A Highland Pearl (Highland Treasures Book 1) by Brenda B. Taylor Read Free Book Online

shouldn’t venture to look, but curiosity overcame her. She hesitantly
made her way to the window. One warrior stood over another with sword in hand
as if to strike. The others circled the two men. A large framed man strode
forward, took the warrior’s raised sword arm and proclaimed him the winner. A
cheer went up from the group. Another armed with an ax stepped forward,
evidently to fight the winner. The leader struck a distance between the two men.
He dropped his arm then stood out of the way while the warriors sparred.
    Gavin must have left the group. He could not be seen among his
men. Hopefully, the tanist was speaking to Angus about his treatment of Laird Andrew.
Maidie left the chamber and made her way to the kitchen to check on Sven and
have willow bark tea brewed for the chief.

 
    ***

 
    The sun’s rays streamed through the
window and across the bed with a warm glowing light when Andrew opened his
eyes. Someone messed with his hair. He could feel warm water running along his
scalp. His head lay propped on two towel-covered pillows. An angel dressed in a
linen blouse with sleeves rolled up past the elbow stood over him. Maybe he had
died and gone to heaven. The angel ran her fingers through the strands of his
hair and rubbed his scalp. The white skin of her wet arms glistened with
droplets of water while the damp cloth of the blouse clung to round breasts,
and a smell of roses penetrated the air around her. He was in heaven for sure.
What would such an angel be called? He reached for the slender arm crossing his
face.
    “Ach! You’re awake,” bright blue eyes smiled into his.
    “How can a mon sleep with an angel scrubbing his hair?” Light
encircled the angel’s golden tresses that were tied back with a kertch of Munro
colors. Her face shone with a health rosy glow. White teeth glinted between the
pink lips that smiled at him.
    “Have I died and gone to heaven? Surely heaven can be no finer
than this moment.” Water dripped from the wet arm to his bare chest. She
quickly jerked her arm away and wiped his chest with a towel.
    “Nae, M’Laird. You’re in bed at Fàrdach Castle recovering from
a battle wound.” Her voice sounded like tinkling bells.
    Aye, now he remembered the skirmish with the Camerons and
MacKenzies. The vermin were stealing cattle from his tenants, and he took a
band of men to put a stop to their reiving. One large warrior who wore the
Cameron colors slashed at him with an ax. He remembered no more.
    “How long have I been in this bed?” He tried to sit up. A
sharp pain shot through his belly. “Saints in heaven.” He lay down again,
pulled back the sheet to look at the bandaged wound, and closed his eyes in
pain. “I remember the pain now.”
    “You have a verra bad wound on your belly, M’Laird. Please
dinna try to get up again, and let me finish rinsing the soap from your hair.”
    The angel straightened his hair over the pillow. She took a
bowl from behind his head and threw the soapy water out of the window. On
replacing the bowl behind the pillows, she took a pitcher of warm water and
poured it through his hair, guiding the flowing water with her free hand.
Andrew’s mind turned from the burning in his abdomen to the soft touch of the
woman’s hand. The sudden onset of pain brought his thoughts back to earth, but
this lovely lass running her hands through his hair was indeed, heaven on
earth.
    When the pain subsided once more, he asked, “Who are you,
lass?”
    “I am Maidie Munro, M’Laird. I’m a healer in the village and
the widow of your cousin, Kenneth Munro. I’ve been taking care of you.”
    “Did you stitch my wound, Maidie Munro?” He hoped she had been
the one to suture the large gash. He vaguely remembered asking for her. She did
a fine job on Davina’s arm, and he wanted the same on his belly.
    “Aye, I did. The time has come to change the dressing.” She
searched his face with those large eyes. “If you’re up to it, M’Laird.”
    “I’m