A Healer For The Highlander (Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance)

by Fiona Faris

Sophia embraced him then, pulling him close. “I am glad ye returned,” Sophia said.

  “Me too,” Logan responded. “Unfortunately, we’ve some badly injured men who will need care.” Logan nodded his head in the direction of the slumped-over bodies.

  “Aye, leave it tae me.” Fanny went over to the men and asked Alrick to help her carry the bodies into the great hall. Gilbert showed up shortly after and grabbed the wrapped bodies. He took them towards where they would be burying them, following Fanny’s directions.

  Mildred ran out and hugged Logan. “Yer alright! I was worried!” She pulled him in close.

  “Ye’ll not be rid of me just yet,” Logan chuckled. Mildred smacked him. Ava ran to him shortly after, followed by Diana.

  “Papa, Papa!” she shouted. Sophia could see it pained him to pick her up, but he was all smiles for his daughter.

  “Wee one, how I’ve missed ye.” He snuggled into her hair and planted kisses all over her face. She giggled.

  Logan pulled away for a moment and lowered his voice as he talked to Mildred. “We’ve got a prisoner with us. Dillon’s here.” Mildred’s eyes went wide, and she directed a few of the scouts who had stayed at the castle to take him straight to the dungeon.

  “Alrigh’, wee one, I must put ye down. Go on in and I’ll follow ye soon enough,” Logan said to Ava. She nodded and trailed after her aunt, who led her inside. “Mildred, we’ll need tae chat soon. Fer now, I have something tae give tae Sophia.” Logan reached behind him, wincing as he picked up the claymore that belonged to Sophia’s father. “Needs some cleanin’, but nae much else.”

  Sophia took the sword and smiled. She was glad it had served Logan well. “Thank ye fer carin’ fer it,” she said.

  Logan smiled. He winced again and fumbled before reaching for his horse. He blinked slowly a few times, then suddenly collapsed on the ground, pushing away his stallion.

  “Logan! Logan! Are ye alright?” Sophia bent down and brushed his hair back. She fanned Logan, thinking he only needed a minute to stand. But Logan’s eyes were shut, and his breathing slowed. He was very still. Sophia held her face close to his mouth to make sure he was breathing.

  “Help, please!” Sophia looked around for someone to help her lift Logan back up. Mildred ran forward and bent towards Logan.

  “Oh no! Logan has had much weight on his shoulders. Poor lad; tis all crashing down on him. Let’s get Alrick tae take him up to his bedchamber. Alrick!” Having carried some men inside, Alrick came running out. He ran to Logan’s side and lifted him, struggling under the weight. With Mildred guiding him, they moved towards the castle.

  “Take him tae his bedchamber. I’ll be right up tae help him.” Sophia ran to the healer’s pantry and grabbed some herbs and tonics. He seemed to be breathing, so all she could hope was that this was a sudden and severe bout of exhaustion. Still, she worried for him. He had only just barely returned, and already, she was at risk of losing him again.

  Seeing him collapse in front of her made her nervous about facing another loss. She had already seen much death thus far in her life. She was not sure she could lose someone again so soon, especially someone whom she had just begun bonding with.

  Her eyes welled and tears slipped down her cheeks. She wiped her face, smearing a bit of soil on herself. She ran from the pantry towards his room, a spot in the castle she’d memorized after only two visits. She brought all she thought she would need. When she entered, Alrick had just set Logan down. Sophia hated seeing him like this, so vulnerable in his bed, wounded. It was the only time she had seen him look so weak. She wanted to lay with him, care for him, call him back to her.

  Sophia knew she needed to focus and not let her feelings paralyze her. She went straight to work, treating Logan with care. She undid the buttons on his shirt and slowly removed it, even as Mildred stood nearby. She knew she needed to remove the clothes to see if there were any signs of wounds festering beneath the fabric.

  Mildred rushed to her side and helped her get all the remaining armor and fabric off of Logan. She, too, was worried, and Sophia could see that tears had made their way down her cheeks. His skin was flushed with heat, and he was clammy, as if he had been sweating the whole journey back. But his body shivered beneath their touch.

  “I hope he will be alright. The estate needs him tae be strong right now, especially with Dillon in our dungeon. He is so close tae bringing us peace again.” Mildred shook her head, the worry evident in the crease on her forehead.

  Sophia tried to keep herself busy. As much as she wanted to comfort Mildred, she, too, was worried for Logan. She moved Logan’s arm around and found some small wounds. She set to work, and quickly wiped them clean and applied an ointment. There was one on his cheek that would likely leave a nasty scar for some years, but it would be a reminder of what he’d accomplished that day. She found a large gash in his thigh and set to work healing that as well. Mildred watched and helped whenever Sophia needed it. Though the cut was large, it had mostly stopped bleeding, likely in his journey back to the estate. Mildred gasped when she saw the wound and had to look away.

  “Mildred, will ye please hand me the small vial on the trunk over there?” Sophia was just about done dressing the wound, but needed to apply a stronger tincture to this cut, since it had been so large.

  “Here it is.” Mildred handed it to Sophia, but did her best to avoid looking at Logan’s leg. She was never good at dealing with bloody injuries. Sophia finished adding the tincture and laid a clean linen over it. She looked around his bedchamber, hoping to find a nightshirt to put on him.

  “What are ye lookin’ fer?” Mildred asked.

  “A nightshirt. I thought it best tae get Logan intae some clean clothes fer now.” Mildred nodded and went over to a small dresser in the room where Logan stored his clothes. She pulled out a soft white shirt. She handed it to Sophia, and Sophia started sliding Logan’s arms into the sleeves, one by one. She covered him tightly with a quilt and made herself comfortable on the trunk next to his bedside.

  “Ye must have strong feelins’ fer him if yer so willing tae dress him, and care fer him in such a way.” Mildred crossed her arms and sat at the edge of Logan’s bed, eyeing Sophia.

  “I would do it fer any of my patients if they needed me,” Sophia spat out. Her face was hot with blush, and she tried to avoid looking at Mildred.

  The truth was that she was starting to, day by day, realize just how strong her feelings were for Logan. She did not know if she was ready to admit that quite yet to anyone else, however. She enjoyed her time with him, but where was it all going to lead? A laird would never love his healer. She was likely going to be his lover, and then he would leave her. Maybe even ask her to leave.

  What would his sisters think? Would they remain friendly toward her? Would they too ask her to leave? She didn’t know what to tell Mildred. She wanted to admit her feelings, but the idea of the rejection that might come later on kept her silent.

  “Well, I’ll leave it at that, then,” Mildred said, concealing a smile. She turned away from Sophia and made sure the fire in the room was nice and steady.

  “I gather ye’ll be staying tae keep an eye on him through the night?” she asked.

  Sophia nodded. She hoped it was something Mildred assumed she did for all her patients.

  “Well, let me or the staff know if ye need anything, alrigh’?” she said before leaving Logan’s bedchamber.

  “Thank ye, Mildred, I shall,” Sophia responded. She leaned against the wall and shut her eyes for a few moments. She was exhausted from the anticipation and worry of waiting. She didn’t intend to sleep fully, but she needed her eyes to rest and she needed her mind to be still in the silence of darkness, even if only for a few brief moments.

  * * *

  Sophia woke with a start. She heard movement around her, and turned to find Logan half-perched on his bed and feeding himself some stew.

  “Yer awake!” she said. She had not intended to fall asleep, but given all she
had been through, it was not surprising she had drifted off so easily.

  “Aye, Ah’m sorry if I woke ye. I was very hungry, and had tae call the staff tae bring some stew fer me,” he said between bites.

  “I’m sorry. I should have had them send something earlier. I did not mean tae sleep.” Sophia rubbed her eyes, mildly embarrassed from not fully fulfilling her healer duties.

  Logan waved his hand at her. “Nae, dinnae be. I can take care aye meself. But I’m happy tae see ye here.” Logan drained the rest of his stew from the bowl and moved up the bed more. He winced from the pain in his leg.

  “I made sure tae bandage it up for ye and give it some ointment.”

  “Thank ye, Sophia. I think tis helpin’,” he responded. “Sit with me, aye?”

  Sophia felt herself blush, but she went and sat on Logan’s bed with him. “I am glad ye are alrigh’,” she said to him. She looked away, embarrassed by the rush of emotions to her face. “I was worried fer ye.”

  “I was worried, too. I wanted tae return tae ye.” He reached out to lift Sophia’s chin to face him. “An’ now I am glad tae be here with ye.”

  “Ah’m glad yer here too,” Sophia responded.

  Logan leaned in and placed his lips against Sophia’s soft, full mouth. She embraced the kiss, reaching to weave her hand into his furious red curls. She had thought about kissing him again since the moment their lips had last parted.

  “Mm, Logan, yer kisses light a fire in me,” she whispered in his ear as he moved his mouth to the nape of her neck. He trailed his open mouth along the curve near her shoulder and across her clavicle. He blew gently on her skin, and Sophia sighed in pleasure.

  “Sophia, I’ve thought of nothin but ye fer the last few nights. Yer so beautiful.” Logan moved back up to kiss her. Their lips parted, and their tongues explored each other. Logan, ignoring the twinge of his leg wound, lifted Sophia and placed her on his lap, her legs spread atop him. He pulled her in close.

  “Oh Sophia, how desperately I’ve wanted tae be with ye,” he breathed into the skin above her breasts.

  “Logan, I have wanted tae feel ye against me fer so long now.” Sophia started undoing the buttons on Logan’s shirt, and he took that as a sign to move his hands beneath her skirts. He slid his rough fingers up her outer thigh to the bottom of her buttocks. He cupped them and pulled her in against his hardness. He grew beneath her, and Sophia found herself pushing against his hardening flesh, wanting to be closer to it.

  He moved his hands to the back of her dress and undid the threads that bound her.

  She let out a soft gasp as the front of her dress slipped lower and her breasts were exposed. Logan could not contain himself; he wanted to taste all of her. He leaned forward and ran his tongue along her pink nipple before gently nibbling it.

  “Oh, Logan!” Sophia moaned, letting pleasure ride through her body.

  Logan could not take it any longer. He flipped her over in one swooping motion so he was on top of her. He pulled her dress off of her and sat above her, looking down at her beautiful body. She was more beautiful than he had imagined. She tilted her head back and lifted her body towards him.

  Logan removed his shirt and placed himself between her legs. He moved his hand to her soft mound and found the hill of her pleasure. He pushed against it gently, but enough that Sophia’s body lifted in response. She arched her back as he slid one finger into her wetness.

  “God, Sophia, yer dripping.” He pulled in and out of her as she rode his hand, moaning.

  “God, Logan, it feels so good. Enter me, Logan. Please.” She tried to keep her voice controlled, but she knew she was about to erupt with pleasure.

  Logan could not resist the request, and he removed his nightshirt. He moved closer to her and pushed his hardness into her, unable to go slowly.

  “Oh, Sophia!” he cried.

  Sophia had long anticipated this moment, and now that Logan was inside of her, she could think of nothing but the pleasure. It was more than she had imagined. She pushed against him, letting him enter her again and again. He lifted her small body onto his until she was again in his lap. The two pushed against each other. The pressure of months, the weight of all the tragedy they had felt, all of it melted away as they rose to a peak. The both of them rocked against each other, until finally, Sophia called out Logan’s name, collapsing against him as he to collapsed on the bed.

  * * *

  The sun’s rays made their way through Logan’s bedchamber window just after dawn, gently waking Sophia. She looked around the room and remembered where she was. Logan held her closely. Sophia moved his arm gently. She hoped he would remain asleep, given how exhausted he likely was. She slipped from his grasp and moved around the room, looking for her dress and skirts.

  Sophia could not deny the passion that moved through them the night before. She had not expected to be riddled with pleasure so quickly. Even thinking about the night made the area between her legs pulse with a gentle reminder. But still, Sophia needed to leave the room.

  She dressed quickly and poked her head from the bedchamber door, making sure the hallway was clear. She did not want to have to explain why she was leaving the laird’s bedchamber so early in the morning.

  As she went down the hallway, she felt herself grow a little somber. It wasn’t that she hadn’t wanted to give herself to Logan; she had, but now she was beginning to wonder if he had true feelings for her. He was the laird—perhaps he was accustomed to having whatever woman he wanted, whenever he wanted. It pained Sophia to think that his feelings for her might not be lasting feelings, but just a built-up tension. Perhaps he sought only to numb the pain.

  Sophia rushed back to her room before the tears could fall. Had she made a fool of herself? What if, now that they had been together, Logan decided he did not want her in the keep any longer? What if he didn’t allow her to continue her role as the healer’s apprentice? This was the only place she had to turn to. She wondered if she had made the wrong choice, choosing to be with Logan as they were together the previous night.

  By the time she made it to her bedchamber, Sophia was near tears. She chided herself for being with the Laird, for giving so much of herself away. But even as she did, she remembered the passion between them, the way they seemed to move as one body. She had never erupted in pleasure quite like she did last night, even under her own hands.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Days passed, and Logan began to recover. His leg had started to heal, but the wound was deep. Since it had started scarring, it was causing him a great deal of pain, and he had to walk with a limp. Fanny was not sure whether it would ever fully heal, but she promised to do her best to make sure it did.

  When Logan awoke after his night with Sophia, he was shocked to find that she had left his bed in the early morning. He wondered if he had pressured her too much. He wanted to find her, to talk to her, but he knew she needed some time, and thus, he made it a point to give her that time.

  While he did keep Dillon barely fed in the dungeon, he knew the time had finally come to decide with the council members exactly what needed to be done with him. He was due for very heavy punishments. He had made it clear from early on that he was not a man to be trusted or forgiven, but still, Logan had to put it fully to a vote.

  It was nearing evening and the council members had gathered for their meeting. They wanted to make the official announcement the next day about what the clan’s future looked like. Logan had already ordered that Dillon be brought to the room. His second-in-command, Alrick, was already in the room, waiting for him.

  He entered the council meeting that morning confident and prepared, a leader. The men clapped for him as he entered, and for the first time in a long time, he felt very supported by his clan.

  “Great work, Logan,” one man said.

  “Fine job indeed,” said another.

  “Yer a fine laird,” said a third.

  With each compliment, Logan was more and more sure he had made the ri
ght choice going into battle that night.

  “First,” he began, “I want tae say, I owe much tae my men. Without ye, we would nae be the clan we are now. Thank ye fer yer support in face of everything.” The men clapped. Chained in the corner, Dillon scowled.

  ‘Logan looked around then. He had hoped to see Sophia there, but found only Fanny and Gilbert. He was saddened that she had missed this important moment, but he knew it would be difficult for her.

  “I want tae tell ye all that we have been doin’ our best with the winter wheat, and it looks like the harvest will come right on time. The healers have been at work, doin’ their best to make the men right again. Thank ye, Fanny and Gilbert, and Sophia, who is nae present.” Fanny nodded in response.

  “Now, there is the matter of Dillon. I bring it to ye, council men, we must decide what his punishment shall be together. But first we shall, as all righteous men do, give Dillon a chance tae explain his actions.” Logan waved forward the two scouts who held Dillon. They walked forward with him as Dillon dragged his chains behind him.