Page 10 of To Charm a Highlander

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Donella continued to believe her plan of assisting Dorathia and learning the healing arts under her guidance was a good one, but wasna too sure about childbirth.Luckily, Dorathia’s niece, Helena, had taken o’er that part of the work for the clan, but she’d been visiting her sister who’d married a Mackay and had just given birth to her first bairn.Once she returned Donella would be more than happy to hand over that part of Dorathia’s work to her.

For more than fifteen hours the poor mother had suffered.Donella had to finally go back to the keep and ask Malcolm or Conall to take Rory in hand since he was making things more difficult for the women with his constant asking if e’erthing was well and when would the bairn arrive.

Since both men had suffered through this before, they were happy to get the mon away from his house and to the keep where they told her they would ply him with enough whisky to calm him, but not too much to pass out.

Donella was returningto the keep, dragging her exhausted body after hours of watching poor Sorcha scream, threaten to slice Rory’s prideful part from his body, and push, push, push.

Childbirth was indeed a painful, messy, noisy event.She thought back to all her years since she’d become of marriageable age and wondered for the first time why Haydon had ne’er arranged a marriage for her.Based on what she kenned about her sisters-in-law, by now Donella should be married with a few bairns pulling at her skirts.She must ask the laird about that after she treated her body to several hours of sleep.

“Lady Donella, yer are looking lovely as always, but certainly worn out.I assume ye just finished with the childbirth ye were rushing off to when I saw ye last?”Callum Gunn walked up to her from behind, most likely just leaving the lists and heading to the great hall for the noon meal.

The sweat on his body caused his leine to cling to him, making the garment transparent.His bulging muscles as he moved did strange things to her insides.She’d seen men leaving the lists for years, but ne’er noticed, or e’en cared what they looked like under their leines.

“Aye,” she smiled, answering his question.“A fine lad.Healthy and with a strong voice.Rory and Sorcha are verra happy.”She laughed.“At least Sorcha is no longer threatening to cut off Rory’s…” She blushed and Callum laughed.

“Ouch, lass, ‘tis painful just to hear such words.”

They strolled along for a few minutes, then Callum said, “I assume ye will be taking yer meal before ye fall into bed?”

There was that word again.Why did ‘bed’ always seem to be part of their conversation?“Aye.I need to clean up first.”

“I’ve seen that the nooning is less formal than supper.Can I ask ye to join me?”He hurried on.“No’ at the warriors’ table with all the other men.Maybe one near the front of the room where yer brothers can see us.”

Donella smiled brightly despite her fatigue.“Aye, Mr.Gunn.I would like that.”

He made a face.“Please call me Callum.I doona want ye to think of myself so formally.”

She dipped her head.“Then you must call me Donella.Lady Donella sounds too formal to me, as well.”

He nodded.“After I clean up too, I will meet ye in the great hall.”He opened the door, and the smell of a wonderful soup or stew greeted them.Both of their stomachs rumbled at the same time, and they grinned at each other.

* * *

Donella feltas though she was floating on air.Her tiredness diminished once Callum asked her to join him for the nooning meal.He was the first mon to ever pay attention to her.For years everyone, no’ just the men, avoided her, which now made her wonder why.Her reflection in the looking glass told her she was no’ a bad looking lass.

He was a handsome mon, too.Verra tall, broad shouldered with dark curly hair that kept falling onto his forehead.His locks were lengthy, held back with a piece of leather.But Callum’s main feature was his deep green eyes.Eyes that she’d seen in her dreams when she was recovering from her head injury.

“Something has ye looking quite cheerful,” Maura said as Donella passed her in the corridor.

“Aye.‘Tis been a long night.Sorcha and Rory Sutherland welcomed a lad into their home today.”

Maura’s eyebrows rose.“Aye?‘Tis wonderful.”She hesitated for a moment.“Ye were there, then?”

“Aye.I want to learn Dorathia’s healing arts, but with Helena visiting her sister at the Mackay’s I helped her today with the birth.”

Her sister-in-law stared at her.“Ye did?How…interesting.”She stumbled over the last word.

Donella’s smile dimmed.What was wrong with everyone?She shook her head and continued on her way.Once she was cleaned up and changed into fresh garments, she laughed at herself when she pinched her cheeks and bit her lips.She’d seen Maura and Ainslee do so when they were meeting up with their husbands.

Husband.Something her brother had apparently not concerned himself with.Mayhap because she was his only sister, and he was unsure how to handle it.Then she laughed out loud.There wasna anything Haydon Sutherland dinna ken how to handle.

Callum awaited her in the great hall.He had also cleaned up, but since he would be returning to the lists after nooning, he hadn’t changed his clothes.

He walked up to her and offered a slight bow.“You are looking lovely, my lady.”

Donella flushed and grinned.“And you are looking well yourself.”