Page 28 of Taken By the Heartless Highlander
“How are yer chambers?” Scott asked as he tied his belt around his waist. It made Keira uneasy to see him carrying a dirk almost everywhere he went now, but she knew better than to tell him to stop. They were not safe—living at the whims of Laird MacAllen’s charity— and she would do well to remember that.
“Large and well equipped. They will do very well until we leave.”
Scott nodded, glancing up at her from beneath his bangs, which were flopping into his eyes.
“Ye still think we will have to leave? Could we nae stay here?”
Keira moved forward, brushing his hair from his eyes, and he batted gently at her hand with a frown.
“Nay, we cannae live off the laird’s charity forever.”
She thought back to the softness in MacAllen’s eyes as they left her cottage. How easy it would be to give in and stay here for as long as she could, basking in the safety he afforded her.
If I could guarantee I wouldnae have to see him with his shirt off again that would make livin’ here a little easier, too.
But she knew that their time in the castle had to be temporary. She could not afford to let her guard down. She needed to protect her brother and sister and get them somewhere defensible and safe Somewhere of her own making, where she didn’t have to rely on others’ whims.
Scott was frowning at her, and she gave him a quick smile.
“I must find me way in the world, just as ye and Daisy will one day. It will be an adventure.”
“I like this castle,” Scott said softly.
“Aye, but it isnae our home. We will find another. But for now, I recommend making the most of bacon and eggs for breakfast.”
Scott’s head rose, light dancing in his eyes as he grinned.
“Bacon?” he asked with excitement.
“Aye, I could smell it from downstairs when I came to fetch ye. Get yer sister and go and break yer fast.”
“What about ye?”
“I’ll be along.”
He gave her a quick hug and skipped out of the room. She smiled as she heard her sister’s delighted squeals. It never ceased to amaze her what joy her siblings could find in the smallest things.
She left her brother’s chambers, watching them chatting as they descended the stairs and went to her suite of rooms, wracking her brains to try and find a cause for Noah’s ailment.
She had not been able to bring all of her books with her, but there was one for herbal treatments that she was glad she had remembered before they had left.
She was fairly certain she had heard of a treatment with a poultice made from foxgloves, but when she read about it, she was glad she had checked the measurements. It was actually a tea that could help alleviate the symptoms, but the potency of foxgloves was far higher than she had realized.
Vinegar, honey, and mustard plasters could also be used, which pleased Keira. She had her own methods of creating mustard plasters using egg whites instead of water, which had greatly improved their results in her experience.
In another section of the book, she found it suggested that the malady could be an affliction of the mind, which gave her pause for thought.
She remembered Neive telling her of a woman who had lost her son in the war, and she developed chest pain as a result of his passing. She lived for many years afterward but suffered from such pains until the end of her days.
She continued reading for many hours, making notes on a variety of different treatments. She was conscious that she was putting far more research into the problem than she ordinarily would.
She wanted to impress the Laird. She wanted him to see that she was skilled in her trade.
She thought back to when they had sat side by side in front of the fire, his eyes fixed on hers for a few heart-stopping seconds as his gaze moved down to her lips, as though he might have kissed her.
The very idea of kissing MacAllen was shocking. He was far above and beyond her station in life, yet the thought of being able to touch him outside of a medical setting was intoxicating. She had thought of his chest from their first encounter many times. Her dreams had been filled with images of him coming to her rescue as the flames began to burn at her feet.
Ye are bein’ a silly girl about him,she thought ruefully;ye cannae afford to have yer head turned by such a man as he.
