Chapter 7 #2
“About an hour. We’ve searched most of the castle for him…”
But before the maid could finish, Kenneth stormed off, a thunderous expression on his face.
Nothing worried him more than losing Hunter, whose health was constantly fluctuating.
One minute he might be well, and the next he might be in bed with a high fever.
This made it dangerous for Hunter to be unsupervised for long, for if he fell ill and did not immediately receive proper care, his health could deteriorate very quickly.
Kenneth’s first thought was that perhaps his brother had decided to explore the grounds near the castle, but he quickly dismissed that idea. For the castle was heavily guarded, and none of his warriors would let the boy out at this time of night. Especially not alone.
But if Hunter was still in the castle, then why couldn’t they find him? True, the castle was huge and had many places where the boy could hide. But Hunter was not a particularly mischievous child, let alone a wicked one.
He wouldnae hide to frighten everyone. Nay. There must be somethin’ he wanted to ken. Somethin’ that would stir his curiosity and drive him out of bed.
Suddenly, Kenneth knew exactly where his brother was.
He flew past the servants as he tore through the corridors and made his way to the rooms on the first floor, where he had ordered the healer to be settled.
As soon as he was near them, he heard her voice. Although it was slightly muffled by the walls between them.
“What do ye mean, this month’s healer?” she asked.
That soon confirmed his suspicions. His brother was not lost; he had simply gone to see who would be the healer for the next month.
“We change healers every month. It’s like a game. Me braither wants to find the best!” Hunter’s voice exclaimed.
At least he seemed to be in much better spirits than a few days ago, which was a relief. His illness had worsened over the previous week, and he had been listless for days.
But that did not stop Kenneth from barging into the room. His brother should not take the situation lightly—he needed rest.
“Hunter, stop disturbin’ our guest,” Kenneth said as he pushed the door open.
Leana, who had her back to him, jumped in surprise. Guilt was written all over her face, while for Hunter, it was nothing more than an amusing game.
“Botherin’? I’m nae botherin’ anyone. I just wanted to talk to our pretty guest! Besides, she seems nice.” Hunter rocked back on his heels, giving Leana a mischievous smile.
Kenneth could see her smiling back. A warm, sincere smile.
The gesture pleased him.
“Aye, she is,” he said, clearing his throat. “But she’s had a long journey. And ye should be sleepin’, nae delayin’ our guest’s rest.”
A sigh from Hunter and a raised eyebrow from Leana let him know that neither of them appreciated the interruption. Especially Leana, who seemed willing to discuss being a “guest” with him. But she didn’t contradict him, instead placing a hand gently on Hunter’s shoulder.
“Go and rest. We’ll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow,” she promised.
Hunter nodded. “All right. I’ll be off, then. See ye tomorrow, Miss Healer.” He waved to her eagerly.
Kenneth watched as one of the maids, having finally found them, took the boy by the shoulders and led him to his room. For a moment, he was left alone with Leana.
The shadows tried in vain to hide her beauty and verve, but he could still get lost in her gaze, in the way the light accentuated her feminine curves.
Suddenly, her rosy lips parted, and she took a step forward, ready to bombard him with hundreds, if not thousands, of questions. Kenneth could see it in her expression.
But before she could utter a single word, he said, “Tomorrow.” And then he hurried out of the room.
His heart lurched at the haste with which he had turned away from her. He must have assumed that her temper and stubbornness were greater than any instinct for submission.
The healer had proved, time after time, that she would not stand by without saying or doing what she saw fit, no matter whose orders it was.
“Me Laird, wait!” she called after him, hurrying out of the room.
The corridor was empty, save for them. Leana had had time to remove her cloak, and Kenneth’s as well, so her slender figure was now on full display.
Kenneth couldn’t help but frown at the plain brown dress she was wearing. She was beautiful, the kind of woman about whom songs and odysseys were written, so he resented the garment, for it did not accentuate the vivid, intense blue of her eyes or her dark hair.
Surely, he would have to do something about that.
“I believe I’ve given ye an order, Miss Beaton,” he grunted, trying to remain calm as he turned to her.
But she ignored him. “Ye’ve given me plenty—nae that I care. In this situation, I make the rules.”
Kenneth raised an eyebrow. The lass was obviously more than annoyed, but he was simply fascinated by her temper.
Where did she get such a temper?
“Do ye have any idea who ye’re talkin’ to?” he scolded, taking a step toward her.
He was tall, much taller than her, but she just looked up at him and squared her shoulders.
“Aye. An injured patient who refuses treatment,” she fired back, her blue eyes flashing with defiance.
Kenneth didn’t know whether to laugh or scold her for her impertinence, though he found it attractive.
Somehow, he was fascinated by the way she challenged him. “Ye’re nae goin’ to stop insistin’ on this, are ye?”
“Nae until ye let me take the arrow out of yer shoulder,” Leana declared.
“In that case, come with me,” Kenneth ordered, fed up with the argument. He turned and started to walk away.
Leana hurried to keep up with him. “Where are we goin’?” she demanded.
For a moment, Kenneth hesitated about giving her the pleasure of an answer. But he knew she would not stop insisting.
“To me quarters,” he finally said, looking at her to gauge her reaction.
To his amusement, her stubborn facade cracked. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she frowned.
“Let’s get this over with once and for all,” he muttered, letting the shadows swallow him up.