Page 4 of A Highlander’s Heart

Chapter Two

Emma left the healing hut frustrated. She understood that the Gunns and Mackenzies were at odds right now, but was it necessary for Morgan Gunn to take it out on her?

She walked into the great hall to find a tremendous amount of scurrying around and Gregory shouting. She grabbed one of the maids who was hurrying past, wringing her hands.

“What is amiss?”

“Megan Mackenzie is missing. After a search, Gregory found an opening in the castle wall with evidence that she’d been dragged through it.”

She sucked in a breath and covered her mouth with her hand, unable to believe what she had heard. “Nay!”

She began searching for Daniel and finally found him in the great hall, his expression frantic. She told him the story of the warrior neither she nor Beth recognized coming into the hut and leaving with Megan by telling everyone that Gregory wanted her. “None of us recognized the mon, but then, we aren’t familiar with all yer warriors.”

Daniel ran his fingers through his hair. “Don’t ye still have a couple of Gunn warriors in yer healing hut?”

“Only one.” Emma wrung her hands. “He cannae be moved because of a bruised chest and a deep wound on the back of his leg.”

He jerked his head and walked off, heading to the healing hut, mumbling, “I doona care.”

Emma ran after him. As much as she disliked Morgan Gunn, he was still her patient, and she had to protect him from whatever it was Daniel had in mind.

Daniel shoved open the door to the hut. She followed him to see Morgan attempting to sit up and failing. Instead, his face was pale from both the strain, and the pain. He glared at Daniel with wide eyes. “What is it?”

The laird walked up to him and leaned over. “What have ye done with Megan Mackenzie?”

Morgan ignored Daniel and instead looked over his shoulder at Emma. “Who?”

Daniel grabbed the neckline of his léine and hauled him up, so they were nose to nose. “Megan Mackenzie is wife to Gregory Mackenzie, my cousin and Second-in-Command. Yer laird has been trying to get her away from Gregory so he could marry her.”

He shoved Morgan back, and Emma winced as his head bounced on the bed. “The lass is missing. She was dragged through an opening in the castle wall while ye and yer men fought a useless battle at the front of the castle.”

Morgan appeared to lose some of his fear at this rough treatment and his belligerence began to show. “I have no idea of what ye speak, laird. I doona ken the lass, nor do I ken what happened to her.”

“But ye waged a false battle to distract us.”

“I am Laird Stephen Angus Gunn’s Second-in-Command, and his heir, but I am not in on all his decisions. The only thing I ken is that I was told to prepare my men to join the Sinclairs for an attack on the Mackenzies, but not make it a brutal one.”

“And ye dinna question him on those strange orders?” Daniel snarled.

He huffed. “No one questions the Gunn.”

“Bruised ribs and a nasty gash on yer leg or no’, I can throw ye in the dungeon until ye tell me something,” the laird growled.

Emma sucked in a deep breath to protest, “Nay, laird. I doona want to be disrespectful, but I believe my patient’s welfare demands he stay in one place.”

Daniel drew himself up and said, “I am yer laird.” He pointed at Morgan. “He is the enemy who just attacked us as an excuse to kidnap Megan Mackenzie.”

The minx stepped forward, glaring up at the laird’s great height. As fierce as her expression was, she spoke softly. “And I am his healer.”

Morgan swallowed his laughter at the small lass standing up to the laird, while he waited for the laird to put the lass into the dungeon with him. Instead, the man swung around and stormed from the hut.

That was unexpected. Morgan studied the lass’s face. “Why would ye defy the laird on my behalf?”

Emma looked him in the eye, again causing a strange feeling in his stomach. “I consider my healing skills a gift from God. To my way of thinking, God outranks the laird.”

Still amazed at the healer’s actions, he nodded. “I wish to apologize for splattering ye with the drink ye left me for pain.”

The healer smirked. “I have the feeling ye doona find apologizing an easy thing to do, Morgan Gunn.”