Chapter 13

Afew hours later, Jane entered Alistair's room bearing a mug and a small jar. Douglas, Keith and another warrior were seated next to Alistair's bed, deep in conversation. As soon as Jane walked in, the conversation ceased and four pairs were fixed on her, three of them hostile. Holding her head high, she walked to the foot of the bed and said, "I have brought the antidote to the wolfsbane," she said. "Alistair, you must take this now."

Douglas regarded her with blatant distrust. "Why did Campbell nae bring it himself?"

Jane figured that Campbell must be the healer. On their trip to the lake, she and he had said almost nothing to each other, they were running against time, so Jane did not know his name.

"Because I offered to bring it," Jane answered.

Douglas huffed. "Why?"

Catrina came in just then. She looked at Jane in appreciation. "Oh, good, you are done," she said, staring at the mug. "Well? Ye must drink it immediately, me laird."

Alistair said weakly, "Please bring it tae me, Jane."

Jane went to his side. He was a ghost of his usual self. Sweat was pouring down his face. Without thinking, Jane wiped his sweat with a corner of one of the quilts that lined the bed. He looked at her and smiled weakly. "Oh, Alistair, ye must sit up. Only a little."

Keith stood up and helped him sit up. Jane set the jar on the bed and pressed the mug to Alistair's bloodless lips and he took two weak sips.

"That is good, Alistair," Jane crooned as though she was talking to a child, "but you must take all of it. Please."

Douglas whispered to the other warrior loudly enough to be heard, "What if it is poisoned?"

"Oh, stop, Douglas!" Catrina admonished. She then turned to Jane. "Ye must forgive me husband's suspicion. He has a terrible history with the English."

"Ye must forgive me twin sister," Keith said. "She likes tae make up stories about her husband."

Jane looked at the warrior and then at Catrina. Apparently, this was a close-knit group, practically a family. And Alistair was, in a way, the head of it. For some reason, this was more impressive than the fact that he was the leader of the Fletcher clan. He was younger than most of them by a few years, and still they respected him and were devoted to him. He had so much responsibility on his shoulders.

"Stop it, Keith!" Catrina hissed at her brother. Keith chuckled. Jane turned back to Alistair to find that he was staring at her intently. Worse still, the other warrior was watching him watch her.

"Leave, all of you," Alistair ordered, his tone gruff and uneven.

Catrina was the first out of the door. The warriors stood to go, and Jane slowly came to her feet. "Nae ye," Alistair said to her, weakly reaching for her hand. "Stay."

Jane sat back down, aware of the looks that were thrown at her before the men left. Alistair turned to her. He made to say something, but Jane held up her hand. "Finish the tea, and then we can talk."

Alistair groaned. "This is why a warrior should never be down," he rasped. "Because then even little Englishwomen think they can order him about."

"Little!" Jane exclaimed. "Why, I am almost as tall as you are!" She paused. "Well, that is not very true, but still. I am ordering you about for your own good, Alistair. You are turning your bed into an ocean. Drink!"

"I dae hope ye have never played nursemaid tae any other person," he said with a weak chuckle. "Yer bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired. Give me the damn tea." She obliged, and he drowned the rest of it in one gulp. "Are ye… satisfied?"

"I shall be satisfied when you are healed," Jane said, and made to get up, but Alistair shook his head. "Is anything the matter?"

"I didnae ken," Alistair said, "that these would be the circumstances of our next meeting. After the night we shared," he added.

"Oh," Jane said and stared at her hands. "You must not think about that while you are suffering."

"I will choose what tae think about, Jane."

To that, Jane said nothing.

"You are scared." Alistair said.

"Worried," Jane said. "I do not wish to alarm you, but wolfsbane is no small matter, Alistair." There was a small frown on her face, and her eyes were tinged with worry.

"I understand," Alistair said.

"Now if you would be as kind as to let me… lift your kilt a little?" Jane said uncertainly.

Despite the pain, Alistair grinned. "I have always kenned, Jane Marsh, that ye are eager tae see what lies beneath me kilt."

Jane hit him on the shoulder and immediately regretted it. But his face bore no added pain or displeasure. Before she lost the courage, Jane quickly lifted up one side of his kilt. She meant to administer the salve in the jar that she had brought. However, the first thing that she noticed with his thigh this close to her vision, was that it was corded with muscle. Trying to distract herself from that fact, Jane focused on the wound again. It had been cleaned, but it still looked a little worrisome. Then, something caught her eye: a mark further down his leg, similar to the one that was on hers. She gasped, as the words of the witch in the cottage came back to her.

"What is the problem?" Alistair asked.

"Nothing," Jane replied. But of course, it was a lie. She needed time alone to process what she had just seen. She dipped her fingers into the jar and applied the salve to the wound. Jane pressed a tiny kiss to Alistair's brow and stood up quickly. The healer came in shortly thereafter. He gazed at her, then at Alistair.

"Please keep an eye on him," she said, and then fled the room.

* * *

He had a matching birthmark.

Alistair Fletcher, her Scottish captor, had a matching birthmark.

A part of Jane wanted to dismiss this as a coincidence. Another part of her, the more cynical part, wondered if Alistair had put the supposed witch of the Highlands up to this. Perhaps, even before he had planned her capture, he had met the woman and told her what to say. But that was not possible for three reasons: one, he had no way of knowing about her birthmark; two, if by some stroke of magic he did, he could not have created an artificial mark that looked just like it, with the exact same detail; three, it was she who had run into the woman's cottage. He had not taken her there. He had been quite cross when she had rolled down the hill and made her way back into the forest.

This left one option, and it was worrisome indeed: that Alistair indeed was her soulmate.

Bah! She could not alter her position based on a birthmark. She was smarter than that. She was an educated Englishwoman. She wanted to stay away from Alistair, but she could not - at least, not until he had healed completely. She owed him that much, not because of anything special, but because he was a human being.

That was what she told herself the next day as she got up from her bed and made her way to the door. Jane was uncertain as she took the few steps that brought her to Alistair's room. She knocked but got no response, so she went inside. The healer, Campbell, appeared to have just finished with Alistair. He slung his bag around his shoulder and turned in Jane's direction. "Good morning, sir," Jane said, and then turned to Alistair, who was, to Jane's utter pleasure, standing by the window. "Good morning, Alistair. I see your health is much improved. I am glad."

The healer nodded at her, whether in acknowledgement of her greeting or in affirming her declaration about Alistair's health, Jane couldn't be sure, and made his way out of the door. She wondered if the man was naturally taciturn of if he reserved this behavior for her and the English in general.

"'Twas a miracle ye wrought on me last night, Jane Marsh," Alistair said with a smile. It looked very much like the smiles she was used to. The sweating had stopped. Blood had returned to his lips.

"I am glad I could help," Jane said woodenly.

Alistair arched a brow. "Come," he said.

"I don't… I don't think that is necessary. I can see that you are fine."

"Come," Alistair said. Jane walked slowly to him. She kept her head on the ground, but he tipped her chin up with the crook of his index finger. "Are ye truly glad?"

Jane's eyes furrowed in confusion. "Are ye truly glad that ye could help? Why didnae ye prefer that the wolfsbane claim me life?"

Jane gasped. "How can you say such a thing?" she asked.

"Why then will ye nae look at me in the eye, Jane?" His voice was husky and had a tiny hint of a purr to it. Jane resisted the urge to get lost in it.

"I am looking you in the eye," Jane said, and matched his gaze. But the intensity in his blue eyes made her look away swiftly.

"Is it because of the kilt?"

Jane blushed. "I do not know what you are taking about."

"Is it because ye had tae lift me kilt up yesterday and caress me skin?"

"And caress your…" There was a scandalized scoff in her voice. "No!" she exclaimed. "Of course not! I did not caress your skin, sir! I simply applied a salve to it."

"And lingered fer seconds longer," Alistair added, his tone teasing.

"I'll thank you to take that back!" Jane said. "How is possible for a man to have only indecent thoughts towards a lady? Even as a convalescent. It is shocking to save the least!"

"It is possible when he kens the woman."

He placed an emphasis on how he was hinting at the Biblical meaning.

"Alistair, I do not-"

He took her hand.

"I do not care for this kind of conversation," Jane said. "I should like my hand back, please."

Alistair hesitated for a moment, and then he let go of her hand. His eyes searched hers, but she squared her chin and looked away.

"Ye seem repulsed by me touch." Alistair said. "When only moments ago it was ye who touched me."

"To help you," Jane said firmly. "Nothing more. I do not desire your death. At least, not until I am returned to my rightful place."

"Is that so?" Alistair asked.

"Yes," Jane said. "My kindness should not be taken for licentiousness. I am not wanton, as you have implied for the entire time that I have been in your acquaintance."

Alistair looked shocked. "I have never insinuated that ye are wanton. All I say is in jest. I thought you knew this. Nay, I ken ye ken that."

Jane shook her head. "You cannot know what you do not know."

Alistair sighed. "Dae ye still believe that I killed yer uncle, Jane?"

Jane bit her lip and looked at the floor. A long time passed before she looked at Alistair. "Nay, Alastair, I dinnae any longer."

She saw something quite like relief on his face. "I am glad, because ye have captured me heart and I cannae bear the thought of ye leaving while angry with me."

At the reminder that she would have to leave him, she despaired. She pressed her lips against his. He was surprised at first, but then his hands encircled her waist, and he pulled her closer to him. He kissed her soundly and was rewarded with a small sound of satisfaction. She pulled back suddenly. "Alistair," she said, "I have… I have feelings for you, too. But you must remember our circumstances. You must save your sibling and I must save mine."

She saw several emotions play out on his face before the look of acceptance settled over it. "Ye are right, he said. "I must bring me braither back. He means everything tae me. Every day, I regret nae having done enough at the battle where he was captured. Had I done things differently, Ramsay would be here-"

"Ramsay?" She gasped.

"Jane?" Alistair probed.

"Did ye just say Ramsay?" Jane asked.

Alistair frowned in confusion. "Aye. What is-"

Jane gathered her skirts and hurried out of the room. She went to her room and reached for the gown she had been wearing on the day of the capture. Catrina had offered to help her burn it, but Jane had graciously declined and opted to dry and then sun it instead. She'd forgotten all about the letter! Oh, she hoped nothing had happened it, for she had gone through a great many ordeals in the dress. She put her hand in the pocket of the dress and she found the letter. It looked the worse for wear, crinkled and with the ink smudged in some places. But it was still legible, to a large degree. Just as she made to turn back and return to Alistair's room, he appeared in hers.

"Why dae ye have a habit of running away, Jane Marsh?" he asked.

"Look!" Jane said, showing him the letter. "It's me sister's. She speaks of a man named Ramsay in it. Read it."

Alistair did. When he was done, he looked at Jane, his expression tender. "Ramsay was very private about his love affairs -which I endlessly teased him about- but twice, he spoke of a girl with black hair and black eyes that he had been meeting every chance he could. He would tell me nothing more about it, and I was worried that she might be from a rival clan. I had nay idea she was from a rival nation."

"Our siblings were having an affair," Jane said slowly. She had to reveal the rest. "That has culminated in a pregnancy."

Alistair's eyes widened. "Yer sister is with child, the child of me braither? Yer sister is carrying a Fletcher?"

"Unfortunately," Jane said. And then she realized that that was quite impolite and said, "Apologies. But it is, in truth, a complication."

"I understand this. It cannae be easy fer yer sister. Where is she? In yer old home? I must arrange fer her tae be brought here at once. So she can get all the care she needs."

"No," Jane said. "You cannot simply ‘bring her'. Do you think you can just kidnap her as you did with me? Is that your approach to every situation?"

"You are very prickly today."

"If you wish to call it that, it is solely your concern. You will not uproot Eleonor from her life as you did me."

"I believe, Jane Marsh," Alistair said slowly, "that it was yer faither that did that."

That knocked the wind out of Jane. "I have to speak to your brother," she said finally. "I have to know what he feels about my sister. I cannot simply do what Commander Pierce wishes." She gave him a meaningful look. "Or what you wish, for that matter."

Alistair nodded. "We cannae continue with the exchange, fer sure," he said. "I must think of a new plan of attack. I shall call a meeting of me warriors. Thank ye, Jane."

He walked towards her and then stopped. It was as though he had meant to do something but decided against it. He strode to the door.

"Wait!" Jane said. Alistair stopped abruptly. Jane walked to him. "I am… I am sorry for how I sounded just now. You had no hand in what transpired between my sister and your brother. I should not have framed my conversation as though you did."

Alistair nodded, but his expression was impassive.

"Alistair," Jane continued, a little desperate. "You have been more of a host than a captor, and I thank you for it."

"There is naething tae be thankful fer, Jane," Alistair said.

Jane nodded. "And you seem a devoted brother, one who cares deeply about his brother and his affairs. Not many are like that."

"Thank ye," Alistair said. Jane told him that he was welcome but did not move out of the way. It seemed that there was still a lot left to say.

"Is there anything more that ye would like me tae ken?" Alistair asked.

"No," Jane said slowly. "I-" She fiddled with the sleeves of her dress. Alistair had just shown that he was an honorable man. Not many men would want to help a woman in distress, at least not when the stakes were this high. Not when it was this dangerous. And in that moment, the danger of their reality stirred a desperate sort of desire in her. "Alistair, I-" Jane started, but stopped. She had no way of articulating how she was feeling. Alistair pressed a kiss on her lips. and turned to go, but Jane held his arm. "Wait," she said. "Alistair, I need… I need you."

His look was tender and a little sad. "Ye dinnae ken what ye are asking fer," he said.

"I do," Jane said, her eyes meeting his almost defiantly. "I do."