A Faerie Fated Forever by Mary Anne Graham Read Free Book Online Page B

There was always plenty of room in her baggage to hide it from her parents. She followed the woman down the back stairs and through an underground tunnel. They emerged in a charming glade and walked until they came to a small stone house. It was a nice little cottage, surrounded by worried neighbors gathered in clumps trying to offer help or comfort to the family.
    Heather entered the small dwelling to find it spotlessly clean. A blazing fire kept the room toasty, and she had only a minute to notice the cunning woodcarvings that decorated the room. The child’s parents bustled over and the mother looked ready to keel over from worry. She seized Heather’s hand. “Can ye help him? Please.”
    With a gentle smile, she said, “Fevers are often more frightening than threatening. Try not to worry so. He will need your strength soon when he is grumpy and wants to run out and play.”
    The mother smiled at that and Heather tenderly examined the little boy. Despite her comforting words, she knew that fevers could be deadly and this child was hot indeed.
    “Sir,” she said, turning to address the father. “Please go outside and fetch some cool water from the well. We shall need to keep doing that because we need the water as cool as possible. If there is an ice house, some ice would be better.”
    When the water and ice were fetched, Heather wet the cloth and wrapped it around chunks of ice. She lightly rubbed the child all over, turning him to minister to his back. She had been at the labor for over an hour when the front door opened and Nial walked in. He gave her a friendly wave as he entered the small dwelling.
    Heather was exhausted and her arms weighed a hundred pounds but his presence alone imbued her with renewed energy. Trite as it sounded, she felt better just because he was there and she knew what that meant, but then again, she had known how she felt about him for a long time.
    What she hadn't known was how much friendship could hurt. She learned a little more about that every day.

CHAPTER FIVE

    Nial entered the small dwelling with a wave and a darting glance at Heather as he walked over to the parents. “Cobb and Jean, I am certain that little Fergus shall recover.” He darted a smile at her. “He has the best help possible tending him.”
    He squatted beside Heather and laid a gentle hand on her arm. She looked up at him and gave a weary smile. He rubbed the strain in her arm before his hand grasped hers to give it a small squeeze.
    In a low tone he said, “You don’t have to do this. We have a healer, though he often barks when he is called out at night.”
    She smiled. “As does ours. I’m fine. I can help this bairn, so of course I must. Who could refuse to tend a sick bairn? How heartless would that be?”
    He watched as she bathed the child in the ice and water. Despite her assurances, her hands were red from the chill. Sorcha, he thought. Sorcha could be that heartless. He had been taking his leave of her over her protests. She followed him into the courtyard where they met Calum, who informed him of young Fergus’ illness and that Heather had been summoned to tend him.
    The widow chuckled and said, “Don’t tell me she actually went out in the middle of the night to tend the relation of a servant? Then again, she surely has nothing else to occupy her evening hours. I can guarantee that she is not spending them with Nial.”
    At her words, he silently cursed himself. When Heather was so obviously the better person, how could he still be infatuated with the black-haired wench?
    Now he looked over to where Heather bent to her small satchel mixing leaves and oil into a small portion of warmed beer. She propped pillows up behind the child and patiently forced small sips into his mouth, even massaging his throat to get him to swallow.
    When the cup was empty, she turned to him. “Would you please hold Fergus for me?” She asked, and he scooped up the lad.
    The women changed the bedclothes and then