Page 67 of Bride takes a Scot

He stopped Edith from leaving. “Anse, go and bring Lillith. Edith, stay and help Isabella.”

The maidservant returned to his wife’s side. Declan tensed. From the sound of Isabella’s tone, the odds of Robbie surviving didn’t appear to be to his advantage. He motioned to the men to leave the chamber so the women could do their work.

Outside in the hallway, Declan leaned against the wall. Micah took up a similar position next to him.

“Did ye recognize the men who attacked ye?”

Micah shook his head. “It was dark in that part of the forest. We never heard them coming which means—”

“Which means they were lying in wait for you. Why was Robbie on his way to see me?” Declan hoped he’d had news to impart about their foe.

“He did not say, och only that he needed to see you at the soonest. We rode like hell to get here and took no rest.”

Declan detested not knowing why Robbie was intent on seeing him. He growled in frustration and prayed his comrade survived. If he didn’t, there was no telling how he’d find his foe then because he sure as hell was in the dark about it.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Isabella was deadon her feet. She’d tended to Robbie throughout the night and by morning his wounds were stitched, they were soothed with a healing balm, and he was cleaned. The man appeared to rest comfortably though he wasn’t out of danger. There was always the risk of infection. Through her ministrations, Isabella prayed he would survive.

Twice he awakened and groaned from the pain of his injuries. He had only settled once she made a tincture which put him to sleep in little time. She was careful to only use the tiniest pinch of henbane to ease him. The man was Declan’s brother-in-law and their son’s uncle. He was family even though he didn’t belong to the MacKendrick clan.

By morning, Isabella’s eyes were bleary, and she fell asleep sitting by the man’s bedside. She hadn’t heard Declan enter the room but awakened and sighed when he lifted her in his arms. It felt too good to rest in his embrace, so she relaxed and let him carry her to their bedchamber in the abutting room. There, he set her gently on the bed and knelt next to it. He pressed his hands over her hair and set a light kiss on her lips.

“Rest, love, ye did well and saved him. I am grateful.”

“He is not out of danger, Declan. I should be there in case he needs attention,” she said, sitting up. She tried to shimmy from the bed.

Declan pressed her back. “I will have the healer sit with him while you rest. Lillith should be arriving soon. I must tell ye, Robbie was attacked in my woods. Someone awaited him there and ambushed him. I need to go and find the interlopers.”

“I understand but you’ll be cautious? I will worry for you.”

“There will be more than a score of soldiers with me. We are setting a trap for the miscreants. I detest leaving you, love, but I must find out who threatens us.”

Isabella pulled him closer and set a gentle kiss on his lips. “Be safe and promise to return to me.” She wouldn’t release him until he spoke the words.

“I promise to return to ye.” Declan gave her a passionate kiss that nearly caused her to swoon. “Ye make it difficult to leave. I placed additional guards around our walls and our home. Ye should be safe, but I would rather ye not go outside the walls until this enemy is found. No traipsing to the loch with Noah.”

“I will stay within the walls. Worry not,” she vowed. Exhausted, Isabella closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

*

When she openedher eyes, Declan was gone. Isabella blinked and stretched. She must have slept long because it appeared the sun was beginning to rise. With haste, she rushed through her morning routine and hurried to see how Robbie was doing. There were no sounds from within the chamber. She entered and found him sleeping.

The healer likewise slept in a chair. Lillith, she’d been told, had tended to the clan for only a short amount of time. She appeared young, probably the same age as she. Her long blondish-brown hair was braided and pulled to the front of her. Isabella touched her shoulder and startled poor Lillith.

“Do you want me to take over?”

Lillith shook her head. “Ye go on about your day. Edith says she shall come later this morn.”

Isabella nodded and left the chamber. There was still much to settle in their new home. Although it was late summer, almost autumn, there was a chill about the fief. She needed to have the lads return and light fires to warm the rooms.

She opened the door and found Slone awaiting her. “Good morn, Slone. I take it Declan has left the holding?”

“Aye, Milady, yestereve. I am to see to your protection. If ye need to leave the keep, ye should tell me so. Our laird told me to keep ye inside, though.”

Isabella understood the need for protection since Declan was certain their enemy was close. She wouldn’t do anything to cause unnecessary worry for the soldier. “I shall be here within. But might I ask you to bring Noah and Marian here? And tell Rhona and Claude to come as well.”

“I will have a soldier give them your messages.”