The Road to Love ; Hearts in the Highlands

by Linda Ford

  They soon recommenced walking, though the going was much slower. Maddie was more grateful than ever for the trousers when she found herself forced to crawl on her hands and knees up narrow, rocky ridges.

  “Best keep to this side o’ the dike. There’s a nasty hanging corrie up ahead,” the gillie advised as he reached a narrow ridge and pointed to a hollowed-out portion of the mountainside.

  Maddie edged closer to the dike. At the end of the stone barrier, the path leveled off somewhat and began to weave through jagged vertical crags. She had to focus all her thoughts on her steps. Tiny pebbles crunched under her boots and went rattling down the cliffs.

  “Watch your step here.” Mr. Gallagher held out a hand to her and she grasped it gratefully as they negotiated a tricky pass.

  They reached a spot where another ridge joined the one they were on and stopped a few minutes to admire the view below. Mists floated between them and the valley.

  “Almost to the summit,” the gillie said with a motion of his walking stick.

  Mr. Gallagher adjust the knapsack on his shoulder. “Come on then. The view is better from there.”

  They did no more talking, each one intent on maneuvering the steep rocky hillside. In places, they faced great mounds of boulders that they had to climb over. At others, they had to walk single file along narrow ridges.

  Maddie climbed through a fissure in a large crag only to find herself on another treacherous course of boulders and sheer drop-offs. She’d taken a few steps when abruptly her ankle twisted under her. Before she could utter more than a cry, she was falling, slipping down the rocky slope, the smaller rocks falling with her.

  “Miss Norton!” She heard Mr. Gallagher’s shout above her but she could do nothing to stop her fall. Suddenly her head hit something sharp and the world went black.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Miss Norton!” Adrenaline coursed through Reid’s body as he lunged for her, but he was too late. He watched her topple down the steep incline. A second later he was after her, scrambling down the rocky slope.

  There was nothing for her to reach for. If she fell any farther, she’d be lost to them. “Miss Norton, I’m coming!” Trying to make haste and not lose his own footing, he worked his way down the rocky slope at an infuriatingly slow pace.

  When he was able to turn around, he saw her lying still, her fall broken by a jutting rock. A new worry replaced his fear. He didn’t like the way she looked so motionless. What if her neck was broken? Cold sweat erupted over his body, fear gripping his heart until he felt strangled by it.

  When he reached her body, he hardly dared touch her. She’d lost consciousness and her face looked deathly pale. He wasn’t aware of Ewane until he heard the other man’s heavy breathing at his side. “Is she alive?”

  Reid placed his fore and middle fingers at the base of her neck. Relief flooded him. “I feel a pulse.” Dear God, thank you. He looked above them. She’d fallen about thirty feet. “We’ve got to get her out of here.”

  “Aye. Trouble is there’s naught around here to fashion a litter with.”

  Not a tree or twig graced the landscape this far up. “I’ll just have to carry her.”

  “Aye.” The older man nodded. “I’ll help when you get winded. Best thing is to take her to the last shieling we passed mebbe half a mile back.”

  “Yes.” Reid turned his attention to Miss Norton and frowned. She hadn’t yet regained consciousness. He wished he had some of the smelling salts his aunt always had at her side.

  Just then her eyes fluttered open and she stared at him. The tension began to ease from his frame. Never had he been so glad to see someone looking at him. “Miss Norton?” Would she know him?

  Recognition lighted her eyes. “Mr. Gallagher.” Her voice was a broken whisper. “What happened? I was—” She fell silent as if remembering the fall. She reached up a hand to the back of her head and winced as soon as she touched a spot on her skull.

  “Easy there. You must have hit your head against this rock. It’s the only thing that kept you from falling farther.” He wondered whether she had suffered a concussion. It had to have caused quite a blow at the speed she’d fallen. But he voiced none of this.

  “I’m going to have to help you get up the hillside.”

  She heaved a deep breath. “All right. Just give me a moment to catch my breath.” Her voice sounded strained.

  “First, let’s make sure you’ve broken nothing. Try to move your limbs and tell me if you feel any pain anywhere other than your head.”

  She did as she was told. “Everything feels fine except my head.”

  “Good. Now, if you just lie still, I’m going to lift you in my arms to get you back up this slope.”

  Her eyes showed immediate alarm and she clutched at his forearm. “Oh, no, that won’t be necessary. Truly, Mr. Gallagher.”

  He stilled her agitation with a touch to her hand. “We’ll take it slowly. Just relax.” He spoke as if to a child, still not liking how pale she looked. Gently, he placed one arm under her shoulders, trying to cushion her head, and the other under her knees. He focused on her as an injured person, and not a woman. How many times had he given similar aid to an injured man in the desert?

  Bracing himself on one knee, he took a deep breath then lifted her up. She didn’t weigh much, her form slim and delicate in his arms, but he knew it wouldn’t be easy going. Ewane stayed at his side to catch him if his foot should slip.

  One careful step at a time, Reid made his way back up the mountainside. When they reached the ridge, he only paused a moment to get his breath and ask, “How are you doing? Are you in any pain?”

  “No. I’m fine. I just wish you’d let me walk.”

  “Don’t exhaust yourself protesting over something that you have no say over.” He gave her a slight smile to make light of the situation. Then he shifted her weight in his arms, and with a nod to Ewane, indicated he’d follow the gillie’s lead.

  The man turned and began the long trek back.

  Miss Norton made no more protests. She was silent all the way back and Reid was afraid she must be in some discomfort. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t help jostling her as he maneuvered past the crags and half slid down certain slopes.

  He was getting winded but wouldn’t let Ewane carry her when the older man offered to help shoulder the burden. If only Reid hadn’t brought her up here. If only he’d listened to reason and kept her down below where she’d be safe. What had possessed him? Couldn’t he see how fragile she was?

  Ewane turned to him again. “Let me take her, lad.”

  Reid just shook his head, trying to keep from gasping for breath. Despite the cool air, his shirt was damp and he could feel the perspiration trickling down the sides of his face.

  Miss Norton no longer insisted she try to walk and rested quietly against his chest. She still looked ghastly pale to him.

  They had finally reached the grassy slopes when she suddenly pushed against his chest. “Please, let me down. I feel like I’m going to be sick.”

  He let her down as gently as he could. She scrambled away from him on her hands and knees and began to retch. He opened their pack to retrieve a bottle of water and a napkin, unable to keep the worry from his thoughts. It looked more and more as if she’d suffered a concussion.

  He handed her the water and cloth. She took them from him, turning away again, and he felt bad for her, realizing she was probably feeling embarrassed in addition to being physically unwell.

  “It’s likely the knock on your head that’s brought on the queasiness to your stomach,” he said quietly when she’d finished washing off. He took the things from her and repacked the satchel. Ewane took it from him and shouldered it.

  “We’re not far from the shieling now, ma’am.”

  “Come on then. Let’s go.” Without meeting her gaze, Reid bent over Mi
ss Norton once more and lifted her up, feeling awkward at the close contact. He’d wanted to feel her in his arms before, but not at this price. He wished he could make it easier for her but knew the most important thing was to get her to some sort of shelter.

  “Are you feeling any better?” he asked, her soft hair rubbing his chin. Despite the difficult circumstances and the exhaustion he was feeling, he couldn’t help being aware of her body curled so close to his, her head tucked under his.

  He snapped his attention back to the trail. It wasn’t the time or place to harbor such thoughts. If anything happened to Miss Norton he’d never forgive himself—

  The realization brought him up short. Was he being punished for having had the kinds of thoughts about her he’d had lately? He should never have brought her to the Highlands.

  First Octavia and now Miss Norton. If anyone deserved to die, it was he.

  “There it be.” The gillie pointed ahead of them far down the grassy slope.

  Reid shut off the chaos in his mind and concentrated once again on the task at hand. First things first. There would be time enough later for self-recrimination.

  * * *

  Maddie remembered little of the next moments. After her initial distress at being such a burden to Mr. Gallagher, she felt too ill to think of anything much. Mr. Gallagher carried her so surely, she never once feared he’d drop her or lose his footing the way she so stupidly had.

  She prayed for the Lord to give him the strength to carry her to wherever they were going. She knew she wasn’t that light and no matter how much stronger or bigger he was, it was no easy task he’d undertaken. She could tell by his labored breathing and the damp patches on his shirt what an effort it was.

  He’d been so kind and considerate, even when she’d been sick, as if he’d known exactly what she was going through.

  She was hardly aware when they arrived at one of the small stone huts they’d passed earlier, until she heard the gillie conversing with someone in Gaelic. Then Mr. Gallagher let her down and she was finally able to try standing on her own two feet. She felt light-headed and clutched his arm. He immediately steadied her about her shoulders.

  “We’re going to stay here,” he told her. “I just need you to crawl through the opening into the shieling. The opening is too low to walk through upright. Take your time.”

  “Stay here?” She didn’t understand what he was saying.

  “I’ll explain once we have you inside.”

  “All right.” She bent over to enter through the tiny square that served as a door into the hut. The space inside was high enough to stand in, but wasn’t much bigger than a small room.

  Mr. Gallagher appeared beside her in the hut. A woman led her to a crude bed, thin bedding over some wooden boards. Mr. Gallagher arranged some pillows behind her head and removed her boots before covering her with her own plaid and another blanket the woman brought him.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” he said, taking it from her.

  He tucked it in around Maddie.

  “I’m sorry to be so much trouble—”

  “None of that, Miss Norton.” His voice was low and soothing. “I just want to be sure you make it back down in one piece.”

  She met his earnest gaze and realized he was worried about her. She wished she could reach out and smooth the lines from his brow. Then she realized something worse than everything else that had occurred. “I kept you from reaching the top of Ben Lawers.” She pressed her lips together, looking away from him. “I’m so sorry.”

  He shook his head. “It’s been there thousands of years. It’ll keep until we have a chance to have another go.”

  She swallowed. Once again he’d included her. Her eyes misted. She knew very well she would never have another opportunity for such an adventure. This holiday would soon be over. Mr. Gallagher would return to foreign soil. And she? She’d return to London and taking care of Lady Haversham. If Mr. Gallagher did return to the Highlands someday, it wouldn’t be with Maddie.

  Mr. Gallagher had turned back to the entrance of the hut and was conferring with the gillie. Maddie was thankful for having a moment to compose herself. She attributed her emotional state to the blow she’d received. The back of her head pained her and she felt more exhausted than if she had hiked all the way down herself. She brought her hand up to her skull only to find a large lump.

  “You took a nasty fall.” Mr. Gallagher had returned to her side and crouched beside the bed. “I’ve sent Ewane on down to let them know about the accident so no one will worry when we don’t show up this afternoon.”

  “We...we’re staying here?” Oh, dear, what was Lady Haversham going to say? Would Maddie lose her job?

  He nodded. “I don’t think you should attempt much movement for a while.”

  “I’m better, I assure you.” She tried to sit up.

  His hand immediately closed over her shoulder and held her back. “You might feel better, and I’m glad. But your head sustained some injury. You could have a concussion.”

  She stared at him. “Oh.” She wasn’t sure exactly what that was except that it meant a serious injury to one’s head. She knotted her hands together. Oh, Lord, forgive me for being so foolish, coming up here on some sort of adventure when my duty was by Lady Haversham’s side. I didn’t even tell her.

  “What’s the matter?” Mr. Gallagher’s blue eyes narrowed as if he could sense her agitation.

  “I’m sorry for all the trouble,” she whispered, this time unable to hide the quaver in her voice.

  He covered her hands with his large one. “Steady there. Just be thankful you’re alive and in one piece. When I saw you fall, it looked like you were going to roll all the way down to where we’d begun our trek this morning.”

  Her laugh sounded weak and watery to her own ears. He chucked her under the chin. “That’s better.”

  “Will your—your aunt be very angry?”

  “Don’t worry about Aunt Millicent. I’ll explain to her how foolhardy I was in dragging you up here.”

  “Oh, no. It wasn’t your fault. Please don’t take the blame.”

  “Shh. Worry is not good for head injuries.” A gleam of humor in his eyes belied his serious tone. He removed his hand from hers and adjusted the blanket around her. She kept her hands still, already missing the warmth of his touch.

  The woman approached the bedside with a tin mug in her hands. “I brewed a bit o’ mint tea for the lady.”

  Mr. Gallagher took the cup from her. “Thank you. That’s just the thing.”

  With a quick bob of her head, the woman retreated. Two small children hovered behind her, staring at Maddie. She smiled at them and the youngest, a ruddy-faced girl of about six, smiled back.

  “This might help settle your stomach,” Mr. Gallagher said.

  The words only reminded her of having been sick in front of him. She wrapped her hands around the cup, glad for the warmth against her cold hands.

  “Careful you don’t burn yourself.”

  She smiled at his attentiveness. “All right.”

  He readjusted the pillows so she could sit up higher then he left her, telling her he’d be just outside.

  She sipped the tea slowly, afraid of upsetting her stomach further. At the other end of the room, the woman and children went about their tasks, stirring a pot on the open fire pit in the middle of the room, bringing in a pitcher of water from somewhere outside, setting a few meager utensils on a rough wooden table.

  Outside she could hear the baaing of sheep. She sighed, taking another sip of her tea. Under other circumstances, she’d enjoy the cozy hut, which reminded her of some of the dwellings she’d been to with her parents outside of Jerusalem. Much different from her life in London with Lady Haversham.

  Just when she started missing Mr. Gallagher’s company, he came back in, accompanied by another man. Mr.
Gallagher approached her bedside. “I’ve been talking to the crofter. This is his family. They’re spending the summer up here to pasture the sheep on these meadows.”

  “I hope I’m not taking their bed.”

  “They are glad to offer you anything they have. He and his son will sleep outside. He says he does so on many a fine night. The woman and the little one will share the other bed.”

  “And you?” She could feel her face warm at the question.

  “I’ll catch a few winks outside, then I’ll come in and rudely wake you up at some point.”

  She tried to discern if he was serious. “Why is that?”

  “Just a precaution. If it is a concussion, you must be awakened regularly the first night.”

  “Why do you suppose it’s necessary?”

  “I haven’t a clue. Head injuries can be tricky things, I’m told. I knew a chap once who fell from the pyramid at Saqqâra. He didn’t even lose consciousness like you. Just said he saw stars. He got up right away and seemed fine, went back to work—” Reid stopped, realizing too late this wasn’t the right story to be telling her at this time.

  “What happened?”

  He hesitated. “A few days later he keeled over, dead.”

  She drew in a sharp breath. “I’m sorry.”

  “Yes, so was I. He was a good man.”

  She was silent a moment and he wondered if she was worried about her own fate. But she sighed. “I’m glad, in that case, that I no longer live for myself.”

  Her calm tone intrigued him. “You don’t worry about the future?”

  “Not about my eventual end, if that’s what you mean. I only worry if I feel I’m not in the Lord’s will. I don’t want to be like the man who was given only one talent and went and buried it instead of using it to multiply it.”

  He marveled at their different perspectives of multiplication. Did she feel she was using her talents buried alive at an old lady’s side? “I’m sure the Lord is very pleased with what you’re doing.”

  She turned away from him. “Yes, leaving my employer’s side to traipse up a mountain in men’s trousers. I’m sure He’s very pleased indeed.”