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"Sometimes, Rory, I'm sure yer a changeling," Geordie said sadly.
"Nay," Niels assured him. "'Tis more likely God just got things a bit confused when he was making Saidh and Rory."
"Ye mean mayhap he meant Saidh to be a lad and Rory a lassie?" Geordie suggested with a wide grin. "I think we may have discussed that very thing a time or two on our journeys."
"Aye, we have," Alick agreed.
"What?" Rory squawked with dismay.
"Well, think on it," Alick said as they neared the steps leading to the front double doors of the Drummond keep. "Ye like to stay home in the nice warm castle with yer herbs and such, while Saidh likes to travel and wrestle and would as soon skewer a man as look on him. 'Tis as if she was meant to be another brother, and ye the sister," he said reasonably as they all reined in at the steps.
Niels glanced to Rory to see how he was taking the suggestion and burst out laughing at his horrified expression even as Geordie and Alick did.
"Oh, aye, laugh it up the three o' ye," Rory said sourly. "But I guarantee I will no' forget this the next time ye need yer wounds tended."
Still chuckling, Niels shrugged and slid off his mount with unconcern. Whatever petty punishment Rory chose to dole out later would be well worth the reaction their teasing had got.
"Are ye gonna save Lady Edith?"
Niels turned around at that soft question to find a small blond boy with earnest eyes standing behind him. Next to the lad was a deerhound with a red fawn coat. The beast was almost taller than the boy on all fours and certainly a good six stone heavier. Niels had never seen a dog so big.
"Are ye?" the boy asked, reminding him of his question.
"We're going to do our best," Niels said, shifting his attention back to the lad.
"Gran says no one can save her," the boy told them sadly.
"She does, does she?" Niels asked quietly.
He nodded. "Aye. She says 'tis just a matter o' time and she'll go just like the laird and his lads."
Niels frowned at the suggestion and then said, "Mayhap that would ha'e been true ere we got here, but ye see that man there?" He pointed to Rory as his brother finished dismounting and walked around his horse to join them. "That there is me brother Rory, and he is the finest healer in all o' Scotland. If there is anybody who can help yer lady get over what's ailing her, 'tis him."
The boy looked Rory over solemnly and then nodded. "I hope so, m'lord. Fer I'd be terrible sad did she die. She's ever so nice. Not like Laird Brodie's wife, Lady Victoria. If she'd been lady when we got here, we never would ha'e been allowed to stay."
"Hmm." Niels made the sound purely because he didn't know what else to say, and then straightening again, he asked, "What's yer name, lad?"
"Ronson, m'lord."
"Ye're no' from Drummond, Ronson?" Rory asked.
"Nay, m'lord. We're from the south. But when me ma died, the laird o' our old home threw us out. Gran and me, we traveled a long time to find a new home, but no one wanted us. They said Gran was too old and I was too young. But Lady Edith, she took us in and set Gran to work. Gave me a job too," he added proudly.
"And what job is that?" Niels asked, suspecting he already knew the answer.
"I look after Laddie here," he announced, chest puffing up as he threw a skinny arm over the huge beast. "He has to be fed and walked and brushed, but Lady Edith has no' the time fer all that what with all the work she has to do around here. 'Tis a most important job," he assured them.
"Aye," Niels agreed. "Most important. She's lucky ye came."
"Aye," Ronson said, and then frowned and admitted, "But I maybe will no' have the job much longer."
"Why is that?" Rory asked.
Ronson hesitated, his expression unhappy, and then confided, "I heard some o' the maids talking and they said as how even does Lady Edith survive, she's no' long for Drummond. They said as sure as spittin', Lady Victoria would see her sent off to the Abbey the first chance she gets and if that happens, we may have to leave." He worried his lip briefly and then asked, "Do ye think they're right? Will Lady Victoria send Lady Edith away?"
"I do no' ken, lad," Niels admitted. "But let's just tend one problem at a time and get Lady Edith well again before we start fretting on other matters. Shall we?"
"Aye," Ronson said, and then rubbed the deerhound's head between the ears. "Lady Edith's sure fond o' Laddie. I've been thinking maybe she'd feel better did he visit. He's most important to her. She might get better if he visited."
"Hmm," Niels said, biting back a smile. "Aye, well, mayhap later. I'm thinkin' we should just let me brother look at her first and see what he can do. All right?"
"Aye," he said with disappointment and then glanced past Niels and scowled. "Here comes Tormod and Cawley."
Niels peered over his shoulder to see two men approaching. Both were old, one was tall and slim with a limp, the other shorter and round.
"And who are Tormod and Cawley?" Rory asked as Niels turned back.
"They were the old laird's first and second, now they're Laird Brodie's first and second. Tormod's the tall one. He's the first . . . and he does no' like me," he added unhappily.
"I'm sure that's no' true," Rory assured him.
"Aye. 'Tis," Ronson insisted. "He told Lady Edith no' to let us stay. Said we'd be nothing but trouble and more mouths to feed."
"Ah," Niels said and almost sighed. He had no doubt the man had said that. And probably right in front of the boy and his grandmother. Which was unfortunate.
"I'd best take Laddie in and brush him down now," Ronson mumbled.
Niels nodded and watched the boy lead the large dog away before turning to survey the approaching Tormod and Cawley. The pair appeared to be bickering and he wondered if they were the source of all the arguing that had taken place on the wall as they'd waited to be allowed to enter. If so, the bickering continued despite their being inside now.
"Enough," Tormod snapped as the pair halted in front of Niels and his brothers. He then turned his attention to them and announced grimly, "Cawley here will get someone to tend yer horses while I take ye to Lady Edith."
Niels narrowed his eyes at the less than polite greeting, but merely asked, "Are you the one in charge while Laird Drummond is away?"
"Aye. Sadly I am," he admitted, his mouth twisting with disgust and then he announced, "I'm Tormod Drummond, the man who'll be answering fer letting ye in here. And that's Cawley Drummond, who will no' be held responsible despite his nagging and harassing being the reason behind it."
"It's the right thing to do and ye ken it," Cawley said vehemently. "If they can save wee Edith--"
"Aye, aye," Tormod interrupted with irritation. "I let them in, did I no'? Despite the fact that Brodie'll probably have me flogged fer it."
Niels's eyebrows rose at both the lack of respect obvious in the man's not using Brodie's title, and the suggestion that Brodie would punish him for letting them in.
"Your laird'll hardly be complaining when Rory saves his sister's life," Alick said earnestly, stepping up beside Niels.
"Me brother Alick," Niels introduced him, and then added, "And that's Geordie, Rory and I'm Niels."
Tormod merely nodded and turned to respond to Alick's comment with a weary, "If he saves her life ye may be right. Unfortunately, I'm no' thinking that's likely to happen." On that grim note, he turned to lead the way up the stairs.
"Why? What ails her?" Rory asked with interest, hard on the man's heels.
Tormod shook his head. "Hell if I ken. No one does. It came on sudden. Hit Laird Drummond and his eldest sons Roderick and Hamish all at once. The old laird died the first night, but his health was already on the decline anyway. The two boys though, they were young and strong and lasted three or four days. Lady Edith nursed 'em," he added, not sounding happy about it. They understood why when he added, "I told her she should no', that she'd catch whatever it was they had and she should leave their care to the servants. But nay, she had to tend them herself, and
sure enough I was right. We no sooner buried the second lad than she fell ill."
"And Brodie and his new bride?" Niels asked and noted the way the man's mouth thinned out.
"When Lady Edith's maid fell ill while tending her, Brodie panicked. Feared it would spread through the clan and take he and his bride as well. Decided they should leave for safer shores fer a bit." Pausing at the double doors, he glanced back as he opened one and added acerbically, "He could no' get out o' here quick enough. Packed up his new bride, her maid and some clothes, took a small escort of six men and rushed out o' here as if the hounds o' hell were on his heels."
"Leaving the rest o' ye here to handle matters," Niels surmised dourly as he led his brothers through the door the man held open for them.
"Aye. Just so," Tormod agreed with disgust. He followed them in and let the door slam closed behind him.
"And Lady Edith has been sick for more than four weeks now?" Rory asked as Tormod led them across the busy hall. That was what Saidh had told them, so they were surprised when Tormod shook his head.
