Chapter 21
“Leana, this has arrived for ye,” Valerie’s voice called from the other side of the door.
She knocked a few times, before entering the surgery at a brisk pace.
She brought with her a broad smile, and in her hands, she held a wooden box wrapped in handkerchiefs, inside of which rested a number of flowers, root and all.
“Thank ye very much. I have been waitin’ for these,” Leana said thickly.
She took the wooden box. The flowers had soft lilac petals, which grew darker as they reached the center. The leaves on their stems were silvery, just as Hunter had described, and the roots were long and tangled. Smiling, she picked one carefully.
Valerie mimicked her, looking at the flower with a slight frown as Leana began making notes.
“Seriously, is this little flower capable of curin’ me cousin?” she asked.
Leana nodded. “Him and many others,” she said, smiling as she sketched the little flower on parchment and added various annotations in swirly handwriting.
“The sea holly has many uses. I am sure I will be able to prepare a remedy with it that will help me prevent the epidemic that swept the distant villages a few weeks ago.”
“Ye will save us all from the cold,” Valerie joked, but her tone was affectionate. “Ye have given yer body and soul to this, Leana, and for yer efforts, we can do nothin’ else but thank ye.”
“Ye have nothin’ to thank me for. It’s me duty,” Leana said with a satisfied smile.
“Perhaps. But I will miss ye terribly when ye leave,” Valerie mumbled.
The smile on Leana’s lips turned bitter.
Even though she had avoided talking about it, she had done nothing but think about the fact that she would leave the castle soon.
Hunter had fully recovered from his illness.
She was beginning to run out of reasons to stay.
So far, she had stalled by saying that she needed the flower to create another medicine with it, but she knew that was just an excuse.
The truth was that she could have left days ago, but she did not want to.
Especially since Kenneth had been gone for two days, off having who-knew-what sort of adventures on the high seas. A messenger had informed her of this days ago, which meant that if she left, it would be without saying goodbye to the Laird, and she didn’t want to do that.
How ironic it all is. When he kidnapped me, all I could think of was leavin’, and now all I want is to stay…
More than that, now that the Sea Holly was finally in her hands, her time at the castle was officially coming to an end, and she knew it.
Kenneth or no Kenneth, she would have to leave as soon as she prepared the medicine.
Which meant she probably had a day or two left at the castle before she had to say goodbye to everyone.
Thinking about it left a bitter taste in her mouth, so she decided not to. Instead, she concentrated on her duty, while Valerie continued to chatter away. Fortunately, the light, pleasant conversation soon distracted her.
Or at least it did until a slightly absent-minded maid entered the room, thinking no one was there. But as soon as she saw Leana, she stormed out with a flurry of apologies.
Frowning, Leana pointed to the half-open door. “Did ye notice how nervous she was?”
“Who, Margaret?” Valerie waved a dismissive hand. “It’s nothin’ to worry about. She always goes everywhere in such a hurry.”
“It’s nae just her,” Leana pointed out, frowning as she returned to her notes. “It’s everybody. The servants have been actin’… strange.”
“Strange? Strange how?” Valerie asked, plopping down on the table and swinging her legs back and forth.
“I daenae ken.” Leana shrugged. “At first, I thought it was just me imagination, but they have been… elusive, distant. They stare at me when they think I daenae notice, and they whisper behind me back.”
“Whisper?” Valerie smiled, her eyes filled with mischief. “They’re probably just tryin’ to guess what’s goin’ on between ye and Kenneth…”
“Och, daenae start again.” Leana rolled her eyes.
Valerie burst out laughing. “And ye, daenae try to deny it! We all ken that ye have something up yer sleeve. The question is, when are ye goin’ to accept it and stop playin’ this cat-and-mouse game?”
If looks could kill, Valerie would probably have died a thousand times over as Leana shot her a glare, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Leana had really tried to be careful, but now she understood that all her efforts had been in vain.
Everyone suspected that something was going on between her and Kenneth. Of course, the insistent looks they gave each other when Kenneth was present had reaffirmed those suspicions, as well as the way she sighed at his long absence seemed to make it obvious.
But she had hoped that no one was paying enough attention to notice.
Now, all she had to do was accept the consequences of her actions. It was, of course, much more bitter to do so in the Laird’s long absence. It would have been better to face the assumptions and gossip when she actually had something to hide.
But perhaps she had little time left for regrets. She must have guessed that he had returned as soon as Valerie had handed her those flowers that only grew on the coast. She must have known it from the young girl’s smile and the way she teased her.
She must have sensed it, but she didn’t know it until Kenneth walked into the room at a steady pace, looking at her first. That simple gesture caused her heart to stop, only to start beating again a second later.
“Cousin, I’ve missed ye,” Valerie intoned, throwing her arms around Kenneth.
He hugged her back, though his smile was a bit bitter. “I was only gone for two days,” he reminded her.
“I ken, but still, the castle felt so empty without ye…” Valerie let out an exaggerated sigh as she looked at Leana. “daenae ye think so, Leana?”
“I… Sure,” Leana murmured, pretending to look at the flowers instead of the Laird. “It felt so good, really. The castle was very peaceful in yer absence…”
Of course, that reaction was not what Valerie had expected. With a pout and a frown, she looked at the healer as if she was offended by her words.
Kenneth could not help but smile. He opened his mouth, probably to return the jab. But before he could utter a word, Hunter came running into the surgery, followed closely by his mother.
“Leana, Leana!” he cried, throwing his arms around the healer’s legs. “Has me braither told ye the news yet?”
“Nay, what happened?” Leana asked, noticing the child’s radiant joy.
“Well, me da will be able to visit us more often, at the castle!” Hunter squealed.
“Really? That’s wonderful,” she gushed, happy to see his rosy cheeks.
It was very pleasant to see him like this—smiling so openly, his breath coming in ragged gasps instead of his constant coughing fits.
Hunter had looked much better since he had started visiting the beach every day.
Nodding emphatically, he continued, “Aye! Kenneth told me the news today, and I even have his permission to go sailin’ now and then!”
“That’s all for yer own good,” Brenda said, looking at him lovingly. “But until ye’re older, ye willnae be goin’ on long trips. And when ye do set sail, I’ll go with ye.”
“Of course.” Hunter seemed delighted by the idea. “I’ll teach ye the sailors’ knots, and also how to curse like a pirate!”
“Nay, nae that!” Brenda chided, although the boy continued to laugh.
Kenneth watched his brother seriously, though there was an amused glint in his eye. “But ye must remember—from now on, nay more lies.”
“Aye, aye,” Hunter replied, nodding emphatically. “I willnae tell another one, I promise!”
“Good.” Kenneth nodded. His lips twitching into the hint of a satisfied smile.
A warmth flickered in his gaze, subtle yet unmistakable, as if relief had settled into his bones.
His stance eased, shoulders no longer tense, and when he spoke again, his voice carried the quiet confidence of a man at peace.
“I guess ye can consider yerself satisfied then.”
“Almost,” Hunter said, looking first at his brother and then at Leana. “There’s one little thing that will make me even happier… I think I’ll only be really happy if we have an archery competition before Leana leaves.”
“What?” Leana burst out laughing. “But I already told ye I’m very bad at archery!”
“I ken, but ye’ll have me braither’s help. Please!” the boy begged. “This is me last request to ye. Ye cannae leave without seein’ how good I am with a bow and arrow, now that I’m well.”
“Alright.” Leana rolled her eyes. “But I’ll only do it for ye,” she warned.
The truth was that she was hoping to spend more time with Kenneth before she had to leave.
Laughing, Hunter jumped up and down as Kenneth approached Leana. She tried not to show it, and she couldn’t ignore the way her whole body lit up at his mere presence.
She preferred not to give their audience something else to gossip about, so she quickly moved on, avoiding his gaze, while Brenda and Valerie discussed the judges for the contest.
Soon, they were all in the gardens, where Jonas had set up a shooting range for the warriors to practice and train. And it was there that Hunter led them with a wide smile on his face.
Valerie and Brenda seemed very happy as well. It was obvious that the boy’s good mood, in addition to his recovery, had put everyone in a good mood. Only Leana was restless because she knew beforehand that she would embarrass herself.
Her expression showed the displeasure she felt at the situation, but that suddenly changed when Kenneth approached at a leisurely pace and stopped beside her.
Much taller and certainly unperturbed, he drew her attention like a moth to a flame.
She watched him, even as she tried to pretend otherwise, taking in his figure and the way the light played across his silhouette.
Her eyes traced the outline of his broad shoulders, before flicking to his hair, tossed by the wind.
And though she wanted to deny herself such desires, there, in front of him, she knew that the heat that ignited within her was more than mere passion. She knew it for she craved not only the touch of his lips but also the reassuring strength of his arms.
Kenneth stood behind her, taking her hands gently and lifting them to the bow. “Concentrate on the target,” he instructed, showing her how to stand and how hard to pull the string.
The motions seemed very complicated to Leana. In the past, Joanna had tried to teach her in a very similar way, but now it was even worse. Because Joanna was not the terribly attractive man who made her nervous at the mere touch of his hands. And of course, that added to the difficulty.
Kenneth probably knew this, because otherwise, Leana would not be able to explain why he was smiling in such a confident, slightly smug way.
And maybe everyone else was aware of her yearning, because Valerie and Brenda were muttering in the distance, giggling from time to time and looking at her mischievously.
Well, I’ve become the laughingstock of the castle!
Her cheeks were hot, but she avoided mentioning it and simply did what Kenneth asked. Of course, it would have been easier to concentrate if he hadn’t been so close to her. So close, in fact, that she could smell the sea on his skin.
And his scent, added to so many other things, distracted her. So when she loosed the arrow, it barely flew and fell embarrassingly in the middle of the field.
Valerie and Hunter couldn’t stop laughing.
“I said it very clearly—me skill is healin’, nae archery,” Leana huffed, pretending to be distracted by pushing her hair away from her face so as not to show how embarrassed she was by her pitiful shot.
Hunter, fortunately, did much better. He had no trouble hitting the bullseye, and, although he missed the center of the target, the fact was enough for him to win the competition—something both Brenda and Valerie agreed on.
“Well then, I guess we can get this over with,” Leana sighed, dusting off her hands.
Hunter burst out laughing. “Maybe, but ye could use a good lesson!”
“Why daenae ye get Kenneth to teach ye how to use the bow better,” Brenda suggested with a mischievous smile. “I’m sure he wouldnae mind givin’ ye a few lessons.”
“That is true,” Valerie piped up, nodding her head. “Every lady should ken how to defend herself. Especially one who travels as much as ye do.”
Leana didn’t know if she was happy about the suggestion.
Spending time alone with Kenneth was definitely something she was no longer sure about. How could it be a good idea if it would be so hard to say goodbye afterward?
More than that, she understood at that moment that she had no choice.
“We’ll go with the champion to find some sweets in the kitchen, as a prize,” Brenda added.
Hunter began to jump up and down with glee.
“Right. And ye two… ye should think about practicin’ away from here.” Brenda winked at them. “We daenae want Leana endangerin’ anyone with her terrible archery skills.”
“Oi!” Leana complained, while Kenneth and Valerie burst out laughing.
“She’s got a point,” Kenneth relented, closing the distance between them.
Even though they had their backs to the retreating trio, Leana felt nervous. Kenneth’s proximity only served to remind her how fast her heart was capable of beating.
She looked up at him, and he brushed a strand of hair from her face. He brought it to his lips and kissed it very gently, as if he was afraid of breaking her in some way.
Leana felt something inside her unfurl and melt at the gesture.
“Come with me,” Kenneth murmured, running his hand down her arm, caressing it over the silk, and finally taking her hand.
She looked at him, full of doubt, curiosity, and intrigue… But finally, she decided to follow him.
She didn’t care if her heart would be broken at the end of the day. She just wanted to spend one more moment with him.
Just one more stolen moment before she had to say goodbye.