His Highland Prize

Genres: Erotic & Steamy Romance; Historical Romance; Ancient World Romance; Medieval Romance; Scottish & Highlander

Synopsis

Lost and pursued, searching for protection . . .



When Brighde Kerr collapses in his arms at Castle Dunbeath in the middle of the night during a Highland thunderstorm, Alexander Sinclair does not hesitate to bring her inside to receive medical care and shelter. Hiding secrets that she is sure will only bring danger to the Sinclairs if revealed, Brighde struggles against her growing attraction and affection for Alex. She attempts to keep her identity a secret, but it does not take long before Brighde realizes that Alex could be the one person to save her.



Steadfast and determined, willing to protect . . .



Alex dedicates himself to nursing this mystery woman back to health and offers her the security of the Sinclair Clan. Alex's ongoing support and determination to protect Brighde fuels their growing passion but often puts them at odds when Brighde is not convinced they have a future together.



Both in need of love . . .



When the source of Brighde's fears shows up at their gates, Alex proves that he will not give up on Brighde no matter the risks or consequences. Now can she accept that Alex's pledge for protection or will she keep fighting the inevitable?



Contains mature themes.

Release date: December 11, 2020

Publisher: Oliver Heber Books

Print pages: 204

Sample

Chapter One

 

I just need to make it to the light. Heavenly Father, please let there be a light over this hill. I canna go much farther. I must go farther. Will there never be a village or a keep nearby? I dinna think I will last much longer. Please, in the name of the Father and all the heavenly saints, just let me find someone who can help me.

Brighde Kerr pushed her sopping wet hair from her eyes as she stumbled onward. She’d lost her shoes days ago after they fell apart while on the run from her pursuers. Her kirtle, which had once been a daffodil yellow, was now a murky shade of beige with a ripped sleeve, frayed hem, and at least two holes she’d noticed in the skirts.

Brighde ached all over. Her feet were raw from walking and running for nearly two weeks. Her legs protested taking even one more step, and her chest burned from trying to breathe through her efforts and the torrential downpour in which she once again found herself.

Light! I’m sure of it. I can finally see it coming from a keep. Dear God above, please allow me in. I just need—

Brighde slipped as she crested the last hill that kept her from reaching Castle Dunbeath and the Sinclairs. She landed heavily on her knees and rolled a couple of feet before she could right herself. She tripped over the torn hem of her gown and almost went head over heels again. The night was so dark that she couldn’t even see the hand she raised in front of her. Only the brief flashes of lightning told her she was still headed in the right direction. The sound of thunder had long since drowned out the crash of the waves she’d used to guide her along the coast. The light she saw was merely a faint haze, but it was enough to drive her onward.

Stumbling and weaving like someone who’d been at a barrel of whisky for too long, she made her way forward. As the keep came into focus more clearly, she could just make out the faintest of movements on the wall walk. She tried to call out, but her voice was hoarse from lack of use and lack of water.

“Who goes?” called one of the guardsmen from above. Brighde opened her mouth again and could only mouth the word help. No sound came from her. She took two more faltering steps before falling to her knees. “Alexander! There’s a woman at the gate! She looks to be in a right state. Do we let her in?”

Alexander Sinclair, the second son of Laird Liam Sinclair, moved to the front of the battlements closest to the gate. He leaned far over the wall to see but could only, barely, make out what looked like a rock that he knew had never been there before. And now, the rock shifted. As a crack of lightning illuminated the shifting mass, Alex caught sight of hair so fair it was almost white. It glowed around the woman like a halo.

Alex couldn’t help but shake his head and rub his eyes. The huddled woman leaned back and looked up at the wall. Another flash of lightning made it possible for him to see part of her face and that her mouth moved. He couldn’t see all her face, nor could he make out what she was saying, but she clearly needed help. Highland hospitality required that they let her in, but more than that, something about her called to Alex.

He made his way as quickly and carefully as he could down the slick stairs calling out for the gatekeeper to raise the portcullis. By the time he made it down, the gate had risen high enough for him to bend down and pass through. He jogged over to the woman, wary in case of a trap. When he reached her, Brighde was kneeling but nearly unable to keep her head up. She swayed as she had no energy left to fight the wind that rattled the windows and made her teeth clack together as she shivered. Alex sat on his haunches as he looked at the woman.

Brighde looked into Alex’s eyes and thought she was seeing an angel. “Am I dead now after all of this? Which clan are ye?” she croaked.

“Sinclairs. Who are ye, lass? What are ye doing out here alone in this gale?” Alex couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and brush away the hair that was plastered to her face. The light from the wall walk made it only slightly easier for him to see her. As he moved her hair away, she pitched forward as her eyes rolled back. Alex caught her against his chest and could feel the tremors that shook her slight frame. He could feel how her sodden clothes clung to her. He leaned her back slightly and supported her with his knee. Her lashes fluttered briefly.

The last words Brighde managed to squeeze out were, “help me, please. Help.” With that, her eyes shut again.

Alex wasn’t sure if she lived or just died in his arms. He pressed his head forward and rested his ear against her lips. When he felt the soft puff of air, he felt himself shudder with relief. He lifted Brighde into his arms and ran back to the gate. As he rushed into the bailey, he began calling orders.

“Someone fetch Hagatha! Go for the healer. I dinna care what she’s doing. Unless she’s delivering a bairn or sewing someone shut, she’s to come to the keep. Now!” Alex bellowed.

Alex sprinted up the stairs leading to the massive doors that would allow him entrance into the Great Hall. He had to shift Brighde slightly to free a hand to open the door and then used his shoulder to nudge it farther. He was relieved when the wind helped him push it wide. He ran across the Great Hall once again calling out orders.

“Elspeth! Elspeth! Bring something warm to drink! Someone bring up the tub.”

When Alex reached the stairs, he took them two and three at a time. He didn’t give a second thought to where he was taking her. He jogged down to his chamber’s door and shouldered that open too. He left the door wide open in his hurry to get her somewhere warm and safe. He gently laid the mystery woman on his bed and turned to stoke the fire. After the flames began to blaze, he rushed back to the bed. He thought to remove her shoes and stockings, but only then did he realize she wasn’t wearing any.

Alex could see her ankles were swollen, and when he looked at her soles, he almost retched. They looked like someone had carved into them. Some of the cuts were so deep that they had become infected. There were scratches across the top of her feet, and he could see the beginnings of some that reached up her calf. He once again lifted her into his arms and moved to the chair in front of the fire. With his foot hooked around the leg, he pulled the chair as close to the fire as he dared.

He had just settled into the chair when Hagatha bustled into the room with Laird Liam Sinclair on her heels. Alex could barely spare a glance at either as he intently stared down at the unconscious form in his arms. Absentmindedly, he rubbed circles on her back in hopes of warming her even a little.

“She collapsed in ma arms after asking where she was. When I told her, she thanked God and then shut her eyes. They havenae opened since.” Alex continued to stare at her intently. With the light of the fire and her hair out of the way, Alex could finally completely see her face. She was lovely. Beautiful.

She may well be the finest woman I have ever seen. What could have befallen her that she turns up on our doorstep in this weather and in this condition?

Alex took in her features. Her eyes were slightly wide apart and tilted up at the corners like a cat. Her button nose was straight and proportionate to her face. Her mouth had full lips and was wide as well. Her individual features might not have been the mark of beauty, but when put together, she was exceptionally good looking. Alex had been right in his estimation of her hair. It was like wet spun flax. Parts were so light they almost looked white. Her skin was nearly alabaster, but he suspected that was more from her current condition than her true coloring. She had a light smattering of freckles that led him to think she usually spent time in the sunshine.

“Did she say who she was? Or why she was traveling alone so far north?” Liam asked.

“Nay. I told ye all that she said. I dinna see any plaid, so I dinna ken her clan. She didna even say her name.” Alex still hadn’t looked up, so he couldn’t see the speculative look on his father’s face. “She just asked for help.”

Alex was the most serious of all of Laird Sinclair’s five children. Only his daughter, Mairghread, could sometimes match his reserve. None of his other three sons were quite as introverted as Alex tended to be. To see him now, with worry and concern etched across his face, Liam knew this was no passing fancy.

Alex was never fickle about women and generally gave them only a passing glance. The Sinclair knew his son to be like any other healthy young man, but he didn’t chase women as Callum and Tavish did. His youngest son, Magnus, didn’t have to chase women as they seemed more apt to chase him.

The laird watched Alex’s gentleness with the unknown lass. He watched as his son unfastened the extra length of plaid from his shoulder and wrapped their mystery guest in it as they awaited the tub that had just been brought in to be filled. Liam’s eyes shifted to the pair of bare feet that stuck out from the clearly destroyed gown.

Liam noticed the material was finer quality, or at least had been once upon a time. He didn’t need to move closer to see the damage done to her feet. He wondered what could have made their guest travel so far as to injure herself so badly. The one thing he knew about her, at this point, was that she must have a will of steel to have traveled so far, alone, and in what had to be excruciating pain. A small smile twitched at the corner of Liam’s mouth.

And so another one has found a match that will be a challenge, but that only makes the reward all the sweeter.

Alex finally looked up and scowled when he saw the smile playing around his father’s mouth. “I dinna think there’s much to grin at here. She could vera well die, and we dinna even ken what name to put on the headstone.”

“Ye dinna need to be so morbid, Alex. Ye were always such a grim child,” Hagatha stated as she moved about the room.

The older woman was the head of the household and had been with the Sinclairs since well before he was born. Alex looked over his shoulder and could see there were drying linens stacked on the bed next to a flannel nightgown and two extra plaids.

“Ye and the laird can step out now. The women and I will take care of her.” When Alex didn’t make a move, Hagatha put her hands on her hips. “Ye canna vera well stay here. We need to give her a warm bath to get her blood pumping.”

Alex looked from the unconscious form in his arms, to the women standing around the room, to his father, and back to the tangled and freezing mass in his arms. If he hadn’t felt her shivering so badly, he wasn’t entirely sure he would have released her. He couldn’t figure out why he had such an overwhelming need to hover and ensure her wellbeing.

Alex knew himself well enough to know that it wasn’t a pretty face that drew him. He had seen plenty of them in his lifetime. No, it was something entirely different. There was an energy that radiated from her, even in her current position. He couldn’t help but admire the fortitude he knew was needed to endure what she clearly had. He was concerned that there was far more to worry about than what they could currently see.

“Give her here and be gone with ye.” Hagatha made a shooing motion with her hands as she reached for Brighde. If it had been anyone else who spoke to him in such a way, they wouldn’t have lasted long in the Sinclairs’ employ, but Hagatha was like a much loved and very revered older aunt. She was as much a part of the family as any servant could be. Alex trusted her with his life, and so, he finally stood with Brighde and entrusted her to Hagatha. Two other maids came forward to help support the limp body.

“I will let ye ken as soon as she is respectable again. Dinna fash, lad.” Hagatha patted his arm and turned back to work. Alex reluctantly walked to the door and followed his father out.

“Is there a reason why ye brought her to yer chambers instead of taking her to one of the guest chambers?”

“I didna give it any real thought. I just wanted to get her warm and dry as quickly as I could. I didna want to wait to take another flight of stairs and wait for a fire to be lit.”

“Ye could have taken her to Mairghread’s chamber.”

“Nay, Callum has laid claim to it.” This made Liam raise an eyebrow. “He doesnae want to be reminded of the arse he was in front of Siùsan.”

This made the Sinclair chuckle as he nodded his head.

“Besides, none of the fires have been lit in the other chambers now that Mairghread lives at the Mackay keep with Tristan, and with the others chasing after Siùsan.” At this, Alex couldn’t contain his own chuckle. “None of their chambers have been warmed either. It just seemed logical to take her to mine.”

Liam looked at a face so like his own. Chestnut hair framed an angular visage with a strong jaw and straight nose. Deep brown eyes, level with his own, looked back at him. He almost shook his head as he realized just how grown up all his children were. Mairghread was married and lady of her own keep and clan. Callum, God willing and with some common sense, would be married to Siùsan soon too. It seemed all his children weren’t really children anymore.

“Do as ye think is right, for now. Once she’s even a mite better, she’ll need move to her own chamber. She doesnae need to begin her stay with us with a tarnished reputation.”

“Aye, Da.”

Liam began to walk toward the stairs down to the Great Hall and his solar, but he looked back when he noticed he was walking alone. Alex simply shook his head and slid down the wall. He stretched out his long legs, crossed his arms, and tilted his head back against the wall. There was no point in arguing; Alex wasn’t going anywhere.

 

Chapter Two

Alex would have sworn his last penny that he waited hours before the door to his chamber opened, but he knew it had to have been less than one. There was a startled gasp from one of the servants as she almost tripped over Alex’s legs, which were currently a roadblock to her exit. He pulled his legs in and sprang up. At his height of six and a half feet, he could clearly see over the heads of the women who were trying to leave.

Alex saw Hagatha tucking the blankets high around the woman’s shoulders. Aileen, the healer, who came shortly after Alex took up camp outside his door, was slowly spooning a liquid between her patient’s cracked lips. Alex looked around the room and saw all the linens, soaps, and whatever else women used had been cleared away. The sodden and ruined clothes their mystery guest arrived in were in a basket near the fire. Steam rose off them, but he wondered if they were just destined for a fire somewhere else. There seemed to be little left to salvage.

Alex’s eyes returned to the woman who slept so deeply in his bed. He’d never brought a woman to his chambers, rather preferring to have his liaisons elsewhere. The men of the Sinclair clan were known for their steadfast loyalty, and within the laird’s family, that always extended to their wives. He’d had no desire to bring a woman to his chambers as he believed it was a space reserved for the wife he would one day have. Seeing the blonde hair strewn across his pillow was somewhat a surprise after having so assuredly avoided sharing his bed with anyone.

I amnae sharing ma bed with her. She is in ma bed, and I am here near the door. She can have it for as long as necessary. It’s Highland hospitality and naught more.

Even in his own head that sounded ridiculous. By now, Hagatha probably had a fire lit in one of the other chambers with the intention of having her moved. Alex could easily carry her to another chamber, but the way she was tucked in and resting made him averse to the idea of moving her, and away from him.

“I see ye couldnae be patient even a moment longer. How did ye ken she wasnae still in a state of undress and nae ready to receive visitors? Ye should be in the passageway and nae gawking like a trout with its mouth open.” Alex looked down at Hagatha, who had moved quietly to stand before him. “She can rest here while I finish having a chamber prepared for her. I had a fire lit and a bed turned down for her. The room only needs a little longer to warm.”

“Nay.”

“What do ye mean ‘nay’?”

“I mean just that. Nay. She isnae to be moved until she is awake and able to move on her own. I dinna want her jostled or disturbed. She’s obviously been through quite a trial already. If she isnae bothered by being in here, then neither am I. She stays.” Alex assumed the most natural position for all the Sinclair men, feet hip width apart and arms crossed.

“Dinna start with that. Ye dinna intimidate me. Nae when I used to change yer dirty nappies. She canna stay in yer chamber. She’s barely more than a lass, so it isnae proper for a maiden to be in here. By now, the entire keep, if nae the entire clan, kens ye brought her in here.”

“Aye, they all ken she’s unconscious as well. Does anyone truly believe I would molest an unconscious lass?” Alex looked duly insulted.

“Nay, I suppose they wouldnae.” Hagatha began to move around the immobile monolith that was Alex, but he reached an arm out. He pulled her in for a loose embrace, having hugged her his entire life.

“Thank ye for tending to her. Do ye ken if she will make it?”

“I wouldnae have set aboot having a chamber prepared for her if I thought it wouldnae get used.” Hagatha tsked as she patted him on the back and moved to the door.

Alex walked silently to the bedside opposite from where Aileen leaned over her patient. She looked up when he stopped. “She will be well as long as a fever doesnae set in. She doesnae have one yet, but it vera well could come on during the night. If it does, I expect it will be fierce, and I canna say yet what will happen.”

Alex simply nodded. He moved to the fireplace and lifted the chair in which he’d sat holding his guest. He couldn’t think of anything else to call her at this point. He brought the chair close to the bedside and sat down.

“I will stay with her. Ye dinna need to.”

Alex simply shook his head as he bent forward to press the back of his own hand to her forehead. He was only mildly reassured that there was no fever, but she was still unnaturally cold and pale. “Why isnae she warm yet? Did ye nae let her soak long enough in the warm water?”

“We did, but we couldnae keep her in there too long for fear of her temperature changing too rapidly, too soon. Hagatha put two heated bricks in the bed with her, and she has a plaid wrapped around her beneath the covers as well as the three ye can see on top.”

Alex simply nodded as he kept watching her. Aileen moved about silently collecting her things and putting them back into her bag from which she also drew an extra length of plaid. She walked over to the hearth and was about to sit down when Alex spoke again. His voice was so low he barely heard himself.

“Ye dinna need to stay. I ken ye’ve worked hard. Go to the Hall and get something to eat. Hagatha can arrange for ye to sleep with the other women tonight. I will call for ye the moment there’s a need, but I dinna think she’ll move much tonight. Between exhaustion and being battered by the weather, I dinna think she will on the morrow either.”

The healer began to shake her head and disagree, but Alex’s dark eyes and set jaw made her stop before she even started. It was clear he wouldn’t budge, and his words were more an order than a suggestion. She nodded and moved to the door.

“There’s willow bark tea on the table beside the bed. If she seems restless, ye can give her a few spoonfuls. If she’ll take it, give her small sips of water too. Nae too much, or she’ll retch or choke. The honey is for her cracked lips, and the salve is for her feet. She’ll need that reapplied every couple of hours.” With that, Aileen quietly opened the door and stepped out. She left the door slightly ajar. Even if Alex wasn’t worried about propriety, someone had to be for the girl’s sake.

“Who are ye, lass? How did ye find yerself alone? What happened?” Alex asked these questions but knew no answers would be forthcoming. He watched as Brighde slept peacefully.

Eventually, Alex’s own eyes drifted closed. He rested his head on his arm on the bed as he continued to face her. His last thought before falling asleep was that he would find out what happened as soon as he could. No one, especially a young woman, traveled alone in such weather in the northern Highlands. Not unless it was dire.

Alex awoke to a subtle shifting of the mattress under his arms and head. He looked around and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His eyes settled on the sleeping woman in his bed. Brighde was shivering uncontrollably. It was even worse than when he brought her inside from the storm. He reached forward to check her forehead for a fever. Her brow was frigid to his hand, so he moved his palm along her cheek and down her neck. He pulled back the covers just enough to draw her hand out. Her nails matched the blue tinge of her lips.

“Shite.”

With no fever, Alex knew there was nothing else the healer could do except for the only thing he could do. In the back of his head, he knew he should probably call Aileen or any other woman to help him, but something compelled him to be the one to warm her.

Alex rushed to the fireplace and threw two extra bricks of peat and three pieces of wood into the flames. He brought two more lit candles to the bedside tables, then looked over at the door. The draft through the passageway must have pushed it halfway open, so he mostly closed it, leaving it only ajar.

Alex moved to the empty side of the bed and unpinned his plaid from his shoulder. He looked at the door one more time before he unbelted his plaid and caught it before it landed on the floor. He hesitated for only a moment before he pulled his leine over his head and drew back the covers far enough for him to climb in. He scooted close to the shivering, sleeping form and gently unwrapped the plaid before he reached for the hem of her nightgown. He had a momentary pang of guilt when he thought how she would react if she awoke.

Alex didn’t want to scare her or make her worry that he’d taken advantage of her, but using his body heat against Brighde’s skin was the only way she would warm. He gently lifted the front of her nightgown up to her waist, then rolled her to her side. He was then able to lift the back up to her shoulders. He tried to leave the front of her nightgown hanging as far down her body as he could.

He drew himself close to her and wrapped his arm around her front on top of the flannel. His body reacted immediately to the soft curves that filled his arms and pressed against his front. He willed his cock to relax and not swell as it clearly longed to do. He wasn’t there to molest the woman or indulge in any sexual fantasies, but his body seemed to be of a different opinion from his head.

He breathed in the light floral scent of the soap the women must have used. It was the violets his mother had preferred. As soon as he recognized the scent, he thought his body would calm. Normally, nothing would shut down his ardor like a woman who smelled like his mother, but this woman seemed to be an entirely different story. Despite recognizing the scent, his cock remained at attention.

“Bluidy hell,” Alex muttered. “This isnae what I intended. It has clearly been too long since I’ve been with a lass.”

Alex knew putting any space or any material between them would defeat his purpose. He took several deep breaths and tried to think of anything else besides the feel of her round bottom pressing against his groin. He shifted his body slightly so he could move his hips away and press his chest more firmly against her back.

As the hair on his chest brushed her back, Brighde moaned softly. It wasn’t a moan of pleasure. It was clearly pain. Alex leaned back slightly to allow the light from the fire and the candles to illuminate her back. It was covered in bruises and some scratches. Alex sat bolt upright and reached for one of the candles. Nothing could have cooled his ardor as quickly as what he saw now.

Alex lifted the flannel gown high enough to see her entire back. It was riddled with bruises in various shades of healing. He could tell they were a couple of weeks old, but their distinct and dark coloring only proved how horribly she had been beaten. He only now noticed a bandage wrapped around her ribs, and it must have been the pressure against her bandage that made her moan.

He gently rolled her onto her back. Yet again, he looked toward the door to make sure no one was near. He felt a bit like a naughty lad peeking at the lasses while they swam at the loch. He slowly lifted the front of her gown and tried to keep his gaze averted from the thatch of blond curls that lay at the juncture of her legs and hips.

Alex’s eyes instead landed on the dark bruises that covered her breasts and chest. These were clearly the result of someone pinching her, and pinching hard. He looked back down to where the bandage was wrapped around her middle. He could see bruises peeking out from the top and the bottom. He pulled the nightgown back down.

He’d seen more than enough. He felt rage swelling in his chest, and his ears rang. Someone, no some man, had beaten this woman within inches of her life and very well may have raped her. Alex forced himself to take several deep breaths before he gently rolled her back onto her side.

This time, when he lay next to her, he was exceedingly careful about how he wrapped himself around her. After only a moment or two, he heard her sigh and felt her body relax against his. He, too, relaxed and drifted off once again with his arm lightly but securely wrapped around her middle.

*    *    *

The sky was just starting to soften from the darkness of night when Alex felt like he was on fire. As he came awake, he couldn’t understand why he felt like flames licked the front of his body and legs. As his eyes opened, he recalled where he was and, more importantly, who he was with. He looked down and saw blonde hair drenched in sweat.

The lass’s back was damp with perspiration too. Alex knew immediately that this wasn’t from him making her too hot. He knew he could be like a furnace when wrapped under too many covers, but this was clearly a vicious fever that took hold. He reached around and pressed the back of his hand against her forehead and then cheek. She was blazing hot.

Alex climbed out of bed and wrapped his plaid around his waist. He didn’t bother with his belt but just tucked it closed. He rushed to the door and pulled it all the way open. Stepping into the passageway, he grabbed one of the lit torches from the sconce by his door. He moved across the landing to the top of the stairs. A few people had begun to move about in the Great Hall and others were beginning to awake.

Spying Elpeth, Hagatha’s sister and head cook, he called down to her as quietly as he could. “Elspeth. Elspeth.”

“I hear ye, lad, and so will everyone else if ye keep squawking.”

“Can ye fetch Aileen and Hagatha? She’s spiked a high fever. She’s drenched in sweat and feels like she’s on fire.” Alex turned back toward his chamber without waiting for Elspeth to respond. He knew Aileen and Hagatha, and probably a small army of women would soon be in his room.

When Alex arrived back in his chamber, he pulled his leine over his head and rewrapped his plaid around his waist, still not bothering to properly pleat it or to use a belt. He spotted the cup of now completely cold willow bark tea on the bedside table and felt horrible that he’d completely forgotten to give it to her or to follow any of Aileen’s instructions.

He’d fallen asleep twice without thinking about what the woman truly needed. He found the melted ice chips in a small bowl and gently lifting her head, tipped the cold water to her lips. Brighde parted them as soon as she felt the liquid and allowed it to dribble down her throat. She seemed able to swallow even though she wasn’t aware of what she did. Alex was careful not to give her too much, as he remembered Aileen’s warning that she could choke or retch if given too much at once. He’d just resettled her on the pillow when Aileen, Hagatha, and his father entered the room.

All three took in his semi-state of undress and the clear indentations on the second pillow on the bed. As a one, they turned to look at him.

“Da, I didna do aught wrong. Well, besides forgetting to give her the willow bark tea.” Alex noted the last part as Aileen peered into the cup and shook her head. “I dozed off while sitting with her and woke in the middle of the night to her shivering. She was almost as cold as when I brought her inside. I stoked the fire and climbed into bed next to her. But only to share ma body heat. She seemed comfortable enough, and I must have fallen back to sleep. I awoke just moments ago to her feeling like she was on fire.”

“This is exactly why I planned to stay here last night. The willow bark would nae have only eased her discomfort but helped lower a fever.” Aileen looked up at him. While her words sounded accusatory, her tone was anything but. She looked from Alex’s worried face to the woman and simply shook her head. “Ye didna do aught wrong. By warming her, ye probably saved her life more than the tea would have. The fever means her body is trying to fight off the bad humors. If she’d frozen overnight, well…” Aileen trailed off as she moved around, preparing a fresh cup of tea.

Alex moved out Aileen and Hagatha’s way as they tended their patient. He ran his hand through his hair making it stick up on end. He desperately wanted to pace but knew that wouldn’t help anyone and would only cause him to be in the way. He looked over to his father, who watched him intently rather than the women with their patient. All he could do was shrug. He didn’t know what else to say to his father. He felt incredibly useless and not entirely convinced by Aileen’s somewhat lackluster words of reassurance.

The Sinclair moved over to his son and draped his arm across his back drawing him toward the window. They stood looking at the bailey below as it began to come alive for yet another morning.

“Da, someone has beaten her. I dinna ken how she survived such a thrashing, and then to have walked from God kens where to here. Those bruises are a couple of sennights auld. I canna imagine where she came from or how far she walked, but she seemed intent to reach us for some reason. She seemed relieved to hear we’re the Sinclairs.”

“I ken, Alex. Hagatha and Aileen filled me in when they came below stairs. They said she’s been awfully mistreated, and it’s a wonder she made it here in one piece.”

“Da, mistreated doesnae even begin to describe what I saw.” To this, Liam raised one eyebrow. “I’m telling ye, I didna do aught wrong. When I awoke the first time, she shivered so hard her wee body shook the bed. I kenned the only thing to do was for me to share ma body heat with her. I could have called Aileen or any of the other women, but truth be told, none of them would have provided as much warmth as I could.”

Alex looked back over his shoulder to where Aileen and Hagatha tended to Brighde, who remained asleep. Alex lowered his voice further.

“ I took off ma plaid and leine and climbed into bed next to her. Without lifting the covers, I was able to pull her nightgown up and rolled her onto her side. I kept ma hands on the outside of the gown, but it was as I brushed ma chest against her back that I heard her groan. Da, I barely touched her. I brought the light over and looked at her. Her back is covered with scratches and bruises. I rolled her onto her back and, aye, I did lift up her nightgown, but the sight that met me was the last thing I ever wanted to see.”

Alex grimaced as the image of Brighde’s battered body flashed before his eyes.

“ It’s clear someone did more than just beat her. They may have raped her, Da. She has pinch marks around her breasts, and now that the sun is coming into the chamber, I could see bruises around her neck from someone trying to strangle her.”

“Alex, I ken all of this already. Aileen examined her thoroughly. She doesnae think the lass was raped, but it has been long enough now that she canna be sure until the lass can tell us herself.”

“But who would’ve done something like this to her? Why? She looks to be tall and strong, but clearly nay match for a mon.”

“I suspect whoever beat her, did so because she rejected him. There are few times where even an angry mon would do so much damage. This looks like wounded pride along with anger. This was punishment.” Liam looked back over his shoulder and shook his head. It was close to only a year ago that his own daughter had been abducted and beaten by a rejected suitor, but even Mairghread’s injuries seemed inconsequential compared to what he could see and had heard of this woman’s condition.

“What’re we going to do then?” Alex felt helpless for the first time since his mother had grown ill and then passed away. He and his brothers easily stood taller and broader than most men. Alone, they were each a force to be reckoned with, and as a team, they were virtually unstoppable. The only time they hadn’t been able to win was as their mother lay dying. Alex had the same feeling now as he looked back at the slight form covered with a mountain of blankets and plaids. She seemed so tiny all of a sudden, as though she had shrunk in just the few minutes that he’d turned away.

“We’ll tend to her for as long as she needs, then offer sanctuary for as long as she wants.”

“And if whoever did this finds her and comes for her?”

“Find whom?” Alex’s father gave him a pointed look.

“Thank ye, Da.” Alex allowed his father to pull him in for a bear hug. Unlike most men or even most noble families, the Sinclairs never shied away from showing their affection to one another. Even at almost a thirty-years-old, Alex still felt comfort and safety when his father embraced him. Nothing had changed since he was a lad. He had a healthy fear and respect for the man who could still thrash him and his brothers in the lists, but he also knew his father would give his life without a second thought for him and his siblings. Alex admired his father and hoped one day to be the kind of father and husband Alex had seen modeled all his life.

 

Chapter Three

 

The next fortnight was merely a blur to Alex. His brothers returned with Siùsan, who seemed much more enamored with his older brother, Callum, than when she ran off. They’d come to some type of truce before they returned to the castle. He was aware life was being lived beyond his door and that he was missing much of it, but he couldn’t tear himself away. He found his feelings were often conflicted these days.

One moment Alex regretted alienating his family and ignoring his other responsibilities, and in the next moment, he felt completely justified in staying in his chambers to tend to his ward. Sometime after the first day, he had come to think of her like that because he couldn’t think of a better word. He felt a need and duty to protect her that compelled him to stay by her side. If anyone asked him to describe his idea of a ward only a fortnight ago, he would have said a young child or an old widow. The woman who lay still unconscious in his bed was certainly neither of those.

The fever raged for nearly a full fortnight before breaking. Then it often came back at night. Ice baths, cold compresses, and willow bark tea barely put a dent in the fire that latched onto a body that seemed to be fading away more and more each day. Alex had seen for himself that Brighde was already exceedingly slim when she arrived, but after two sennights of being bedridden, she was painfully thin.

The healer gave her as much beef broth as Brighde could manage, but there was little more that could be given to her without her casting up her accounts. Even watery porridge came right back up. Milky mashed potatoes worked the first two times it was given to her, and then it, too, began to come back up almost as soon as it was fed to her. Elspeth had even sent up blancmange hoping that its smooth consistency would stay down, and its sweetness would revive her a bit. Nothing worked. Alex stood or sat helplessly watching her shrink before his eyes.

Brighde mumbled often in her delirium, but her words were never intelligible. She thrashed when in the throes of her fever. Sometimes it appeared she tried to escape an unseen foe, and other times she fought against some invisible enemy. It was during those times that Alex truly feared what he might learn once she awoke. Her moans were ones of pure anguish, and Alex felt more and more useless by the day.

The best that he could do was to keep cool compresses on her head when her fever spiked and spoon Aileen’s concoctions into her. The tinctures progressed beyond willow bark tea. To relieve the pain that was obvious whenever Brighde moved and to fight the fever, Aileen made a mixture of henbane, mandrake, hops, and cloves. She refused to even consider using wolf’s bane or nightshade since Brighde lost so much weight so quickly.

Aileen was unconvinced there was a small enough dose of either that would still be safe. For the wounds on Brighde’s feet, salves of yarrow and wormwood were made and applied multiple times throughout the day and night. She used honey to bind the ingredients and to draw out the puss from the infected cuts. Honey was also liberally used to help the tinctures go down.

Aileen ordered ice baths be brought up to Alex’s chambers every night in preparation for the inevitable onslaught of fever. While Alex stepped out of the room multiple times a day to allow Aileen and the other women to tend to Brighde’s more private needs, he remained to assist with moving her in and out of the tub. He tried his best to avert his eyes when he lifted her from the tub.

The white chemises that were lent to her became barely more than gauze once they were wet. They left nothing to the imagination. As a healthy and warm-blooded man, he caught himself more than once looking where he knew he shouldn’t. Guilt for taking advantage of his ward when she could do nothing to defend herself made him sick and brought on a self-loathing he’d never felt before.

During these first two sennights, Alex ate little and only left his chambers when he absolutely had to. It was only at his new sister’s-by-marriage insistence that he went onto the wall walk at least twice a day for some sunshine and fresh air. It was Siùsan’s steadfast agreement to not leave the room until he returned that convinced him to go. She swore that she would only leave if it was to find him if anything changed. The stress and strain were beginning to take their toll on him.

After the first fortnight passed, there were moments when Brighde’s eyes flashed open, and she seemed to look around, but they were still fever hazed, and she said nothing. She drifted back to sleep almost as abruptly as she awoke. These glimpses of hope that were then dashed when she slipped back into unconsciousness were the hardest moments Alex could ever remember. The false sense of hope they gave was brutally ripped away when it was days between these wakeful moments.

Alex barely noticed his brothers were planning another journey with Siùsan. It barely registered this meant the only other caretaker he trusted besides Hagatha and Aileen would no longer be able to help. Nothing that didn’t pertain to the ill woman in his bed seemed to permeate his mind.

Nearly a month had passed since his unexpected guest’s arrival when he was summoned to his father’s solar. He was wary of leaving Brighde and what he would hear once he was there. He was in no mood to hear any more teasing about his infatuation, obsession, inexplicable drive to be near his mystery guest, or whatever it was that he felt. However, he knew it would be far worse if he didn’t make an appearance.

Alex entered the solar with a scowl on his face that made even his brothers take a step back. Alex might have tended to seem withdrawn at times, but that was generally because he was observing and assessing his surroundings before making any decisions or taking any actions. His mood now was entirely different. It was withdrawn and defensive. An aura of frustration and anger exuded from him, and there was a restlessness his family had never seen before.

“I’d like the four of ye to travel with Siùsan and at least half a score of guards. I dinna want to take any chances with another attack.”

Alex was having a hard time following his father’s words. An attack? Och, Christ on the cross! How could I forget Callum and the others were ambushed while returning with his little runaway bride? Wait. He wants the four of us. Like bluidy hell, I’m going anywhere.

Alex was only vaguely aware of the conversation continuing around him until all eyes seemed to be on him. He only then noticed that his hands kept fisting and unfisting.

I canna deny Da, but I sure as shite am nae leaving here.

Alex could feel his temper rising the longer they all stood about, especially with four sets of eyes staring at him. “Da, ye ken I’m the only one here she really kens. With Siùsan leaving, there is nay body else to care for her. I dinna want her frightened when she awakes if I turn up gone, and she feels trapped in an unfamiliar keep with an unfamiliar clan.” Alex stared at his father and held his breath.

“Ye can stay.”

Those three words felt like a punch in the gut and a hug all at the same time. He’d been prepared to launch into an argument with anyone who would listen, so to hear his father so readily agree with him nearly stole the breath from his lungs. Somewhere in the background, he could hear Tavish speaking. It was the next words from his father that finally registered.

“I ken now that he’s serious enough aboot the lass to put up and argument against leaving her somewhere unknown. I ken more from watching him than from his words.”

Alex was the last to leave his father’s solar. He regretted the feelings of anger and the temptation to deny his father. He knew that if ordered, he would have refused his father for the first time in his life. This realization was confusing and disconcerting. The woman had barely said more than ten words to him, and yet he was willing to put aside his duties to his family for her.

“Son, dinna fash over wanting to stay here. I kenned how ye felt before I said aught, but I wanted to be sure. What I dinna ken is why ye feel so strongly.”

“Da, I honestly canna say. She was so desperate to reach us, and when I went out to meet her by the gate, something about her took ma breath away. She was clearly beautiful, even in such a bedraggled state, but it was more than that. The determination and helplessness shouldnae have gone together, but I could feel them. Having seen the extent of her injuries, I feel a mixture of savage rage toward whoever did this to her, regret that I didna ken her to protect and prevent this, and an overwhelming admiration and respect for the willpower she needed to survive. I dinna ken how else to describe it. I feel so useless. Besides when Mama got sick, this is the only time in ma life where neither reason nor brute force can solve the problem. I canna will her better. I canna fight the imaginary demons she battles. I was the only Sinclair who she met, and the last face she’s seen in almost a moon. I dinna want one of these times she wakes to be the one time she understands what’s happening and nae have anyone she might recognize be there.”

“Ye dinna need to explain any more to me, Alex. I understand more than ye realize. I dinna think many people remember, but yer Mama fell ill within sennights of our wedding. Ye ken ours was an arranged marriage, and we had only gotten to ken each other for a brief time before we wed. Something drew me to yer Mama during those few short weeks, and I was beguiled by her during our wedding, but we didna have much chance to be married before she became gravely ill. I thought I was going to lose ma wife before I even had a chance to completely get to ken her.”

Liam’s expression grew distant as he recalled the early days of his relationship with Kyla Sutherland. He’d been shocked to his core when he turned around and discovered the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen stood behind him as he rattled off unfavorable comments about her before they met. But theirs was a match made by fate, and he would remain devoted to his only love until his last breath.

“I was just as ye are. Nay one could convince me to leave her side. Everyone thought I was just a young and devoted husband. That I was enamored with her because of her beauty and whatever we may have done in our chamber. But that had absolutely naught to do with it. Aye, yer Mama was to this day the bonniest woman I’ve ever seen, but it was something more that drew me in. It was more of what I kenned she must have endured while with her own clan. Her father, the auld Sutherland laird, was a hard and unforgiving mon. He wasna kind or patient with anyone. I saw the scars yer mama tried to hide. I saw the fading bruises she thought had healed. I kenned she must have survived much before she arrived here. I admired her strength and grace because she survived her father’s beatings, her brothers’ taunting, her mother’s willingness to overlook what befell ma Kyla, and was still kind and big-hearted to all those who were around her.”

Liam rested his massive hand on his son’s broad shoulder and squeezed.

“The good Lord works in ways we may never understand, and sometimes He brings people to us without an obvious explanation. I think this woman may vera well be yer Kyla, lad. If she is, then I pray ye have a long and happy life together. But just be prepared, son. She might nae recognize ye or remember ye. She might nae be as eager to form an attachment as ye are. Ye must be prepared to give her space.”

“Aye, Da. I didna ken all of that aboot ye and Mama. It makes sense though. I will take yer words to heart.”