Highlander's Bride (Heart of the Highlander Series Book 1) (23 page)

**

Lord Drummond warmed his hands at the fire as two
chambermaids cleaned Alexander's chamber. He still had much to tell Alex; the
proof of his wife's fidelity, William's injury and Katherine's skill in setting
his leg. He'd scarce had time to tell him of her devoted care throughout his
illness before the servants came in bustling about. But he would wait. 'Twas
not a tale to be shared with everyone in the keep. Impatiently, he waited as
they whispered and giggled while they swept the hearth. Hearing their chatter,
he scowled and called out sharply. "Do you two have naught better to do
than stand about spreading tales? Be gone, the both of you! Leave us in
peace."

Alexander grinned as the young girls scurried
toward the doorway. "Och, old friend, who is in a foul humor now?  What
could William and my chambermaids have to goss—"

 His words died a swift death. He could barely
contain his next question until the chattering servants left the room. His
anxious doubts vaulted to the surface again, and he called out in challenge.
"You swore I had naught to be concerned with as regards my wife! If that
were so, she would be with me now. Just where does Katherine go while you play
nursemaid here?"

"Och, I dinna keep a rope tied to her so I
can follow her about. As the lady of Ironwood, she goes where she
pleases."

"Davey…"

"All right, all right. She visits your
brother's room. Did you think you were the only MacGregor in need of her loving
care?"

Alexander's fury almost choked him. His mounting
rage boiled over and his tone turned dangerous. "By God, you dare to joke
about this? You are gravely mistaken if you think to do so. What did you hear
the wenches say?"

"Hell, Alex, 'twas surely nau—"

"Tell me!"

Drummond frowned and spat out his response.
"One of the foolish girls said she saw Lady Katherine kiss your
brother."

White-hot anger burned Alexander's self control to
cinders. He tossed the blankets aside, grabbed his tunic from a peg beside the
bed and began to rise.

Davey sprinted over to the bed. "Damn it man,
where do you think to go? Your temper seems full restored, but I doubt all of
your strength is as yet."

"Get out of my way! I will see for myself
what my wife does!" He attempted to yank the tunic over his head with one
hand while he shoved aside his friend's arm with the other.

As the two men struggled, Katherine entered the
room and hurried over. "Ah, Lord Drummond, I will assist my husband with
his clothes. 'Tis often enough I have had to aid him and his brother." 

A searing pain shot through Alexander, unlike any
he had known during his illness. It filled him with fear and rage at the same
time. His words bellowed like the sound of a Highland bull. "What say you?
Don't touch my clothes, woman!" Turning a snarling look on his friend, he
added, "And you can take your… Damn it, Davey, get out. I will speak with
my wife alone!"

Katherine froze with her arms outstretched.

For a moment no one moved or uttered a sound. Then
Drummond leaned over to her and spoke in an apparent attempt to calm the
situation. "Lady Katherine, I shall be just outside the door. Dinna let
this bear's growl upset you. His bite isna as fierce as he would have you
believe." After a non-committal glance toward the black scowl directed his
way, Davey bowed to her and left the room.

Alexander could do no more than glare at her as he
desperately tried to subdue his anger enough to speak. Every nerve ending in
his body was on fire, threatening to burn totally out of control. God, what
power did she hold over him to be able to torment him so? He didn't know
whether to accuse her or kiss her. Wearily, he sat back down on the bed,
dropping the tunic to the floor.

The last time he'd been so vitally aware of her
was the day they'd married. Now she stood before him a little thinner, with a
smudge of dirt on her face and dressed in plain clothing, but still lovely. She
looked as beautiful as he remembered from their wedding day. Had he not dreamed
of her often enough? Here she stood, with no ribbons or jewels, no fancy gown
about her. Yet she easily stirred him to jealousy and lust. Aye, and to other
emotions he didn't recognize.

His scowl deepened. "Davey told me I've been
ailing for many days and that you've been faithfully tending me. Yet when I
awake, you immediately desert me to the care of my old friend. You will tell me
now where you have been and to what duties you were attending. What was of such
import to delay your return?"

Katherine's eyes narrowed. She pulled her
shoulders back and carefully smoothed her wrinkled gown before resting her
hands on her hips. "For a man who has been fevered for days, you ask much.
Do you now think your head clear enough to pay heed to my words?" She drew
herself up straight. "Before coming here, I was in your brother's chamber.
I wished to see how he fared."

The faint hope in Alexander's heart faded and died
with her words. Bitterness coiled in the pit of his stomach like a serpent.
Would she dare to admit the kiss or claim devotion to him alone? His voice
hardened. "Tell me, wife, how did my brother fare? Was he hale and well
pleased with your company? Did your last kiss linger in your mind as you came
to play the attentive wife?"

Katherine gasped in outrage. "So, now you
have spies informing my every deed, do you? You wish to know my actions in
William's chamber? I'll tell you. Aye, I kissed him. On the cheek, as a good
friend glad in his recovery. He may be the younger brother, but knows far
better how to treat a lady!" With that, she spun around, grabbed up the
large bowl of sticky poultice, and started toward the door. 

His biting words stopped her in mid step.
"Aye, what a wondrous wife you are. You admit your misdeeds freely then
desert my care. Again." He watched her face turn pale and her lips
tremble.

In meek silence, she returned to his bedside. Her
eyes gleamed with moisture, as if she was on the verge of tears, but she didn't
weep.

So, she has finally realized the wrongs she has
done. He listened to the appeal of her voice and fought to hold his heart
distant.

"My lord, you appear all but cured of your
affliction. I thought you had no more need of me and my potions." She
reached out with one hand and gently touched his cheek.

His face tingled where her fingers brushed against
him. God, her skin was like velvet. He lifted his face toward her.

She smiled sweetly, then dumped the entire
contents of the bowl over his head. Before he could recover from his surprise,
she tossed the empty container in his lap along with her words. "Do not
doubt I wish you cured. Perhaps that will help bring you to your senses. If you
possess any past the end of your manhood that is!"

She turned toward the doorway as a young lad
entered. "M'lady, the healer Lord Drummond sent fer has arrived. I took
him to Sir William." Katherine nodded and hurried him from the room with
her.

 "Bloody Hell!" Alexander struggled to
wipe the stinking glop from his eyes which hampered his vision. However, naught
hindered his hearing. He easily recognized his friend's paroxysms of laughter
coming from the chamber doorway. Blinking from under the noxious goo, he
shouted, "Davey Drummond, if you value your life, you'll cease your
cackling,"

He felt a smug sense of satisfaction as he heard
Davey quickly bring his mirth under control with only a few muttered words he
couldn't distinguish. Wiping the last of the ooze from his face, he looked over
to the entrance of the room. His satisfaction slid down his face just as surely
as the poultice had done.

Standing beside his grinning friend was an old,
bent man with a gray beard. Drummond motioned for the man to follow him into
the room and approach the bed. "Ah, Alex, 'twould seem the physician has
arrived just in time. Surely he can aid you in this latest malady that afflicts
you."

 Alexander could swear he saw a glimpse of mirth
light the wizened old man's face, but by the time he stood beside the bed, the
man wore a look of bland appraisal. Fixing a defiant glare on the newcomer,
Alexander growled, "I need no physician."

A knowing smirk still tipped the corners of Davey's
mouth. "Come now, man. Just moments ago, didna I hear you tell your wife
you were still in need of a healer?"

"Davey, you go too far. Don't push me."

Drummond shrugged and walked toward the door.
"Ne'er would I do that, old friend. 'Tis easy to see you are frail and
still in need of care."

With a snarl, Alexander hurled the sticky bowl
after him. It hit the chamber wall as Davey ducked through the doorway,
laughing.

For several minutes, the physician poked and
prodded at his new patient.

"Enough!" Alexander roared, halting the
examination. "I tell you I have no need of your services."

 The aged healer nodded as if in agreement.
"Cursed if I ken why I was bid to travel here. 'Twould seem ye have a
skilled healer in the castle already. Ye and the other lad will be hale soon
enough. Och weel, I will reside here a few days to rest from my travel and then
be on my way. On the morrow, I will examine ye again."

Alexander frowned as the healer left the room. Why
had the physician gone to see William? Was he ill as well?

**

Over the next sennight, Alexander saw little of
Katherine. She sent word that she was busy with her duties as lady of the
castle. In truth, the last time she'd been in his chamber was three days ago,
when that blasted healer had been breathing down his neck, poking at his chest,
and asking a score of foolish questions. He'd enjoyed watching his beautiful
wife folding linens at the far end of the room until the physician had mumbled
aught about breathing and smacked his back soundly.

"Ow. What do you? Your task is to heal
afflictions, not cause them. By thunder, you have all the gentleness of the
village blacksmith!" A bright tinkle of laughter drew his attention.
"And what bids you laugh, wife? Do you find such treatment amusing?"

His eyes narrowed to wary green slits as she
turned to face him with that meek expression he'd seen before. Ah, but he would
not be fooled so easily again.

Her gaze dropped to her hands. "Fie, no, my
lord; I regard your care most seriously. In truth, if the healer should wish
it, I would be pleased to prepare another poultice. A stronger one this time.
The last seems to have worn off sooner than I had hoped." Smiling, she
left the room followed by her sunny laughter as it echoed down the corridor.

Alexander reached up and pushed his hair out of his
eyes. By Saint George's toes, he'd had to wash it so many times he'd feared
there would be no hair left once the goo departed. A slow grin edged around the
corner of his lips. Aye, the woman showed more spirit than most.

**

 By God, he'd been wrong, so wrong. Now he must try
to make amends if 'twere possible.

Alexander cursed himself under his breath, but
looked William straight in the eye. 'Twas not easy to face the brother he'd
sorely wronged. After questioning Davey and Malcolm over the last sennight, he
now knew he'd made a grievous error. How could he have believed the worst about
his brother and his wife? How? 

"William, I—"

The younger man thrust his arm out, stopping him.
"By God, you're an arse! We both owe our good health to your wife. Though
why she would minister to you after the way you treated her, is beyond my
understanding! You have a great deal to explain, brother."

Alexander drew a deep breath and nodded. He'd been
unfaltering in his accusations. 'Twas his duty to admit his wrongs just as
staunchly. "William, I still do not understand all that has happened, but
I give you my word I was told outright the falsehood that spurred my actions.
When I thought on things, I became so jealous, that I didn't consider the
facts."

"What things? Your wife has been loyal to you
at all times."

"Aye, I know that now. But when she thanked
me for wedding flowers I didn't send her and I saw the shee—"

"God's blood, Alex! Do you mean to tell me
you accused her of treachery because of some damn flowers? I sent them to her
in your name because you were too busy to think of it."

Alexander shook his head, reluctant to tell his
brother how he had been brought to believe Fiona's deceit. "There were
other things, but I realize now my thoughts arose from the stupidity of a
besotted fool. My actions were damnably wrong."

With an unwavering look, he forced his shoulders
back and faced his younger brother. He couldn't blame William if he refused to
accept his apology. His behavior had been unforgivable. Taking a deep breath,
he stretched out his open hand. "I deeply regret the dishonorable way I
treated you and Katherine and ask your forgiveness for doubting either of
you." 

William stared at him in silence. Then he said,
"Aye, you acted a right bloody fool and have much to atone for where it
concerns your wife. For her sake, I hope you are as relentless in asking
forgiveness as you were in condemning!"

He stood motionless with his fists clamped to his
sides as his words echoed off the stone walls. Then, with a sigh, he thrust out
his right hand. "But, if I had thought such a lady's love to have been
lost, as Katherine's, I might have reacted the same way. Your wife is a
wondrous lady and doesn't deserve to ever be treated unkindly. I leave for
During Castle on the morrow. Think on my words."

Alexander nodded solemnly and clasped William's
hand. "Today the younger brother shows more wisdom than does the elder. I
vow 'twill be done."

**

The sun sought to chase the chill morning mist from
the air as Katherine stood beside Alexander outside the castle doors. She
watched as William, Laird Drummond and his men mounted their horses and
prepared to leave. Another somber farewell. Was this all she would ever know?