Page 10 of A Temptress in Tartan

“He always hunts at this time in the mornin’. Whatever he catches becomes the special meal fer the day.”

“I hope he returns soon,” Lachlan said as he helped to prop the sleepy woman up on her pillows, then instructed Jane how to spoon the cooling liquid into the older woman’s mouth.

“How will we know if it worked?” Jane looked questioningly at him.

Lachlan shrugged. “I’m no healer. I only imitated what I saw a real healer do, but I imagine she will be better when her fever breaks and her skin resumes its normal pink tone instead of her current gray pallor.”

Jane warily placed the back of her fingers against Mistress Broun’s forehead. “She feels less warm to the touch and she looks better to me already.”

Lachlan studied the woman’s unresponsive face. “I suppose she does.”

“What are you doing?” a female voice interrupted.

Lachlan lifted his gaze to see Elizabeth standing inside the curtain, assessing both him and Jane. He inhaled sharply, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. There was something different about the way she was looking at him. No longer was her gaze filled with antagonism and annoyance. Instead, there was a catlike watchfulness, as though she were trying to determine something about him, or was it the beginning of a connection between them? “The innkeeper’s wife took ill.”

“I thought you were in a hurry to leave this place?”

Annoyance flared, forcing any connection he might have imagined away. “The woman was alone in the common room. She was helpless. I felt it was my duty to assist her.”

Elizabeth’s face clouded. “You seem to be very good at helping women in distress.”

He held Elizabeth’s gaze for a few heartbeats while he tried to discern if she was being sarcastic or serious. Uncertain, he turned to Jane. “I shall leave this good woman in your care since my wife and I must now depart.”

Jane offered him a hesitant smile. “I’ll do what I can tae help her.”

“And I will write to my cousin on your behalf.”

“Thank you, m’laird.”

He held the curtain aside for Elizabeth to pass through before joining her on the other side. “Come with me to the kitchen. We can break our fast, then be on our way if the wheel is fixed.”

“Can we not depart immediately?”

He turned and looked at her in surprise. “Abovestairs you said you were hungry. Famished even.”

She clasped her hands around her upper arms. A slight shiver moved through her. “I’d rather we be on our way.”

“You are a very confusing woman.” He blew out a soft, frustrated breath. “I must insist we at least stop by the kitchen and gather a few things we can eat on our way. Will that be acceptable?”

She looked away but not before he saw a shadow of fear in her eyes. “If you must.”

“What is wrong, Elizabeth? I know we do not know each other well yet, but you can trust me.”

“Will you trust me as well?”

He gave her a soft smile. “That’s usually how this works. I trust you. You trust me.”

“Then I need you to trust me now and promise not to ask why when I suggest a change to our travel plans.”

He hesitated. What was she up to? Finally, he nodded. “I am not unreasonable. What do you suggest?”

“Instead of heading southwest to Kirkcaldy and Ravenscraig Castle, would you head due west for several miles and then turn to the south?”

The question as to why burned upon his tongue, but he clenched his teeth to keep himself from asking it. He’d told her he trusted her. Now was the time to prove that. He nodded. “If that is what you wish, then that will be the route we take.”

*

Elizabeth hugged herself all the harder, trying to still the trembling of her hands. Lachlan had agreed with her plan without question. She had not expected that. Yet he once again disproved what she’d been told about him her whole life: that the entire Douglas clan was unreasonable, diabolical, and cruel.