“Who are ye, lad?” he asked as the young stranger stood. Judging by his height, the boy could not have been very old, but Alasdair still kept his sword ready in case there was a need.
When the boy turned, Alasdair was horrified to realize the lad was actually Catriona. “Oh god! You’re here to kill me aren’t you? Look, I tried to help your sister. Honestly! But you wouldn’t listen!” she said all in one breath.
Alasdair had been taken so off-guard he had not even lowered his sword. Relaxing his stance he said in the gentlest tone he could manage, “We are nae here to kill ye.”
“Yeah sure, you just surrounded me with sharp objects because you like me,” retorted Catriona.
“We thought ye might be a Cameron. If we had known it was ye in the tree, we would never have surrounded ye so,” replied Alasdair, “Although, we are here to retrieve ye.”
“Oh, so you aren’t here to kill me now. You’re just here to drag me back to your castle so you can burn me later—probably while having a picnic. I hear burnings are marvelous entertainment!” said Catriona, sounding more angry and panicked.
“Maybe I can better explain,” offered Cailen. “Laird MacLean speaks true, we dinnae mean ye any harm. We are here to apologize for doubting ye.”
Seeing she was still skeptical Branan added, “We truly are ashamed. Ailsa took yer advice and is healed. It is at her request we are seeking ye. She wants ye to come back to the keep so she can thank ye properly.”
***
Something in the young guard’s eyes made Catriona relax; his words were just so sincere. She still did not fully trust the men, but this provided her with the opportunity she needed. She would go back with them so she could get the book and go home. However, she would stay vigilant to ensure they would not get the chance to follow through on their earlier threats to prematurely end her life. “Fine, I’ll go with you,” she relented, “But first, I must thank Elspeth for letting me stay here.”
Walking toward the hut, Cat frequently peered over her shoulder to see what the men were doing behind her. Each time she turned, they plastered smiles on their faces. It was actually pretty funny. It was like one of those bad cartoons where a wolf would act nonchalant behind its prey. She just hoped they were actually sincere, and not trying to hide something nefarious.
“Elspeth,” called Cat as she walked in the hut.
“Aye?”
“It looks like I will be leaving sooner than I thought. Lord High-and-Mighty is outside with two of his goons.”
“Are ye sure ye want to go?” asked the old woman.
“I need to go if I’m ever going to get home,” replied Cat. “Thank you for letting me stay here as long as you have.”
“It was nothing. Now, ye be careful,” cautioned the witch. “And if ye have any need to return here, ye are always welcome.” Cat hugged the woman before once again joining the MacLeans outside.
As Catriona left the hut to begin the journey to Duart Castle for the second time, she noticed there were only three horses. Seriously? They came here to get me, but didn’t think to bring and extra horse? Men sure haven’t changed much over the centuries. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Alasdair offer her a hand to ride with him. However, if their motives turned out to be as nefarious as she feared, she thought she would have the best chance of slipping away from the young guard. She turned to him, “Branan, do you mind if I ride with you?”
“It would be an honor My Lady.” Wow, this guy is laying it on thick!
“You can just call me Cat.”
“As ye wish Lady Cat,” replied Branan, “Do ye call yerself ‘Cat’ because ye climb trees like one?”
“No, my brother started calling me ‘Cat’ when we were young, and the name just stuck. I think he was just too lazy to say the whole thing.”
“Oh, so ye have a brother. Are those his clothes ye are wearing?” asked Branan teasingly.
“I borrowed these from Elspeth. I wish they were my brother’s though, I miss him dearly.”
“What happened to him?” asked Branan.
“The more appropriate question would be ‘what happened to me?’” Cat thought it best not to reveal her status as a time traveler. If these three heard the story they might just decide to burn her as a witch after all. “I honestly don’t know how I got here. One minute I was at home and the next I was waking up in a strange location after a blow to the head. Alasdair found me at Elspeth’s cottage right after I woke.” There, that’s close enough to the truth.
“The Camerons must have stolen ye,” added Cailen as he joined the conversation. “They are a mean lot.”
“Again with the Camerons, are you enemies?” she asked. Seeing their nods of affirmation she decided this was as good of an explanation as any other. She continued, “Maybe, but I worry for my brother. He will have no idea what happened to me.”
“I am sure yer brother will come looking for ye,” soothed Cailen, “Any brother would. Alasdair certainly would if ye were his sister.”
“I can certainly believe that. Especially since he was willing to kill me to protect her,” spat Catriona.
“I wouldnae have killed ye,” replied Alasdair as he finally worked his way into the conversation.
“Then why did you lock me away?” questioned Cat.
“I was hoping yer fear might inspire some creativity,” said Alasdair matter-of-factly.
“Well Mac, it worked. I ‘creatively’ fled for my life,” spat Cat. She turned her attention back to the road ahead, effectively ending the conversation. But, she soon regretted her harsh retort. She needed to get that book back, and it would probably be easier to accomplish her aim if she were on good terms with the MacLeans. “Look, Alasdair, I’m sorry, it’s just that…” but no one was paying attention to her.
“Do ye think they are actually Camerons this time?” asked Branan. Startled, Cat turned to see a group of riders quickly approaching from behind.
“Possibly,” replied Alasdair. “Find a place for Catriona to hide safely out of sight.”
Branan brought Cat to an area of heavy underbrush and instructed her to stay well concealed before rejoining Alasdair. The suspense was nearly palpable as she watched the riders in the distance barrel toward their location. When the two groups of men finally met, the scene before her almost felt surreal. Both Branan and Cailen were engaged in one-on-one altercations, while Alasdair fought the other two assailants.
Catriona was impressed with how well he could fight two men; but, she thought it must only be a matter of time before he was overwhelmed. As if her thoughts had been a cue to the fates, she watched in horror as Alasdair fell. Thankfully, he had merely been unseated while felling one of his opponents. Alasdair redirected the other man’s attack before bringing him to the ground as well.
But, just as Cat began to believe Alasdair would succeed in this endeavor, a movement to the right caught her eye. There was a fifth man, and he was sneaking behind Alasdair with a knife. Cat briefly contemplated letting Alasdair handle the situation on his own, but he was in possession of the enchanted book. If he died, her means of getting back home would become much more difficult to obtain. She waited until the miscreant passed just in front of her and then leapt.
Cat latched herself onto the man’s back, but was almost immediately thrown off again. As she fell, the man spiraled into a defensive position to face the unexpected threat. However, his stance relaxed and his face contorted into a sneer of laughter as he recognized Catriona for a woman. Oh shit, now I’m in trouble. She scrambled to her feet and ran further into the woods. She grabbed a large stick as she was running so she would at least have something with which to defend. Hearing her attacker close the distance, Cat dug in her heels and turned. She would rather stand and fight than be stabbed in the back.
Cat managed to get in a couple of good swings before he ripped the branch out of her hands. So much for my resolve to fight! Cat tried once again to flee, but instead tripped and tumbled to her back. The man jum
ped on top of her and raised his blade to deliver a devastating blow. In desperation, Cat took both of her thumbs and dug them into his eyes; dirty tricks were her only hope at this point. The man released a terrible scream from the unanticipated agony.
***
Alasdair quickly dispatched the last of the four men. Cailen and Branan had easily defeated the other two. The attack had not even been a challenge. These Camerons had obviously not been well-trained soldiers. Intending to let Catriona know it was now safe, he approached her hiding place. Alasdair barely took a step before he heard a terrifying scream. Fearing for Catriona, he rushed toward the origin of the sound. He found her wrestling to keep a blade from piercing her throat. In one swift motion, Alasdair lifted the assailant from atop Catriona while running him through with his blade. Satisfied this last Cameron was no longer a threat, Alasdair went to Catriona’s side, “Are ye alright lass?”
“I…I think so,” she replied shakily.
“Nay, ye are bleeding,” said Alasdair as he inspected her.
“I am?” she asked. She started to sway as she rose to her feet, “Damn, the fucker got me!” Alasdair caught her as she fainted.
“Is she badly hurt?” asked Branan as he and Cailen joined Alasdair.
“She has a gash on her arm that needs to be tended, but I dinnae think it is too worrisome,” replied Alasdair. “Let us hurry back; I dinnae fancy being caught unawares by any other Camerons that may be lurking about.” He handed Catriona over to Cailen just long enough to mount his horse before taking her back into his arms. The group resumed their trek toward the castle with a sense of urgency that had not been there before.
***
Keith scowled as he closed the door behind the police officers. When Cat had first gone missing, the authorities had suspected she had simply run away. This conclusion had seemed to be solely based upon the lack of forced entry into her apartment.
When two weeks had passed without a single indication of her whereabouts, the officers had begun to suspect foul play. They had questioned Keith about any lovers or ex-boyfriends, but he knew there had been no men in her life. Well, besides him. So, naturally, the cops now suspected Keith of offing his sister. They had not said it explicitly, but he could tell by their line of questioning.
This was the last thing Keith needed in his life right now. He did not want to get embroiled in a botched investigation; but rather, he wanted to do everything within his power to find Cat—hopefully alive and well.
***
Chapter 4
“When I told ye to retrieve Catriona, I meant in one piece!” scolded Ailsa as she met her brother within the keep’s walls. She had seen the men approaching at a faster clip than normal and had run down to the gate to discover the reason for their return. She could tell something had gone wrong; she just had not expected to see Catriona injured. “What happened?”
“We were attacked by Camerons,” replied Alasdair succinctly.
“Bring her to the chamber I had made ready for her—Lainie will show ye which one. Then I can see to her injury,” directed Ailsa.
***
Catriona snuggled closer into the warmth of her pillow. Annoyingly, the padding did not seem to be providing enough support for her neck. She moved to punch the cushion into a more comfortable position, but her eyes flew open at the pain that ripped through her arm as she attempted the assault. Remembering her recent brawl, Cat realized she was nestled within Alasdair’s arms. I have seriously got to stop waking up in bizarre places. Alasdair must have sensed her movement. “Try nae to exert yerself. If any more harm comes to ye, I think my sister might kill me.”
Since it seemed Catriona would be within Alasdair’s arms for a while longer, she seized the opportunity to more thoroughly study the man’s face. He really was more handsome than any man had the right to be. His jaw was strong and covered by a few days’ worth of beard—giving him an almost irresistible ‘bad-boy’ look. His lips, currently set in a firm line, were full and clearly designed to entice. While his nose was not perfect (it looked as if it had been broken in the past) it was well formed and only furthered the roguish appeal. As Cat’s gaze alighted upon his eyes, she was once again struck by their blue depths. That color did not even exist in nature! Seeing his brow creased in frustration she had to resist the sudden urge to caress away the wrinkles. She felt her body react at the prospect. Whoa, slow down there girl. What am I thinking? The blood loss must be making me loopy.
Cat grew cautious as their progress brought them to the room in which she had been held captive before her escape, but calmed as Alasdair’s gait did not even slow. Instead, a maid directed him to a new chamber, one still sparsely furnished, but with a warmer and friendlier feel. He carried her to the bed, but tightened his hold as if reluctant to release her. Mesmerized by his contracting pectorals, Cat found she was also in no hurry to escape.
“What has my fool of a brother done to ye now?” asked Ailsa in lieu of a greeting.
“He didn’t do anything. Some idiot we encountered on the road cut me,” replied Cat.
“I am nae referring to the injury on yer arm. Yer face has taken on an odd hue—I thought he might have distressed ye,” Ailsa explained. Cat’s color heightened as she realized Alasdair’s effect on her was so visible. As he finally placed her on the bed, Cat looked though her lashes to see if he had observed her body’s reaction. She sighed in relief as he departed without any indication he had noticed.
“Well, ye are the healer, how can I help with yer arm?” asked Ailsa.
Catriona was more than glad to bring the focus back to her injury. “I need to see how bad it is first. Would you mind boiling some strips of cloth for bandages while I assess the damage?” Cat asked. “Also, boiled water for cleaning the wound would be helpful,” added Cat to Ailsa’s retreating back. Dreading what she would find, she pulled off her shirt to take a closer look at her arm—but she was actually pleasantly surprised. The cut was deep, but not as bad as she had thought. Normally a cut like this would require stitches, but she did not like the idea of closing it. Who knew what kind of bacteria was on that blade. The last thing she needed was a badly infected wound. Cat would just have to let the cut heal from the inside out. It would probably scar worse, but it was definitely safer.
However, she almost wished the cut was worse, because how else could she explain her odd behavior? She supposed she could blame the fainting on the adrenaline rush; she did not think she had lost enough blood to cause her to black-out. But, then that meant she had no excuse for her odd reactions to Alasdair. Please Cat, you know perfectly well you are unreasonably attracted to that man! Just admit it and move on. Acknowledging her weakness, she turned her mind to other matters—like how to find that damn book!
“Here are the bandages and water,” said Ailsa and she came back into the room. “Would ye like me to clean it?”
Catriona nodded and then gritted her teeth as the young girl began to rinse out the wound; it hurt way more than she thought it would. “Okay, you’ve rinsed it out enough. Now, take one of the linen strips you boiled and pack it in the wound. Then wrap dry linens around the outside. Tomorrow we will have to do the same thing. With any luck the wet linen will dry over the course of the day and help debride the dead flesh.”
“There, it is done,” said Ailsa.
“Thanks,” smiled Catriona in reply. Looking closely at Ailsa for the first time she commented, “You look much better than the last time I saw you.”
“Aye, but only because of ye, and yet this is how I repay ye. I shouldnae have sent Alasdair after ye. If I hadnae, this never would have happened. Tis my fault ye were injured.” bemoaned Ailsa.
“This? Don’t worry about it—this is just a small scratch. I’ll be fine,” said Catriona. There was no reason for Ailsa to feel guilty.
“Ye must be tired, would ye like to rest for a while?” asked Ailsa.
“That sounds wonderful. I’ll just wash up a bit before I lie down,” replied Cat.
“Here is a nightdress for ye. Do ye need anything else?” asked Ailsa.
“No, I’m good. Thanks.” Cat watched Ailsa leave and then began to bathe using the remaining water and a piece of scrap linen. The amount of dirt she had accumulated was disgusting; the long ride and fight had really done a number on her. After washing, Cat donned the nightgown Ailsa had thoughtfully left her. Unused to drying off without a modern towel, she was still damp when she pulled the garment over her head—causing the thin material to cling to her form. Catriona was just about to climb back into bed when she heard a knock.
Expecting to see Ailsa when she opened the door, Catriona was surprised when Alasdair stood there instead. “How is yer arm?” he asked.
“It’s fine, thanks for asking,” replied Cat. Seeing his genuine concern, she realized her distrust of him had been misguided. Yes he had threatened her, but his motivation only been concern for his sister. He would not have saved her from the Camerons if he had intended to kill her; it would have been a wasted effort. And when he had carried her to this room, he had been so gentle. No one would go to such lengths to keep her comfortable, only to then burn her in the morning. Seeing Alasdair still lingering outside her door she asked, “Is there any other reason you are here?”
“Aye, I wanted to return this to ye. I thought ye may have need of it for ye arm, but I see ye are already well bandaged.” Catriona looked down to his hands. My purse! She had not expected to have it returned to her so quickly. She made no attempt to hide her joy at seeing the bag—after all, it held her ticket home. Driven by pure excitement, she threw her arms around Alasdair’s neck in uninhibited gratitude.
***
Alasdair could not deny his attraction to Catriona. Consequently, when she had answered the door, he had completely forgotten the reason for his visit. She wore only a thin nightdress that clung enticingly to her curves. Struggling to resist the temptation, Alasdair had asked after her arm as a means of stalling until he could gain control over his body’s desires. However, he had had no idea she would respond with such exuberance to the return of her satchel. With her breasts now firmly pressed against his chest, he surrendered to his lust.
Prescribed for Love Page 4