Chapter Forty-Seven
The Torment of a Scottish Warrior
Broc and Merryn
Chapter Nineteen
Oh, how I love writing Brenna and Logan together!
Brenna turned in time to see her nephew coming toward her. Connor was the one who reminded her of her dearest brother Alex more than any other. Alasdair was growing more and more like him, but Connor was Alex on some days.
“Connor, what has happened? I was afraid to go back outside from the sounds of the clashing swords.”
“Another kidnapping, Aunt Brenna. Fear not, we’ll handle it. We need your help with Logan. I’m sure you’ve heard. How may I be of use to you?”
“Micheil is already in with him, but I need my bag of poultices. I had the best of the bunch in one of the crates, with my name written clearly on the top. If you could find it, open it, and bring the sack on the top to me, I would appreciate it. It’s wrapped in a Grant plaid.”
“I’ll take care of it. Go help him. He has the fever so badly that he doesn’t even awaken. Gwyneth is losing her will.”
“I will do what I can, Connor. I see you have much more important things to focus on right now. Bairns come first.” She patted his shoulder as he turned to leave.
Connor retrieved her sack while Brenna took in all the tears and sobbing within the hall, something she should concern herself with, but she couldn’t. She was here for Logan, so in to Logan she would go.
She pivoted, holding in her groan from being on horseback for so long, something she wasn’t used to anymore, and her sore bottom reminded her. She opened the door to the healing chamber, pleased to see that Eli kept it clean, well lit, and well stocked, just as she’d taught her.
Gwyneth sat on the bed with her husband, almost lying next to him, her stump clearly in view. Avelina and Micheil each sat on nearby stools, which Micheil promptly vacated to offer to her. “My thanks, Micheil.” He found another one and brought it close.
She leaned over to give Gwyneth a hug. “I’m pleased to see you, Gwyn. We all needed you to stay with us a bit longer. It was a tough decision for you, and I’m sure it was difficult, but I’m glad you are here. He will need you.”
“Will he, Brenna? I don’t know if he’s going to make it. Please help him. Eli ran out of the fever potion, and she needs more poultice for his wound. It’s oozing terribly and I can’t stop it.” Gwyneth had been around Brenna enough times to know what to do for most any injury or sickness.
Brenna waved her hand, her eyes going to the man who had brought her to the love of her life, Quade Ramsay. Logan had been a thorn in her side many times, his gruff exterior often too much, but she still loved him with all her heart.
She took in the pallor of his skin, set her hand to his wound to check for warmth, and peeked under the bandage, assessing the fine stitches Eli had placed.
Then she felt his life’s force pulsing through him, set her ear to his chest to listen to his heart and his lungs.
She poked at his belly, checked his arms and legs for any other wounds, then cupped his cheek and said, “Logan, wake up.”
No reaction.
Her assessment finished, she said to Micheil. “Be prepared. You may have to hold him down.”
Micheil grinned, picking up quickly on her meaning, and said, “I’m ready.” But Micheil also knew his brother well. He leaned forward onto the end of the bed.
Brenna moved closer to his ear. “Logan Ramsay, I’ve come a long way, and I have a sore arse from riding a horse so far, so you better wake up to acknowledge me.”
Naught. Just a wee twitch of his jaw.
Brenna pulled the linen coverlet back and promptly pinched Logan’s nipple as hard as she could.
Logan sat up with a bark. “God’s bones, woman! What the hell are you trying to do to me? Some healer you are. That hurts like hell.”
“More than your wound? Because I hoped it would.” Brenna winked at him.
“You are mean for a healer. Aye. It hurts more than my wound right now. Where did you learn that cruel trick?” He gave her his worst frown.
“Good, I’m glad it hurts.”
He fell back, rubbing his sore spot before closing his eyes, and waved at her in dismissal.
Brenna decided to try a different tactic. She knew exactly how to infuriate her brother-in-law. “I came for my book. The one you stole from me so long ago. Get your arse up out of that bed, Logan Ramsay, and return my dear mother’s book now. You hid it again.”
Logan shot up and glared at her. “I gave you that book long ago, and you know it. I set it at your feet, or have you forgotten already, you old bat?”
Brenna smiled and said, “Greetings, Logan.”
He smirked and said, “Greetings, Brenna. What the hell are you doing here? And can’t you just leave me be? I was sleeping.”
“Nay, no more sleeping. I have your brother here, and he’ll hold you down if I ask him to. You know I will.”
“Shite, Micheil. Why are you here?”
“To help Brenna. Are you faking it, dear brother?”
“Did you see my wound? I’m not pretending.”
Micheil snorted. “Please. Are you trying to convince me that it’s the first wound you’ve ever had? Are you a wee bairn in your old age? Quade gave you far worse wounds before you bedded your first lass.” Micheil let out a roar at his own jest, and Logan chuckled with him, gripping his side in pain.
Gwyneth slapped Logan’s arm. “Sit up or I’ll grab the other nipple, Logan.”
Brenna said, “Here’s how this is going to go, Logan.
And you know better than to argue with me.
You’re going to sit up and drink this potion.
Then I’m sending Lina out to get you some oatmeal, and if we have to feed you with a bairn’s utensil, we will.
You know better. Micheil will hold you down, and Gwyneth will have the pleasure of shoving it down your throat. ”
Gwyneth looked at Brenna and said, “I’ll share the joy with you, Brenna. You and I have had to put up with the Ramsay men for a long time. We’ll take turns.”
Lina giggled.
Logan looked at his sister and said, “I don’t find their humor the least bit funny, Lina. Have you no sympathy for your favorite brother?”
She snorted and said, “Nay! Not under the circumstances, Logan. And I never said you were my favorite. Sit up and get better.”
“Fine. Go get the oats, Lina. Then mayhap this woman of torture will leave me be.”
“Aye, you were injured. Aye, you still have a bit of the fever. But if you wish to lie there and give up, it will kill you. I’m not going to allow that to happen.”
“You always were a surly witch.”
Brenna leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Now that’s better. You have everyone upset enough, and they can’t worry about you anymore. Understood?”
“You always were overbearing. How did Quade stand you?”
She got up to get his potion, but suddenly Logan called out, “You aren’t leaving me already, are you, woman?”
Brenna said, “I love you too. I’m staying.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Brenna visits her adopted daughters on Iona.
Simone climbed out of the ship, then helped Aunt Brenna and her mother, Artan settling Gwyneth on a horse and making sure her leg contraption was set on her mount to go with her.
Simone then said to her husband, “We’ll be back in about an hour.
Take a swim if you like, Artan.” There were a few horses standing nearby, munching on the grass. “We’ll be a little while, I’m sure.”
“We will,” he replied, pulling off his tunic while the other men did the same. “Take your time, Simone.”
Magni rode with Simone while his parents rode together on another horse. “Lead the way,” his father said.
Brenna pulled abreast of Simone. “This has to be the loveliest place I’ve ever seen, and you know how fond I am of Ramsay land, especially in the summer.”
“You have a lovely loch, but we have the sea all the time. And the Iona chapel is peaceful and lovely.”
“I see it,” Aunt Brenna said. “I’m most anxious to see our girls again. How are they doing?”
“All are doing wonderfully.”
They approached the row of small huts and Simone called out, “Beatris! I have a surprise!”
All of a sudden, the area was filled with bairns.
The unwanted ones of the world, Simone thought of them.
Most were lassies, but there were some laddies.
Anytime someone in the church found themselves caretakers of bairns who’d lost their parents from sickness or other, the bairns were often sent to Ionaland, they called it.
Of course, her father had suggested calling it Loganland, but they all agreed on Ionaland.
Brenna helped Gwyneth down and assisted with attaching her contraption. Geva and Emma came out, calling to them. Geva said, “Mama, it is so good to see you again.”
The four lasses—Simone and Beatris, Geva and Emma—had been adopted long ago.
A group of evil men had built a chain nearly three decades ago to sell bairns they’d stolen.
But the Grants and Ramsays had fallen upon their scheme and rescued as many as they could.
Some were returned to their families, but others had no family to return to.
Simone and Beatris had been sold to a nobleman’s family as servants, but they were beaten for any slight.
After Maggie and Will had saved both of them, Logan and Gwyneth adopted the two into their family.
Geva and Emma had been rescued and adopted into Quade and Brenna’s family from a similar jaunt.
Brenna hugged both daughters, then her two nieces. “You all look wonderful. And how many bairns have you now?”
“Three and ten at last count. Three of Geva’s and ten adopted.”
Simone had married Artan, but they had no bairns. Geva had married, but Beatris and Emma hadn’t found their persons yet.
Simone took Magni’s mother’s hand and brought her forward.
“These two lovely people, Ella and Walter, had their hut burned with all their belongings by some cruel creatures, so they are looking for a safe, quiet place to live. The clans are too busy for them, and when they heard of the work you do here, they wondered if they could live here and help you. They have a son Magni who would love to help you too.”
Walter said, “I’m verra good with gardens.
I was able to feed most of our villagers with food from our land.
I made a special mix using sheep … I made our garden flourish with a special recipe that I put on the plants to make them produce more.
Beans and peas, oats, carrots. I even transplanted some berry bushes so we had more. And I’m handy at fixing things.”
Beatris said, “Geva’s husband is out hunting with a few others from the isle, so I would love to have you meet him. They’ll be back soon.”
Magni said, “I like it here. It’s magical.” He twirled in a circle, taking in the beauty and the wide expanse of the isle and the land the group lived on. “I can run everywhere, and no one would see me.”
Ella’s gaze scanned the large area, stopping on one lad, her finger pointing toward him. “Walter? Look at that wee laddie coming towards us. Is he not adorable?”
Magni took one look and raced over to the toddling lad. He said, “Greetings. I’m Magni. What’s your name?”
As soon as the boy’s gaze fell on Magni, he called out, “Manee, manee.”
Beatris asked, “Do you know him? We call him Tenney. That was all we were told. They tried to sell him, but the ship overturned. The boy washed ashore here attached to the oddest-shaped floating object we’ve ever seen.”
“Mama, can we adopt him?” Magni carried the lad over to his parents, grinning and kissing the boy’s cheeks. As soon as he gave Tenney to his mother, Magni ran over to Lia and hugged her. “You saved him and sent him to me, did you not, sister?”
“I might have had something to do with it.”
Geva said, “And the oddest thing was that the object he floated on disappeared when we turned our backs. It must have washed out into the sea.”
Magni whispered, “It is magical here.”
Beatris smiled and said, “We think it is, but tell me why you think it’s magical, Magni.”
“Look at my sister.”
Lia stood a distance away near the abbey, her hands overhead pointing to the sky as she basked in a ray of sunshine, her green light brighter than they’d ever seen it.
Simone said, “Lia is a faery who adopted Magni as her brother.”
“Wonderful. I would love to meet the faery when she arrives,” Beatris said. “But who is the young lassie?”
Simone chuckled. “That’s Lia. She talks like an adult, but she is six summers. She found Magni and stayed with him until his parents were rescued. And she obviously protected Tenney too. She was quite a help when it came to protecting all of our bairns from the kidnappers.”
Magni proudly announced, “She’ll never leave me. She said she could live here for a while. She’s my protector.”
His mother asked, “Magni, are you sure you like it here better than at Clan MacQuarie or Clan Grantham? They’ve all grown quite fond of you.”
Magni smiled. “I know. I’m cute. But I can visit them anytime. I have a new brother, and he lives here.”
And off he went, running toward Lia, his new brother in hand.