Isla shrugged, rather disturbed by how much she wanted to believe it. “Maybe, but then again, they also talk a lot of nonsense.” They both laughed at that, but then she grew serious. “The thing is, Ella, I’m even more confused about how I’m supposed tae feel about him now. Last night, the lovely things he was sayin’ tae me, well, I wanted tae believe they were true. I think…. I think I might be… fallin’ fer him.”
Speaking it aloud to her trusted confidante felt like shedding a weight that had been pressing on her. However, at the same time, she was aware of the dreadful situation she was in because of her own actions. “But that’s so wrong. It would be terrible, impossible,” she added in a small voice, shaking her head and looking into Ella’s eyes, her heart aching.
“It would be the worst betrayal of all, fallin’ fer the man who’ll kill Gregory the first chance he gets. If that happened, I couldnae live with mesel’… But I dinnae want Ewan tae be hurt either. Ach, I never bargained fer any of this. I had nae idea I’d feel this way about him.”
Ella looked at her with sympathy in her eyes and folded her into a comforting embrace. “I ken ye feel bad about it, Isla, and I understand how confused ye must be. But the heart wants whatthe heart wants. I told ye much the same last night. Maybe all this is happenin’ fer a reason,” she told her.
“What d’ye mean?” Isla asked as they broke apart, puzzled by her friend’s suggestion.
“I mean that ye started all this because ye wanted tae stop the war and save Gregory from gettin’ hurt or killed. Maybe fate has played a hand here by lettin’ ye get so close tae Ewan. It could turn out tae be a good thing rather than a bad thing. If he cares fer ye, it’ll nae be easy fer him tae kill yer braither, will it? And ye said he told ye he’d prefer tae make peace with Gregory and avoid bloodshed. That’s why he laid siege tae the castle instead of attackin’ it. Is that nae true?”
“Aye, it is,” Isla had to agree, trying to comprehend what Ella was driving at.
“And it’ll be just the same fer Gregory. If ye are in love with Ewan and Gregory finds out about it, then it’ll nae be as easy fer him tae kill him either.”
“I suppose so,” Isla replied softly, weighing her friend’s words in her mind.
“Ye’re in a unique position here, Isla. Ye can affect how things turn out between yer clans. If ye care about them both, then ye must dae all ye can tae bring peace.”
Excitement surged through Isla’s veins as the notion sank in. “I hadnae thought of it like that before, but ye’re right. Maybe I can do somethin’ tae keep the both of them safe and end this war after all.” She hugged Ella tightly, filled with gratitude. “Thank ye fer everythin’, Ella. I must go now, but I’ll try tae come and see ye again as soon as I can. Keep yersel’ safe until we meet again.”
“I will, and ye dae the same, eh? Think on what I’ve said.” They kissed each other’s cheeks, and Isla hurried from the cottage.
“Ye took yer time,” Colin grumbled when he saw her.
“I’m sorry. She wanted tae check me wound again,” she fibbed. “Shall we go? I wantae get back before Ewan wakes up.”
Colin grunted his assent, and they mounted their horses. Within a few minutes, they were cantering back the way they had come and arrived at the camp in a surprisingly short time. After they had left their horses at the stables to be rubbed down and fed their breakfast, Isla turned to Colin and said, “I need tae go tae the kitchen wagon and heat some water. Come with me, I have somethin’ fer ye.”
“Aye, all right. What is it?” They walked over to the kitchen area, where the cooks’ assistants were already busy making breakfast for the men.
“I ken ye and Ewan were drinkin’ together last night, and if ye drank the same as he obviously did, then I ken ye must be feelin’ terrible this mornin’.” She pulled out the packet of herbs from her coat pocket and showed it to him.
Colin looked at it and frowned. “What’s it tae ye?”
“Naethin’. But I got these herbs from the healer tae help Ewan with his hangover, and she gave me some fer ye too.”
“Oh, did she?” His expression softened slightly. “That was kind of her.”
“Aye, she’s very kind. If ye dinnae mind waitin’ while I heat up some water, I’ll give ye some of the tea fer yersel’.”
He sat down heavily on a nearby barrel and folded his arms. She noticed how terribly weary he seemed. Under his ruddy complexion, he was pale, and there were dark rings beneath his slightly bloodshot eyes. “All right. I’ll wait.”
“Good.” She smiled at him and then set about asking one of the kitchen assistants for help in heating a kettle of water. When it was ready, she added some of the herbal cure and let it steep for a few minutes. Finally, she poured Colin a beakerful and handed it to him. “There, try that and see if it helps at all,” she told him. “I’ll havetae leave ye tae it. I need tae get back tae the tent and see if Ewan’s all right.”
Colin nodded as he blew on the hot tea. Isla said goodbye, then picked up the kettle and made her way back to the tent, hoping Ewan was still asleep and would be none the wiser about her having left at all.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Ewan awoke feeling like the proverbial bear with the sore head. As he sat up and rubbed his eyes blearily, a horrible pain shot through his head. “Ach, bloody hangover,” he growled, ruing having drunk so much the night before. He looked about and was immediately annoyed to find Annie was not in the tent.
Where the hell is she?
Determined to find her, he forced himself to his feet and, pushing down the nausea washing to and fro in his belly, got into his clothes. He avoided making any sudden movements because of the agony it set off in his head. He splashed some cold water on his face and, feeling marginally more awake, prepared to leave the tent to look for her. But just as he lifted the tent flap, she appeared in front of him, beaming at him, and carrying a billycan.
“I was just comin’ tae look fer ye,” he told her, the relief of seeing her safe softening his frustration. He relaxed as she went to thetable, set down the billycan on the table, and beckoned him over. Needing to sit down anyway, he joined her and slumped into a seat.
“I went out tae see the healer again before ye woke up. I kent ye’d be feelin’ terrible after last night, so I thought I’d ask her fer some herbs tae help with yer hangover,” she explained, pouring the brew from the can into a metal mug and handing it to him. “Drink this, and ye’ll feel better.” She sat down, smiling brightly at him.
