Chapter 6
“Daenae move. I have to get the arrow out.”
Pain shot through Kenneth as Leana broke the arrow in two.
She had to, or else his wound would be aggravated when she pulled the tip out of his shoulder.
Her teeth chattered, and her jaw clenched tightly when he let out a hoarse grunt.
But she didn’t even flinch. She just carried on as if nothing could disturb her.
Kenneth fell silent after that, admiring the woman in front of him. Her hands moved across his shoulder and chest swiftly and meticulously. She did nothing unless it was necessary, but her touch was driving him mad.
He had stopped paying attention to the pain. He couldn’t when she was close enough that he could smell her scent, inhale the perfume of her hair, and feel her breath on his neck.
But he did not tell her, letting her work, admiring her efficiency.
“I daenae have much with me,” Leana warned, hastily checking the satchel she had tucked under her cloak. “I would have prepared better if I had kenned that I would have to solve this emergency…”
“Dinnae worry.” Kenneth seemed indifferent. “I can get ye whatever ye need.”
“I appreciate that.” Leana's tone was slightly sullen. “It's the least ye can do after kidnapping me.”
“I didnae kidnap ye. Ye are me guest,” Kenneth reminded her, half in jest, half in earnest. For the first time, she gave him a smile. “But if ye like, I’ll send one of me men to get yer things. Ye’ll have everythin’ ye need in me castle anyway.”
“Well, ye keep sayin’ that. As long as ye do, I will ken that ye are conscious and that the poison, or infection, hasnae reached yer brain.”
It was obvious that she was beginning to feel comfortable with him, or at least confident enough to address him like that. And Kenneth didn’t mind. On the contrary, he watched her work and made all sorts of clever jokes, thinking about her abilities.
But he didn’t want to delve too deeply into the subject. It was dangerous to think what other hidden talents she might have.
Leana applied a honey-herb paste to the wound. “I willnae be able to remove the arrowhead until we get to the castle,” she warned, her lips twisting in a grimace that conveyed her frustration. “So this will have to do for now.”
She knelt down in front of him, her eyes flickering with a million emotions. “I need ye to take off yer shirt.”
Kenneth raised an eyebrow at her request, deeply interested. He knew what she was up to, of course, but that didn’t stop him from finding the situation amusing.
Anyway, he nodded. Though he rarely obeyed.
Leana reached for his shirt, but then she pulled her hand back, hesitating. After a moment, Kenneth pulled it over his head and stood naked from the waist up in front of her.
If he could, he would have paid his entire fortune to know what the lass was thinking.
Her job must require her to treat naked men from time to time, and Kenneth was sure she took it as seriously as she could.
But that did not prevent her eyes from wandering over his chest, lingering a moment longer than necessary on the muscles and the scars. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
He might have teased her under different circumstances, but she recovered too quickly and set to work immediately.
Once the paste was applied, she began to bandage the wound around the arrowhead to prevent it from moving. The constant movement bothered Kenneth, but he ignored it. Instead, he concentrated on her, on the feel of her warm hands against his chest and the brush of her hair.
“That will have to do for now,” Leana whispered as she finished, her eyes meeting his.
If Kenneth had suspected it before, the look in her eyes made it more than clear that she was flustered. But the lass was stubborn enough to swallow her opinions and feelings.
So, she jumped to her feet and tucked all her supplies back into her satchel.
“We must hurry,” she urged.
“So, now ye will come with me?” he drawled as he put on his shirt.
“Ah, so ye admit ye took me against me will. That’s called kidnapping,” Leana scoffed, jutting her chin proudly.
She put his cloak down, and as she did so, Kenneth noticed her sniffing it curiously and… happily, perhaps?
A small smile, drawn across her lips for a moment so brief he might have thought he was imagining it.
But he knew he wasn't. The gesture had been there, drawn across her dark pink lips and creeping up to her eyes, amidst bright sparks that lit her face for a moment.
“But, aye, I must accompany ye. Ye said ye needed me for something important.” She furrowed her brow. “Is it perhaps so that I can heal yer wounds if ye are wounded in battle?”
“Nay.” This time, Kenneth’s voice had regained some of its strength. He stood up after adjusting his shirt, the pain gone, his expression turning somber, shadowed. “I need ye for something very important. Much more important than me or anyone else.”
Leana opened her mouth to unleash another barrage of her endless questions. But before she could, he stepped toward her.
Silence fell between them, and the tension grew as Kenneth refused to admit the obvious—that he needed her to save someone else’s life.
Someone he simply couldn’t lose.
The sun was dipping below the horizon when they arrived at the castle, less than an hour later.
By then, Leana was exhausted. But most of all, she was worried.
Her day had been stressful, to say the least. She was sure she required a bath, a good meal, and at least a few hours of sleep to fully recover.
She felt like she was on the verge of collapsing, but her concern for Kenneth kept her on high alert, robbing her of her peace of mind.
Furthermore, she sensed that a lot was going on with him and he wasn’t telling her. It was obvious that he cared deeply about someone, but he wouldn’t say who.
Is the Laird married? If so, perhaps it is his wife who is in danger in some way? Or maybe even their baby?
The thought made her uncomfortable, but she decided to dismiss it. It would help, of course, but that didn’t mean that her curiosity and nervousness wouldn’t get the better of her.
She needed to tend to Kenneth’s wound properly. But he had been silent since they had set out toward the castle, so she couldn’t tell if the paste she had applied to his wound had helped in any way.
“Finally. We’ve arrived,” Kenneth murmured suddenly, startling her.
Leana jerked her head up to take in her surroundings.
Of course, Kenneth was right. In front of them stood a huge, ancient stone castle, which, in the reddish glow of the evening, looked as if it were adorned with fire.
Perhaps it had once been a gloomy place, but to Leana, it looked beautiful.
Wide meadows stretched on either side, where sheep could be seen grazing at their leisure before the shepherds herded them back to their pens.
The cool evening breeze swept through the grass, making it sway.
In front of the castle, two women were waiting for them. As soon as they saw them arrive, one of them ran out, a wide smile on her face, holding the skirts of her dress so as not to trip.
At first glance, Leana thought they both looked very pretty.
The younger woman, who must be about her age, had strawberry blonde hair, thick and pulled back in a braid.
Her slender frame carried an effortless grace, yet the curve of her hips swayed subtly with each movement, and the soft swell of her neckline caught the flickering light, adding a quiet allure.
Her cheeks, dusted with a natural blush, held an unspoken innocence, like the first bloom of spring—fresh, unassuming, untouched by time.
Several feet behind her stood a woman with curly red hair. She was a little older, enough to be Kenneth’s mother, though she looked more like the girl running toward them. Pretty, too, with leaf-green eyes and a serene, relieved expression on her face.
“Kenneth! Och, ye’re back. Ye daenae ken how glad I am,” the younger woman declared as she hugged Kenneth.
The sight reminded Leana that the Laird might indeed have a wife. She felt her stomach twist.
Fortunately, the girl did not seem to be suffering from any illness, so Leana assumed that she was not her future patient. Then, she looked at the older woman, who was also embracing Kenneth.
“We’re so glad ye’re back! We heard about the bandits who attacked ye on the road.”
“Aye. But I’ve taken care of everything.”
“I daenae doubt that ye have.” The woman looked lovingly at Kenneth, before her intelligent green eyes landed on Leana. “And this lovely young woman, is she the healer?”
“Aye,” Kenneth replied.
“Leana Beaton, me Lady. At yer service,” Leana offered with a slight bow.
The blonde-haired girl smiled. “Och, yer name is as pretty as ye are,” she gushed as she approached her. “But me cousin has obviously treated ye terribly! Kenneth, what have ye done to this poor woman? She’s covered in mud!”
“We had some inconvenience on the way,” Kenneth muttered, before heading to the doors.
Leana sensed that as soon as they were inside the castle, Kenneth would disappear in the corridors. So she quickened her pace, trying to catch up with him because she needed to check his wound again.
Of course, the girl at her side was quick to do the same.
“Well, that’s unkind of ye, Kenneth. A lady deserves to be treated with respect,” she declared, before turning to Leana.
“Me name is Valerie, and this is me aunt, Brenda. I am her lady-in-waitin’,” she added, in a jovial tone, and then went on to say: “We’d gladly look after ye.
If ye’ll allow me, I’ll show ye to yer quarters.
Ye must be in need of a bath and a change of clothes. ”
“Aye…” Leana started. “But first, I must attend to the Laird. He’s injured.”
The two women gasped in unison.
“Hurt? What happened to ye?” Brenda asked as she hurried over to Kenneth and put a hand on his good arm.
“I’m fine,” he lied.
Impossible man.
“Nay, ye’re nae.” Leana jumped in front of him, blocking his path, and shot him a glare. “Ye have an arrow in yer shoulder, and I need to remove it before the wound gets infected.”
But Kenneth didn’t seem to care what she wanted at that moment.
“The wound will still be there tomorrow. Ye can deal with it then.”
He tried to step around her, but she blocked his path again. “If I let ye go in this state, I’d be a lousy healer.”
“Ye arenae here for me,” he reminded her.
Leana stepped closer to him. “Perhaps, but ye became me patient the moment ye took an arrow for me.”
Kenneth’s good eye darkened as it bored into her, but she wouldn’t budge.
Nae this time.
She never risked her patients’ lives. Even if they were stubborn lairds who didn’t want to be treated.
It seemed that their confrontation was about to escalate. Kenneth would probably give an order that she would not be inclined to obey.
Maybe, just maybe, Valerie had noticed, for she rushed over to Leana and grabbed her arm.
“Why don’t I show ye to yer bedroom? Trust me, Kenneth willnae die. He’s too stubborn for that.”
Kenneth’s lips curled into a grimace, but he made no objection.
“Then I leave Leana in yer care, Valerie,” was all he said, before turning and walking away.
“Wait!” Valerie called after him, but he ignored her.
Leana just stood there, vibrating with anger and frustration. She clenched her fists tightly, itching to knock some sense into him.
I have never met a man so stubborn as to even challenge death itself…