“This is going to be bad, aye,” said Colin, and cast a longing look at the door. “It always is when a healer says cleansing.”
“Just verra messy, I fear.”
Sigimor said their farewells to Colin and got out of the room. Just as Sigimor was shutting the door behind them they heard that the ordeal had begun. He slammed it shut and hurried down the steps. At the bottom stood Robert and his brothers. Murdoch looked wretched even though his bruises appeared to be healing. Robert looked furious, whereas Lachlan and Duncan moved carefully until they flanked Murdoch.
“What are ye doing here?” Robert barked.
“We came to see your father,” Sigimor said as he kept moving forward, until Robert stepped out of the way. “Ye do ken that we make an effort to keep the three clans around here close and friendly so all is peaceful. I thought that this time my wife’s skills at healing might be helpful.”
A woman went racing up the stairs with a bucket and two others followed with mops and rags. “What have ye done?” Robert demanded, foolishly glaring at Jolene.
“His system is being cleansed as he appears to have eaten or drunk something poisonous. He should get better now with the housekeeper tending all he eats and drinks. Colin will oversee it all.” Ignoring the man before her, she slipped her arm through Sigimor’s and said sweetly, “Shall we go now, m’love?”
Sigimor just nodded and led her out the door. Gybbon followed and saw Murdoch slip out after him. He turned to face the youth and felt badly for him. It was not a trap he would like to be in. If Murdoch angered Robert he would pay, but his loyalty was to his father in the end.
“Do ye want something?” Gybbon asked.
“It was poison, was it?”
“Oh, aye. Lady Jolene kens her healing arts and she says so.”
“Thank ye, and get the lass and the boy away from here.” He turned and went back into the keep.
“What was that about?” asked Sigimor as they started the ride back to the manor.
“Murdoch just wished to be certain it was poison,” Gybbon replied. “Then he told me to get the lass and the boy away from here.”
Jolene sighed. “He is afraid his brother will increase his efforts to be rid of them now that the laird is being watched.”
“And so ye shall do as he asks, as soon as possible,” Sigimor said.
“Aye. To Gormfeurach and shut the gates on her as soon as I can.”
Chapter Ten
Mora woke up slowly and stretched. It felt good to be able to do so, even tentatively, yet not feel the pull and pinch of stitching. Jolene had removed the stitching last night and declared her wound healed with a caution: she could still not ride a horse for a while. Mora was not pleased by that but knew she would do everything the woman told her to.
She turned onto her unwounded side to look out the window and found herself staring into Gybbon’s eyes. They were mostly green this morning. Mora had not yet made up her mind about why or how they changed at times. Then she became fully aware of the fact that he was lying in her bed. She squealed softly and pushed away, catching herself just in time to save herself from the humiliation of falling out of bed.
“What are ye doing in my bed?”
“Waiting for ye to wake up. We leave today for Gormfeurach, ye ken.”
She found the thought of him watching her sleep a little alarming and hoped she had not done anything too unappealing. “But ’tis barely sunrise.”
“Sun has already cleared the horizon. It is a bit of a long journey to my home.”
“How long?”
“Twa days, mayhap three. Ne’er made the journey with a cart before.”
“We could wait until I can ride a horse.”
“Nay. ’Tis best if we can slip away from here as soon as we can. The sheriff and his men are looking hard for ye and Andrew. Sigimor rebuffed Robert, too, who now leads more than just his brothers. I say ten men, but Sigimor said twelve.”
“They still hunt for me and Andrew?”
“Aye, I believe his brothers do as he says, but they are afraid of him. Others only see that he is their laird’s firstborn son and should be obeyed. I have ne’er understood why, but a lot of people seem to think a firstborn son is just like his da.”
