Page 20 of Highlander's Captive Bride
“Tell me,” he asked, suddenly curious, “how did ye come to be this famous healer, being a laird’s daughter and all?”
“If ye dinnae mind, I have a lot to think about, so I’d rather get back to Elodie than stand here making idle conversation,” Daisy replied irritably.
That took him aback. However, if she did not want to talk and would rather spend time getting to the bottom of what ailed Elodie, he supposed he could not complain.
“Very well. I’ll take ye back to her chambers.”
They walked without speaking indoors. He accompanied her to Elodie’s chambers, where she went inside willingly, not looking back at him as he shut the door.
As he walked away, he could only wonder what was brewing in the mind of this complicated, desirable, little woman whom he had kidnapped and forcefully bent to his will.
* * *
Over the coming days and nights, Daisy tried everything she could think of to try to help Elodie, but nothing seemed to work. At the same time, she worried about Violet, wishing she was well and that she was there to guide her. Now that she had been forced to write the letters, she could be sure that no one was coming to find her, and the hope of escaping seemed to grow slimmer every moment.
The truth was, she did not know if she could leave, not without solving the riddle of Elodie’s strange illness. The poor little girl’s plight tugged at her heartstrings, stirring all her caring instincts.
Poppy did her best to keep Elodie cheerful, and Nadia visited several times a day to entertain her, but the sickness was relentless.
It came in fits and bouts, starting with the severe cramping in Elodie’s stomach that made her cry out with pain and made it impossible to get anything nourishing into her. The child had a strong spirit, to be sure, but being unable to eat meant she was wasting away, and Daisy feared that if she could not find the reason for it soon, then Elodie might die.
That was bad enough, but what would the Laird do to her, then?
Will he kill me too?
7
After several days of quiet despair at her failure to pinpoint the cause of Elodie’s suffering, Daisy had what she thought was a good idea. Fresh air and sunshine sometimes did wonders for the sick, and Elodie had been lying in her stuffy sickroom for too long, in Daisy’s opinion.
“Poppy, it’s a fine day out today, and I think it would be a good idea if we took Elodie outside for some fresh air and let her get a bit of sun on her face. It might do her some good, and it cannae do her any harm. Will ye help me?”
“Of course, Daisy. I’ll get her dressed,” Poppy replied with enthusiasm. She went over to the bed. “Ye’d like to go outside, would ye nae, lassie?” she asked.
Elodie immediately smiled, looking genuinely pleased at the prospect. “Och, I’d love to see the sun,” she said, her face brightening, “and it’ll be grand to feel the breeze on me face. ’Tis always so hot in here.”
In a short time, Daisy and Poppy had helped the little girl out of bed and got her dressed.
“I feel a wee bit better just being in me clothes again,” Elodie told them with as much excitement as she could muster in her weakened state.
Poppy summoned Jamie from his station in the hallway to carry Elodie. Daisy laughed inwardly to see the brave warrior falling over himself to serve Poppy, realizing by then that he had a huge crush on the pretty maid. Poppy seemed to relish his presence, too, and as cynical as she felt, Daisy sensed romance in the air.
Before long, she, Poppy, and Elodie were ensconced on a blanket on the castle green, with Jamie lurking nearby, as always. The warm sun shone down upon them, and it certainly appeared to Daisy that Elodie was in better spirits just from being in the open air.
They laughed and chattered amongst themselves, and Daisy felt more positive about Elodie’s prognosis than she had in days. They were engaged in making daisy chains—Elodie had decided that her new healer should have a daisy crown to match her name—when Daisy spotted a familiar figure heading towards them.
“Da!” Elodie called excitedly, seeing her father coming towards them. “Look, I’m making a daisy chain for Daisy.” She held up the delicate article for his admiration. She might as well have been blowing in the wind for all the notice he took of her handiwork.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Bellamy shouted as he came up to them, his ire clearly directed at Daisy. “She shouldnae be out here. She’s sick, d’ye nae understand that? What are ye playing at, woman?” he demanded. “Get her back inside, at once!”
Daisy watched in horror as Elodie’s face fell, along with the daisy chain she had so carefully wrought. Her little face screwed up, and she began to cry.
“But I like being outside, Da,” she sobbed. “’Tis nice. I havenae seen the sun in ages, and I feel better, too.”
Daisy stood up, glancing at Poppy, who looked terrified. Conscious of Elodie’s distress, she reigned in the anger that threatened to overwhelm her. “I assure ye, Elodie’s quite all right. The sunshine will do her—”
“I told ye to get her inside, now! Jamie,” Bellamy called, hailing his right-hand man.
Jamie rushed over to them, clearly wondering what was going on. “What is it? Is she taken sick again?” he asked, looking down at Elodie with sympathy in his eyes.
