Aileana’s brows drew together. “I do not understand, then. Why were you trying to send me away?”
Bridgid looked down and shook her head; her breathing sounded heavy, as if a burden weighed on her. When she met Aileana’s gaze, hers was shaded with kindness and concern. “I was giving you leave to go, missy, because I’ve thought better of what some of the others might say if the sick die, as many are bound to, under your care. I had not considered that part of it when I called on your aid, but since Inghid spoke, I’ve seen where it might lead to that.”
“You’re thinking they will brand me a witch and accuse me of working spells to kill their kin, plague or nay,” Aileana said flatly.
“Aye,” she admitted. “And not only what they would call you, but what they might do to you as well.”
Aileana clamped her lips tight.
“Some might think to use you to ease their hurt. And with the MacRae away on a raid…” Bridgid shook her head. “Mayhap it is better for you to retreat to your castle chamber, lass. I can come to you for advice or remedies as needed.”
Bridgid’s suggestion struck a chord with Aileana.Retreat to your castle chamber. The concept sent a shudder of revulsion through her. She’d spent the better part of her life locked in her chamber, and unless she was forced, she’d never do so willingly again.
“I think I will take my chances against the plague.”
At Bridgid’s stricken look, she grimaced, adding, “I know precious little about people, thanks to the life I led at Dulhmeny, but I do know how to heal their bodies. And besides that, I’m fearing you will need every available helper in the coming days. Where one falls sick, many usually follow.”
“It is your decision, missy, though I cannot say I will be sorry for your help,” Bridgid answered, looking at her with a new measure of respect before she frowned again, the action furrowing deeper lines at the sides of her mouth. “Do you think it will be laying low the entire clan, then? I do not think we can stand another devastation so soon after coming together again under the MacRae.”
“Pray God it will not come to that.” Aileana looked around the tiny hut. “But chances stand that any one of these folk will show signs of it next, and then…” She placed her hand on the feverish William’s brow again, mentally cursing that the water hadn’t arrived yet. “Come what may, I will stay with you. That I swear.”
Any further chance at conversation dissolved in a flurry of activity as Evan came rushing through the door. Another lad followed him in, the cask of wine leaking from a tiny crack along its side.
“You’ve got to come! There’s another fallen sick. We dropped the wine trying to help her, but in the end we couldn’t lift her up from the ground.”
“Who is it, lad?” Bridgid asked.
Evan’s eyes were filled with tears of frustration as he swung his gaze to thebailie. “Old Jehana! She was on the bank of the loch, trying to get the water the lady wanted, but now she is just lying there, and to touch her is like burning yourself with fire. Please, you’ve got to help!”
An anxious glance passed between Bridgid and Aileana, and they stood as if of one accord. “Evan, get two strong men from the village and show me where Jehana is,” Aileana said. “We will help her, lad, best as we can.”
Bridgid nodded her agreement to stay behind with William, and Aileana set to action. It was going to be a very long night, she realized, as she strode through the door behind Evan. Two fallen ill in less than an hour, and more sure to follow if the sickness held true to the virulence proclaimed of it in the Lowlands.
She needed to keep her wits about her now, she knew, for she was about to be tested as never before in her protected life at Dulhmeny. And she faced the added pressure of knowing that this clan might hold her personally responsible for any failure to heal the afflicted.
Mouthing a prayer for strength, Aileana trudged onward. Aye, it was going to be a long night. A very long night, indeed.
Chapter 10
Her arms felt leaden. They sagged to her sides no matter how hard she tried to grip the cloth and bathe the faces of the sick. With effort born of desperation, Aileana pulled the basin and dipped the piece of rag again. She let the cool, minted water drizzle over Nora’s neck and chest, praying in the never-ending litany of the past four days for God to spare the people of Eilean Donan from further ravages of the plague.
Eighteen had died thus far. Old Jehana had succumbed, as had Floraidh and Fergus and several of the other men who’d stayed behind when Duncan left more than a fortnight ago to raid the MacLennans.
But little William had lived. And if means existed, she’d make sure that Nora and the rest survived as well.
“Missy, why don’t you take a rest now? There’s some cold mutton waiting in the kitchens,” Bridgid cajoled, her eyes looking as weary as Aileana felt. “You need to keep up your strength. You cannot keep working without respite.”
“I’ll not be leaving you alone to do all the tending.” But even as she spoke, Aileana couldn’t prevent her traitorous mind from leaping at the prospect of sleep. She shook her head, trying to clear away the fuzzy feeling, and thebailieclucked her tongue and muttered.
As Bridgid went on her way to another patient, she stumbled, and Aileana frowned. Bridgid was exhausted, too. Neither of them had taken much rest in the days since the plague struck the clan. There’d been too much work to do, and after the first twelve hours, too many sick to tend.
Pushing back the sleeves of her tunic, Aileana moved on to young Kenneth; he’d fallen sick just yesterday. After a quick examination for swellings, she repeating the cooling process she’d administered to Nora. They’d converted the great hall to a kind of infirmary, since there wasn’t already a chamber for that purpose on the castle compound. Aileana made a mental note to insist that Duncan order some new construction for such a room come spring.
Duncan. She missed him, there was no doubt. She knew that now. She missed his warmth and his compelling presence…missed his arms around her when he’d carry her to his bed each night. But she would find strength to care for his people in his absence, that she promised herself.
A wave of dizziness washed over her as she leaned down to pick up the basin. Forcing her feet to move, she trudged across the hall, planning to go to the well and draw some fresh water. She picked her way over rows of people in varying stages of disease. Some stared straight ahead, eyes glassy with fever. At the far end were those near death. Those unfortunates Aileana had taken on as her own crusade; she vowed to save as many as she could, even if she needed to go two more days without sleep to do it.
Stopping to pull a blanket over a shivering child near the door, she steeled herself against the helplessness that was beginning to consume her. She knew better than most that it did no good to become emotional. But she couldn’t stop the horrible thought that the sounds and smells surrounding her were shadows, surely, of what hell must be like. Groans and coughs battled with wails of pain and grinding of teeth; magnified in the close quarters, the noises exceeded even the hideous echoes of the battlefield on that day Father had been killed.
