Beneath a Highland Moon (The Highland Moon Series 1) (8 page)

Chapter Six

The
mouth-watering aroma of food slowly willed Jillian awake.
Her head ached and her stomach growled.
She forced herself to sit upright, but found it near impossible from the pounding inside her skull.
Refusing to give up and lie back down, she closed her eyes, feeling as if the room were spinning around her. She stayed very still until the pain and dizziness eased a bit.

Then
Jillian opened her eyes and glanced about the room.
Glennis sat dozing in a chair beside the bed, her soft snores the only sound in the room.
A tray of food had been left on the table near the fire.
Jillian's stomach growled louder. Trying not to wake Glennis, she slipped out of bed. But when she stood, she became lightheaded and was forced to hold on to the bedpost, until she was able to reach the table.

Jillian
sat down in the chair and pulled the tray across the tabletop, thinking all the while that she needed to see Ian—she didn't want him to worry about her any longer. And she had to speak with Kade as soon as it could be arranged. The thought of him being somewhere nearby, caused her stomach to flutter.

She
ate the trencher of stew, without leaving a single crumb behind, along with the bannocks. Then she drank the goblet of spiced mead. Her hunger and thirst satisfied, Jillian shoved the empty tray away.

With a gasp, Glennis
jumped up from the chair.
"I must have fallen asleep, m'lady," she said, then noticed the empty tray. "Shall I bring more food?"

Jillian
shook her head, patting her stomach.
"Nay, Glennis.
My belly is full.
How long have I been asleep?"

"
For almost two days."

Two days!
By now Gordon more than likely knew they'd left Lochstorm and may have punished—or perhaps even killed—both Winnie and Roderick.
She could only pray that they still lived.
Jillian stood up too quickly from the table and everything went dark. She grabbed the back of the chair and held on until it passed.

Glennis frowned.
"Perhaps ye should get back into bed, m'lady. That swelling on the back of yer head will take some time to go down. Annag, our healer, mixed a potion to keep away infection and to aid in healing. I've been applying it often."

"
I must thank Annag, and I thank you, Glennis." Jillian touched the bump on her head, and a sharp pain shot through her skull. She winced.
"Aye, I see what you mean. But as I'm no longer hungry and am well rested, I'll be fine.
I'm just a bit unsteady on my feet, and I'm certain that will soon pass.
Where is my brother?
I must let him ken that I'm well."

Glennis chuckled.
"There's no need for ye to fash ye'self about the lad, m'lady.
Young Ian has managed to wrap the whole of Ravenskull around his wee finger. When ye first arrived and we'd put you to bed, he made me promise not to leave your side, before he'd go with Logan to get a bite to eat.
He'll be a fine laird someday, that one.
He has a sense of responsibility, much like your father, may God rest his soul."

Jillian blinked back tears at the mention of her father.
"Aye, he does at that.
Glennis, I must see Laird MacLachlan immediately, so that I may discuss with him the reason we've come to Ravenskull."

She shook her head.
"The laird is not here, m'lady.
He and others are out hunting fresh game.
It'll be much needed for the feast. With the Midsummer's Eve celebration only a few days away, the castle is overflowing with guests.
In fact, this is the laird's bedchamber.
'Twas the only room available.
With him away, I didn't think he'd mind if I put ye in here."

Jillian
looked about the room, noting the ornately carved bed and two large chests of dark wood positioned against the wall. Along with the exquisite velvet material of the bed drapes and window coverings dyed a dark hue of crimson.
A thick, wool rug covered the floor in front of the fire.

"
When is your laird expected to return?"

"
End of the week, m'lady."

Jillian
sighed. She had no choice other than to wait for Kade to come back to Ravenskull. Her gaze fell on the big wooden tub standing in the corner.
"Do you suppose Laird MacLachlan would mind if I make use of his tub?"

"
Nay, m'lady, I'm certain he'd not mind.
I'll have the servants fill it for ye."

"
Much thanks, but before that, Glennis, would you bring my brother to see me?"

"
Aye, of course," she said, hurrying from the bedchamber.

Jillian moved about
the room slowly, allowing herself to adjust to being upright.
She pulled aside the window covering and watched a group of children playing below. Three wee lasses squealed loudly as a young dark-haired lad chased them around the walled barmkin, brandishing a wooden sword in his hand.

"
Jilly!" squealed Ian from behind her.

She
barely had enough time to turn around before he threw his arms around her, nearly knocking her over in her weakened state.
Not wishing him to ken she wasn't yet herself, she held on tightly to the window coverings with one hand to steady her.
"Ian, 'tis so good to see you, my sweet."

He
looked up at her, his pale blue eyes so like his father's, shinning with unshed tears.
"You fell off Bonnie and were lying on the ground. I thought you were dead, but Logan told me you were but sleeping."

Sliding to
her knees, she hugged him to her.
"I'm so very sorry I frightened you, but as you can see, now I'm well."
She gently poked him in the stomach with her finger. "Have you finally gotten that belly of yours filled since you've been at Ravenskull?"

"
Aye," he said, patting his stomach.
"Cook makes the best scones, Jilly.
You have to try one.
Since I like them so much, she saves them for me."

Jillian laughed
—the first time she had in a while.
"Do you like it here at Ravenskull, Ian?" She hoped he did, since she intended to ask Kade to allow him to remain here if she should have to return to Lochstorm—something that depended solely on Kade. At least here, Ian would be safely out of Gordon's reach.

He nodded, twisting
a strand of her hair around his index finger, as he'd done since birth. "Aye, and I've already made friends with some of the children here. The laird is not here though. He's still out hunting."

"
As I've recently learned."

Glennis entered
the room, accompanied by several servants carrying buckets of steaming water.

Ian
's eyes grew large.
"Do I have to take a bath? I don't think I need one yet, Jilly," he said, quickly shaking his head.

Jillian chuckled, pulling herself
to her feet.
"Don't worry, wee brother.
'Tis I who is in need of one."

"
Come along with me, young Ian, and leave yer sister to her bath," Glennis said, taking him by the hand.
"Cook just finished baking a fresh batch of scones and I'll bet she'd let ye have one if ye ask her."

He waved good-by to Jillian.

"Enjoy your scone."

"
I'll save one for you, Jilly," he called over his shoulder.
She watched Glennis lead him through the door, just the way she had Jillian when she was a child.
Jillian knew with a certainty that as long as Ian had Glennis to look after him, he'd fare well.
That knowledge eased her mind a bit at the thought of having to leave him behind at Ravenskull, if the need be.

N
ot long after, Jillian sat soaking in Kade's big, wooden tub filled with steaming
water and the sweet smell of rose scented soap that Glennis had left for her. The thought of Kade, bathing in the same tub, and sleeping in the same bed where she'd slept, sent a rush of excitement through her. Kade was now a man of a score and five years and Jillian knew without a doubt that he'd have changed.
Just how much, Jillian couldn't say. Would he be an older version of the warm and kindhearted lad she once knew, or with the death of his wife and son, had he become cold and calloused? Jillian hoped 'twas not the latter.

Glennis had found
Jillian a shift, for which she was thankful. While Jillian had been passed out, she and the ladies' maid had stripped Jillian of the plaid and bloody shirt then dressed her in the clean shift before putting her to bed. Her own had been in the bundle she'd lost, along with the rest of her clothing—and her mother's locket. Tears welled up in her eyes. Without the locket, she'd not be able to look upon her parents' faces ever again.

She
'd have to ask Glennis about finding a gown for her to wear. Perchance she might be able to borrow one, as she had the shift. By now, her bundle of clothing had more than likely been sold by the highwayman. Besides,
Jillian couldn't very well meet Kade wearing naught but her shift.
Of course, it wouldn't be the first time he'd seen her in naught more.

Leaning
back against the tub, Jillian sank down into the water, until her head was all that remained uncovered. She closed her eyes.
Kade
. How would he react to seeing her after all this time? Aye, she'd loved him. She had since first laying eyes on him at fourteen. But she feared that he no longer cared for her. After all, he'd continued on with his life. Jillian sighed. As clearly as yesterday, she remembered the ache in her heart upon learning there'd be no marriage between them.

Her
bath water had cooled a great deal, when she poured the second pitcher of clean water over her head, rinsing away the remaining rose scented lather from her long hair. While wringing out as much of the water as she could manage, she accidently tugged on the strands of hair in the vicinity of her injury, and gasped from the pain. She now regretted having turned down Glennis's earlier offer of having one of the ladies' maids assist her. Weakened from the exertion, Jillian made the decision to return to bed until the mid-day meal. Besides, lying in the same spot where Kade's own body had lain made her feel a wee bit giddy.

***

Kade took the back stairs of the servants' quarters' two steps at a time, hoping to avoid his duties as Laird of Ravenskull for a wee bit longer.
Logan could take care of whatever problems that might arise until then.
He intended to take a nap in his bed and have a long soak in his prized tub before the mid-day meal.
Then he'd listen to whatever problems or arguments that had taken place whilst he was away.

He opened the door to his bedchamber and
froze in his tracks. A young woman, her back to him, rose from out of his tub, water streaming down the pale skin of her shapely body. Kade blinked. He was having a vision. He blinked again. She shook out her freshly washed hair. Long and blond, it fell past her hips, stopping above a most pleasing pair of legs.
Unable to tear his gaze away, Kade continued to watch her, mesmerized, as she reached for the folded linen lying near the fire, briefly giving him a clear view of her slender hips, adding more heat to his already sweltering body. She wrapped the fabric around her and stepped from the tub.

Finally c
oming to his senses, Kade realized how embarrassed she'd be if she caught him watching her like some green, wide-eyed lad, who he might as well have been, judging by the way his body had reacted to seeing her.
Who the devil is she?
He backed out into the corridor, quietly drawing the door closed behind him.

Kade
blew out a long breath, and leaned against the wall outside his bedchamber door, his arms folded over his chest. He couldn't believe he'd reacted to her such as he did. Perchance Galen was right. It'd been too long.
Who was she? Why the devil was she in his bedchamber? He frowned.
Had Galen had her sent there? For certain, his friend did have a strange sense of humor all his own. He spotted Galen striding along the corridor on his way to the guest chamber.

"
Why are you standing out here? I thought you couldn't wait to get into that tub of yours." He quirked one dark eyebrow.

"'
Tis occupied."

"
By who?"

"
You tell me."

"
How should I ken?"

Kade let out a long breath.
"Tell me the truth, Galen. Did you have a woman sent to my bedchamber?"

Galen
regarded him with open amusement. "Nay, why do you ask? Is one in there?"

"
Aye."