the kind smile on his face.
“Yes, Liam. I am well. I think only of my patients,” she lied. “There are many more to visit today, and I hope they are not all as bad as David.”
Liam looked up at the sky. “It looks like clouds are moving in, Mistress? We may wish tae postpone until a better and drier time.”
Charlotte glanced upwards and huffed with frustration. She shook her head. “No, Liam, I’m sorry, but we must visit the villagers. I do not need to see everyone, but I need to see those that are suffering the same as David.
Liam hesitated for a moment, but only a moment, and then he relented. “Aye, but we must ride like the wind.”
“If the storm begins, we can stay for a while by the hearth of our patient’s home, can we not?”
“Aye, true enough.” And that was the end of the conversation. Charlotte was relieved. She had expected Liam to be easier to deal with, but not this easy. It was as if he really listened to her and understood what she wanted. He didn’t make an angry face at her or demand a reason or tell her flat out that it would not be happening.
They rode on to the next house and the next. The other patients were not as bad as David, but they had not gotten any better, and they had answered the question about the food just the same. No fruits and vegetables. There must be a connection.
But in the last house, she could hear the rain begin to patter on the roof, and she and Liam hurried out, hoping they could make the next house before the storm got too bad. They began to ride, but the rain starting pelting down, feeling like a great weight upon her, so much so that she almost couldn’t breathe. She had never been in such a rainstorm, and her cloak was so drenched that it weighed on her even more. Liam was leading the way now, and the next house was closer to one of the forested areas of the isle. The trees looked like dark blobs as she peered through the rain at them, trying to follow Liam’s horse as best she could.
They were getting close. She was sure of it, but she and Liam had stopped talking because they couldn’t hear each other. So she just kept riding, trusting fully in her new protector to take her in the right direction. But then, she felt a sharp pain across her forehead, and she flipped back over the horse and hit the ground.
Chapter Eight
It had been hours since Angus had returned home from the rainstorm, and it had not abated one bit. He could not focus on his work and had eventually given up, resolving that he would begin the work when Charlotte and Liam returned safe and sound. He knew the men who had been sent on the hunt would find shelter in a local inn, but he had a feeling that Charlotte had convinced Liam into doing something crazy.
He kept his whiskey glass constantly filled, and he paced in front of the fire in the Hall. The storm raged against the windows, threatened to send shards of glass across the stone floor, but they held fast for now. He tried to stop the images that kept coming to his mind. Images of Charlotte lost in the woods as the rain fell, with the Campbell man come back to take her. Or she would slip and fall from her horse down one of the craggy cliffs, her broken body lying upon the rocks. The images made him want to burst. He was acting laird; he was in charge of the safety of his guests.
Julia depended on him to keep Charlotte safe, and here he was, powerless, simply waiting for her to return. Many times he had considered riding out after her, but what was the point? She was with Liam, and he couldn’t see anyway. It made no sense to have the three of them stranded out there. He could just imagine the wrath Charlotte would experience if she saw him coming to save her. He could envision their conversation now.
“So you think I am incapable of handling myself, do you? It’s not as though I’ve never experienced rain before.” And she would lift her eyebrow or toss her head or put her hands on her hips or any of the other annoying things she did when she was taunting him.
But this was unbearable. It was like simply waiting around to get bad news. That was the only type of news he could think of at the moment. Rainstorms and missing persons do not go well. But then, Mrs. MacLean rushed into the room. “She is here, Angus! She and Liam. But I’m afraid that she’s unconscious.”
“What?” he cried, and then he saw Liam’s figure, wet to the bone, carrying an equally wet Charlotte in his arms. He rushed to her side. He could see her lips parted and see the rise of her chest. “She yet breathes. What happened, lad?” Angus’ voice nearly turned into a snarl as he stared at his man, demanding an explanation.
“Come, I will lead the way tae the bedroom,” Mrs. MacLean said calmly, making an obvious attempt to stop the men from battling with one another. Angus followed as Liam explained.
“We were riding tae the next house, and the storm broke out. We were almost there. I know the way, but we were too close tae the trees, and she must have nae seen one of the lower branches. It hit her across the forehead, and then she must have fallen back. I barely heard the crash, but when I turned around and she wasnae there, I rushed back to find her on the ground. She hit a stone.”
Angus wanted to throttle his friend. “And why were ye traveling tae the next house and nae tae the Castle, lad? Dinnae tell me she weaseled her way intae getting ye tae stay out there in this mad weather.”
Angus’ fists were clenched, and Liam backed away slightly once he’d laid Charlotte out on the bed. Mrs. MacLean had begun to remove her heavy and wet cloak.
Liam said, “She needed tae see her patients. She knows there is something wrong with them, but she cannae figure it out. She didnae want tae abandon them. ‘Tis a noble thing.”
“But ‘tis merely foolish tae get yerself killed by nae staying put or heading back tae the castle as soon a
s the rain started.
“Aye,” Liam said, slowly. “Ye are right, Angus, but I’m afraid I couldnae refuse her. Ye should see the fire in her eyes when she gets an idea.” Angus winced. He knew the feeling well, so he could hardly fault the man, but he wouldn’t let Liam know that.
“Aye, the lass is used tae getting her own way, but she cannae in this case. What if she doesnae wake up? Her dear cousin will come tae me with grief in her eyes. Think of that, lad!”
Liam looked down, ashamed of what he’d done or failed to do. ‘What shall we do now, Angus?”
Angus sighed, his breath coming out harsh and rough. Charlotte Andrews was the only healer for miles, and now she was lying unconscious. He would have to do what he could and ask Mrs. MacLean to assist. He knew that Charlotte had been teaching her a few things to add to her already large set of skills.
“We wait, I suppose. Mrs. MacLean, ye will help her, will ye nae?” Mrs. Maclean had just settled Charlotte comfortably out of her cloak and shoes, and she laid serenely on the pillow.
“Aye, of course, Sir. I will treat her as well as if she was one of my own bairns. I hope I can use what she’s taught me. She’s got a cut on the back of her head, but I’m very grateful ‘tis naething a bit of cleaning willnae fix. I think she’ll be right as rain in nae time.”
Angus smiled weakly. “Thank ye, Mrs. MacLean. I do hope that yer right.”
She waved the men aside. “Now, ye two must leave the room. I need tae dress the lass in some dry clothes so that she doesnae come down with anything else. I’ll let ye know when she’s ready tae be seen again.”
Angus and Liam hesitantly shuffled out of the door, and Liam turned to Angus as they stood in the dim and chilly hallway. Outside, the rain continued to fall in heavy sheets that rammed against the castle walls. Liam said, “I’m sorry again. Yer right, Angus. I will do better next time.”
“Ye’d better.” He looked side to side to make sure there was no one else within earshot. “I speak so harshly because there was a man, a Campbell spy, here tae look upon our lands and clan tae see how we fared. And,” Angus paused, feeling the anger rise up in his throat at the memory of it, “This man tried tae rape Charlotte in the woods by the shore of the Sound.”
Liam’s face darkened. His hand instinctively went to his sword. “That bastard. Was Charlotte all right? What did ye do?”
“I beat him tae a pulp and threatened him with death if he ever returned or touched any woman upon our isle again. Fortunately, I was able to get there before anything untoward happened. I had been walking on the shore when I saw it.”
“That was very fortunate, indeed, my friend. Does Calum know about it?”
Angus shook his head. “Nae, I didnae want tae worry him with this when he had his own travel plans, and the state of his wife tae concern him as they travel to her uncle’s trial. And ye must keep it tae yerself. Charlotte wanted me nae tae tell Calum and Julia. She feared that her father would ask for her tae return and that Julia and Calum would have fully supported it. Or they would at least have tried tae keep her from her healing duties.”
Liam nodded. “I understand. I shall say naething. But what do we do about this man? What if he returns despite yer threats?”
Angus clenched his jaw. “Well then, I shall be true tae my word, lad. But after this fresh injury, I do wonder if it might be wise for Charlotte tae go tae her father. If she is going tae be as foolhardy as riding in hard rain over rocky terrain and through unknown parts of the Isle, then she needs tae be protected. She is becoming a bloody burden when I already have so much tae do.” He turned his back to Liam and sighed, walking slightly away down the hall.
Liam didn’t seem to notice the slight bitterness in Angus’ voice. He replied, “I think that too many people would miss her, Angus, if she left. I hope she does nae have tae go.” Liam was looking down, and Angus had the feeling that his old friend was blushing.
He grumbled, “Are ye just as besotted with the lass as every other man on this damned island?”
Liam shifted on his feet. “Are ye nae, Angus? She is like nae other women in the world. She is like a beautiful flame, uncatchable. There is nae one who sees her who does nae think of her once she is gone.”
Liam was starting to look a little dreamy, and Angus rolled his eyes. “Nae, I dinnae feel that way about her. She is just a woman who is here visiting her cousin, and she needs tae be kept safe and kept from being a burden. That is all.” These were the words he so desperately wanted to believe. It felt good to say them aloud and let someone else hear them. Then they might eventually turn out to be true. But after last night’s kiss, he knew that they weren’t.
“Go, lad. I will wait for the lass tae awake. Ye may bed in the castle if ye like this eve. The storm yet rages on.” And as if the storm was following orders, the wind howled anew and pounded against the windows and walls and made an eerie sound throughout the dark hallway.
Liam left with a nod, and Angus waited in the hallway near Charlotte’s room. He removed a wooden pipe from his jacket pocket and a leather pouch full of tobacco. It was a rare moment when Angus would resort to smoking, but he’d felt the desire more often of late due to all of the stress that was consuming his mind and not allowing him to rest.
He lit the pipe on one of the torches on the wall, breathing in the sweet smell of tobacco, letting his mind unfurl and relax as he waited against the wall in the hallway. He knew that Mrs. MacLean might not approve, but he needed to see Charlotte and make sure she was all right. It was his duty, was it not? And he hoped that she would be awake soon.
A servant nearly bumped into him as they turned down the hallway. “Oh!” the young girl said. “Excuse me, Sir, but here is a letter come for Mistress Andrews. ‘Tis from the Fort, as she expected.”
Angus took it in hand, surprised at its arrival. “They must have had a bloody time of it, coming across the Sound in this weather.”
“Aye, Sir, the rain started as they were already almost fully across. ‘Tis a young boy.”
Angus nodded. “Give him food and drink then, lass. He may bed down in the kitchen taenight or wherever Mrs. MacLean sees fit.”
“Aye, Sir.” The maid curtsied and left, and Angus kept his eyes on the letter. It had the seal of Fort William on the front of it, and he smoothed over its rough edges with his thumb. He felt divided, as he hoped that her father demanded her return but also wished it not to be so. He looked up at Charlotte’s door, wondering how she’d react when she saw the letter.
Suddenly, curiosity seemed to take over his mind. He needed to know what was in the letter, or her father’s response would eat away at him. Besides, he didn’t know how long he would have to wait. Charlotte might be more injured than any of them knew. She could not wake up for a while, or if she did wake up, she might be unable to pen a response as quickly as her father would desire. He might have to write a letter himself to alert him of her condition. He tried to ignore the pangs of guilt as he felt his thumb slip under the fold of the letter and break the wax seal.
Once the deed was done, he hurriedly unfurled the letter to read the note written in a beautiful and elegant hand, the hand of an Englishman with a wealthy education. It read:
My dearest Charlotte,
Although I know you do, dear Julia, a great service, it pains me so that you do not wish to join your father in his work at the barracks. Your presence would be a great comfort to me as I lie in wait for a new assistant to arrive here. He will come to stay for quite a long while, assisting me in Fort duties as well as relations with nearby clans. I have been told that there are rumors of war, but I do not fear it. We have things well in hand.
You may stay for a little while longer. You need to come in one week. That is when the man, the Earl of Oxford, will be here, and he will wish to meet you. I need you by my side as the proper young lady that you are, representative of our family. And, Charlotte, we need to continue the discussion we had before we left for Scotland. You need to begin to consi
der your marriage. It is your duty, and there is much at stake.
See you soon,
Father
He reread the letter many times. So it was as he had half-hoped. Her father wanted her to return. It was not right away, but it was not much time until she was due back to her true home, with her family. He tried to tell himself that’s what he wanted. She would be there, and she would be safe, away from the dangers of the Isle, with her father and a whole set of soldiers to protect her. And then he could focus on everything he needed to do to keep the clan afloat.
But she wouldn’t be here anymore.
“What does that matter?” He whispered to the empty hall. Excellent; he was speaking to himself now, in the middle of a raging storm. Perhaps he was truly going mad. He took in a deep breath of smoke, trying to piece together the rest of the letter’s import. There would be a new man assisting at the Fort. There were whispers of war, of which he had not heard. And then the last part about her getting married.
Mending a Highland Heart: Healing him was more scandalous than she ever imagined… Page 7