Page 20 of Taken By the Heartless Highlander
“She’ll be looked after,” came MacAllen’s deep voice from the doorway as he entered. “Good grip there, boy; someone teach ye that?” he asked, glancing at the dirk in Scott’s fist.
To Keira’s surprise, Scott held it out for inspection, and MacAllen nodded approvingly.
“Are ye teachin’ me brother to fight now?” she asked.
“Better that than he be defenseless all his life,” MacAllen quipped, walking into the kitchen, dwarfing the doorway with his bulk, and sitting down expectantly. “Do ye have any tea?” he asked.
She tutted under her breath. “If the fire were goin’ perhaps, but nay. Scott, get the bannocks I made. The laird has traveled a long way. Perhaps he can try one while I pack.”
Scott hurried to the shelf behind the washbasin, bringing down a little tin and handing it to MacAllen. He opened it warily. Keira had been making honey bannocks since she was a wee girl and knew they were good. MacAllen sniffed one tentatively and then bit into it with care.
He clearly expected it to be dry and stale until he chewed it. He raised his eyebrows in approval and put the rest of it in his mouth. Then he helped himself to another.
Keira went back to her room, leaving him sitting looking ridiculously large in her tiny kitchen. She found Daisy perched on her bed, wringing her hands together, tears on her cheeks with wide, frightened eyes.
“Daisy, me flower,” Keira said, coming quickly to sit beside her and pulling her into her arms. “It’s alright.”
“Th – they could have killed ye,” Daisy sobbed, clinging to her so hard Keira winced as her sister’s nails dug into her shoulder. “If he hadnae come, ye would be dead now, and then what would have become of us?”
Keira pushed her back, taking her by the shoulders and giving her a long assessing stare.
“Listen to me, Daisy Young. Ye would have been alright. Ye are not some weak woman who has nay clue how to look after herself; I havenae raised ye that way. Ye remember what I told ye? Ye stick with yer brother, and ye use yer head.”
Daisy sniffed, nodding as she wiped at her eyes.
“Why is he helpin’ us?”
“To be honest, I dinnae ken, but he wants me to be a healer for him for the short term. That means a soft bed, good food, and safety for the next few weeks, and that’s better than here.”
“Do ye trust him?”
“We have nay choice. Sometimes ye have to follow a path that’s not clear. Maither taught us that.”
Daisy nodded. “I shall pack some clothes for ye?—”
“Nay, lass, we dinnae have the time or the space. We’ll take me herbs and anything that’ll help those we might encounter, but everythin’ else can stay.”
Daisy’s eyes were wet with tears again and it broke Keira’s heart to see it. Daisy had always had the weight of the world on her shoulders. She had not coped well when their parents had died. Keira had suffered many sleepless nights worrying about how she would make her way in the world.
“Go and help yer brother prepare Cuddy for the journey,” she said, watching as her sister scampered away to fetch the donkey from the rear of the house.
Once she was gone, Keira took a last look at her room, trying to make a mental image of this space that she had lived in for so long. She did not have any illusions that it had been a perfect home, but it had been somewhere she had felt settled for a time.
She felt bile rise in her throat as the image of standing on the pyre reared before her again, and she squashed it down.
There is nae use dwellin’ on it; ye are safe, yer braither and sister are safe, and ye have a place to rest yer head. That is more than a lot of people have.
She rose, picking up a few of the gems and seashells she had collected over the years and adding them to the bag.
She considered bringing other items of clothing, but the bulky bag was already heavy. She grabbed a shawl, hoping that wherever they ended up, she could get some fresh clothes or at least borrow some. The burgundy dress she wore had been given to her at the castle and that was all she had.
When she returned to the kitchen, her brother was gone, and so were all of the bannocks.
She put one hand on her hip and raised her eyebrows at MacAllen. “Did ye at least share them with me sister?” she asked as she looked at the empty tin beside him.
“Aye, I gave her the last one,” he said contentedly, patting his belly before he rose. He had to duck his head to keep it from hitting the ceiling and Keira suddenly felt small in his presence.
She looked about her to check that her brother had picked up what she might need. She went to a jar of tallow on the kitchen side and placed it into the packs that would be placed on the donkey’s back.
