Page 73 of The Highlander's Virgin Nun
They had indulged in a large feast put together by the Sinclair kitchen to celebrate Caelan’s full recovery. After he had awoken that morning, he had needed only a week more of rest. Gradually, he was able to get out of bed and walk, and after two weeks, he was riding again.
Jayden had refused to let him train with the boys, despite his insistence that he was fine. Otherwise, the Laird had fully recovered.
Rosaline had stayed by his side the whole time, fetching him everything he needed, and making sure he was drinking water and eating well. She held his arm as he regained his balance and spoke with him at length about what had happened.
He told her about the Abbey and the girls he had found there. She had recognized their names, too, and could recall their faces in passing as they could hers. They indeed had families to return to, and Jayden had taken them home to relatives who had no idea of the torture they had suffered.
Caelan had spoken to the council, firstly just to warn them, but they decided to put a man on watch at all times to ensure that the nuns inflicted no further cruelty. This put Rosaline at ease in a way she had not even known she needed. Knowing that no other girl would have to endure the same torture made her sleep more peacefully. Her nightmares became few and far between.
As the song came to a close, the group returned to the table, and the men refilled their cups with ale.
“Pace yerselves, lads,” Eliza warned. “I may be a great healer, but ye will be nursin’ yer headaches in the mornin’ alone. That’s nae a poison I have an antidote for.”
“Ah, but it is one problem Icansolve,” Michaela chimed in, and the group waited for her to elaborate.
However, instead of speaking, she slipped her hand underneath Caelan’s arm and tickled his armpit. As his grip loosened on his cup, she snatched it and tossed the ale into her mouth.
“There ye go, lad. I meself am the antidote.”
The group burst into laughter, and Michaela retreated, his cup still in her hand.
“Are ye leavin’ early, Conall?” Rosaline asked.
“Aye, quite. I am hopin’ to be back at Castle MacKinnon before nightfall, so we shall be on our way after breakfast.”
Eliza put an arm around Rosaline’s shoulders. “We shall catch ye here in the mornin’ before we leave. But dinnae fret, lass. Ye ken we will be back, and yer husband here has yet to come and visit our home.”
“Aye, we owe ye for yer generous hospitality,” Conall added.
“Ye owe me nothin’,” Caelan interjected. “Yer wife saved me life.”
“Still,” Rosaline chimed in, “we will visit soon.”
“Can I come with ye?” Alexandra asked.
“Of course, lass.” Conall nodded. “We are family now, all of us.”
Rosaline leaned into her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. Caelan put his arm around her and squeezed her tight. She looked around at her friends and family with sheer delight.
Months ago, she had been trapped in a cold, violent place, constantly in danger. Now, she was safe and warm, surrounded by love and joy, and it was all hers. It could not be taken from her.
She placed a hand on her belly, which had started to swell over the past couple of weeks.
It turned out that Michaela’s prediction was correct, confirmed by the few mornings she had thrown up unexpectedly. Other than those few occasions, Rosaline felt quite fine, but then she started feeling something new.
It was as if she could feel her insides far more intensely than she could before. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she could swear she felt something forming inside her. Not just in her womb, but in her heart. She felt herself being pulled to a new energy, love already growing and forming around it, and she knew now that Michaela had been right. She was going to be a mother.
“If ye dinnae mind,” Caelan said. “I think I am quite ready for bed.”
“Of course,” Conall agreed, as did the others.
The group bid each other goodnight and retreated to their quarters. When Rosaline turned to the stairwell, her hand in Caelan’s, he pulled her back gently.
“I thought ye wanted to go to bed?”
“I do, but I want to show ye somethin’ first.”
Rosaline furrowed her brow, but then her lips curled into a smile as her husband led her through the hall and out the castle doors. It was late, and all the servants, other than a couple of guards outside the gates, had gone to bed. It was quiet, serene, and dark.
