“Oh, Bruce. Thank goodness it’s ye. I-I… Ye see, Idoneed ye with me when I ride…”
He stroked her cheek with one finger. “Aye, I’ll no’ have ye ride out at such a gallop again without me, lass. Can ye sit up?” She tried to lift herself up on her elbows but gave a small scream.
She felt his hand slip underneath her head to support it. “No’ to worry, lass. I’ll get ye back home.”
Her mind swirled. “It’s no’ me home, Bruce. It’s a castle.” Laura heard him give a short bark of laughter. “Och aye, if ye wish to be fussy about it.” The hand under her head slipped around her shoulders, and she felt another hand slide under her knees before she was lifted up.
“I’m flying, Bruce,” she whispered. “Ye make me feel like I’m flying.” Then everything went black again.
* * *
She was aware of being clasped tightly to his chest and could feel the sway of his horse’s withers underneath her. He could sense she was conscious again. “Dinnae fash, lass.” She felt his deep voice resonate in his chest. “I have yer horse tied to the saddle.”
“I’m sore,” she moaned. “I’m scared.” Her body ached. Laura felt wretched that she was finally where she belonged—in his arms—but she was too hurt to appreciate it.
His arm tightened around her waist. “Sore? Sure, who wouldnae be? But dinnae be afeared, lass. I will no’ let ye fall again.”
“But Iwantto fall,” Laura was compelled to explain to him. She knew she was blethering, but it was as if her mouth had no guard. “I want to fall…in love again. It’s been so long. Ye have no idea how long I have waited for ye.”
It seemed as if he chose to ignore her ravings. He gave her waist a small squeeze. “Och, lass. Ye were nae lying on the ground there very long. I was following hard on yer heels. Ye’re only a little bit frozen.”
“My heart…it’s melting.”
Wrapped in the warmth of his arms, leaning her head against his broad chest, was what that felt like to Laura.
* * *
“Mister Duncan?” A middle-aged lady beckoned him forward. Bruce knew who the woman was and hoped she did not come with bad news.
No longer caring that a guard was not allowed to leave his post for any reason unless the laird ordered it, he went to see what Laura’s maid wanted. “Mary, is it? How goes yer mistress?”
She dropped him a curtsy. “Please, sir, would ye be so kind as to follow me? I have asked Lady Arabella’s permission, so she allowed it.” Curious as to where she was taking him, Bruce followed the maid. She led him up to the family’s side of the castle in the east wing. “Poor Laura is sore and confused, sir. She took a bad blow to the head, and we feared it had addled her brains for a while.” The maid looked embarrassed but continued. “The thing is, sir, she’s callin’ for ye. She will nae rest or settle. The apothecary begged me to summon ye to my mistress’s bedside, an’ Lady Arabella agreed. Laura’s always been a headstrong young woman, so please be gentle with her. It might be that she only wishes to thank ye an’ then ye can go about yer business.”
Mary pushed the door open and ushered Bruce inside. Then she closed the door firmly behind him. Bruce knew the old maid would be standing guard outside. When he approached the bed, he could see that the apothecary had been busy with his craft. The stool next to the bed on the dais was cluttered with vials and mortars containing pungent, finely ground ingredients. He wished he could afford to treat Alice in the same way.
Laura was laying in bed with her head on the pillow with her eyes closed. He leaned over the wide bed, reaching out to stroke a stray strand of hair away from her forehead. He knew she believed their attraction to one another had fated them to be together, but Bruce also knew enough about the world to know this optimistic outlook was doomed. As strong as he was, he was not powerful enough to lift the stigma of being a poor boy from an obscure village in the north.
“Laura, I’m here. How can I help ye?”
Her eyelids fluttered open, and he had to fight to harden his heart. She was so defenseless and sweet.
“Bruce. I kent ye would come. Please stay by me side. I cannae bear it when ye are away from me.”
He could see from the size of her pupils that the potion given to her had contained one of the potent ingredients from the south. Between the knock on her head and the sleeping draft, she would not even remember him being here when she woke up.
“Promise me ye will never leave me, Bruce.” She reached for his hand in a wild searching gesture. “Say it.”
“Aye, lass,” Duncan replied, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He took her hand in his own. “I promise.”
8
He was wrong. Laura did not lose her interest in having him close by. In fact, Lady Arabella had to ask Laird Halkerston if he would be so good as to relinquish the tall, dark-haired soldier from his duties for a while.
Trying not to look as perplexed as Laura’s behavior was causing her to feel, Arabella told Roy, “Laura has ever been a lass who experiences strong emotions, sir. Add that to her decided preference to getting her own way and the ingredients of her medicines, and ye might understand this obsession of hers a wee bit better. The man did rescue her from freezing to death, after all.”
All Laird Roy Halkerston said in response was, “Aye. Anything I can do to make the young woman recover from her accident faster, Lady Arabella. But I think it is strange that Duncan has to be there day and night. Never mind the proof that he must have been following her to be on hand at the time…”
Arabella was upset by this suggestion. “It is well known to all that yer soldier liked to ride out in the mornings, sir. As for him being in the bedchamber, either meself, Laird Anderson, Henry, or any number of half a dozen maidservants are there at the same time, sir! So please don’ be thinkin’ he is making free with me, dear sister! She gets fretful so easily, and her mind is still fragile from the buffeting it took. Ye will have yer soldier returned to ye just as soon as Laura is more herself.”
