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"It'll do," Seonag assured her.
"Aye," Annabel agreed and led the way into the master bedchamber.
"Bloody dog," Seonag muttered when Jasper rushed past her before she could close the door.
Annabel bit her lip and petted Jasper when he hurried to her side. After a moment, she said, "Do not be too hard on him, Seonag. 'Tis not his fault he had a bad tummy. I did not know it troubled him and fed him cheese." She allowed time for that to sink in and then added, " 'Sides, he saved me in the woods when I was attacked."
Seonag's scowl eased a bit and then she sighed and said, "The water is still in the basin from this morning. 'Twill be cold, but I suppose 'twill have to do. While ye strip and clean up, I'll find ye something to wear. Then I'll check ye over and help ye dress."
Annabel simply stared as those words filled her head. Find her something to wear? All she had were Ross's mother's dresses, which were all far too small in the bust. Unless--
"I do not suppose the gown I traveled here in has been cleaned yet?" she asked hopefully.
"Nay. I'm sorry," Seonag said apologetically.
The woman moved to a large basket beside the bed. Annabel recognized it as the one that had been downstairs by the fire in the great hall, the one that held all the dresses that were repairable. Annabel hadn't noticed it before, but supposed Seonag had brought it up to work on the gowns while she'd watched over her the day before while she was unconscious.
"I should ha'e done it yesterday. It would be dry now if I had," Seonag said with regret as she began to sort through the remaining gowns in the basket. "But between watching o'er the merchant, and then yerself after yer accident, all I managed was to make the one yer wearing larger in the bosom fer ye."
"And I have gone and ruined it," Annabel said on a sigh, peering down at the now destroyed dress.
"Never mind. We'll find something," Seonag said, and then added with asperity, "And if yer bosoms hang out and Ross does no' like it, 'tis his own fault fer no' giving ye time to pack ere dragging ye here from yer home."
Annabel bit her lip at the irritation in Seonag's voice. She was blaming Ross for all of this, but while it was true he hadn't given her time to pack, she hadn't had anything to pack anyway. She was debating whether to admit all to the woman, when Seonag glanced over and saw her simply standing there.
"Is the water that cold? Should I send fer fresh warm water?" she asked with a frown.
"Nay." Annabel let go of the brief desire to confess all and turned to the basin. She poured the last of the water from the ewer into the cool water from that morning and then quickly stripped out of her gown and set to work at cleaning off the blood that had splashed onto her chest, hands and arms. Busy with the task, she didn't realize Seonag had settled on a gown and come to join her until the other woman spoke.
"Ye've a nasty bruise here," Seonag said with concern, brushing a finger over the center of her lower back.
"I must have got it when he knocked me to the ground," Annabel murmured, craning her head around to try to see it, but it was impossible.
"Does it pain ye?" Seonag asked.
"Nay," Annabel lied and when Seonag looked dubious, she admitted, "Well, mayhap a little, but 'twill be fine."
"Hmm." Seonag let it go and peered at her face. "How is yer head? Is it painin' ye?"
Annabel took in the maid's arched expression and didn't even bother trying to lie this time. "Aye. 'Tis pounding a bit."
"I'll make ye some willow-bark tea when we go below," Seonag decided, and then turned her attention to the dark blue gown she'd selected and announced, "This one is in the best shape. No tears, or fraying."
"Let us hope 'tis a little larger in the bosom than the others then," Annabel muttered.
"SO YER WIFE has been set upon three times by a lone Scot?"
Ross glanced to his brother-in-law. Bean sat turning his tankard of ale absently in his hands, his expression thoughtful.
Once Annabel and Seonag had disappeared upstairs, he'd spread the bluebells about, then instructed one of the maids to go tell Cook to send out refreshments. His sister and her husband had entered just as he'd finished giving the order. Ross had welcomed them and seen them seated even as servants rushed out to the Great Hall with the requested drinks. Now they were discussing what had happened to his wife.
"Aye," he said finally. "It would seem so."
"The old trouble over the title of clan chief?" Bean asked.
"Gilly suggested as much too," Ross admitted.
"But?" Bean asked, apparently hearing the doubt in his voice.
> Ross shrugged and then said, "I can see no way to gain the title using Annabel. I might agree to step down to get her safely back, but then I'd just challenge whoever it was and kill them for daring to touch her."
"Aye." Bean nodded with a grin. "Yer right. It would no' work."
"That does no' mean either Eoghann or Fingal would no' be stupid enough to try it," Giorsal said dryly. "Uncle Eoghann was never very bright. Neither is Fingal for that matter."
Ross smiled faintly at her dry words. "How do ye ken how bright Fingal is or isn't? Have ye even met him?"
"Nay," she acknowledged. "But only an idiot would have tried to take the title from ye."
He grinned at her staunch words, but turned to Bean and said, "If 'tis no' for the title, what else could it be? Has she enemies in Scotland?"
Ross shook his head slowly as he considered the question. "She has no' been here long enough to make enemies."
"From where she came from then?" Bean suggested, and then added, "I know it appears to be a Scot attacking her, but he could ha'e been hired by an Englishman."
"I can no' see that being likely," Ross said dubiously. "She's a kind heart, does Annabel."
"That makes no matter," Bean said dryly. "Ye have a kind heart too, but ye have enemies."
Ross stiffened and scowled at the other man. "Do I insult ye in yer home? Nay," he answered himself. "So do no' insult me in mine, thank ye very much. I am no' kindhearted. I am fair, mayhap, but no kindhearted."
Bean chuckled at his affronted words. "Very well, yer fair, no' kindhearted."
"Hmmm," Ross muttered, only slightly mollified. He couldn't have the man going around suggesting he was kindhearted or such. His people would think he was going soft.
"If no' Annabel, mayhap her father has enemies here," Giorsal suggested. "He visited once or twice when we were younger, ere he and Father's friendship waned. Mayhap he angered someone here in Scotland on one o' those trips."
