Page 38 of Never Marry a Highlander

“Now I would like to sleep.”She climbed into the bed and attempted to curl up on the other side, but he turned and pulled her against him.She reached down and drew the covers up.

‘Twas a while before he heard her soft snores.He’d been thinking about Helena and Lorena.Hopefully, they would not have a problem working together.Helena was soft and sweet; Lorena was like the thorns of a rose bush.Well, he was to leave for an assignment as soon as this blasted sickness ended.By the saints, he hoped they dinna kill each other in his absence.

Nay.If anything Lorena would strangle Helena.

***

Lorena had been following Helena around for days.Tomorrow a newly recovered Craig would leave for an assignment at the MacKay eastern border with the Sinclairs.There had been clashes between the two clans and some stealing and burning of bothies.When Robin had sent a message to the Sinclair laird, he’d blamed the Gunns.

Lorena had liked to be able to tell the laird that after her marriage to Craig, her brother wouldn’t break their new alliance by raiding their border, but nothing her brother had done over the year had led her to believe he was an honorable man.

What disturbed her more was how anxious she felt with Craig leaving.True, when they’d first married she had intended for them to live separate lives but now that the time had arrived for him to leave, she was feeling stupidly clingy and hoped that her husband hadn’t noticed, or she would be subjected to his arrogant remarks.

Since he’d been feeling better for a couple of days, they’d made love the night before and she found herself blinking back tears.Craig never mentioned them, but she had a feeling he knew she was upset because he held her for a long time afterward, whispering soothing words in her ears.

“Lorena, can ye wrap her arm while I attend to Margaret’s gash o’er her eyes?”Helena’s words brought Lorena back to the present time and what they were in the middle of doing.

Margaret MacGuire and Mary MacKay lived next to each other right outside the village.According to Helena, they had been scrapping for years, most times ending in one or both being hurt.Robin had brought them up before him more than once, but after his lectures, they would behave themselves for a moon or two and then be at it again.

“What cause yer disagreement this time?”Helena asked Mary.

The older woman pointed her finger at Margaret.“I spent weeks planting and weeding my cabbage garden, and this one, takes from me in the dead of the night.”

“Nay,” Margaret said, thumping her fist on her chest.“I too planted cabbage and Mary has been stealing mine.”

Helena tried to hide her smile from the two ladies.“I’m afraid I must inform the laird about this.He told ye both if it happened again, there would be punishment.”

The women frowned at each other as Helena and Lorena finished up the cleaning and bandaging of the women’s wounds.Once finished, they gathered up their supplies and left with another warming about behaving themselves.

They were both laughing when they left to return to the brooch.“How long have they been fighting?”Lorena asked.

“Ever since their husbands died.Neither one of them has children or grandchildren to occupy their time.”Helena shook her head.“I’m afraid one day one of them is going to get seriously hurt.”

“Mayhap ye should have one of them work at the brooch.I ken Agnes could use the extra help.”

Helena stopped and looked at Lorena.“That is a wonderful idea.I doona ken why I hadn’t thought of it before.”She smiled brightly.“Ye are a verra smart woman, Lorena.”

Lorena hated the way her insides heated up and she glowed with happiness.No one had ever praised her in such a way.She’d always been pushed aside, ignored and ordered about.

“I want to stop at Moira MacKay’s house on our way back.She is a bit more than halfway through her pregnancy.‘Tis her first time and she’s a tad nervous, as is her husband Ford.”

Lorena glanced at Helena’s middle.“How far along are ye?”

The healer smiled.“Only a few months.Believe it or no’ I conceived on my wedding night.”

Lorena smiled, but inside her stomach muscles tightened.Of course Helena conceived on her wedding night.Most likely when the time came, her bairn would merely slip out of her body and it would be a boy.

The visit to the young lass didn’t take too long.She was feeling well, getting good, nutritious food her husband stated proudly, and he made sure she took a walk each day since that was what Helena had suggested.

‘Twas wonderful to see the love between the two young people.Since she never wanted to marry anyway, she never thought about love between a husband and wife.To her, it sounded as though she would give up a lot of control if she loved her husband.

She sighed.What control?She was still being told what to do.Her husband was about to be sent away which she had no say in.Not that she cared, she reminded herself.‘Twas the original idea of their marriage.

She wasn’t working in the kitchen, but following behind Helena learning a craft she had no interest in.Although she had to admit visiting with the young mother had been interesting.Certainly more so than bandaging up two women who fought over a head of cabbage.

‘Twas nearing the evening meal when they returned to the brooch.Wonderful smells wafted from the kitchen to the great hall.She spotted Craig sitting at a table, a mug of ale in his hand as he spoke with Robin and Finn.Rather than disturb him, she continued to their bedchamber to wash before supper.

A small satchel sat on the floor in the room, a reminder that Craig would be leaving the next day.A feeling of both uneasiness and sadness washed over her.Aye, she’d wanted them to have separate lives when they married, and not spend time together.She still did not want to trust him, and kept the shell snugly around her heart.