“I dinna ken. Do we? What are ye doing when ye move yer hands? Dinna tell me ye are praying. I willna believe ye.”
She paled, but her voice sounded steady when she replied, “Naught. I’m nervous, ’tis all.”
Angus studied her. She would not meet his gaze, so he had to conclude she hid something. “Lass, ye need no’ fear me. Brodric sent for the healer, Aileana, who may be able to heal grievous wounds with her touch. I ken there are some who say they can do…things…others cannae.” And sometimes, they couldnotdo what they claimed. The thought rose out of habit. Angus pushed it aside.
Shona still would not look at him. The lass was stubborn, he’d give her that. Very well, then. He pitched his voice even lower and continued. “Did ye really move that beam off me? When we were still trapped, I thought perhaps because ye had been hit on the head, ye were daft to claim such a feat. But something…I did hear the men nearby when it moved, but it didna seem they were that close.” He took her hand, surprised when she flinched. “I dinna ken whether to believe ye or think ye daft.”
She kept silent, so Angus plunged ahead. “The more I’ve thought about it, and the more I’ve thought about Aileana and what ’tis said she can do, I’ve come to believe in ye.” Angus wanted to grab her chin, to force her to meet his gaze, to see the effect his words were having, but he knew he’d only cause her more pain, so he tried again with his words to break through to her. “I ken ye’ve been helping the searchers lift and move the heavy logs and stones to find other victims underneath. Could ye have moved some of the people so the searchers could reach them more quickly?”
“Nay, no’ that.”
Finally, a reaction. “No’ what?”
She sighed and her shoulders slumped. “I dare no’ move the people. They might be hurt in ways I canna ken. And I’ve only been able to help a little. I’ve never lifted anything so heavy as the stones, or the tree that fell on Colin. The best I couldha done, had I been there, was to try to push it aside, to miss him, as I pushed aside another branch that nearly fell on the men standing around him. But I did roll the beam off ye. ’Twas the most weight I’ve ever moved, but I had to save ye. I couldna let ye drown.”
“Well then.” Angus sucked in a breath, his skin tingling at her admission.
“Ye canna tell anyone.”
“Why no’?” Angus suddenly had the sinking feeling there was much Shona was not saying. Why wouldn’t she meet his gaze?
“They’ll turn me out, like my village did.”
“We are no’ the same as yer village, lass.” His heart broke for her, for what she’d been through. With his other hand, he stroked her cheek.
She jerked and knocked her head back against the tree stump, grimaced and cried out with pain.
Suddenly, Angus knew. He gripped her shoulders and pulled her away from the stump, unsurprised she kept her eyes tightly closed. “Did I startle ye? I’m sorry.” She couldn’t see. Something had happened in the collapse to steal her sight. And she was afraid to tell him. But was she afraid to tellAngus? Or the newlaird?
“My head pounds like a war drum, ’tis all.”
Angus glanced around, looking for the clan’s healer. “Has Craig seen ye?” Not that Craig could do anything for her.
“Nay. And dinna bother him. I’m sure he’s busy.”
Angus located the man, kneeling over another patient. Indeed, he was busy. “Then Aileana will see to ye.” He wondered how much to say to her. It might not be good for her to know he’d realized she could not see. If Shona took comfort in keeping the secret, he’d let her continue, at least until Aileana arrived and did everything she could to heal her.
After seeing the man with the crushed leg, Angus could no longer deny Aileana’s talent. They needed her. That man and Shona needed help only Aileana could give. He just hoped the Lathans arrived soon.
