Page 54 of Desiring the Highland Laird
And now Evie worried about Callum. And Malcolm, too, but mostly Callum.
“I dinnae ken. Help me, lass.” In the kitchen, she took a dish towel and began ripping it into long strips. She shoved the pieces into Evie’s hands as she snatched a kettle from the fire. “I already had water boiling.”
She hurried out of the kitchen. When Evie didn’t follow, she turned to look at her over her shoulder. “Come. We must see to the laird.”
But Evie didn’t want to. She stood there a long moment, paralyzed by her own fear and the dread coiling through her. When Roslyn waved for her to follow, she made her feet move. But she was not looking forward to seeing a bleeding, injured man.
Chapter Nineteen
Hamish was laidin the laird’s chamber, which was down the hall from Callum’s. Evie followed with the strips of cloth in her hands and her stomach in knots. As soon as they entered, the metallic tang of blood accosted her. She clenched her jaw to keep from wrinkling her nose. Dougal was already there, pulling away a bloodied rag and tossing it to the floor.
Callum and Malcolm stood on the other side of the bed. Callum’s hands were coated in blood. His clothes and face were splattered with it. He looked fierce and terrifying standing there with his blue eyes blazing as he peered down at his father. When they entered, she caught his gaze. He had a worried expression on his face and something inside her told her Hamish wasn’t going to make it.
Roslyn poured the hot water into a porcelain basin. She held her hand out for the strips of cloth. Evie handed them over. She dunked first one, then another, turning to hand them to Dougal.
“I ken it looks bad,” Hamish said, his voice a harsh whisper. “Stitch me up, Dougal, and I’ll be fine.”
“’Tis no that easy this time, my lord,” he said. He dabbed at the bloodied area of his abdomen.
Hamish sucked in a sharp breath, clearly in a lot of pain. Callum stepped to her, taking her by the arm and leading her out.
“Come, lass. Ye dinnae want to see this.”
He closed the door behind him and they paused there in the drafty hall. Her pulse pounded. A sharp spurt of fear punched through her.
“What happened, Callum?”
“We rode out to meet them,” he said, his voice low. She tried to ignore the feral look in his eyes as he began to recount the battle. “It was the MacDonalds coming for another fight.”
“Roslyn told me about the long-standing feud between you,” she said.
“Och, Jamie and his devilish ways.” He clenched his fists, clearly vexed by his younger brother. “If he hadna spurned the MacDonald lass, we wouldna be at war.”
“You’re at war?” Roslyn hadn’t made it sound so dire.
“Aye. Though I understand why he did it. She dinnae bear him a child and so he dinnae see fit to stay with her. All of us understood the MacDonalds were more interested in expanding their clan territory and using their handfasting as a way to get more of ours. When he returned the lass to her da, the laird was unforgiving.”
She nodded. Roslyn had already told her as much but now she understood more.
“Da tried to reason with MacDonald, but he wanted to fight again.” He turned away from her, his hands clenched.
“So, you fought,” she said, filling in the blank.
“He took a sword to the gut,” Callum said. He turned back to her then, his face pinched in anguish. “I dinnae expect him to live.”
She pressed cold, shaking fingers to her lips. “Callum, I’m so sorry.”
A muffled groan full of pain came from behind the closed door. Callum started to reach for it, but she grabbed his sleeve and held him back. When his blazing eyes landed on her, shewanted to back down, but she managed to keep her wits about her.
“There’s nothing you can do, Callum. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
She started for his bedchamber, tugging him along behind her. He reluctantly followed. At the door, she pushed it open, then stood aside and waited for him to enter. She closed it behind her. He slumped in the chair by the hearth that was devoid of a fire.
When she realized there was no water in the pitcher or the basin, she snatched up the pitcher and then headed for the door.
“I’ll be back,” she said.
“Evie.”
