Page 31 of Confessions of a Highland Assassin

Ava stood and disappeared across the hall, returning a few moments later with the jug of clean water and some white linen squares. “I will need tae tak’ off yer jacket and shirt.”

Boyd winced from the pain when she helped him out of his jacket and shirt, discarding them beside the desk. The blood had seeped all the way through and was now dripping down his side in a tiny trickle. It wasn’t as bad as the day it had happened, but the pain was still very real.

“I will need tae clean this wound and stop the bleeding, but it’s healed nicely already. Ye only opened a wee slit when ye fell,” she dipped one of the pieces of linen in the clean water and began dabbing the wound.

Boyd watched her face as she worked. “How did ye ken that the wound was by me side?”

Ava chewed on her bottom lip without making eye contact with him while cleaning the wound. “I saw how ye winced when ye sat back. Ye were favoring yer side and I saw ye use yer arms just fine. So, I thought it must be yer side.”

Her explanation made sense, but Boyd still wondered about her precision at cleaning his wound. She did so with an expert hand. “How is it that a lady kens how to clean a wound?”

“I had an aunt who was a healer. I would often help her when my parents were away. I learned quite a lot from her,” Ava explained. “I dinnae do it often, only when necessary.”

Boyd flinched away and moaned when the linen touched the inner corner of his wound where the skin had split.

“Ye will need tae sit still for this next part,” Ava said apologetically. “Try and think of something else while I clean yer wound. It will distract ye from the pain.”

“Pretty hard tae dae when it feels like yer stabbing my innards with a knife,” he growled angrily.

She ignored his anger and continued to work while she spoke. “There was this one time when I helped a young lad who had fallen from his horse. He had fallen intae some thistle bushes and I had tae help him remove the thorns. He was scraped up quite badly. He could nae have been more than eight at the time,” she said with a mocking smile. “And he didnae put up half as much o’ a fuss as yer doing right now.”

Boyd glared at her. “I dinnae think falling intae thistles can be compared tae having yer ribs sliced open with a sword. There’s a big difference there.”

“Nae, I’ll give ye that,” she smirked at him. “But the boy did have tae lay completely still so that I could remove a thorn that had wedged its way right intae the corner of his eye. I few inches tae the right and he would have been blind. He took it like a victor and didnae even shed a tear.”

Boyd liked the way her face softened when she spoke of the child. Despite her mocking his pain, she was very amusing. She seemed to care deeply when people were injured. He noticed how gently the corners of her full lips curled into a sweet smile as she recalled the incident. It warmed his heart to see someone as caring as she was.

“Hang on,” he said suddenly. “Did this lad have blond hair and dark green eyes?”

“Aye,” she said slightly confused as she looked up at him. “He did.”

“Was the thorn lodged on the right side of his nose? Really close tae his eye?”

“Aye,” Ava repeated even more confused. “How did ye ken it was there?”

“When my younger cousin was eight and staying with us, he stole one of the horses and went riding against my mother’s wishes. The horse had nae yet been broken and bolted with him on its back. The beast sent him flying intae a nearby thicket o’ thistles. He told us that a kind woman had helped him. But we could nae find her again to give her our thanks.”

Ava stared wide-eyed at him before placing her full attention back on his wound.

“Ye must have gone back tae yer own home after the incident? That’s why we could nae find ye again?”

“That’s it,” Ava said placing a fresh patch of linen over his wound and pressing it gently. “We were just visiting nearby and I happened tae come across him,” she took a long strip of linen and began wrapping it around his chest.

Boyd smelled hints of lavender every time she leaned in and placed her arms around him to secure the makeshift bandage.

“That should hold nicely until morning. I dinnae think the wound will open again.”

Boyd looked down at the clean section of linen. “How did ye finish that with nae hurting me anymore?” he asked, surprised and impressed.

“One of the oldest tricks in the book,” she laughed softly. “It usually disnae hurt as much when yer focus is on something else.”

Boyd felt the warmth in his chest growing for her. She not only amused him, but her gentler side brought out her beauty in a different way. “The guests are leaving in two days’ time once everyone has had a chance tae breathe after the ball. I’m asking a few of the lairds and their daughters tae stay on for a bit longer. Would ye care tae stay with yer maid?’

Her lips parted slightly with surprise as she sat back with her legs folded beneath her. “I would enjoy that very much, milaird. Thank ye.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Boyd massaged his temple with his thumb as he sat listening to Hamish and the other clan elders. It was the following morning after the ball and they wanted a full report on how close he was to making a choice. Boyd scoffed to himself; as if he could choose a wife on looks alone after a single evening.