Page 73 of Wedded to the Devilish Highlander
“I’m nae—Aye, ye’re welcome,” she mumbled.
The healer closed her book and got up from the chair. Eileen took her seat, still warm. She looked down at her brother.
He’d always protected her, but it was her turn to protect him. She’d watch over him as the morning dawned, and then for as long as needed.
“Ye fought valiantly, by the sounds of it, Reid,” she whispered. “But ye have to keep fightin’. Come back to me so we can go home.”
Eileen sniffed and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. She looked at her brother’s scarred face. He’d suffered enough already, and now he’d suffered again because of her. She would get him home safely if it were the last thing she did.
She furrowed her brow and glanced over her shoulder to see Archer sitting in the chair they’d slept in. She felt an echo of pleasure as the warmth of his body came to her mind, but her frustration returned. She was annoyed at him for being so closed off when she was genuinely concerned about him. He didn’t need to snap at her like that.
“What are ye doin’ there?” she asked.
“It’s me castle, I can go wherever I please.”
“Ye ken what I mean.”
“I want to ensure Reid’s safety as much as ye do. He was comin’ to speak to me about O’Gunn’s proposal and was kidnapped for it. I want to ken if he remembers anythin’ after his time in the castle. I’m here to make sure that nothin’ happens to him.”
“Aye, so that’s it,” Eileen said. “Ye want to watch over him so ye get information when he wakes up.”
“Aye, I want that, but I’m also here to make sure ye’re all right. Reid’s a fighter. It’s easy to see where ye get that from. I dinnae want ye gettin’ hurt either, and if ye’re close to Reid, there’s still a chance of that happenin’. Yer stubbornness might also cause ye some injury if ye keep pushin’ yerself so hard.”
Eileen shook her head at his ribbing, but inside, she felt warmth blossom like bluebells when the snow melts and the ground thaws.
Archer was guarded, but she saw through his words. He was there to protect her as much as he was there to get information from Reid. He could have posted guards at the bedside, but he wanted to be close to her—she was sure of it.
“Aye, me braither has always been a fighter,” she said. “When I was old enough to walk, I remember toddlin’ out into the castle grounds and watchin’ him stick his sword into straw dummies or fire arrows at targets. He might have taught me to fight if we didnae fight and argue so much.”
“I cannae imagine that,” Archer joked. “Ye fightin’ with someone else.”
Eileen stuck out her tongue this time. “I’ll admit, he was a lot like ye when he was younger.”
“Aye?” Archer raised an eyebrow.
“Aye, me braither was an utter rake. That was somethin’ we argued about a lot. He also liked to tease me a lot, just like someone else.”
“Ye said he used to be a rake,” Archer stated. “He’s nae anymore?”
“Nay,” Eileen mumbled sadly. “He was attacked and left scarred, and since then, he’s been… different. He was very charming before the attack—handsome, too. The ladies loved him. Again, somethin’ ye have in common. After he was scarred in a fight, he became colder, more reserved, stoic. He’s still fiercely loyal, and I love him more than anyone in the world, but I want some of the old Reid back. I dinnae ken how to get that. He’s always fightin’ as if he’s tryin’ to prove himself.”
“And he has proven himself,” Archer affirmed. “Nay man should have to live scarred like he was and like he will be, but there’s more to life than just women.”
“Aye?” Eileen was surprised to hear that from him.
“Yer braither was scarred. All it took for me to stop bein’ a rake was havin’ ye come to me castle.”
“Aye.” Eileen smiled sadly. “And when I go, ye can go back to that life.”
“Aye,” Archer said quietly.
Eileen looked back at her brother. She could feel Archer wanting to tell her more, but she wouldn’t push it like last time. If he wanted to speak about how he felt, she would not pressure him, even though time was running out. As soon as Reid was well enough, they would both go back home.
After some silence, she asked, “What more is there to life than women?”
“What?”
“Ye said there was more to life than women,” Eileen repeated. “I want to ken what that is.”
