Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

" S tupid stone," Lorena spat. She kicked at a small stone on the path leading to the keep that she and Sophia were walking, carrying baskets of herbs.

Sophia could sense her sister's annoyance. For one thing, she was indifferent toherb-related chores; for another, the walk to the castle had been long and exhausting. The sun had just begun to rise, and it beat against their skin as if to make up for the rain the day before.

Except for the tittering birds, the path was quiet.

"Tis but a small stone, Lorena," Sophia said to calm her sister. "Don't ye think yer overreacting?"

"Maybe I wouldn't have to react at all if ye did nae force this walk on me, sister." Lorena pouted. "God have mercy that my legs dinnae ache later."

"Don't be such a bairn, Lorena," Sophia waved off her sister's whining. "We could have ridden, but ye did nae want to..."

Lorena shot Sophia a hot glare. "Ye should've waited until father returned with the carriage!"

"There was nae time for that—now, we must hasten our step."

"Heavens…" Lorena murmured, then she smiled. "I meant to ask, sister…"

"Ask what?"

"Perchance," Lorena began, twisting to face Sophia, "Did the Laird come to find ye yesterday in the woods?"

Sophia wondered if telling a lie would save her from Lorena's prying, but she decided against it.

What use is it? She'll see right through me anyway.

"Aye, he did," she replied. "Why do ye ask?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell ye first…" Lorena said. "Ye see, I had to tell him the truth."

"What truth?"

"The reason ye left the keep, since I ken ye wouldn't tell him yerself."

"Oh, I see," Sophia mumbled. "I would've preferred if ye told me, sister. It's nae nice to interfere like that."

"I am sorry, truly! I was just certain there was more to the story than ye were saying," Lorena argued, stopping to wipe her forehead. "I also couldn't bear to see ye so unhappy!"

Sophia ceased her steps too. She dropped her basket to stretch out her back. "I understand but next time, trust me with making my own decisions, all right?"

"All right," Lorena muttered. "So, ye're nae angry with me?"

" Angry ? Why would I be?"

In truth, Sophia had no reason to be upset. She had wanted to tell the Laird, but she could not stand to face him herself. He was bound to find out in time. She was almost thankful to her sister for telling him—at least, they got to say a proper goodbye because of her tattling.

"So, are ye…" Lorena cleared her throat. "Are ye going ahead with the wedding?"

"A wedding will never happen between the Laird and I. Nae now, nae ever," Sophia sharply said. "We shall not wed—ever." The words came easily, but her heart wept as she said them.

"What do ye mean, never ?" Lorena asked, her mouth agape.

"What other meaning do ye require?"

"If ye're nae going to marry the Laird…" Lorena glanced at the two full baskets she was holding. "Why are we carrying all of this, and why are we in front of his castle?"

Sophia looked up at the tall building before them. "We are here for the wounded soldiers, Lorena, not for the Laird."

"Why does it matter to ye that soldiers are wounded? The castle has a healer—"

"An old healer who is ailing himself." She shook her basket and sack. "Do ye think he can handle all this alone?"

Lorena scoffed. "Perhaps ye've got a point but what happens if ye come across him?"

Sophia narrowed her eyes. "I'll show my respect, of course, and go on with my work."

"Is that so?" Lorena asked, her voice lilting.

"Aye, Lorena."

"Are ye certain , sister?"

Sophia felt embarrassed as she remembered her time with Kendrick in the cave. Her cheeks were hot. "Quit yer taunting, Lorena," she said in a bid to avoid answering her sister's question. "Let's head inside."

Lorena gave her one last suspicious glance before trailing her. "I will nae ask anything more—for now."

The courtyard was covered in mud and puddles from the previous day's rain. Sophia stood there watching as the hem of her sister's brown linen gown swept itself in the dirt, imagining how upset Lorena would be if she noticed. Hers was also not spared, but she didn't mind.

Gowns can always be mended; the wounded soldiers are of more importance.

"Mistress!" Sophia's chambermaid cried from a distance, causing both Sophia and Lorena to stagger back. She ran to them, smiling from ear to ear, as she plucked two of the herb-filled baskets from her. "I have missed ye so terribly, mistress!" the girl cried with happiness.

Sophia felt warmth in her heart. Before she knew it, she was smiling, too. "I have missed ye just as much." Sophia reached for the maid's blushing face. "Have ye been well?"

"Aye, mistress." The girl nodded. "I have!" Then the girl turned to Lorena as if she had just become aware of her presence. "Welcome to ye as well, mistress."

"Thank ye," Lorena replied quietly.

Sophia turned to face her sister. "Will ye come along? I am going to the healer's dungeon."

"Nae, I'd rather look around the castle," Lorena said—a reply Sophia had expected. She knew her sister disliked being around sick and wounded people.

"Well then…" Sophia collected the two baskets Lorena was holding. "I'll find ye when I am done."

Lorena gave a nod and Sophia went away with the maidservant.

"Have ye heard, mistress?" the maidservant whispered as they walked through a dim hallway of the keep. "The Laird has sent Catherine away from the clan."

Sophia fought to conceal her astonishment. "Did he indeed?"

"He did, mistress, aye," the girl whispered back. "Rumor has it that she lied about carrying the Laird's bairn."

Sophia heaved a sigh. She was feeling neither relief nor comfort. Unease cradled her. "How has the Laird been?"

"He's been awful, I must say. He stopped being cold to us while ye were here, but after ye left—nae, for a few days now particularly, he has been quiet, and he barely eats."

Sophia's heart sank a little. "He has nae been eating?"

"Aye, mistress, that is so. Also," the maidservant went on, "Sir Logan has nae been to the keep for the past three days, and I've heard other servants say the Laird is angry at his uncle."

"Do ye ken the reason why?'

"Nae, mistress. Nae one kens why."

Sophia allowed her thoughts to wander back to what she had heard from the maid. If the Laird was upset because of Sophia, she would only make matters worse if she went to see him. Besides, she had asked him to stay away from her, and going against her own words would only confuse him.

He will be fine , she decided. I am here for the wounded warriors and naething more .

However, she found herself peering down the part of the hallway that led to his bedchamber. A little more courage would have seen her down the corridor. She had no such braveness, though, so she disregarded the idea.

"Thank ye,' she told the maidservant as they reached the healer's room. "Ye've indeed been a great help to me."

The maidservant grinned widely in return. "Aye, mistress." She nodded. "If I may, I have to help Mrs. Brown in the kitchen."

"Of course," Sophia answered, pointing towards the ground at the edge of the staircase in the room. "Just drop the baskets over there."

The maidservant dropped the basket of herbs exactly as was instructed, and she curtsied to Sophia before leaving.

Sophia entered the dimly lit room slowly, nauseous from the smell of blood. Wounded soldiers sat on the infirmary floor, some of whom groaned in pain as the healer attended to them. Three servants attempted to help him, but to no avail. She noticed that the room was cleaner and tidier than before.

She looked over at Lewis, who was so preoccupied with applying a pomade to one of the warrior's abdomens that he hadn't noticed her presence.

"Sir Lewis," she called out to him.

The old man turned around, and a slow smile emerged on the wrinkled canvas of his face. "Aye, lass. Ye came at the right time."

Sophia walked over to him. "May I help ye?"

"Aye, but ye need to get an apron first. Don't want yer dress stained with blood." He turned back to the warrior he was treating and added, "Ye can start with the bright-haired lad over there, a wee bandaging of his arm will do."

Sophia nodded, collected an apron from the stash that was hung on the wall, and tied her hair back before walking to the boy that was clutching his right shoulder in pain.

She fixed her hand firmly around his underarm and lifted him to a bench near the wall where he rested, inspecting his wound. "Can I get something to soothe the inflammation, some water and a wrapping?"

"Aye, mistress," one of the women answered, and she quickly brought the tools to her.

Sophia noticed the dark patches on the linen bandage. "Sir Lewis," she held the fabric up to him. "Ye cannae use wrappings like this! It's dirty."

"That's all we've got lass—just use it," Lewis said, too busy to turn to her. "It's been washed over twice, so that'll do."

Sophia glanced at the boy writhing in pain. He was no older than her. His golden hair and blue eyes were dark with pain. Reluctantly, she leaned towards him. "What's yer name, sir?"

"Fergus," he hissed in anguish. "Fergus o' clan MacNeil."

"It might be a wee bit painful," she said. "I will need ye to count from one to three before I start cleaning yer wound, all right?"

"Aye," he responded, shaking his head.

Sophia gave the lad a stick to bear down on, and saw to cleaning his wound out. Soon after, she wrapped it with the bandage provided.

"Just hold still, sir. I'll be done before ye ken it." Sophia tried to calm him, but he cried as she touched his infected wound.

It did not take long before she was finished with the bandaging, and he had stopped groaning. Quite possibly, he had gotten used to the ache. "That is all, sir. Yer wound is tended to," she announced.

"Thank ye, miss," the boy said appreciatively, trying not to squirm still from the pain. "Thank ye," he repeated then settled back against the cot.

Sophia was feeling quite flushed, so she went outside for some fresh air.

She ran into another person as she exited the room, and there was a familiar musky scent in the atmosphere. When she looked up, she was met with a sight that left her panting. "M-milaird…" She quickly lowered her head in respect.

"Sophia," Kendrick whispered softly—so soft that her heart melted. She looked at his perfect jawline in the faint light of the hallway.

"I-I didnae…"

"Tis fine, Sophia," he said, his voice still gentle.

If the Laird did not stop speaking to her in such a sweet voice, she would grab him and have her way with him—not that it was a good idea. She had vowed never to touch him again. "Ye must pardon me, milaird." She cleared her throat as it seemed her voice was disappearing with her good sense. "I must step out for some air."

"Aye." Kendrick shifted out of her way. "Ye may go."

A wave of disappointment rushed through her. Something in her was vexed by the fact that he let her pass so freely. Like a wounded boar leaping away to safety, she made away from the hall.

Lorena's laugh could be heard from the stable behind her. She walked around the courtyard of the keep to see her sister feeding the horses with Reed. She noticed him holding the heart-patterned handkerchief shehad embroidered. Sophia smiled to herself.

The lad is Reed after all.

She snuck away from the laughing pair and returned to the healer's room. When she went back in, Kendrick was there with Lewis. For some reason, she felt the need to avoid the Laird, so she quietly took off her apron and left the infirmary. She thought her duties were done, so it was pointless to linger around the keep. She headed straight to the stables for her sister, but Lorena was not there.

And neither was Reed.

Sunshine neighed as soon as she reached him. Sophia beamed. She had missed the steed so much , and he seemed to have missed her too. She took its reins and expressed how happy she was to see him by caressing its head.

"Have ye seen my sister?" she asked a nearby stable boy, still holding onto Sunshine's reins.

"Aye, mistress—she went on a stroll with Sir Reed."

"Is that so?"

"Tis so. She asked that ye return home, and she'll join ye when she is done."

"Oh!" Sophia imagined going on a ride alone with Kendrick, but quickly shook the thought from her head. "Thank ye for delivering the message."

The stable boy responded with a half-bow before proceeding to tend to the other horses. Sophia gave Sunshine a few final strokes before leaving the keep.

Her walk home was leisurely and quiet. She had enjoyed Lorena's company on the way there, but the long walk felt torturous and lonely now.

She sighed with relief when she saw her father's manor, which was only a few minutes' walk from where she was standing.

The leaves behind her began to rustle, and she could hear footsteps approaching... But when she turned around, she found she was still alone.

I am hearing things.

She sighed and resumed her walk.

However, the footsteps did not stop.

They were heavier and faster this time. She swiveled her head quickly to see who it was, but a hand caught her by the neck, covering her mouth and nose.

Then the ground gave way beneath her feet.