Page 29 of Edge of Yesterday

Chapter Six

“Julianna,” Lennox growled in a dark tone that told her to stop or he would march her in front of their mother and recite all her sins for that night, disobeying her brother being at the top of his list, leaving Raghnall unescorted at night being second.

She halted and waited for her brother and her cousin Gregory. They pulled even and she fell in alongside Lennox. She didn’t like the way the stranger was stumbling.

“We should bind his wound,” she whispered.

Lennox shook his head. “We must reach Raghnall.”

“Ye cannae carry him four miles.”

“Julianna—”

“‘Tis useless to bring him all that way only to arrive home with a corpse,” she cut in.

A heartbeat of silence passed. She couldn’t see her brother’s features, but knew he would give in.

“After we make the woods beyond Caisteal Mill,” he said.

She would have to settle for that, and he was right. If they were spotted, word would quickly reach Crowe that they had been roaming the area. He would need no further proof to know she was the longnose who spied on them in the woods.

A short while later, they crossed the narrow Alltbuie River bridge and hurried past Caisteal Mill into the trees. Lennox continued a good thirty paces, staying within the cover of trees before stopping. They leaned the stranger against the thick trunk of a Scots pine while Julianna pulled out her lady’s dirk and cut a length of linen from her undertunic. She rolled up his left sleeve then gingerly fingered his arm, not liking the amount of slick blood coating his skin.

He grunted when she probed the cut. “Easy, lass,” he said in that light Highland burr that sounded slightly off.

“Hush.” She smoothed his brow, as much to quiet him as to still the part of her that noticed the vibrancy of his voice.

“Gregory,” Lennox said while she began to wrap the wound. “We need horses.”

“John Ramsay’s farm is no’ that far,” Gregory replied.

“That will do,” Lennox said.

Julianna glanced up at Cailean, who watched in silence. “I will double wrap the wound,” she said. “Otherwise, ye might leave a trail of blood someone can follow.”

“Hopefully, that someone will be a doctor.”

The quip seemed too unconcerned, even amused. Was he drunk? Nae. She smelled no spirits on his breath. Mayhap he was lightheaded from loss of blood. That possibility, she didn’t like.

“What is your name?” Lennox looked at her patient.

“Cailean,” he replied as she knotted the end of the bandage.

“Cailean, can ye ride?” Lennox asked.

She glimpsed his smile again.

“Aye, well enough.”

Lennox grunted. “If you fall off the horse we will leave ye behind.”

Julianna flashed a look at her brother, despite knowing he couldn’t discern her features. “You willnae want him left where he can be found and then tell anyone we were out tonight.”

“You are right,” Lennox said. “Delay us, Cailean, and I will kill you.”

Cailean grunted. “You already tried, with no luck.”

“There is always tomorrow.”