Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Anna steadied Davy’s leg while Janet washed the wound and reapplied the splint. It grieved her to know the boy was unlikely to walk again, at least not without a crutch. Of course his family had counted on him to grow into a strong young man, capable of manning his father’s birlinn, mayhap even his own one day.
“Wipe yer tears now, Anna MacIver,” Janet said. “The lad will live.”
“I know, but—”
“Ye’re too softhearted fer yer own good, lass.” The healer nodded toward a bowl of clean rags. “Hand that over.”
“Leave her be, Janet,” Flora admonished. “A soft heart is no’ the worst thing for a lass.”
Anna might feel sympathy for a poor, injured child, but she did not feel softhearted toward everyone. If she could toss Birk Ramsay down a deep, dark pit, she would not think twice about it.
She’d only been able to keep Kyla on Spirit Isle for two days. And she’d had no luck in convincing her friend to go away from Kilgorra with her—if she could manage to find the means.
Which did not mean Anna was giving up on Kyla. One of these days, she was going to find a way to persuade her friend to go.
Fortunately, Birk had not been at home when they’d returned to Kyla’s cottage in the village only an hour ago. Kyla thought it possible that her husband was out fishing with his father, but Anna had her doubts. He had become so useless of late that he rarely brought in anything to eat. ’Twas his father who provided for Kyla and the bairn, and Anna respected Roy Ramsay for it, even though he’d not been able to effect a change in his son.
The signs of Birk’s last attack on Kyla had still been scattered throughout their cottage when they’d returned. He’d done naught to right the chairs that had been tipped over or clean up the stack of peat that had tumbled onto the floor. ’Twas unlikely he was aware that Kyla and his child had been gone for two days.
The sight of such violence in the house was nearly as upsetting as seeing what Birk had done to his wife. Anna had been unnerved by it. She’d tried to get Ky to come to the castle and stay in the cottage, but Kyla had refused. She’d insisted all would be well.
And now this.
Anna knew most of the families on Kilgorra, and she knew Davy’s injury would be devastating to his family. Like the other families, they counted on their sons to take up their fathers’ work. ’Twas doubtful Robbie would ever be able to work on Gordon MacDonall’s birlinn. Not on crutches.
At least Lachann had acted quickly to get the wagon off Robbie’s leg. The lad was alive. And as she looked at Lachann now, his face a mask of concern for the boy, she knew the man from Braemore was exactly the kind of laird Kilgorra needed.
And for that honor, he only had to marry Catrìona.
Lachann stepped outside and made arrangements for a wagon to be prepared to take the boy home. Then he took Duncan and Kieran aside. “Go to the smithy shop and make sure that wagon is emptied and the weapons are stowed properly.”
Duncan nodded gravely. “I should have seen to it myself, Lachann.”
Lachann shook his head. “You should have been able to trust that my orders had been followed.”
What Lachann said was true, but it did not help the child who lay inside with his leg—and perhaps his life—shattered.
He went back into the kitchen right after the boy’s distraught mother arrived. The healer spoke to her in quiet tones while Anna moved about, spooning some of Flora’s savory stew into a large pot. She collected bread and bannocks, and even a crock of milk to take to the boy’s home in the village.
When Davy’s mother succumbed to her tears, ’twas Anna who embraced the woman and reassured her. “Whatever you need, Meg. You have only to let us know.”
“I have a wagon ready and men to carry him to it,” Lachann said. He turned to the healer. “It seems best to get him home while he’s still unconscious.”
“Aye,” Janet replied. “Meg, stand aside and let the men carry your lad out.”
Anna remained quiet through the process, her brow furrowed, clearly disturbed by the accident. She held onto Meg’s hand while they moved Davy, then took the provisions she’d gathered out to the wagon.
“I’ll be back later,” she said to Flora.
“Do’na worry, lass. Cat— Er, no one knows yer back from the isle.”
“Aye, she does,” Anna said as she went outside.
’Twas clear to Lachann that Flora meant Catrìona did not know Anna had returned. He had witnessed his intended bride’s harshness toward the servants and her animosity toward Anna in particular. And yet she was sympathetic to Mungo Ramsay.
It made no sense whatsoever.
The wagon started on its trip down to the village, and Lachann went to the stable and saddled his horse, as he’d planned to do before Davy’s accident. He took the path down to the pier, then walked his horse down to the beach.
He supposed he should have stayed at the castle and looked for Catrìona, but he was able to rouse little interest in talking to her, not when she’d shown so much more consideration toward the errant blacksmith than the injured child.
It did not sit well.
He headed south on the beach. To his left was a wall of rock, rising high above sea level. Numerous shallow caves had been carved out of the rock, caves that could possibly be inhabited.
But Lachann saw no signs of habitation now. And he noted that the shoreline was made treacherous by numerous channels of underwater rocks. ’Twas unlikely any boats would be able to approach in secret.
’Twas almost as though part of Kilgorra itself was underwater and lying in wait for the unsuspecting traveler to become snared upon its shores.
When Lachann finished exploring the western shore, he returned to the village and asked the location of Davy’s home. He left his horse at the pier and walked up the lane, arriving just as the healer was about to leave.
Anna was inside, holding one MacDonall bairn on her hip, and stirring a pot over the fire while Meg MacDonall sat beside her injured son.
Lachann turned his attention to the healer. “You do not think the lad will lose his leg?”
The woman shook her head. “My poultice should keep it from festering. But whether or not he’ll ever run on it again is another question.”
Lachann hoped Janet was right about the infection. Such a wound could kill.
While the woman spoke, he was distracted by the approach of a ship out in the distance, sailing from east to west. It astonished Lachann that after being attacked by pirates the previous year, the Kilgorrans had posted no guards on the pier. There wasn’t even a lookout near the harbor to warn of a hostile approach.
That had already changed. He’d given orders for men to be stationed at a few strategic points on the isle to watch for incoming ships—ships that could well be a danger to Kilgorra. He just wished he had a spyglass on his person now, in order to size up the craft that had begun to tack toward them.
Anna put down the child and came to the door, but she turned to speak to Meg before stepping outside. “I’ll send Angus down to help fetch and carry for you until your husband comes home. You’ve enough to do with the other bairns.”
“I’d thank you for that,” the woman said. “Please give my thanks to Flora—for all her help ...”
“Send Angus to the castle if you need anything,” Anna said, then turned and stepped out of the cottage, closing the door behind her.
“I’ll be off now,” Janet said. “Meg will send Angus to me if there’s any change.”
When Janet left them, Anna placed her hand on Lachann’s forearm and looked up at him. “Thank you. For what you did for Davy.”
“ ’Twas only what any sane man would do.”
She realized she was holding him and released him slowly. Lachann wished she hadn’t. “Did Janet say whether his leg will heal?” she asked. “It looks gruesome.”
Lachann gave a shake of his head. “She does not know, but the poultice is to keep it from festering.”
“I wonder if there’s anything more we can do. Has anyone called for Father Herriot? He’ll be a comfort to Meg.”
Why hadn’t Catrìona come down to the village?Lachann wondered. It seemed odd that she had not bothered to look in on the child. Or offer any assistance to the family.
Yet here was Anna, doing what she could for the injured lad’s family. Who, exactly, is the lady of Kilgorra?
Anna started down the lane as she gazed out in the direction of her isle. Lachann walked with her, observing her sun-kissed cheeks and disheveled hair.
“Look,” she said. “There’s the Saoibhreas coming into the harbor.”
“You know that ship?”
“I recognize the flag she flies,” she replied.
They continued toward the pier, where, Lachann knew, his men would be armed and waiting to hail the ship.
“ ’Tis wise to send Angus to help Davy’s mother,” he said.
“Only common sense.”
Mayhap. “Do you take care of everyone on Kilgorra?”
“What do you mean?”
He shook his head. “Naught. You were gone two days. Is there so much to do on your rocky little isle that—”
“You noticed my absence?”
“Of course. I saw you leave, and you haven’t been at the keep, so I assume you just returned.”
She smiled, and the dimple in her cheek deepened. Her hair swirled about her head like a halo. “You’re right.”
“How is your friend?” he asked.
“Healing.” She moved to stand in front of him. “I need a favor.”
He raised a brow. “A what?”
“A favor. I want you to teach me to shoot a pistol.”
“No.” He diverted to walk past her, but she quickly caught up.
“Show me how to use a sword, then. Or a dirk.”
“No.”
“Why not?” A hint of a crease appeared between her brows. “Do I not have the right to protect myself?”
“ ’Tis the men’s duty to protect the women of the isle.”
“What if I need protection against one of those men?”
“Anna—”
“What if there is no man with the mettle to deal with Birk Ramsay when he attacks Kyla—or attacks me—again?”
Damn all, the woman was right. He’d taught his sister to use a pistol as well as a knife, but she carried the dirk with her when she rode off alone to visit the outlying crofts on Braemore lands. “I won’t give you a pistol.”
“A knife, then. Show me how to use a knife to protect myself.”
“I’ll think about it,” he said. Gesu, but she was fierce and beautiful, all at once.
He needed a distraction, so he gestured toward the ship that was fast approaching the harbor. “You’re sure that ship is the Saoibhreas?”
She was undeterred. “What is there to think about? There isn’t a man on this isle who will stand up to Birk Ramsay.” Her voice became tinged with anger, and her face flushed with color.
“He will have to deal with me,” Lachann said. And he meant it. ’Twas up to the laird to ensure and enforce lawful behavior. And while ’twas not illegal to discipline one’s own wife, Lachann could not imagine what Kyla could have done to deserve the beating she’d received.
“But you will not always be there, will you?” Anna demanded. “When he comes for us again, you’ll be up at the castle, or off somewhere, seeing to island business.”
She was right. And when Lachann thought about Ramsay’s size and strength, he knew he could not refuse her.
“All right. But I cannot teach you with the men.”
“You’ll do it?” she asked with some astonishment.
“Aye.” He just hoped he would not regret it.