Page 8 of To Charm a Highlander

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Haydon, Ainslee, Conall, and Maura all stared at Donella as she walked—very confidently—over to where some of the men sat and engaged Gunn in conversation.

Haydon thought they must all look like idiots with their mouths hanging open.He noticed a few of the other clanfolk followed Donella with their eyes also.Everyone looked verra surprised.

“Whatever has happened to Donella?”Ainslee asked him.

He shrugged.“I have no idea.She’s spent most of her life living like a shadow, trying verra hard to be invisible.How can a knock on the head change the lass’s verra nature?”

Conall swung his gaze from Donella to his brother.“’Tis verra strange, for certes.She never spoke to me that way.I must admit, however, if this is a permanent change, I like it.She reminds me of the way she was when we were bairns.I remember her chasing after me to play with me and the other lads.Then she changed so much, and I never thought to see that lass again.”

Donella headed back to them, and with every ounce of confidence she now possessed, told them she was going to be training with Dorathia.Four sets of eyes watched her stride from the great hall and leave the keep.

* * *

“Good morning,lass, ‘tis verra good to see ye up and about.Ye had me worried there when the young warrior carried ye to yer bed.”

Donella flushed at the healer’s words.The thought of Gunn taking her to bed was verra interesting, but considering the mon had just arrived, ‘twas not a good thing to be considering.She must learn from Haydon what the mon’s status was and if his stay here was, in fact, temporary.‘Twas annoying that Conall would give her no more information.

“I am feeling quite well, Dorathia.Thank ye so much for yer attention.The healing draughts ye gave me helped a great deal.”

“What can I do for ye this morning?Not feeling pain in yer head again, are ye?”

“No.The reason I came is I would like to train with ye.While ye were attending me, it seemed like something I would verra much like to do.”

Dorathia’s eyes grew wide.“Do ye meant that, lass?”

Donella frowned.“Aye, I do.”

“’Tis verra good news.I’ve been trying to get ye to take an interest in healing, but ye always shied away.”

She shrugged.“I doona ken why.I think ‘twould be verra interesting and helpful.”’

“Then, let’s go over some things that ye need to ken to begin the healing process for most injuries, which we see many of here due to the warriors always swinging at each other and the bairns running around crashing into things.”

Donella grinned.“Or lasses tumbling down the stairs.”

Dorathia looked oddly at her, but then grinned.“Aye, lass.Tumbling down the stairs.”

Just then a mon ran through Dorathia’s door.“Dorathia, ye must come.My wife believes the bairn is about to be born.”

Donella recognized Rory Sutherland, whose wife, Sorcha, of less than a year was nearing her time.She turned to Dorathia.“What shall I do?”

The healer spewed out instructions on what they needed to bring with them.When they were about halfway packed and ready, Dorathia said to her, “Go to the stable and have two horses readied for us.”

Rory had already left as soon as he’d seen the women packing things up.The poor mon looked verra nervous.Childbirth was indeed risky.Donella hurried to the stablemaster, Angus, Jonet’s son, who had taken over the spot from Broderick when the old stablemaster passed away the year before.

Panting for breath, she said, “Dorathia and I need two horses.”

Angus stared at her.

“What is it?We need two horses.”

The young mon shook his head.“’Tis sorry I am, lass, ye just startled me.”

She stood tapping her foot while Angus made two horses ready.She smiled at him to make up for any annoyance she’d shown before.“Thank ye.”

She took the reins from him as he continued to stare at her and walked the horses to the front of the keep.People were certainly acting verra unusual since she’d recovered from her injury.Mayhap they believed she wouldna recover and were surprised to see her up and moving.