Healing the Tormented Highlander: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel Read online

  “It treats complaints of the stomach. ‘Tis an excellent remedy for all manners of complaint and can treat jaundice, too. They say it should be gathered on the night of the full moon, but that is superstitious nonsense, the plant will work on any night and any day,” she replied, and Lady Catriona nodded slowly, as though lost in thought and then smiled.

  “Ye ken yer plants, but dae ye ken yer lore, that much is to be seen. Very well, Raghnall. Let her stay. Ye are Laird and who am I to prevent ye from entertainin’ the lass, if it be yer pleasure. Ye are welcome here, lass, and we shall see how ye fare amongst us northern folks,” Lady Catriona said.

  Her eyes were bright and behind them, Ceana could sense something of that same wisdom she so often beheld in her grandmother. It was clear she was a healer and possessed of the knowledge of a lifetime. Ceana nodded.

  “I shall be on me way soon enough. I daenae intend to enjoy the hospitality of this house any longer than necessary,” she replied and Lady Catriona nodded, smiling at her with a searching smile.

  “I hope ye ken what ye are doin’, Raghnall,” she said, and turning on her heel, she marched out of the Great Hall.

  The clansmen began to mutter to themselves and Ceana looked with a puzzled expression at the Laird who waved his hand dismissively.

  “Daenae worry about me mother, lass. She has her own ways about her, as we all dae. I am sure she will soon place herself upon friendlier terms. But now, ye must look over the castle and I must show ye our ways,” the Laird said, rising from the table and smiling at her.

  “I meant what I said before,” Ceana said, as he took her arm. “I will nae stay here longer than ‘tis necessary. I will be on me way very soon.”

  “I am a doin’ ye a kindness, lass. The road is nae safe for ye and I wouldnae wish to see harm come to ye. Stay here a while with me, I would enjoy the company. But whilst ye enjoy the hospitality of my home ye are to follow my rules, ye hear me? I want to see proof that ye are a healer as ye say ye are. To show that I mean to make ye welcome here, I ask that ye call me Raghnall, most daenae of course, but ye may dae so,” he said, as they stepped out from the Great Hall and into the passageway beyond.

  “I can show ye proof and I assure ye that ye shall have nay trouble from me whilst I remain under yer roof. But I ask the same from ye, Raghnall MacCramhain. I am a stranger here and amongst strangers. I hope that I can trust ye. It seems that I can and I thank ye for yer kindness to me. I will stay and I will keep yer rules and thank ye for yer hospitality,” Ceana replied, and he nodded to her and smiled.

  “Then we have an understandin’ and one which will be beneficial to us both. Come now, I wish to show ye the castle. Tis a fine place, though some say it appears forebodin’ and a grim border fortress. But it has been the only home I have known,” the Laird said, leading her along the passageway.

  He showed her over the stables, where a fine set of horses were stabled and Dewney was enjoying a bucket of oats. The soldiers eyed her with interest, as the Laird led her back across the courtyard and into the keep. At its center lay the Great Hall but there were any number of other rooms, many containing fine furnishing and rich tapestries. This was quite at odds with the castle’s façade, which spoke of a war-weary place, faced with the constant threat of attack.

  “This has always been a comfortable home,” he said, as they wandered along the picture gallery, which ran the full length of the Great Hall below.

  “I must confess to never havin’ heard the name of MacCramhain before, nor of yer reputation,” Ceana replied, as they paused before a portrait of a particularly fierce looking warrior.

  “Me reputation is fortunately worse than the truth. It wouldnae dae to appear weak amongst the clans of the borders but ye will find me far less of a warmonger than ‘tis commonly believed. My men keep strict patrol upon our lands, though, and I wouldnae hesitate to ride out against our enemies should the need arise,” he replied, smiling at her.

  “And what am I supposed to dae here all day as yer guest?” she asked, for she was determined to know for certain if she was a prisoner or in fact free to come and go as she pleased.

  He sighed and shook his head, turning to her and raising his eyebrows.

  “Why nae enjoy bein’ here, lass? Ye will be well fed, yer bed will be warm, and ye will be safe. What more dae ye want than that?” he asked.

  She looked at him curiously. Was he lonely? It was as if he desired companionship more than anything else, for surely a Laird had better things to do than show a simple healer around his castle. But Ceana could not help but warm to his amenable ways. She liked him, and it seemed that he liked her. Else surely, he would have had her thrown into the dungeons immediately.

  “I am sorry … I … I am nae used to such kindness. Life … life has been … hard,” Ceana said, worried that her lie might be easily detected and turning her head away as though in sorrow.

  “So hard that ye cannae see simple kindness when ‘tis offered to ye?” he replied, looking at her curiously.

  “Only my … only my parents have ever shown me kindness. With them gone I am all alone,” she replied, a tear rising to her eye, as question of the fate of her grandmother hung heavily over her.

  “Then allow a stranger to offer ye kindness, Miss Morvell. For that is what one is doin’ but I only hope my kindness is nae misplaced,” he replied.

  “I assure ye ‘tis nae,” she replied and this time she needed utter no lie, for Ceana knew how fortunate she had been.

  She could so easily have fallen into the hands of wicked men, robbers or English soldiers. Here, in the castle of Mhaol Chalium she knew she was safe and if she were safe then so was the key. For a moment, she thought foolishly about revealing the secret to him. But her grandmother’s instructions had been strict. She was to reveal the key to no one, even someone she trusted and right now, despite his kindness, she was still uncertain if she trusted the Laird or not.

  It would have been far easier had her grandmother trusted her with the secret of the key. But perhaps such knowledge was too dangerous. Her grandmother was a wise woman and she had always had Ceana’s best interests at heart. She knew enough to trust her grandmother’s words, even if she did not fully understand them. So for now the key would remain hidden safely beneath her tunic.

  “I have some business to attend to now, lass. Ye may roam the castle bur daenae try and leave by the gates. My men ken nae to let ye leave. ‘Tis for yer own safety. Until we can secure the border and make the road north safe then ye must remain here. I am sure we shall get along well,” he said smiling at her, then he headed off down the picture gallery, leaving her alone.

  Ceana paused for a moment, looking with interest at the portrait before her. It showed a man with all the looks of the Laird himself, though older. In his hand was a sword, and behind him a troop of men, looking to him for leadership. She presumed it must be an ancestor of the Laird and from the other portraits it appeared that the MacCramhains had a long and proud history.

  She lingered a while in the portrait gallery and then spent the rest of the day exploring the castle systematically. By the time that evening came she knew the layout well and had walked everywhere except for the battlements, from which she was barred by the castle guard.

  “‘Tis nay place for a lass on the castle battlements,” Andrew Macready had said, as he and his men were preparing for another patrol late that afternoon.

  “But the Laird has said I may walk where I wish, so long as I daenae go out of the gates,” she replied, but the soldiers just laughed.

  “Ye would hardly wish an arrow to yer eye upon the wall, lass,” he replied.

  “From what threat? Is there an enemy at the gates then?” she asked, but he shook his head.

  “We are an island, surrounded by foes. ‘Tis clear that ye have led a sheltered life, Ceana Morvell. But it will nae take long for ye to realize that life here on the borders is far harder than that to the south. We are nae left alone here to mind our business amongst the forests. Threats are on every side and ye would dae well to remember that,” he replied, dismissing her with a wave of his hand.

  There was no point in arguing and instead she made her way inside, finding herself down in the kitchens and amongst the servants. There was a hustle and bustle about the place as dinner was prepared and Ceana found herself shooed away, just as Caitlin emerged from one of the pantries.

  “Oh, there ye are, mistress. Will ye be dinin’ with the Laird tonight?” she asked, brushing down her apron and smiling at Ceana.

  “I … nay, nae tonight. I am quite tired, there is a lot to take in, and I did nae rest properly last night,” Ceana replied.

  “A wise choice, mistress. Ye are nae the favorite person in the castle, as I understand it,” Caitlin replied, lowering her voice to a whisper. “The mistress is nae happy about a lass who professes healin’ powers bein’ amongst us.”

  Ceana smiled and shook her head.

  “There are nay powers I possess that ye or anyone else couldnae possess. Healin’ is a skill like the blacksmith’s or the carpenter’s. It can be learned just as any other person learns it. Does yer mistress believe she has special powers simply because she kens the lore of herbs?” Ceana asked, but Caitlin shushed her.

  “She kens she does. The mistress has long practiced such arts. I am only tellin’ ye by way of a warnin’ to be careful.” Caitlin said, but Ceana laughed.

  Of all the nonsense.

  Well, it hardly matters what she thinks. I intend to leave here just as soon as I can,” Ceana replied.

  “That will be easier said than done, mistress,” Caitlin replied, as a call came for her to return to the kitchens.

  Ceana shook her head and made her way back upstairs to her chambers. The noise of a raucous dinner was coming from the Great Hall, but Ceana wanted only to be alone. Back in her chambers, she drew out the key, turning it over in her hands and whispering to it, as though it might suddenly come alive and reveal its secrets to her.

  “What are ye? And where did ye come from to create such mystery?” she said, as the metal caught the light.

  She was lying on her bed, mulling over the day’s events in her mind. She was tired and slipped the key back beneath her tunic, closing her eyes and letting the happy chance of sleep wash over her. It had been a long and tiring day, but at least here she felt a semblance of safety. Despite heeding her grandmother’s words, she really did believe she could trust the Laird to protect her and keep her safe.

  It was still early, the swallows flitting about the keep, as the sun began to sink and cast its red glow upon the heathers. It did not take long for Ceana to fall into a deep sleep, broken by all manner of disturbing dreams.

  She awoke with a start, a hammering at the door causing her to place a protective hand to the key beneath her tunic, believing that at any moment someone might come to steal it away.

  “Who is it?” she called out, as the loud knocking continued.

  Chapter 6

  Ceana rolled over, sitting up and rubbing her eyes, as the knocking continued. A moment later, the key turned in the lock and Caitlin rushed in, a candle held in her hand and a worried look upon her face.

  “Mistress, there has been a terrible incident, ye must come quickly,” she said, taking hold of Ceana’s arm and pulling her up from the bed.

  “What has happened? ‘Tis the middle of the night. Is someone sick?” Ceana replied and Caitlin nodded.

  “Aye, ye shall see soon enough, come quickly,” Caitlin replied, hurrying out of the door as Ceana followed in bewilderment behind.

  From down below in the courtyard, she could hear a commotion and the shouts of men’s voices. There was an urgency about them and she wondered if the castle was under attack. The Laird had warned that this was a dangerous land and Ceana’s first thought was to protect the key. If the castle was overrun then she should try her best to make her escape, rather than wait to be discovered with the treasure. But as they emerged into the dark courtyard, lit now with flaming torches, she realized what had happened.

  The gates were now closed, but through them had come the patrol of Andrew and his men. It was clear that they had been attacked and many were laying injured in the courtyard, their groans and cries of pain echoing through the night air. The Laird was there and as Ceana and Caitlin emerged from the keep, he called them over, an urgency and fear about his voice.

  “Quickly, Miss Morvell. Ye have the knowledge needed to help these men. They have suffered a terrible attack upon the road, set upon by bandits from the north country. Andrew is injured and four more of the men. Ye must help my mother, be quick now,” he said, as Ceana rushed over.

  Lady Catriona was kneeling by one of the men, bandaging his wounds and she looked up at Ceana, as she hurried to Andrew’s side. He had a deep gash in his forehead and cuts and bruises to his arms. He was breathing heavily and looked up at her with a dazed look in his eyes.

  “I must have some bandages first and warm water, bring warm water,” she called to the servants. “Dae ye have Herb Robert?” and she turned to Lady Catriona, who nodded.

  “Aye, I have Herb Robert,” Lady Catriona replied, turning to Ceana. “We must be quick though, these wounds are bad. They will soon get much worse if we daenae treat them.”

  “We can stem the bleedin’ easily enough,” Ceana replied, “I just need the herbs to help these men, bring me some,” she called to the servants.

  “Aye,” Lady Catriona said. “Ye see to Andrew. I shall tend to the others. Let us see if ye are as expert a healer as ye claim.”

  Andrew’s wounds were severe but with a dexterous hand and summoning all the knowledge she possessed, Ceana had soon tended to him. His wounds were dressed and she bathed the bruises with ointment, bandaging the gash to his head and gently stemming the bleeding. He gave her a weak smile and thanked her as she held a cup of water to his lips.

  “They … they came upon us suddenly. There was nay time to stop them. A whole band, charging down the heathers. We were taken by surprise and there was nothin’ we could have done to stop them. I am lucky none of the men were killed but it was a hasty retreat we made,” he said, coughing and wincing with pain.

  “Ye will recover from these injuries. Ye are lucky they are nae more serious,” she replied, rinsing out a blood-soaked cloth and applying a fresh one to his wounds.

  “And so now ye ken we were nae lyin’ when we said that the road is a dangerous one for a lass,” he said, and Ceana nodded.

  “Aye, and I am sorry for my foolishness,” she replied, for she knew his word to be true.

  She herself would surely have been set upon by bandits, perhaps even the same band. If that had been the case, then the key would surely have been lost. She spent a moment more by Andrew’s side and when she was certain he was comfortable she moved to tend the others. Catriona had seen to many of them and she was knelt next to a man who was moaning loudly in pain and clutching at a bloodied wound to his leg.

  “The bleedin’ will nae stop,” Catriona said, not looking up, as Ceana came to kneel at their side.

  “Have ye any yarrow root powder?” Ceana asked, and Lady Catriona turned to her.

  “Aye, I have yarrow root powder. I hadnae thought of it,” she replied.

  “‘Tis surely a good remedy when bleedin’ will nae stop, ye should use it here,” Ceana said, and turning to the servants she called for the powder to be brought.

  Lady Catriona stood to one side as Ceana administered the dried powder to the wound, the blood congealing and the flow beginning to stem. She smiled at the soldier, who could not have been more than eighteen or nineteen years old.

  “Yer wound will heal and ye shall fight again for yer Laird,” she said, patting his arm and turning to look up at Catriona.

  But the Laird’s mother had gone and Ceana wondered if she had embarrassed her by her knowledge. Yarrow root was a simple enough remedy to know of, one her grandmother often employed and she hoped she had not offended Lady Catriona with her knowledge. But now, the Laird was hurrying towards her and he smiled, as he knelt by the young soldier lying at her side.

  “A brave lad, this one,” he said. “And ye, Miss Morvell, thank ye for all ye have done this night. We have been dealt a vicious blow and now ye will see that the enemy is all around us. These were nae soldiers, but bandits who attacked without mercy. The lonely road is nay place for a lass when even men as brave as my own can be attacked so readily,” and Ceana nodded.

  “I ken that now. I was a fool to travel along it on such an idle quest,” she said, as they both rose to their feet.

  Around them, the soldiers were being helped back to their barrack beds and the first light of dawn was breaking over the castle walls. Ceana felt wide awake and she followed the Laird as he walked between the men, offering them his reassurance.