Page 11 of Trapped By the Wicked Highlander
“Have ye thoughts on what this is, lass?” he asked, his voice low but urgent. She could tell that he was desperately seeking some good news, but Cassandra wasn’t ready to offer it just yet. She took a deep breath and turned to face him, ready to explain what she had discovered.
“Aye, there’s a chance this is a case of a disease,” Cassandra began, her voice calm but firm.
"Nae a poison?" he asked.
"Nay, it doesnae look to be that way, but I need more time to tell. I believe it is an illness like any other, but much worse."
"I daenae ken if I should be relieved or angry to hear such news," he said.
"The problem is that the healer who fell ill likely dinnae have enough information to diagnose it properly, as there werenae many patients to begin with.” She met Hunter’s gaze, watching his expression shift from concern to cautious hope. “It’ll take time, though—this treatment needs several stages before we can safely say they’re fully healed.”
Hunter let out a long sigh, the tension leaving his broad shoulders as he absorbed her words. Relief flickered across his face, though he quickly masked it, as if not wanting to appear too hopeful in front of her.
“I trust ye ken what ye’re doin’,” he murmured, his voice gravelly with the weight of the situation.
Cassandra nodded, a flicker of pride moving through her; despite her earlier doubts, she was confident she could help these people.
Her thoughts shifted as she approached the little girl once more, but curiosity still gnawed at her.
“Who is the wee lass?” she asked, trying to keep her voice casual despite the undercurrent of surprise she felt.
She had already guessed the child’s connection to Hunter, but the question still burned at the back of her mind. The moment she asked it, she found herself holding her breath, waiting for his answer.
Hunter’s expression softened as he looked down at the child in his arms, and there was a tenderness in his eyes that Cassandra couldn’t ignore.
“This is me daughter, Elena,” he said simply, his voice barely above a whisper.
Cassandra froze, the words sinking in slowly, her heart suddenly racing. Even though she had already guessed this was his daughter, hearing him say it aloud hit her harder than she could have imagined, because it verified that he indeed had a wife.
She shook her head slightly, trying to dismiss the ache that threatened to grow within her.
“Ye seem surprised,” Hunter said.
Cassandra quickly masked her thoughts, forcing a neutral expression as she answered.
“Aye,” she said, her tone as steady as she could manage. “I dinnae expect that ye had a daughter.” She hoped he couldn’tdetect the subtle hint of disappointment in her voice, but she didn’t dwell on it long.
Instead, she focused back on the little girl, her heart heavy with the weight of the situation. Elena’s pale face and weak body reminded Cassandra of the countless other children she had treated in her years as a healer. She couldn’t afford to be distracted by thoughts of Hunter’s personal life, no matter how complicated it seemed. The little girl needed her, and that was all that mattered.
Cassandra knelt beside Elena, taking in the little girl’s delicate features. "A beautiful, lass," she murmured, brushing a strand of hair away from Elena’s face as she inspected her condition. Her voice was gentle, though her mind was already working through the necessary steps for treatment.
She leaned forward, her fingers lightly tracing the girl’s skin as she examined the symptoms. The fever, the rash, the shallow breathing—everything pointed to the same illness that had spread through the castle.
"What do ye make of it?" he asked.
“Aye, the symptoms are the same as the others,” Cassandra muttered to herself, her brow furrowed in concentration. She sighed softly, then looked up at Hunter, meeting his concerned gaze.
“I’ll do me best to start the treatment immediately, but I’ll need some ingredients.”
Hunter didn’t hesitate. “I’ll take ye to the village straight away,” he said, his voice firm with determination. There was no question in his tone, and Cassandra could tell that he was ready to do whatever was necessary to help his daughter.
His commitment to Elena warmed something in her heart, but that warmth quickly faltered as the realization struck her:
The laird has a family.
She quickly turned her focus back to Elena, making mental notes of what she would need once they reached the village.
"I’ll need to make a tincture of elderberry, some honey, and thyme,” Cassandra continued, her mind already working through the list of ingredients she would need. “If there’s any chamomile, that would help calm her stomach, too.” She didn’t wait for Hunter’s response, knowing he would take care of it.
