AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘No, not when you know you are right. Women are always bloody right, aren’t they?’
‘I see you are in a temper. Are you badly hurt? You would appear to be judging by the amount of cursing I heard on my way in here and the haste with which Angus fetched me?’
‘Did he tear you from your bed? Why it’s the dead of night, for God’s sake?’
‘I wasn’t asleep. I was sitting up by the fire.’
‘Why couldn’t you sleep?’ he asked, through teeth gritted in pain.
‘I think we have more pressing matters to deal with.’
Rory gestured to his leg. ‘Fell off my bloody horse like a fool. Damn beast got spooked by lightning, reared up, and the saddle was wet, so I slipped. Landed first of all on my leg and then on my arse.’
‘I see. Do you think your leg is broken?’
‘How would I know? It just hurts like buggery.’
‘And your arse, Laird?’
Rory laughed a little and lay back, putting a hand over his eyes. Ever so gently, Monnine began to remove his boot.
‘Ah,’ he winced as a dull throb shot up his leg.
‘Forgive me. I will go slowly.’
It still hurt like hell, but where Rory would have raged at Angus, he was determined not to rage at Monnine. Once the boot was off, she put a wet cloth to the cut on his throbbing leg and began feeling her way around his ankle and upwards. Her fingers were cool and stirred a feeling of calm. They stirred something else as well.
‘I don’t think anything is broken,’ she said with a smile.
‘You don’t have to do this,’ he said curtly to cover his embarrassment.
‘Tis better it’s me. This way, we don’t have to rouse half of Dunslair, though the shouting might have managed that already.’
‘You told me not to go, and you were right.’
Monnine blotted away water and blood and began to bind up his leg.
‘Did you know what would happen? Do you have the sight Monnine? Is that what makes them think you are a witch?’
She just stared at him, eyes wide and fearful, like a startled fawn.
Rory rolled his eyes. ‘For heaven’s sake, woman, I would not trick you into damning yourself. I ask so that I might know you better.’
‘It is evil to see into the future. If I feel something bad coming, I keep it to myself. People don’t like it, you see. They fear it.’
‘Do they now? Look, I believe there is God and the Devil and a whole lot of things in between, things we can never fully understand. I also believe there is a deal of goodness in you.’
‘There is wickedness in me, Laird. Some of the thoughts I have in my head...’
‘Such as?’
‘Praying my husband will be the one to fall off his horse and break his fat neck.’
Rory smiled. ‘I wished that too, within five minutes of meeting him, so that makes us both wicked I suppose. Any other wicked thoughts to share?’
‘I cannot tell you those. They are too bad.’ Monnine locked eyes with him and gave him a shy smile. God, how her face lit up when she did that, and those eyes were looking so warmly upon him. Did he see admiration in them? Such vanity he had, preening like a peacock whenever she was near these last weeks. He was a damned fool. Why would she admire him when here he lay, helpless on his back and roaring like a wounded bull about his pain?
‘I am so angry with myself, Monnine, for not heeding your warning, but I had to go. I need to find him. Conall is out there somewhere in this storm, and I have to bring him home for his father.’
