The Highlander’s Witch (8 page)

Sobbing, Skye sunk to the floor, once again covering her feet with the dress. She thought of the corner to her right. It was only a couple of feet away, she could brace herself there and have more of her body protected.

Once in the corner, she actually felt a little relief.

Knowing movement kept the rats away, she rocked, humming to keep the terror from overtaking her as she listened to the creatures scurrying on the other side of the cell.

All throughout the night, the rats kept her awake. She would shriek and wave her arms in front of her, sometimes touching one as it hurried away from her attacks, and then she would go back to rocking and humming.

*     *     *

Aiden found her huddled in the corner, feet hidden under her skirt, arms tucked between her legs and chest, head resting on her knees.

She didn’t move when he unlocked the cell and came in and didn’t raise her head when he approached but when he reached out to touch her shoulder, she came alive, her screams piercing the dimness as she lashed out blindly.

He tried to calm her, not understanding where this behavior came from but she didn’t hear him as she screamed and cursed.

Then he heard her say something about rats and realization dawned.

He grabbed her arms and pulled her up, holding her close to his chest so she couldn’t claw at him.

“Skye. Calm down, lass. Tis Aiden.” He held her tighter, continued to use soothing words, until she finally recognized his voice.

She latched onto him, crying uncontrollably as she looked around the cell.

“Rats! Oh, my God, rats. They were everywhere, biting me!” She clutched his tartan.

“Tis alri-”

“Please, please, anything, I’ll tell you everything! I swear. Please, just get me out of here.” She pleaded as huge tears rolled down her face.

“I did it.” She hurried on when he didn’t do anything, her face twisted around to watch for the rats.

He stiffened. “Ye did what?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know! Everything! Anything! Name it. I did it! I planned it all, everything!”

Aiden realized she was rambling with fear and lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the cell.

She wouldn’t let go of him, even once grabbing his face to make him look at her as she pleaded. “Please, just make it fast.”

“Make what fast,
leanabh
?”

“When you kill me, make it fast. Just please don’t burn me.”

She searched his face then buried her head against his chest, arms locking around his neck whispering repeatedly against his collarbone that she had done whatever it was they wanted to think she had done.

He stumbled on the stairs as his heart felt like it was being cleaved in two.

Her tears soaked thru his shirt as her body trembled violently.

He kissed the top of her head, his chest feeling tight.

“I dinna ken, lass. I swear to ye, I dinna ken.” He crooned as he came across Collin at the top of the stairs where he motioned for him to follow.

His friend held the door open as they got to his chamber and closed it behind him, leaving Collin outside. He crossed over to a chair and sank into the cushions.

When Skye felt the downward motion, she started crying out, gripping him harder, believing he was putting her back in the cell.

“Nay, tis alright. I no be puttin ye down.” He soothed as he settled her over his lap. “Tis alright,
ghaol
. I wilna be leavin ye.”

He stayed like that, her head tucked under his chin, arms wrapped around her and speaking gently until her body stopped trembling, never once showing the anger he felt.

Not anger towards the woman in his arms, but at himself.

When he left her after discovering she was able to speak and understand Gaelic, Aiden had been livid, having believed in her innocence and his mother’s assurance she was telling the truth during the interrogation that he’d told the council to wait until morning to discuss what to do with the girl. Unable to sleep, he went over every detail from the moment he had seen her until the conversation the night before and his battle-hardened instincts told him, no matter how he looked at it, she was no enemy.

He had gone before the council, warriors themselves, and had listened to their concerns of an English girl appearing as she did and unwilling to answer questions.

As Aiden listened to their arguing, he became frustrated that his own clan elders could not come to an agreeable solution.

Having heard enough, he stood up and said he was going to remove her from the dungeon.

When that raised concern, he explained that they would keep an eye on her, and if she were involved with the enemy, catching her would be easier if she was free to move about on her own.

They hesitated in their agreement but he was finally able to extricate himself from the meeting and hurried off to get her, unwilling to think about why he was going instead of sending another.

Shaking himself out of his reverie as he felt her body relaxing, he took a deep breath and tried to control the reaction he was having to her nearness.

She smelled of the dungeon and still his cock swelled. From the moment she’d walked into the hall, hair plaited like a Scotswoman, gown hugging her woman’s curves, his cock had been erect, another reason he’d become so angry when he’d discovered what he believed to be betrayal.

He whispered things in English and Gaelic of no significance, smoothing over her tangled hair even after she fell asleep.

*     *     *

Skye lifted her head and looked unseeingly at the face in front of her.

Feeling depleted, her mind was unable to sort out the dream she was having and just how it went from a nightmare to the feeling of being safe and secure. Too tired to know anything else but the feeling of being wrapped in a warm cocoon, she lazily adjusted herself and rested her head back down, inhaling the comforting sent of earth and man before drifting back to sleep.

Aiden watched in curiosity as her eyes tried to focus then barely held back a groan when the lass rubbed against him causing his cock to swell again. Gritting his teeth, he waited for her breathing to even out and then waited for his manhood to ease, promising himself he would seek out Mairi from the kitchens to relieve his lust.

*     *     *

It felt like forever before Skye could open her eyes and find out what that delicious smell was but when she did, she found herself weighted down by the warmest comforter she’d ever had. Rising up on her elbows and letting the comforter fall from covering her face, she saw someone familiar supervising servants as they filled a small tub with hot water.

“Good morn to ye, lass. I thought ye would enjoy a light repast to break your fast and then a bath. When ye are done, perhaps ye would enjoy having a larger meal with Anna and myself?”

Skye blinked several times and looked around covering her nakedness. “Anna?”

“My daughter.” She paused and looked up. “Unless ye prefer to be alone?”

“Ummm.” Pushing her hair from her eyes, she gave herself a moment to remember where she was. “No, I would enjoy the company.” She smiled tentatively, still confused.

“Excellent. My name is Elizabeth.” She said, returning her smile and went back to overseeing the bath. When it was completed, she motioned to the table. “There be some pastries and jam. The loo for ye to . . .” She searched for the right words and blushed. “relieve yourself in, is down the hall.”

“Thank you.”

Ekizabeth indicated a beautiful girl with large breasts beside her. “Mairi here will show ye where it is.”

Skye thanked her again.

“Anna and I shall join ye in, say an hour?”

Skye nodded and watched as the woman left.

Mairi standing at the door waiting impatiently once they were alone.

“I have thins to do an no time to get it done.” As if in afterthought, she added grudgingly. “If ye please.”

Skye made quick work of the ‘loo’ and returned to the bedroom where the girl left her alone. She hastily downed the jam and pastries, enjoying the splash of sugar that filled her mouth while she quickly removed the borrowed robe.

Making sure the pastries were in easy reach, she climbed into the tub not caring that the bath was only a large basin that she had to kneel in. She was just glad to be getting rid of the smell on her body and hair.

Looking around the room as she scrubbed, feeling shame that the bed had been clean when she’d slept in it, Skye eyed the furs piled on top and figured that was what she had thought had been the comforter.

He must have brought her here.

She cringed, recalling how she thought a rat had crawled up her arm, lost it, and began blubbering on about how she’d admitted to any crime they wanted to accuse her.

Shit. She hoped he knew she had been out of her mind then.

After washing her hair and body repeatedly, she climbed out of the mucky water and used the last bucket to rinse off her body and feet.

Looking at the gown she’d worn, Skye shuddered in protest at the thought of having to put it back on.

Lost in that terrible thought, she jumped when someone knocked on the door and covered herself as best she could when she heard Anna on the other side.

“Skye, might I come in?”

“Y-yes.”

Anna opened the door and peeked in, grinning.

“Good, ye be finished.” Her eyes widened. “Och, look at yer hair!”

Skye touched the clump that was her hair and grimaced. “I know, but I couldn’t help it, it was so dirty and it’s so long and curly.”

“Aye, tis that.” Anna giggled as she made her way to the chair and sunk down. “Me mother be fetchin yer gown an shoes, an I will have Mairi fetch somethin for yer hair.”

Feeling relieved that she wouldn’t have to put on the dirty dress, she smiled and tightened the thin towel around herself.

“Thank you! I so did not want to put that thing back on.”

“Doona be
sgaog
.” She blushed. “Och, I dinna mean that in a bad way, but I dunno ken what word I would use in its place.”

“‘Silly’. And I understood.” Skye smiled as she stepped out of the basin.

“Ye do understand Gaelic!” Anna clapped her hands.

Just then, Anna’s mother made her entrance.

“Here we are.” She said as she held out the gown. “Let’s put ye in this so we can get this water removed and food brought in, shall we?”

With that said, there was a flurry of activity and before long, Skye was massaging Anna’s feet while chewing on the food set out and having her hair carefully brushed of the tangles by Elizabeth.

It wasn’t until Collin came looking for his wife that they realized how much time had gone by.

“Oh my, I need to see to the preparation of dinner.” Elizabeth muttered, standing up as Collin scooped Anna into his arms and carried her out, ignoring her insistence that she could walk on her own, even though she smiled hugely and wrapped her arms about his neck.

Watching them walk out, Skye was startled when Elizabeth turned around and looked at her questioningly.

“Would ye like to come with me?”

“I can?”

“Of course, luv. Ye are not a prisoner.”

“I’m not?”

Elizabeth laughed and motioned for her to follow.

“Now pay attention to how we get to the kitchen so ye know yer way back to yer chambers.”

Skye was fascinated as she spent her time following Elizabeth around. They went from the kitchen to the dining hall to ensure everything was running smoothly.

When she commented on how well things seemed to run, Elizabeth smiled.

“Tis true, evenings seem to be better. The daytime is of a different tune, but I like this time best, or right after the evening meal. It gets quiet, the children are calmed down, and the noise from hurrying to accomplish this task or that is over. Tis very nice indeed.”

Skye was thinking of the lack of vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, and laundry machines as she gazed at the furs covering most the stone floors. “It must be difficult.”

“It can be, aye, but I have Glenys. She was the first person I met when my husband brought me to his lands and she made my life so much easier to bear.” Elizabeth smiled fondly at the memory. “Twas not easy back in those days.”

“I can imagine.” Skye agreed.

“But I learned to love my husband and he me.” Elizabeth smiled. “And his people as well.”

“You didn’t marry him for love?”

“Nay, not in those days any more than now. My family was nobility and Dougal had been rewarded this castle for his help in the battle of Otterburn back in eighty-eight, after the previous owner had been found a traitor.”

“Eighty-eight?”

“Aye lass, 1388. Ye were just an infant back then, still in nappies I am sure.”

Skye followed Elizabeth’s explanation in a stupor as the woman continued.

“The English and the Scottish are always trying to form alliances but never truly forming an understanding of each other.” She looked at Skye and smiled sadly. “Tis like that no matter where one is, I suppose.”