Page 7 of To Charm a Highlander

‘Twas the mon who saved her from certain death.As she stared at him, he turned almost as if he’d received a message from her.Their eyes met and Donella felt as though someone had set her body on fire.

“What is it, sister?”Conall said.

“That mon.”She dinna want to point to him since he continued to watch her, a slight smile on his handsome face.“That is the one who saved me when I fell down the stairs.”

“Aye,” her brother said.

“He doona look familiar to me.”

Conall took a sip of ale.“Nay.”

“Who is he?”

“He’s new.He arrived the day he caught you.”

“Arrived from where?”

“Gunn.”

“The clan?”

“Aye.”

She huffed.“Christ’s toes, brother, do I have to pull every word out of ye?”

Conall looked up at her from shoveling food into his mouth in surprise.Just then she noticed the others at their table were all looking at her.“What?Did I say something wrong?Why are ye all staring?”

Ainslee shook her head.“So sorry, lass, ‘tis just ye usually speak much softer.I guess the bang on yer head raised yer voice.”

Donella turned back to Conall.“Are ye going to tell me who the mon is, or will I have to wander over there and ask him?”She rolled her eyes.“Please close yer mouth brother, or ye will be catching midges.”

Conall cleared his throat.“The mon is Callum Gunn.He had some problems with his clan and is staying here for a while.”

She frowned.“Staying here for a while?What does that mean?What sort of a problem did he have?”

Again everyone at the table was glancing in her direction.Frustrated with all their nonsense, she dug into her food and decided to wait until the meal was over and then seek out the mon and thank him herself.

“Are ye well, sister?”Ainslee asked.

“Aye.‘Tis a good thing to be out of bed.However, I doona seem to remember which chores are mine.Ye mentioned something about the garden, but that slips my mind, also, as other things do.I’ll be happy to look at it, though.I’ll also be visiting Dorathia so I can learn some of the things she does to heal people.I think I’d like to train in the healing arts.”

Now those at the table were no longer staring at her, but at each other.No one was speaking but they all looked verra confused.She shrugged and moved her chair back so she could catch Mr.Gunn before he left, she assumed, for the lists.

Conall grabbed her arm.“Where are ye going, lass?”

“To see Mr.Gunn.I want to thank him for saving my life.I assume that is acceptable to ye?”She looked at the others at the table.“Ye are all acting verra strange this morning.”With those words she walked away and caught Mr.Gunn just as he rose to join the other men.

Again when he turned toward her she felt mesmerized, as if they had a connection.‘Twas probably because his face was the last thing she saw before she knocked herself unconscious.

“Good morning, Lady Donella.I am pleased to see ye looking well.”His voice was everything his eyes were.

She had to swallow a few times to be able to speak.“I am well, Mr.Gunn.Thanks to ye.I ken I wouldn’t be standing here now if it weren’t for yer quick actions.”

He moved his arm as if he planned to touch her, then dropped it to his side again.“’Twas worth saving ye, lass.”

They both stood there, just looking at each other.Finally, he broke away from her gaze.“Well, I must be off to the lists.”

She kenned better than to wander over to the lists later and watch him because one of her brothers, or both, would lock her in her bedchamber for disrupting the training.

He dinna seem any more eager to leave her than she was to let him go, which was silly since ‘twas the first time they spoke to each other.She smiled and after a slight hesitation, he turned and walked from the room.

Donella returned to the table.“I am off to visit Dorathia, unless there is something else ye need me for?”she asked Ainslee.

“Nay, lass.Ye can check the garden later since one of the kitchen lasses has been keeping it up while ye were not feeling well.”

Again, Donella was confused about the garden.That was one memory she hadn’t recalled.