Page 23 of To Wed a Laird
Rose shook her head, indicating to Nell that she was exaggerating,
“I don’t think we were in as much danger as that, Elspeth,” she said gently.
However, she had no time to say anything else, since Cormac’s hands were around her waist and she found herself being lifted gently out of the saddle. Again she found herself cradled in the haven of his body, close to his beating heart, firm body and manly musk. If she had not been in such pain, she might have considered herself to be in heaven.
Cormac was having similar thoughts as he lifted Rose from the back of the little horse and into his arms. She was not heavy, and he knew he could carry her a long way if he had to. However, the sick room was only a short-distance away, but at that moment he wished it was further away so that Rose could be in his arms for a long time.
Rose was perfect in every way. He had not realised that what she had given to his daughter was not only knowledge, but herself. She was attentive, patient, and as he now realised, loving. She was beautiful, and as she lay in his arms he couldsmell the fragrance of the light floral perfume she wore, and her own body’s scent.
And those eyes… They had captivated him since the first moment he looked into them, and he knew they always would. When he looked down into them now, he found her regarding him, but this time she did not avert her gaze, but held it. That was the moment he realised that losing her would leave a great gap in his life that would be difficult to fill.
For a few moments, something magical crackled between them, but when they reached the sick room door, Rose reached out to open it, and the spell was broken.
CHAPTER TEN
When Cormac laidRose down on the cot, she expected him to walk out, but he waited by her side, looking down at her as if he was afraid that something bad was going to happen if he left her alone.
“Thank you,” he said earnestly, “for what you did for Elspeth. She could have been badly hurt if it were not for you, Rose. I will do anything I can to help you recover.”
Rose was amazed: he had never used her name before. “I am sure it’s not serious,” she assured him, smiling.
He did not return it, but nodded, unconvinced.
“I would do it again, My Laird,” she told him. “Elspeth has become very dear to me.”
They had to wait a while for the healer to arrive, since she was busy with someone else, and during that time there was silence between them. Rose could tell by the grave expression on Cormac’s face that there was something on his mind. However, she thought it best to keep quiet and concentrate on not weeping with pain.
Rose could not get into a comfortable position on the narrow cot bed, and she squirmed around, trying to find a position that would free her from her agony, but there seemed to be none.
She could feel tears gathering in her eyes, so she closed them and waited for the healer to arrive, conscious that Cormac was watching her; she could feel the touch of his gaze on her face.
Cormac was studying Rose very closely indeed, since he found it almost impossible not to look at her now that her eyes were shut, and he could do so without her knowing.
His heart warmed at Rose’s words. All the women he had hired before her were not a patch on her; none of them had gained Elspeth’s affection the way she had. She had obviously been destined for Elspeth. But what about him? Where did he fit in?
He wondered at that moment what Catherine would think, and imagined that she was standing beside him. He wished the two women could have talked with each other, since they had so much in common. Both were intelligent, beautiful, with a good sense of humour and a generous nature, and both of them loved Elspeth.
He was sure that Rose loved his daughter now because she had put herself in danger to save Elspeth from being hurt, and that was not the act of a maid or a stranger. He had seen it in Rose’s face, even when Elspeth tried her patience to the utmost, which was often.
“She is a very good woman, Cormac. Catherine, who was standing beside him, said gently. I like her very much, and so does Elspeth. She has a lot of love inside her, just as you do.”
“What are you suggesting, Cathy?” he thought.
“Nothing, darling,” Catherine replied, turning his face around so that he was looking into her bright-green eyes. “I am just offering you my opinion, but if you wish to move forward and find another love, I will be happy for you.”
Then she was gone, leaving him to mull over what he had heard her saying. He knew Catherine was a figment ofhis imagination, of course, but she was always there when he needed her.
She is a good woman,she had said, and Cormac knew he would mull over those words for a long time. And she had given him her permission to move on with his life. But could he love another woman? Yet, as he looked at Rose, he knew he had found the answer to his question.
Just then, the healer arrived and Rose opened her eyes.
“What have ye done this time?” she asked, raising her eyebrows but smiling as she began to probe the injured ankle with gentle fingers. Her touch was soothing rather than painful, and Rose began to feel a little of the tension seeping out of her body.
“Nothing is broken,” the young woman announced, frowning, “but it is a bad sprain, an’ ye will have tae rest it for a while. If ye put your weight on it, it will be very sore an’ ye willnae be able tae walk. I will bandage it, but ye will have tae stay off your feet for a while.”
Cormac did not hesitate. “Do it,” he instructed. “I will make sure that Rose gets the rest she needs.”
The young woman rubbed a soothing salve onto Rose’s skin, which had not yet recovered from the last bruise, then wrapped a bandage firmly over her injury.
