Page 58 of Highlander's Captive Bride
“Do ye think they realize ye’re onto them?” Daisy asked.
He shrugged. “I dinnae ken. Maybe they’re lying low for a few days, seeing what develops, now that we’ve put it about that Elodie’s getting worse.”
“Aye, they might think that the last dose of poison was large enough to have—” Daisy broke off, not wanting Elodie to hear. But the child was acutely intelligent, and it was hard to hide anything from her.
“They thought it would kill me. Is that what ye meant to say, Daisy?” Elodie asked matter-of-factly.
“Not exactly,” Daisy hedged, feeling awkward.
“They thought they were clever,” Elodie went on. “But they’re stupid. They dinnae realize who they’re dealing with. We’re too smart for them, eh?” She grinned at them both, seemingly quite pleased at the thought of the villain being caught and punished. “Now, let’s have a game of Noah’s Ark again, shall we? Da, ye can be Noah, and Daisy can be Mrs. Noah, and I’ll be all the animals.”
At that, Bellamy grinned across at Daisy and said, “Well, wife, what are we to give these elephants for their dinner tonight?”
Daisy laughed, but it was only to cover the heat that flared inside her at the thought of them being man and wife, even if they were only an inch tall and made of wood.
The following morning, Daisy realized she needed to stock up on some ingredients for Elodie’s medicines, it being important to maintain the fiction of the child’s illness. She happened to bump into Nadia in the dining hall at breakfast and mentioned to her that she planned to venture into the village later that day.
“I’d love to come with ye,” Nadia said at once. “I have to buy some new thread and some braid to finish off the Beltane decorations and suchlike. Could ye stand some company?”
She appeared quite enthusiastic, and as Daisy was happy to have some company, they decided to meet later outside the keep and go shopping together.
Daisy spent the morning with Elodie, who was still doing a grand job of fooling Poppy. She played a few card games with her before kissing her goodbye and going to her room. Feeling peckish, she nibbled a few oatcakes with some of the honey that Bellamy had bought her at the monks’ stall in the village before getting ready to meet Nadia.
She had given the honeycomb Bellamy had bought her to Elodie when Poppy had been out of the chamber, both as a treat and because the poor child had to pretend to feel sick whenever she ate anything when Poppy was present.
Daisy had to wait a few minutes outside the keep for Nadia to appear. They greeted each other cheerfully and set off, this time taking the route through the main gates and across the causeway. As usual, it was very busy with all sorts of people and traffic. They soon reached the other side, and instead of taking the quieter path she and Bellamy had taken a few days before, they went straight ahead, then turned right onto the main road, which Daisy now knew led to the village.
“I suppose ye’ve been very busy with the Beltane committee, getting everything ready for the celebrations,” Daisy commented as they walked.
“Aye, but we’re nearly there. There are just a few things to finish off now. As I told ye, we’ve used so much thread, we’ve entirely run out, and we need more to finish off some of the decorations—the banners and pennants, and such like. It’s been hard work, but I always enjoy doing it,” Nadia told her. “Raymond is planning to roast two whole boars for the occasion,” she went on. “And the Laird has had a hundred gallons of ale put aside, as well as barrels full of whisky.”
Daisy laughed, recalling Beltane celebrations of the past at home in Castle McGunn. “A hundred gallons! That’s a lot. I doubt there’ll be much work done the day after,” she said, putting on a cheerful face to hide her sadness at knowing that just as the festivities were in full swing, she would sneak out of Castle Murdoch and leave it all far behind.
“None at all!” Nadia replied laughingly. “Anyway, we’re to start putting the decorations up from tomorrow, with some of the guards to help us. I’m nae climbing any ladders or trees, that’s for certain.”
They had reached the main street by now, and Daisy saw there was no cluster of market stalls around the stone cross. Just a few stalls were there—one selling greengrocery, another meat—and she spotted the stall run by the monks from St. Tristan’s monastery, where Bellamy had bought her the honey. It meant that she could actually see the lay of the land, and various shops and stores she had not been able to see before now stood out.
There was the Murdoch Arms and the very table where she had sat with Bellamy over luncheon. That was a memory she knew she would always treasure. Yet, at the same time, it made her heart ache a little to think it would never happen again.
She was secretly a little surprised that Nadia had not yet asked her about what was happening with Elodie. It was when they were in the haberdasher’s shop, with Nadia picking out the thread and braid she needed, that the girl finally brought the subject up.
“I’m almost frightened to ask ye, Daisy, because of what I’ve been hearing, but will ye tell me how Elodie is?” Nadia asked suddenly, her large blue eyes fixed on Daisy’s face searchingly.
“Hmm, ’tis nae good news at all, Nadia. The lass isnae making any improvement. In fact, I hate to tell ye this, as I ken ye care so much about her, but in truth, she’s worse than ever. She’s going downhill fast.”
“Is that so?” Nadia murmured in a low voice, appearing stricken. “And d’ye still nae ken what is making her so sick?”
Daisy shook her head, feeling a prickle of guilt at lying again when she knew it must be distressing for Nadia. “Nay, I’m sorry to say I’m nae closer to finding the truth than I was when I started.”
“Ach, that’s bad news, indeed. I was wondering why she isnae allowed to have any visitors now, except ye and the Laird. And dear Poppy, of course. Is that the reason?”
“Aye,” Daisy confirmed. “She’s just too sick to have any visitors at all.”
She suddenly felt very aware that Nadia had paused sorting through the reels of thread and that her attention was now entirely fixed on her face. In addition, she thought she heard something in Nadia’s voice that suggested the girl was not entirely convinced by what she was telling her.
“Not even me, her closest friend? Ye’ve always said I cheer her up and make her laugh. Would that nae make her feel better?” Nadia pressed.
Daisy supposed her curiosity was to be expected, since the two girls were friends, and Nadia had always been a regular visitor to Elodie’s chambers throughout her period of sickness. It must be perplexing for her to find herself suddenly barred, along with everyone else.
