Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
“Lynall, this is Lord Cree. Brigid must have told you about him and his wife, Lady Dawn, who requires your healing touch,” Sim said and turned to Cree. “This is Lynall, our healer and a skilled one at that.”
Lynall bobbed her head. “I am pleased to meet you, my lord.”
“And I you, Lynall, though more anxious for you to tend to my wife,” Cree said, thinking the woman was too young to be an experienced healer. She had pretty features, green eyes, and long dark hair that did not want to remain piled on her head, strands falling where they pleased.
“Aye, I was headed to the keep to see Lady Dawn, having been advised of her arrival and need of a healer, when I saw Sim.”
“You must have exceptional eyesight to be sure it was him through such a heavy fog,” Cree said, finding Clan MacMadadh stranger the more he learned about it.
“When you live with as much fog as we do, you learn to make out familiar shapes and shadows,” Sim said.
Sim may have thought the explanation viable but not Cree, it made him more suspicious of this odd place and even more eager to leave it.
“Come, Lord Cree,” Lynall said, “and let me see how I can help your wife.”
Cree saw the relief on his wife’s face as soon as he entered the Great Hall, and he silently admonished himself for leaving her alone too long in an unfamiliar place. He never thought of her as different, having no voice, since to him she spoke loudly with her gestures, her expressions, and her touches. But here no one knew her, no one would hear her, and he worried it would leave her feeling vulnerable. Then there was her head wound that didn’t help any, robbing her of her usual confident self.
His suspicions were confirmed when he hurried to her, and she stood anxious to greet him only to wobble on her feet.
He rushed his arm around her, and she fell against him. “You’re dizzy, aren’t you?”
She nodded.
“You stood much too fast after suffering a head wound, feeling dizzy would be expected,” Lynall said with a pleasant smile. “May I have a look at the wound?”
Dawn nodded and Cree helped her to sit. It disturbed him when his wife grabbed his hand and wouldn’t let go. She was letting him know he was to stay there beside her. Dawn was a strong, fearless woman having survived many ordeals and made even stronger by each one. It bothered him to see her appear frightened. He squeezed her hand, assuring her that he wasn’t going anywhere.
“The bump isn’t too bad, and the wound is not deep and looks to be healing nicely. I have a salve that will help with the healing. It is good the fog prevents you from leaving since you need rest and traveling by horse or walking would not serve you well.”
“You are welcome to stay here as long as necessary for Lady Dawn to heal.”
Cree turned, annoyed that he had not heard Lord Tiernan enter the room. He was usually alert to all sounds around him, but then his only thought was for his wife and her well-being.
“I truly appreciate your generous hospitality,” Cree said.
“I would do nothing less for a man as well respected as you are, Lord Cree. Olwen, move Lord Cree and Lady Dawn to a more comfortable bedchamber and see that Lady Dawn is provided with a hot brew.”
“Aye, my lord,” Olwen said.
“Go with Olwen, and Lynall will bring you the salve you need,” Lord Tiernan said, his eyes steady on Cree.
“Again, my appreciation for your generous hospitality, Lord Tiernan. I am in your debt,” Cree said, and with a firm arm around Dawn, he followed Olwen out of the room.
Cree made sure to recall the way to the room from the Great Hall. He kept his arm around his wife when they entered their new bedchamber, a fire heating the large room, and the blankets pulled back on the sizeable bed, ready for Dawn to have a rest. But she leaned her body against him, preventing him from going anywhere and he took it as a sign that she didn’t want to rest just yet. So, he kept hold of her as Olwen pointed out jugs of wine and ale, logs to keep the fire burning and extra blankets stored in the chest at the foot of the bed since the nights got cold this far up in the Highlands this time of the year.
“What’s wrong?” Cree asked as soon as the door closed behind Olwen. He was suspicious as to why the housekeeper had talked continually until the hot brew arrived, leaving no room for conversation, and then she made a hasty exit.
Dawn shrugged and gestured.
“You don’t know, yet you are sure something is not right here,” Cree said to make sure he understood her correctly, and she nodded. “I feel the same, though I cannot say why.”