Leah kept her eye on the man, hoping he'd give her some sign or interaction. But it felt like she was talking to a rock wall as he led her through the castle. The whiff of freshly baked bread and cooked meat swirled about her nose, tugging at her stomach.
"Can we eat first before ye take me to wherever it is yer takin' me?" Leah asked as she started drifting toward the source of the smell.
"I'm to take ye to Elsie," he said as they passed the Great Hall. Leah craned her neck as her stomach grumbled.
"Should I ken who that is?" Leah asked as he pushed through the heavy door that opened to the outside world.
"The MacMillan healer," he answered with a smirk as if to say Elsie was far better. His words raked her across the coals. Dropping her head, she kept up with the guard as he took her beyond the small garden to a little cottage on the outskirts of the woods.
"Tomas, what are ye doin' here? I thought I helped ye yesterday. Tell me ye dinnae unbind yer foot," the woman with peppered gray hair said with a pleasant smile. There was a calmness about the woman that Leah wasn't expecting. It was as if she were looking at a true sage.
"The laird wanted ye to keep an eye on this one," Tomas answered as he gave Leah a nudge closer. Stumbling forward, Leah caught herself as she gave a weary smile and shake.
"That so?" Elsie said as she cocked her head and gave Leah a once over. There was a playful spark in her eye that instantly put Leah at ease.
"I'm Leah."
"Elsie. Well, I suppose we best get goin'," she said as she nudged her head to the guard. Leah couldn't help but notice how quickly the guard headed back to the castle.
"Tomas isnae all that sharp, but he has a good heart," Elsie said as she leaned down to collect her basket. "Come along. I'll show ye where ye can find yer herbs."
"Do ye nae plant it close to the vegetable garden?" Leah asked. "Ye'll find that a lot of the herbs grow well with some of the vegetables."
"Nay," Elsie answered. "The laird doesnae like to mix the plants and what they're used for. It makes it easier if somethin' were to happen to me and ye have to find the right herb. I can just say the one next to the marigolds."
Leah nodded as she tried to wrap her head around the reasons for the separate gardens. But no matter which way she flipped it, it still didn't make sense.
"So how long have ye been tryin' to help Mason?" Leah asked as her eyes shifted to the castle. Hope sprang up within her as she noticed a dark shadow passing the window of the study. She held her breath, praying for a glimpse of Killian. Disappointment swiftly followed as a large, round man filled the space of the window.
"Oh, since I came to the castle. The poor lad gets ill every other month it seems like. There's always somethin' stirrin' up with that one. To be honest, I daenae ken what to do to help him. Butclearly ye must have an idea. The laird would nae have sent for ye if he dinnae think ye could help."
Leah bobbed her head in silent agreement. The plan Killian had laid out before her seemed in place with his clansmen. All she had to do was remember what they had agreed on.
"I daenae ken if I can or nae, but ye can be sure I'll give it me best," Leah said. "But I daenae want to step on yer toes. If ye have a plan to help him, I daenae want to ruin it."
"I've done all I can," Elsie answered with a sympathetic smile. "It's in God's hands. And maybe ye'll be able to find somethin' that I missed. It's always good to have two sets of eyes on somethin'."
Leah smiled as she watched Elsie pick a few of the bushels of rosemary and thyme. How Leah loved the earthy floral scent that came from rubbing her fingers through the stalks of rosemary. It was as if she had been wrapped in a warm blanket and put to bed.
"So when did ye get in last night? The laird was rather put out this mornin' and I could see the rings under his eyes. I nearly scolded him thinkin' he'd been brawlin' again with how black his eyes are right now."
Leah's heart squeezed like a fist. The last thing she wanted was to cause Killian any issues. But after what he had confessed to her last night, she could understand why he had the circles.
"Ye've seen him this mornin'? And how did he seem?" Leah asked, hoping that the pitch in her tone didn't raise any suspicions. Elsie gave a hearty chuckle as she shook her head.
"The laird is just as cranky as he was yesterday and the day before that. If ye're hopin' that maybe ye came at a bad time, ye dinnae. If he doesnae have a scowl on his face or a line in his forehead, then ye can ask if there's something wrong. Any other time, that's just who he is."
"He's nae cruel," Leah whispered as if the question was taboo. "Is he?"
"Cruel as in a monster? I suppose he could be when he's in a mood," Elsie answered. "But I often leave him be when he gets like that. Ye've got handle him sometimes as ye would a barren. Daenae get me wrong, the laird is highly respected in every regard. He protects us and see that the clan is strong. He's certainly nae a man ye want to be crossin'."
Leah shook her head. Images of Killian flashed through her mind. Heat kissed her cheeks as she ran her fingers through her hair, hoping Elsie hadn’t noticed the flush on her skin.
"I wouldnae dream. In fact, I daenae see how anyone could go up against someone like Killian. He's too big. I cannae see anyone around her being able to do any damage to him."
"It'd be easy to think that," Elsie said as her eyes shifted to and fro before she leaned closer. Her voice dropped to barelya whisper. "Between ye and me, there's a few men around here that believe they could bring the laird down a peg or two."
"What?" Leah gasped as Elsie shushed for Leah to be silent.
