She sighed and finally nodded, at which she saw his shoulders visibly relax. Before she could analyze that, he said, “My wife, Alanna, worked hard to ensure ye had delicious food to eat, and she’ll likely be verra angry at me if ye dunnae partake in her offerings.”
Reluctantly, Isobel grabbed a hunk of bread and took a bite, then talked through the mouthful. “Yer wife is a wonderful cook,” she said.
“Aye, and hot-tempered,” he replied with a smile. “Rather like ye.”
Isobel snorted. “I believe ye meanye.”
He chuckled, surprising her.
“Why are ye being nice to me now?” she demanded, suddenly suspicious.
He looked chagrinned for a moment. “Alanna told me how ye sent Cameron to aid in the healing of Graham.”
Isobel frowned. “How did yer wife ken that?”
“Marion told her. That was verra kind of ye.”
She bit back a smile. That one sentence was the nicest thing Rory Mac had said to her since she met him. “How is Graham today?”
Rory Mac shrugged. “A bit better, I think. He still has a fever, though not as hot, but Marion says the fever is making his head hurt fiercely.”
Isobel nodded and then cast her mind to the remedies she knew. “Tell Marion to make him a drink of datura, angelica, chamomile, and coriander seeds.” When Rory Mac simply stood there, she waved her hands at him. “Go now. Ye dunnae wish Graham to suffer more than necessary, do ye?”
“I dunnae, but Iain would be spitting mad if I disobeyed him.”
She was about to protest that the laird should not be so stubbornly, blindly set on keeping a guard in front of her door, but Rory Mac said, “However, Iain has ridden out to attend to some tenants, so I’ll go quickly.”
She grinned. “A verra wise notion. I’ll wait here for ye,” she teased.
Rory Mac actually grinned at her, and then a serious look swept across his face. “Slide the bar—”
“I will,” she interrupted. “And I’ll nae unlock it for anyone but ye or Cameron.” His eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she chuckled. “Cameron instructed me the same as ye.”
“I taught him all he kens.”
“I’m certain,” she murmured, feeling that same pang of longing and slight jealousy she had felt before when Cameron had spoken of his brothers. It was obvious that Rory Mac was close to the MacLeod brothers, as well.
True to his word, Rory Mac was not gone long, and when he returned and she opened the door, he thrust a plaid and a pillow at her.
“What is this for?” she asked.
“Marion says to tell ye she’s verra sorry she has nae been able to come attend to yer comforts yet.”
Isobel was glad for the extra plaid and pillow, but she feared this meant she was not going to be released from confinement anytime soon. Still, she took them. “I thank ye, but I hope this dunnae mean I will be kept in here much longer.”
“I dunnae believe so,” Rory Mac said and then stood there watching her.
She thought he might offer more, but when it became clear that he would not, she retreated into her bedchamber, feeling rather mulish. As the day wore on, the feeling of captivity and restlessness in her grew, until she was certain she could not stay in the room another moment. If she could even just stand on the other side of the door briefly, she was certain her restlessness would abate.
She rushed to the door and flung it open, nearly colliding with Bridgette. Behind her stood the man that Cameron had told her was his brother Lachlan. He offered a probing stare.
When Isobel returned it, Bridgette’s eyes narrowed. “I told ye to stay away from my husband,” she growled.
“Ye and yer husband came tomydoor. What do ye want?” Isobel asked, searching past the woman for Rory Mac.
Lachlan gave her a long, assessing look as he placed his hands protectively on his wife’s shoulder. “Wife, let us remember thegood deedIsobel has done for Graham in sharing her knowledge to heal him.”
Isobel flinched at the way Lachlan said the wordsgood deed, as if he was not certain that was what it really had been but he’d been unable to find any nefarious intent behind her actions.
