Chapter 19
THE CURE FOR AN ILLNESS
“Did ye say… yer faither?”
For a moment, Kenneth's face paled, his eyes widening as though the very ground beneath him had shifted. His jaw tensed, a flicker of disbelief tightening the corners of his mouth. The weight of realization settled in his gaze—raw, unguarded—as he met Leana’s stare, her own shock mirrored in the subtle tremor of her breath.
She didn’t quite understand what was happening, but she knew one thing: the previous Laird was dead.
At least that was what Kenneth had told her. That their father had been a heartless man, and that he was deeply glad that Hunter had never met him.
But if that was true, how could Hunter claim that the man he visited at night was his faither?
“Hunter…” Kenneth began, and for the first time, Leana saw fear in his eyes. “Tell me, who are ye talkin’ about?”
One of his hands rested gently on Hunter’s cheek. It seemed that he was doing his best to keep his emotions in check and not lash out in front of his younger brother.
Hunter's lips parted, hesitation flickering across his features for a brief moment before he straightened, determination settling into his stance. “I mean, Peter… Mr. Graham, of course.”
He grimaced as he lowered his gaze to the small statuette in his brother’s hands. He did not seem very happy with the term he used.
At first, Leana hesitated, wondering who this Mr. Graham might be. But she soon realized to whom he was referring.
“Ye remember I called him Da, daenae ye, Braither?” The boy’s lips pressed together in a thin line. “He asked me to call him that.”
“When?” Kenneth asked.
“Since I was very little. I used to call him Da, not Captain, whenever we were alone.”
Then that’s who he’s referrin’ to. To the captain of the ship he and Kenneth sailed on…
The confession did not seem to please Kenneth, whose lips tightened slightly. But he did not interrupt the boy, letting him continue, and Leana decided to do the same.
“To be honest, Braither, I just miss our life at sea so much,” Hunter muttered, sniffing.
Instinctively, Leana took his hand and squeezed it comfortingly.
“That’s why ye sneak out at night,” she concluded. “To see Captain Graham.”
Hunter nodded. “Aye. I visit him when his ship docks.”
“And is he the one who gives ye the sea holly candy?” Leana asked.
Again, Hunter nodded. “Aye. He brings them to me whenever he can. When I eat them and breathe in the sea breeze, I feel so much better.”
Of course. Because the candy clears yer lungs, and the salty air allows ye to breathe better…
“I see,” Leana whispered, putting it all together.
She finally knew the cause of his illness and possibly the cure for it.
It was a tremendous relief to finally know what was ailing him. However, Kenneth didn’t seem as happy as she was.
“I did hear footsteps outside me bedroom last night… That was ye, was it nae? And the night before that?” Leana asked, seeking further confirmation.
“Aye. I snuck out last night to see Mr. Graham… me da. He brought me candy. That’s why I feel so much better today.”
“I understand…” Leana murmured. “And the night before that?”
Hunter shook his head. “Nay, ye’re wrong. That night, the stable boy saw me, and I had to return. That’s why I coughed yesterday.”
“It all makes sense now,” Leana sighed, casting a glance at Kenneth.
He looked petrified, both by the revelations and his inner turmoil.
“That’s why yer recovery fluctuates, regardless of what I do. Because it’s the sea holly that cures yer illness…”
Suddenly, a third voice sounded in the room. “So, darlin’, what have ye been lyin’ to us about all this time?”
Leana was surprised to see Brenda, but more pained to see her desperate expression.
It was obvious that Brenda had overheard much of the conversation, though the healer couldn’t say how much.
Brenda slowly walked into the room. Tears streamed down her beautiful face, even as she, like Kenneth, tried to keep her composure.
Her obvious pain must have made Hunter feel guilty, for he threw himself into her arms.
“Maither, I’m sorry!” he cried, burying his face in her skirt. “I didnae mean to hurt ye. I was just afraid that ye and me braither would be angry if ye found out what I’ve been doin’.”
“Hunter, of course we were goin’ to be angry,” Brenda chided, looking more depressed than upset. “Do ye have any idea of the danger ye’ve put yerself in by sneakin’ out like that?”
“Nay, Ma. I was very careful, I promise!” Hunter insisted, trying to calm her.
“But ye did it. Ye snuck out at night and put yer life in danger, did ye nae?” Kenneth said, taking a step toward him.
Hunter’s eyes widened with fear once more.
“I… I did, but…” He sniffled. “It’s only because I wanted to see me da.
Besides, I miss the sea. It makes me feel good.
Much better than bein’ here.” Then, he turned to his mother and added regretfully, “I love ye so much, Maither. Ye and Valerie. But the castle makes me sick. Ever since we got back to this blasted place, I’ve been sick. ”
“Language!” the three adults warned in unison.
Hunter shrank in on himself. “I’m sorry,” he whined. “B-but it’s the truth. It’s like this place doesnae want me here. Like me faither’s ghost is tryin’ to send me away again…”
His gaze, sad and filled with grief, dropped to the floor.
Leana watched him, feeling her heart clench. She noticed the same pain in Kenneth’s gaze, like a gust of wind that stirred his anger.
Brenda, whose face was etched with the deepest sadness, leaned forward to kiss her son on the forehead, trying to comfort him. “Daenae say that, me darlin’,” she pleaded.
Kenneth took a step in his brother’s direction. “Where did ye hear that?” he asked.
Leana guessed from his tone that he was very careful about what he said in front of Hunter, especially concerning their late father.
The boy, looking crestfallen, admitted in a whisper, “I heard ye talk about it long ago…”
Kenneth almost flinched as the realization that his brother had been spying on him sank in. That he himself had somehow planted the seed of pain in Hunter’s heart.
A weight pressed against her chest, heavy and unrelenting, as if the very air had thickened around her. Her fingers trembled slightly at her sides, curling into fists before she forced them to relax.
She swallowed hard, but the tight knot in her throat refused to ease.
Her thoughts swirled, tangled with emotions she couldn’t name, and when she exhaled, it was slow, uneven—like she was trying to steady herself against a storm that had already begun to consume here.
It was difficult to see Kenneth like this, confronting the ghosts of his worst fears, watching as the weight of a cruel truth settled over his younger brother.
Hunter had known for a long time—too long—that the man who should have loved him had instead wished him dead. Yet, despite his quiet strength, Kenneth could see the strain in his brother’s rigid posture, the way his fingers curled slightly as if bracing against an unseen blow.
His jaw was set, his breathing measured, but the pain flickered unmistakably in his eyes—an old wound, reopened and raw.
Kenneth had spent years shielding him from this reality, desperate to keep him from the bitterness of such knowledge.
But now, as Hunter stood there, carrying the burden of that truth with silent resilience, Kenneth could do nothing but witness the quiet devastation carving into the younger man’s features.
He crouched down beside Hunter and placed his hands on his shoulders again. “I would never let anyone hurt ye. Nae even our late faither,” he assured.
“I ken,” Hunter replied.
“Besides, darlin’, ye daenae have to think about it,” Brenda added. “We all love ye so much. We’d do anythin’ for ye. Ye ken that.”
“I… I ken that too, Ma,” Hunter sighed as Leana moved a little closer to them.
“That’s why ye daenae have to run away anymore, Hunter. Because everyone at the castle wants to take care of ye. We’re goin’ to help ye get better, and soon ye’ll be able to forget about this painful illness.” said Leana, trying to instill encouragement in the little boy.
“Maybe… But me da isnae welcome here. People hate him ‘cause he’s different.”
“What, tell me, why do ye think that?” Kenneth asked.
“He told me so. Me da told me we have to keep our meetings a secret because people would try to send us away if they kenned he was the one who raised us…”
“Sweetheart, that willnae happen,” Brenda assured immediately, hugging him, and Kenneth nodded in agreement. “In this castle, we will never reject anyone who has helped ye. Especially when they have taken such good care of ye.” She gave him a loving smile and kissed his forehead.
“Really?” Hunter asked.
Brenda nodded once. “Of course, dear. And the next time Mr. Graham comes to port, we’ll invite him to dinner. From now on, he shall be our guest when he visits this land,” she announced, which seemed to fill him with great joy.
“That would be wonderful!” he exclaimed.
“But nay lies from here on,” Kenneth warned, drawing his attention. “And nay escapades. When ye go to the harbor, ye will be accompanied by one of me men.”
Hunter’s eyes lit up.
“Ye will also have to do it for at least two hours a day,” Leana added immediately.
“And next time, I will go with ye. I will teach the men to recognize the Sea Holly so that they can extract it properly. With it, I will prepare a medicine that will relieve yer symptoms. That, along with the sea breeze, should help ye leave this terrible illness in the past.”
Brenda looked at her with eyes full of hope. “Really, is that possible?” she asked.
Leana nodded. “Aye. I firmly believe that Hunter’s illness can be cured with a good dose of sea breeze and caramel-flavored medicine.”
She winked at Hunter, who gave her a lovely smile.
“I guess that means ye’ve won the healer contest.” Hunter giggled.
Leana gave him a bitter smile. “I guess so,” she murmured.
“And that… Does that mean ye’ll have to leave soon?” the boy whispered.
Suddenly, Leana felt all eyes on her. She crossed her arms over her chest as her heart squeezed so painfully that it was hard to breathe.
A week ago, it would have been easy to answer that question, but now she regretted it deeply, knowing that her time at the castle had indeed come to an end much sooner than anyone had expected.
Her eyes flickered to Kenneth… only to meet his intense silver gaze. The questions, as well as the decisions they had to make, floated between them as if waiting to be voiced.
We both kenned from the beginning that this moment would come.
“I guess… I guess so,” Leana replied, giving Hunter a tender look as she stroked his hair. “Other children need me to play guessin’ games with them too, to find out what ails them.”
Hunter nodded. “I… I guess I understand.”
“But ye’re always welcome here,” Brenda interjected, taking Leana’s hand and squeezing it lovingly.
“Thank ye. Although I willnae be leavin’ anytime soon anyway. First, I need to prepare the medicine for ye, and then I need to write down the formula so that the next healer can prepare the medicine whenever ye need it.”
“That, and ye cannae leave without me braither teachin’ ye how to shoot an arrow properly,” Hunter added, causing her to burst out laughing.
“That’s true, too,” she agreed.
“Anyway, I think we’ve had a lot of excitement for one day,” Brenda announced suddenly, ruffling her son’s hair. “How about ye and I go up to yer room and rest? I’ll read ye a story.”
“A pirate story?” Hunter asked eagerly.
“Aye. A pirate story,” Brenda replied, laughing.
“Ye two go ahead. I’ll join ye in a moment,” Kenneth said, to which Brenda nodded.
“Good night then, Miss Healer,” Hunter called, waving to Leana.
“And thank ye… Thank ye for everythin’,” Brenda whispered, pulling Leana in a tight hug that caught her off guard. “Me son is very lucky to have found ye. And I daenae mean Hunter. Ye healed his heart,” she added in a barely audible voice, before slowly pulling away.
Leana felt her cheeks burn. She stared at the beautiful woman, several questions racing through her mind.
Does everyone suspect what has happened between me and Kenneth? Am I so obvious?
Of course, she didn’t have time to ask, as, after giving her a small wink, Brenda left, followed closely by Hunter.
Silence fell over the room, but it did not last long, for Kenneth suddenly punched the table hard, which jolted Leana out of her musings. She spun around, startled.
“Ye fuckin’ bastard!” Kenneth hissed. Leana knew immediately that he was talking about his late father. “If I could bring the bastard back from the dead, I’d make him beg for death!” he growled, hitting the table again.
His anger was evident. Plus, Leana feared that he would hurt himself. So she hurried to him, catching his fist mid-air before he could hit the table again.
“Kenneth, stop it,” she pleaded softly, looking him in the eyes. “I understand yer anger… But ye will gain nothin’ by hurtin’ yerself.”
“Maybe nae,” Kenneth bit out. “But it would be nice to be able to hurt him.”
“Perhaps…” Leana examined his hand. Small cuts covered his knuckles, but otherwise, he seemed fine. “But ye cannae. At least, nae physically. Yer greatest victory is kennin’ that ye and Hunter will live happily, while he lies in the dirt, alone.”
She held his gaze a while longer, before gently, slowly kissing his knuckles.
The gesture seemed to surprise Kenneth, who looked at her, slightly dumbfounded for a moment.
“From now on, everythin’ will be fine,” she promised.
Kenneth lifted his injured hand and caressed her cheek for a brief moment. But even when he withdrew his hand, Leana could still feel his touch on her skin, the warm and delicate caress.
“We’ll see about that,” he whispered, stepping away from her.
Leana was rooted to the spot, holding her breath as she tried in vain to pull herself together.
“For now, I have some business to take care of. We’ll talk when I return,” Kenneth promised.
Leana nodded. “Sure…” she trailed off, watching as he walked away.
Her heart ached, yet she was also relieved.
She felt proud to have finally discovered the cure for Hunter’s illness. But now there was only one question left to answer.
How would she say goodbye to Kenneth, when she finally realized that her feelings for him might go beyond mere attraction?