Page 75 of The Cruel Highlander's Healer
“What’s happened?” Conall asked, and color rose high into Dougal’s round cheeks.
“It’s yer maither, me laird,” Dougal began.
His tone was hesitant, like there was no part of him that had to deliver the news that was on the tip of his tongue.
“What about her?” Conall prompted.
Dougal’s gaze dropped to the ground. “While ye were gone, ridin’ after Eliza, she tried to escape. Before we caught up to her, she had made her way to the bairns. She was almost in the room when I apprehended her. She was goin’ to use them as a shield while she escaped. I couldnae let her. There was a fight and…”
The words died out, the sentence hanging in the air between them. Apprehension twisted low in Conall’s belly.
He knew what Dougal was about to say. He could see it on the lad’s face. That didn’t stop him from needing to hear it, though.
“And what, Dougal?”
“She’s dead,” the young guard finished in a rush. “She was goin’ after the bairns. We had nay choice.”
Conall had been prepared for a lot of things. And, there had always been some part of him that had known this day would come. But he hadn’t expect the sinking feeling in his stomach as Dougal’s words settled over him.
It wasn’t Dougal’s fault, though. And right now it was more important that Conall was the strong, unflappable Laird they’d all come to respect. He could sort out his own, complicated feelings on the matter later.
He clapped Dougal on the shoulder, prompting him to look up.
“It’s alright,” Conall assured him. “Ye did what ye had to do. I daenae fault ye for it. She was the one behind the poisonin’ of the bairns and the town. It was all her idea. She deserved it, in the end. It doesnae matter if she was me maither or nae. Nay one will be gettin’ away with somethin’ like that.”
Dougal didn’t move for a moment, and Conall got the impression he was taking it all in. Eventually, the guard’s jaw flexed and he gave a quick, terse nod.
“Now, if ye’ll excuse me,” Conall said to Dougal. “I need to go check on our healer. I’m nae sure if ye’ve noticed, but she’s had quite a doozy of a night.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
“Itold ye, Maither, I’m fine! The Laird got there before Alistair could do anythin’ to me.”
Eliza’s protests fell on deaf ears as Marissa continued to flit about her, inspecting every area of Eliza’s exposed skin for any sign of injury.
They were in her chambers, where Marissa had rushed her off to the moment that Eliza had gotten back. She had wanted desperately for a moment to talk to the Laird, but she hadn’t been able to. And now, Eliza felt certain that the conversation she wanted to have so desperately would have to wait until the morning.
A knock sounded at the door, and Eliza sent out a quick thank you to God for the interruption as she called out for whoever was on the other side to enter. As if conjured by her own thoughts, Conall stepped into her room.
Marissa’s eyes shot up. She’d been inspecting Eliza’s right arm, twisting the joints this way and that as she checked for any sign of a sprain or injury. As soon as Eliza’s mother realized who had entered, though, she let go of Eliza’s limb.
“Ye truly are alright?” Marissa asked, gaze whirling back to her daughter.
Eliza nodded, her eyes never once leaving the Laird.
“I’d like to have a word with Eliza, if ye daenae mind,” Conall said, taking a few more steps into the room.
He’d left the door open for Marissa, a clear sign that whatever he wanted to discuss with Eliza, he wanted to do so in private. She expected her mother to argue. Shock rocked through her when, instead of firing back any kind of retort, Marissa simply nodded and then rushed forward.
Her mother closed the door behind her, leaving the two of them alone for the first time since the night before.
Was that truly just last night?
It seemed like a life time worth of events had happened since then. But no, it truly had been only the night before that Conall had dropped to his knees for her. A thought that immediately sent heat skittering across Eliza’s face.
“What did yer maither say?” Conall asked as he crossed the room and sank down on the edge of her bed. “Any injuries that she’s concerned about?”
Eliza shook her head. “Ye got the brunt of the damage. She should probably look at ye before ye go to bed tonight.”
