"Och. He's a good man, that one," Captain Gordon said solemnly. "I hope he will recover very quickly."
With the strong westerly wind, their trip along Loch Ness only took a few hours. The water of the loch appeared dark and deep; she prayed the wind did not blow any harder for the boat was already unsteady. She held on tightly to Darack as he shivered, wrapped in the wool blankets. She prayed his fever would diminish.
Thankfully, they soon arrived at the dock near Glenmoriston and disembarked. The helpful Captain Gordon and some of his crewmen borrowed a wagon from a nearby crofter. The men placed Darack inside and the rest of them climbed on for the short trip to Dunmoris Castle. Mairiana rested Darack's head upon her lap, careful to not put pressure on the injured spot.
She was glad to see the road here was not so rough and had recently been cobbled, most likely at Chief Grant's expense. Within an hour, a castle came into view.
Darack was in and out of wakefulness as they approached the castle.
Once the men in the bailey saw that Darack was the injured man, they began asking dozens of concerned questions at once and two of them carried him toward the entrance. She answered as many of the questions as she could while also following closely behind Darack. She was thankful he was among his own clan now, so they would help her care for him.
"Chief! Darack is badly injured," one of the men carrying him called across the great hall. The room was large and dim, but well-lit by candles.
A tall man with sandy brown hair strode to them. "What happened?" he asked those carrying Darack.
"He was protecting me from four men who were trying to capture me," Mairiana said.
The man's sharp blue gaze swung to her. "And who are you?"
"Mairiana, sister of the Clan MacKerrick chief."
"I'm pleased to meet you, Lady Mairiana. I'm Ewan, the chief here." He dipped his head briefly.
"My laird." She curtsied.
"What are his injuries?" he asked.
After she told him of Darack's three wounds, he called out across the great hall, "Gertie!" Then to his men, he said, "Take him to the solar."
"I understand you are his cousin," Mairiana said, following them.
"Aye, but he is like a brother to me." He turned to one of his men. "Go tell Lady MacGregor that Darack is back and injured."
His mother, Mairiana guessed. They must have felt safe calling her MacGregor here within the confines of the castle. But if she were to be called by the name in public, she would be in mortal danger.
"Do not worry, Lady Mairiana. We have the best healers here at Dunmoris," Ewan said as they entered the solar. The men lay Darack down on a bed in the corner. "You should eat. You must be hungry."
"I thank you but I'll wait until I make sure Darack is all right and settled."
The chief eyed her speculatively.
"Everyone out. I must check his wounds," Gertie, the healer, announced as she entered the room.
Mairiana stepped out into the corridor again, along with the men.
"What has happened?" A panicked female voice came from behind her.
Mairiana turned to find a lovely dark-haired woman in her forties. "Are you Darack's mother?"
"Aye. They said he's injured." She craned her neck, trying to see around the men who crowded the area in front of the door.
Mairiana nodded and before she could say anything else, his mother squeezed between the two men blocking the doorway, and entered the room.
His mother had every right to go in there, but Mairiana suddenly felt like an outsider. She wasn't Darack's wife or any relation of his. Merely a woman who was falling hard for him. At the moment, she felt lost in a sea of strangers. She missed the pretense of being Darack's wife. It had felt right and true.
What if he didn't make it? Her stomach knotted and ached. She leaned against the wall in the corner. Everyone moved back and forth, entering and leaving the room, paying her no heed. From the few words she caught here and there, the healer and her assistants were helping Darack. Mairiana sat down on the trunk and tried to calm herself while she prayed. She was thankful for the help she'd received in getting Darack here safely. Now, if only he could recover quickly. If his fever would break and his injuries would start to heal.
A loud, growling shout startled her.Darack?She bolted to her feet and headed toward the room. A large guard stepped in front of her. "No one else can go inside. Gertie's orders."
