Chapter 27

27

A idan was more than ready to get home. The past fortnight had seemed much longer as he tried to pacify the Laird over his daughter's behavior. There were a few times he'd had to diffuse the McDougual's temper. The Laird had been so upset that his daughter had run off with the lad that he'd been ready to send out a search party of warriors meant to hurt or even kill the poor boy.

Thankfully, Aidan had been able to talk him down, but it taken the whole time he'd been there before he felt it had been safe enough to leave. And now, he found himself anxious to see his wife. More than anxious, actually. It was odd how much he'd missed Tillie. He'd never been too bothered by the absence of another until now.

As he and his small riding party crossed the courtyard, Aidan's heart started to race in anticipation. He tried to quell the feeling, but it was no use. He couldn't wait to see his wife, and he didn't give a damn if others knew it.

Aidan quickly dismounted his stallion and tossed the reins to James, who barely had time to catch them. The boy watched with a gaping mouth as the Laird rushed up the stairs to the castle two at a time. Barrett's loud laughter boomed and echoed across the courtyard, gaining him startled stares.

"Laird Aidan," Hector greeted as soon as Aidan reached the great hall. "I am so glad to see you —"

"Nay, not now, Hector. I must see my wife first."

"But 'tis what I'm tryin' to tell ye." The urgency in Hector's voice caught Aidan's attention, and a chill slid down his spine. The last time Hector had been so distraught, greeting him from a return trip like this, Anne had died. Stars appeared behind his lids, and the edges of his vision darkened. It was hard to catch his breath, and for a brief second, he wondered if his heart was going to give out, so strong was his fright.

"What has happened?" Aidan managed to demand. "Where is me wife?"

"In yer bedchamber," Hector said then had to run to keep up when Aidan headed toward the stairs that would take him to the tower room and his bedchamber. "She collapsed in Mistress Grace's room," he continued, his breath sawing in and out of his mouth from the exertion while trying to talk. "She was havin' tea and just fell unconscious."

Aidan scowled with worry even as his heart threatened to pound out of his chest. He heard the sound of heavy feet pounding up the stairs and looked over his shoulder just long enough to see that Barrett was following him. He must have heard the news and wanted to check for himself.

His steps only slowed when he reached the doorway and saw Tillie lying on the bed, her face as pale as a cloud. A lump formed in his throat, and he struggled to swallow it as he approached the bed. Paisley stood next to her lady, her own face pale and eyes wide with concern.

"Me Laird!" she exclaimed softly. "'Tis good that ye are home. I dinnae ken what is wrong with Me Lady. I found her like this on the floor."

Aidan turned to Hector. "What did Grace say happened?"

Hector shook his head. "No one has seen her yet. She probably went in search of help, but the maid here found Me Lady first and had her brought to her own bed where she'd be more comfortable."

Aidan nodded, but something didn't feel right. However, he was too concerned over Tillie to think straight and figure out what wasn't sitting right in his belly, so he turned his attention to Barrett, who had just entered the chamber.

"Find Grace and escort her to her room," he ordered. "Put a guard there for good measure. No one is to talk to her until I do." Barrett nodded and hurried out of the chamber.

"Where's the healer?" he barked out. "Has anyone sent word?"

"Aye, Me Laird," Paisley said. She stood there, wringing her hands, and looked back and forth between Tillie and Aidan.

"What's takin' so long?" Aidan grumbled. "Hector, take some men and hurry the healer along."

Aidan walked over to the bed and gingerly sat down next to Tillie. She looked so small and pale, he flinched and was surprised to see his hand shake as he raised it to carefully brush soft, brown strands of hair away from her face. Her skin was cold and clammy, and that scared him more than if she'd been running a fever. At least with a fever, he knew to cool it down, but with this? He wasn't sure what to do or what was the cause.

Hector opened the door at the same time the healer was about to knock.

"Och, man! Ye like to scare the life out of me," the older man gasped.

"Get in here, and see to me wife," Aidan ordered.

The healer rushed to Tillie's bedside, opened the parcel he'd carried in, and pulled items out, setting them on the nightstand beside the bed.

"Everyone out," the healer ordered, and everyone except Aidan rushed out. "Ye too. I dinnae need distractions while I examine my patient."

"She is me wife," Aidan growled, and when the healer looked like he was going to argue, he said more firmly, "I am laird, and I will be stayin', so quit waistin' time flappin' yer gums, and see to me wife."

"Aidan?"

He jerked his gaze to Tillie's face, happier than he'd ever been in his life to see her beautiful green eyes fixed on him.

"I'm here, Tillie," he said softly, soothingly.

Her expression turned grim, and her eyes filled with pain. "My stomach hurts." Her voice was like a whispered wail, and Aidan felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

"I ken, sweetheart, but the healer is here now, and he's goin' to fix ye right up."

"I — I think Grace poisoned me," she said then passed out again.

"What?" Aidan growled through clenched teeth. "Tillie?" He called her name two more times, but she didn't wake up.

With a foul curse, he stomped to the door and yanked it open, grateful the maid was still waiting there. Paisley jumped and stared at him with wide eyes.

"Me Lady?" she inquired worriedly.

"Go to Mistress Grace's room and bring me Tillie's teacup," he ordered then closed the door and hurried back to Tillie's bedside.

"What is wrong with her?" he asked the healer. "Do ye ken she was poisoned?"

"'Tis possible. Thank ye for askin' for the teacup. I should be able to smell it and see if there are any foul or dangerous herbs in it."

Aidan grabbed one of Tillie's cold, limp hands in his and tried to rub some warmth into her skin. He wanted to pull the bed covers over her small body and tuck them around her to keep her warm, but then the healer wouldn't be able to examine her properly.

Aidan kept one eye on the healer and the other on Tillie's face, willing her to open her eyes again. The brief minute she had been conscious, she'd been in so much pain, it was still tormenting him. Her skin, if possible, had turned even paler, and she looked ready to cross from this earthly plane.

"Ye stay with me, Tillie, ye hear?" he commanded. Although his voice was low, it still held all the determination in his body. He would will her to live if he had to. "Ye fight this," he continued. "Ye will nay die on me."

Leaning forward, he kissed her cool forehead and felt a burn behind his eyes. He hadn't cried when Anne had died, at least not in front of anyone, but he was ready to weep like a babe at Tillie's side. He couldn't lose her. The thought of never seeing her again, of never having her in his life, was not something he could even consider.

Seeing her like that, knowing he could lose her at any minute, Aidan knew he had fallen in love with her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He'd already lost one wife due to his negligence, was he doomed to repeat it with Tillie? Had Grace really poisoned her? And if so, why?

A scratching sound came from the door, so Aidan moved toward it and opened it. Paisley stood at the other side, the teacup rattling in her trembling hands. He took it from her and as an afterthought, thanked her, then closed the door and sniffed the contents.

He smelled some familiar scents but nothing that stood out to him, so Aidan gave it to the healer and watched as he brought the delicate dishware to his nose and sniffed. After a few more sniffs, the healer's expression turned grim, and he nodded.

"There are a few extra ingredients to this cup of tea," he informed Aidan. "And they are very dangerous, especially when mixed together like this."

"Is she… is me wife…" Aidan swallowed, unable to ask the question he needed to. Thankfully, the healer knew what he was trying to say and answered.

"I won't ken for a few hours, but by the looks of this cup, yer wife didnae drink even half of the tea, so that means she didnae get the full dosage."

Aidan's knees threatened to buckle. He lowered himself beside Tillie and ran a hand through his hair as he stared at her beautiful face.

"I cannae tell how much poisonous weeds were in this tea to begin with," the healer continued to warn. "It helps that she didnae drink the whole thin', but only time will give us all the answers we need."

Aidan nodded. "Ye will be stayin' until we ken?" He had meant that to be a command, but he was feeling a bit desperate, and the words came out more a plea formed as a question.

"Aye," the healer reassured him. "There's not much I can do right now, so if ye'll excuse me, I'll just get meself somethin' to eat and wet my thirst."

Aidan waved the man his permission without looking up. He was aware of the healer leaving the chamber and closing the door softly behind him but barely. All of his thoughts and concentration were on Tillie and praying that she would recover.

Several hours passed, and aside from the occasional groans and moans, Tillie didn't move or make a sound. Paisley had come into the chamber to stoke the fire and light candles and lanterns around the chamber. Barrett had stopped by to check on Tillie and to report that they had caught Grace trying to sneak off castle grounds but that she was secured in her chamber now.

The healer came in every hour to check on Tillie, but the longer she didn't respond, the more grim he was about the chance of her recovery.

A cool, light touch on the back of his hand woke Aidan. He started awake, his anxious gaze straying hopefully to Tillie.

He held his breath, afraid what he was seeing was just another dream or hopeful thought, but then Tillie smiled slightly, and he let the breath out in one long huff of relief.

"Aidan," she said softly. Her voice was thick, and it sounded more like a croak than anything else, but it was the most beautiful sound in the world to him.

"Tillie, thank God," he breathed. "How are ye feelin'?"

She grimaced. "As if I swallowed a field of dirt and then was trampled on by a war party of horses."

Aidan chuckled. The relief that she was awake and alive was so great he felt dizzy with it.

The healer must have heard them because suddenly he was there, holding a lantern over Tillie. She blinked then squeezed her eyes closed at the brightness."

"I'm Thomas Barclay, but most around here just call me the healer," he said by way of introduction. "Ye gave us all a mighty scare. Do ye have any pain?"

Tillie carefully opened her eyes against the light then sighed with relief when she realized the brightest part of it had been directed away from her eyes. "A little tightness in me stomach and me whole body aches as if I climbed a mountain, but 'tis all."

He nodded then glanced between the two of them. "'Twas a very bad mixture ye drank. Very dangerous. We still dinnae know yet if the bairn can be saved, but it doesna look good at this point," he said.

"Bairn?" Tillie cried out incredulously.

"Bairn?" Aidan repeated in surprise.

The healer frowned. "Ye didnae ken?" When they both shook their heads, his frown grew even deeper. "Ye are with child, Me Lady."