Erin threw her cloak around her shoulders and followed. It could also be any of the men who had been out looking for Giselle. Rob’s search party must have realized the thirty days had passed. They didn’t have a reason to continue searching any longer. With winter approaching, of course they’d return to the safety and warmth of Moigh Hall.
“Are we still going to the clinic?” They left the great hall and crossed the bailey. Erin’s words created puffs of steam in the damp, cold air. She wrapped her hands in the thick fabric of her cloak.
“Let’s head to the ferry landing first.” True glanced at her. “Don’t you want to see who’s here?”
She blew out a steamy breath. “I have a feeling it might be one of the pairs of men Rob sent out in search of Giselle. The thirty days have come and gone.”
“The fae don’t measure time like we do.”
“So you don’t think the danger has passed?” Her eyes widened. “I don’t think so either, but Robley is convinced that it’s all been somehow resolved without his involvement.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice?” True snorted.
“Yeah, it would,” she muttered under her breath. They’d arrived at the ferry landing, along with Malcolm, William and Rob. She scanned the ferry as it made its way toward shore. Two men stood on the deck.
Robley came to her side. “It’s Galen and Gareth. I expect the others will return soon as well.”
She nodded mutely. Perhaps he was right, and they’d have nothing to tell. Perhaps thirty days to a faerie lasted an entire lifetime for humans, even though the faerie had made a point to mention that he meant thirty human days. She kept her eyes focused on the two men on the ferry. Their expressions gave nothing away.
The ferry landed, and the two men disembarked, heading straight for Robley. A flurry of welcomes ensued, and the attention of the crowd centered around the two returning MacKintosh clansmen. She and True had been relegated to the outer circle, but at least they were close enough to hear what was being said.
“She’s returned to Inverness, Robley,” Galen huffed out. “We returned there to rest and restock our supplies before the trip home. Giselle is back in residence in her cottage.”
“Did you speak to her?” Rob asked.
Gareth shook his head. “Nay, my lord. We did no’ wish to alert her to the fact that you sought her whereabouts.”
“Good. My thanks.” Robley clasped each one by the forearm for a moment. “Welcome home.”
“Get something to eat and then rejoin the garrison roster,” Malcolm commanded the two clansmen. “’Tis good to have you both back safe and sound.”
“The others were just arriving at Inverness as we took our leave.” Galen started for the keep. “They’ll soon follow.”
“What do you mean to do?” William asked, turning to Rob once Galen and Gareth left.
“Naught. I’ve seen no sign of the faerie sworn to return for me.” Her husband shrugged nonchalantly, but he couldn’t hide the underlying tension pulsing from him—at least not from her. “The only reason he has no’ come for me that I can think of is that the matter has been resolved amongst their own kind. He’s no longer interested in my role in their affairs.”
A look passed between Malcolm and his father. Malcolm turned to Rob. “Mayhap, but ’twould be prudent to make certain before—”
“I plan to,” Rob snapped. “In the spring when traveling is more convenient.”
Brows raised, and another look passed between the group. This time True was included, but no one looked Erin’s way. Unease arced her nerves—and Rob’s.
“We can discuss this more at length after supper.” True hooked her arm through Erin’s. “Come on. Let’s continue to the stillroom so we can fill the prescription for Alma and Roderick.”
“Prescription?” Malcolm frowned.
“I’ll explain later.” True glanced at her husband and turned Erin toward the cottage.
“Will you play your wee harp for us this eve, good daughter?” William called after her. “It soothes my brother to hear your music.”
“Of course I will.” True stopped. “I’m so relieved Robert is recovering so well. I know we all are. Shall I play in the great hall for everyone, or just for family?”
William glanced at Rob before answering. “In the solar, if you please. This eve is just for family. Soon our keep will be filled to overflowing, and we’ll no’ have the chance to speak intimately again until after the New Year.”
True nodded, and they continued on their way toward the cottage. “Are you OK with waiting until spring to talk with Giselle?”
“No, but I wasn’t going to bring it up in front of everyone.” Once again the unease skittered through her. “I’m afraid the faerie will appear sometime between now and then, and we won’t have any defense against him.”
“My thoughts exactly.” True opened the door to their shared space.
The green, earthy scent of all the plants hanging in the rafters wafted over her as she entered the cozy cottage, settling the unease just a little.
“I’ll start a fire. It’s chilly in here.” True walked to the hearth and took the flint and steel from the mantel. “Open the herbology book to antibiotics and antiseptics. If memory serves, we’ll need blue and yellow ginseng for the most part, referred to by my people as ‘papoose root.’ I have the herbs drying in alphabetical order, for lack of a better system. The pictures will help identify them.”
“Couldn’t we have someone build shelves to cover one wall?” Erin opened the book to the index and ran her finger down the print in search of the antibiotic plants they needed. “We could commission a bunch of earthenware jars with lids and label them.”
“Great idea.” True struck flint and steel together, blowing on the spark that landed in the wood shavings and dried grass. “I’ll talk to Malcolm about it. I’m sure he’ll put the castle carpenters to work on them right away. You and I can talk to a few of the women who make pottery. It’ll be a great winter project.”
“If I’m still here . . .”
“Right.” True’s expression darkened. “I hope you are. I know it’s selfish, but . . . I can’t help hoping you’ll stay here with us.”
Her throat tightened. True was the first truly close friend she’d had for a very long time, and she didn’t want to lose her either, but what could she say? She had absolutely no control, especially if she and Rob put off confronting Giselle until the spring. “What do you know about the fae? Are they . . . killable?” Her heart thumped painfully at the thought of Rob doing battle against the faerie warrior, but she knew he would attempt it if he had to.
“I only have the stories I’ve been told since I came here, but as I understand it, they can only die by their own weapons. They’re pretty much immune to ours.”
“Of course. Makes sense.” They had to talk to Giselle now. The sooner the better, and definitely before the faerie showed up for her husband. Blinking back the sudden sting in her eyes, she focused on the rafters, matching the pictures to the plants. “It’s the roots we need from the ginseng. Right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I have it.”
Next she searched the book for antiseptics. “Barberry and mountain cranberry. Hmm, do cranberries grow here? They’d be great to have on hand for bladder infections.”
“Not that I’ve been able to find. Mountain cranberry is an evergreen bush that grows in sandy soil.”
“Do you have any of the berries?”
“I do. They’re in a basket along the wall near the rosehips.”
“You’re really something, True.” Appreciation for her friend swelled in her chest. “Amazing.”
“Not really. I’m just doing what my grandfather, grandmother and my relatives have always done, only on a larger scale. I spent many a summer and fall out in the bush, gathering medicinal pla
nts with my family, so it comes naturally.”
“Did you gather all of this on your own?”
“No. I have lots of help here with the gathering part. Our clan is not without knowledge of the healing properties of the plants around here. They’ve taught me a lot. According to them, the thistle plant will cure just about anything.”
“Will it?”
“I have no idea. It’s not in Gran’s book, but the locals say it’s used for tumors, all kinds of joint complaints and illnesses.”
“I hope I get the chance to gather with you.” She kept her eyes on what they needed. “We make a good team.”
“We do.” True came up next to her and nudged her shoulder. “Have I thanked you today for saving me and my sons?”
Erin shot her a wry grin. “You don’t have to keep thanking me. I’m glad it all worked out, and I’m even kind of glad I had the experience.” She toyed with the plants in front of her. “I’m not going to be nearly as apprehensive about cesareans now, and you know yours won’t be the last. I’ve already begun stocking my bag with embroidery silk, needles and a sharp dagger. That’s one of the reasons I want to learn how to make your salve.”
“I’ll teach you.”
They continued to work side by side, gathering, cutting and mixing the herbs and roots they needed for the tea until they had a good-sized batch for the afflicted couple. Erin couldn’t remember a time when such contentment filled her. Maybe it was because she and True shared so much in common that their friendship had blossomed so easily. She’d never met anyone else with abilities similar to hers, and it was a relief.
“I hope this works.” Erin went for an empty basket to carry their remedy. “Do you have some kind of cheesecloth or linen to line the basket?”
“Yep. In the trunk at the end of the cot.”
She rummaged through the trunk full of strips of cloth for bandages and squares for bundles until she found the right size. Placing the square inside the rush basket she’d chosen, she brought it back to their pile of the loose tea on the worktable.
“Do you want to take this to them, or do you think it would be better if we went together?” True asked.
“You have to get back to your babies. They’ll want to nurse soon. Besides, it’s important that I be the one to bring them the tea. They need to know I’m invested in finding a solution.”
“Arlen might still be here,” True said. “He often spends time visiting his sister’s family while on the island.”
“Good. If you’ll take me to him, I’ll ask him to take me to the mainland. I’m procrastinating an argument I know I’m going to have with Robley. I need a little time to formulate my thoughts. We need to head to Inverness to confront Giselle together, and we need to do it soon.”
The evening had been long, and Erin’s eyelids drooped. Still, she was determined to have it out with Robley before they slept. His family had tried and failed to reason with him earlier in the evening, and now it was her turn. Erin followed the family procession out of the solar and again formulated the argument she needed to have with her stubborn husband. Once they were within the privacy of their own chamber, she turned to him. Her palms grew moist, and her heart crept up her throat.
“I can’t live with this threat constantly hanging over our heads, Rob. I know you believe everything has been resolved, but I don’t agree. I want to go to Inverness as soon as possible. If we leave in the next few days, we can be back before Christmas.” She doubted their visit with Giselle would be that simple, but for Rob’s sake she had to put it out there as if she believed it would be.
“Nay.” He sat on the chair and removed his boots. “There’s no need. ’Tis done.”
“No, Rob. It’s not, and judging from the emotionally tangled vibes you’re giving off right now, you don’t really believe it’s over either. What’s going on in your mind?”
He rose from the chair and strode toward her. “What is really going on in my mind is the thought of you naked and in my arms.” He drew her close. “I dinna wish to discuss this any further, babe. We are no’ going anywhere but to bed, where I plan to make love to you until we both fall asleep.”
“Nope.” She disentangled herself from his arms. “We need to resolve this. Giselle is back, and the faerie warrior could make an appearance at any moment. Making love leads to babies. With the prospect of your death riding herd on us, I don’t want to get pregnant.” She crossed the room to the pegs on the wall and began to undress. “If you won’t come with me, I’ll arrange to travel to Inverness on my own.”
“Nay. You will do no such thing. I am your husband,” he snapped. “I make the decisions for the both of us now, and I say this can wait ’til spring.”
“Huh. I don’t recall that being a part of the vows we took. I’ve always made my own decisions, and I’m not about to stop just because I’m living in your century.” Her insides knotted. “Don’t you get it? I can’t bear the thought of losing you. I can’t live with that fear every single day while waiting for the other shoe to drop. The stress is too much. I can’t sit idly by knowing Giselle is in Inverness. How can you?”
“Och, woman.” He plowed his hands through his hair. “I canna bear the thought that this fragile peace might be upset if we do confront her. Leave it be.”
“I can’t.” She bit her lip, wondering just how far she could push him. Dammit. What choice did she have? “Ignoring the problem isn’t going to make it go away.”
He tugged his shirt off and dropped it on the floor. “Stirring the pot might bring the faerie to us.”
“He’s going to come for you one way or the other.” She shot him an incredulous look. “Having Giselle on our side is the only hope we have.”
“Ignoring the entire affair may make it disappear. The fae are a capricious lot.” He unbelted his plaid and let it fall where he stood. “I am certain they’ve been distracted by other more pressing intrigues.”
He drew her into his arms again and nuzzled her neck, trailing kisses to her jaw. His warmth, bare skin and obvious arousal wreaked havoc on her resolve, and at the same time she wanted to shake him so hard the stubborn fell right out of him. “I doubt it. The pensieve belonged to their king. They’re not going to let it go.”
“Humph.” He yanked at the tie to her chemise, and it soon fell to the floor to join his pile of wool and linen.
“Robley.” She pushed against his chest. “I mean it. We have to travel to Inverness, or I’m moving back to the room I started out in, and the door will be barred on a nightly basis.” She reached for her chemise and brought it to the pegs, ignoring his pile of garments.
The muscles in his jaw twitched, and anger pulsed from him in waves. He strode toward the hearth and gave her his back. “You think to issue ultimatums to me, wife?”
“I guess so,” she whispered, her heart aching. She’d never meant to issue any kind of threat. It just sort of slipped out, but she had to follow through, or they would continue to be at an impasse.
“I will no’ allow it.”
“Robley,” she pleaded. “Please be reasonable. You can’t just stick your head in the sand and hope that everything will pass us by. Life doesn’t work like that, and I’m pretty sure you know that.”
He swallowed hard and shook his head. “You dinna understand.”
“Explain it then. Help me to understand. I can feel your stress and unhappiness, but I don’t know what you’re thinking.”
“My da’s health. You. Responsibility to my clan and kin.” His shoulders slumped. “What does no’ weigh upon me at present? The faerie has left us alone. I dinna want to risk drawing his attention by being anywhere near Giselle. He tracked me through centuries, lass. Surely he can track me from Moigh Hall to Inverness.”
He glanced at her, his expression determined and stony. “He kens I dinna have the pensieve. I’m naught but a mortal who was ill used by
one of their own. What use am I to him when I dinna ken Giselle’s true identity? He’s had time to think upon the matter, and I’m certain he’s come to the same conclusion. I’m of no further use to him.”
Fear and despair. The emotions filled her husband and flowed straight to her. A rush of empathy and understanding surged through her. He feared losing his father to another stroke, and he feared losing her to the future—more than he feared losing his life. Never had her insights and impressions from another been so clear. Her soul wept for what he was going through, for what they both must face.
“Oh, Rob.” She wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself against his stiff back and absorbing his tension. “I get it. I really do. Let’s do what we can to put all of this faerie drama behind us once and for all. I have your father on a daily dose of True’s willow bark tea. He’s getting stronger every day. You’re not going to lose him anytime soon.”
“Aye? And what about you? Can you guarantee I willna lose you should we confront Giselle?” He turned in her arms, crushing her to him. His mouth found hers in a hungry kiss, and his hands roamed over her as if he meant to memorize her by touch. She caved. So much for her ultimatum. He needed her right now, needed her loving touch to soothe the fears and lessen the weight of all that rode upon his broad shoulders.
He backed her to their bed, and she let him. They fell onto the mattress in a tangle of limbs, heat, need and love, losing themselves in each other. Their lovemaking was frenzied and intense. She welcomed the respite from the grim reality they faced. Immersing herself in the sensations of their joining, she gave herself up to the love they shared, trusting in the strength their bond had woven. He’d voiced his worst fears, and she knew he’d soon come to see things her way.
Sated and spent, he wrapped himself around her and settled, as he did every night. She smiled into the darkness. He loved to spoon, and the sense of peace and security it gave her evoked a resonating hum within her. She wanted forever with him. Didn’t she deserve to be happy? Hadn’t she paid her dues with an unstable childhood and a lonely adulthood?
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