Highland Devil (Murray Family #22)(13)

Mora almost laughed. "That would mean she would have to go out and find a  strange cat, a male cat. Nay. She never goes out unless I can go with  her. Or some other person she sees as safe. Doesnae mean she willnae be  caught some day."

"Get some rest. I will fetch you a clean shift and then you can sleep. I have a potion to help you if you cannot sleep."

"Nay, I believe I will have little trouble sleeping."

"I will fetch the shift now."

The moment Jolene left, Mora had to grip her hands tightly together to  keep herself from massaging, or worse, digging at the pain in her side.  At the moment, there was little comfort to find in the knowledge that  what Jolene had done would help her. She closed her eyes and sucked in a  sharp breath as she tried to fight the pain.

When Jolene returned, Mora snapped out of a light doze and knew she had  been close to going to sleep. Right next to the woman marched Freya. Her  cat showed no hint of unease around the woman, and even though Mora  told herself it was foolish to trust in an animal's opinion, she did.

She sat up with help from Jolene and hissed with the pain of the  movement. Once the shift was on though, and she was able to lie back  down, she quickly recovered. Freya leapt up on the bed, avoiding her  wounded side, and curled up next to her.         

     



 

"Do you need a box of dirt for her?"

"Oh, aye, if it is nay too much trouble."

"Well, from all you said, I realized you will not be able to be her  guard outside, so it might be best. We had one for Old George when  winter came as he loathed the cold, and I quickly got weary of cleaning  up messes by the kitchen door. Be right back," she said even as she  hurried out the door.

Soon she had all she needed, Jolene even placing a tankard of cider on  the table by the bed. The woman promised to let Gybbon know where Mora  was and explain that she would not be coming down the stairs soon. Mora  curled her arm around her cat, holding her closer to her uninjured side,  and closed her eyes.



Gybbon frowned at Jolene when she returned alone. "Where is Mora?"

"She is resting."

"Was it that wound she tried to tell me was just a scratch?"

Jolene sighed and nodded. "Aye, and she will have to rest for a few days if she wants it to heal."

"It was no scratch, was it?"

"No. To be fair, it may have looked like one when she first bandaged it,  but something made the small cut widen. She thinks it was when Jester  tossed her off. I have cleaned it, stitched it, and put a clean bandage  on as well as some healing cream. She will be fine soon. We just have to  keep a close watch for a fever but e'en that may not be serious."

"At least she had something to break her fast."

"A full belly can be very helpful in healing. The cat is with her. I did  worry it might hurt her wound in some way, but it carefully avoided it.  I had Jeannette bring in a box of dirt for the cat as Mora said the  animal does not go out unless she has a guard."

"Ye wouldnae either if ye had to fret about even what flies in the air seeing ye as a quick meal."

"Might be why it is so hard for me to find a runt," Jolene murmured.

"That and the fact that many a mama cat allows the runty ones to be  pushed aside by the others," said Sigimor. "One of those ugly, hard  facts of life."

"Of which there are far too many," said Jolene.

"True, but at least we are in a quiet time, no battles or wars. Havenae  e'en had a raid. Men are getting soft," he said with a hint of sadness,  but he glanced at his wife as he spoke, and his eyes were full of  amusement.

Gybbon decided it was time to talk about something that would draw  Sigimor from his game of irritating his wife into yelling at him. "So,  what do ye think should be done about her cousin?"

"Kill the murdering bastard," Sigimor replied. "Aye, and as quickly as ye can."

"Sigimor," Jolene said in such a mildly scolding tone Gybbon suspected  she agreed with her husband. "Killing is not always the answer."

"Sometimes, lass, it is the only answer. Dinnae forget, the mon now  seeks to get his well-bloodied hands on a lad of only seven and make  sure he isnae alive long enough to inherit what his poor murdered  parents have left him."

"True. I just find it hard to believe anyone would murder a whole family  just to have their house and lands, especially when there is a big  inheritance coming his way anyway."

"That reasoning is what troubles Mora now and then," Gybbon said. "She  cannae understand it, either. In truth, it does make little sense. They  are killing people for what is but a small piece of the estate their da  holds, and I dinnae believe Robert intends to share any of that with his  brothers, either."

Gybbon shook his head over the senselessness of it all and asked  Sigimor, "So where is this son ye are so puffed up about? And, come to  think of it, where are your lassies?"

"My son is asleep as all smart bairns should be, and my beautiful girls  are visiting Ilsa. They do that now and then, so when the illness came I  sent them right off to her."

"I hope ye sent her some help to deal with them as weel," Gybbon teased.

"Seven maids," said Jolene. "The ones that often help care for them so they know all their tricks."

Gybbon laughed but then grew serious. "Mora's uncle, the laird and the  father to her cousins, had fallen ill. It was soon after that happened  that the trouble began."

"She thinks they had a hand in that, does she?" asked Sigimor.

"Aye. It fits, doesnae it? The laird liked her parents a lot. Her father  was his youngest brother even though they had a break that ended the  closeness they used to have, and the mon never had a problem with what  the mon had been given."

"Then Robert decided he wants that piece back and suddenly the laird is  near to dying. The mon who was caring for him has also been killed and  Robert is blaming Mora. He is claiming she stole his sword and cut the  mon down."         

     



 

"That wee lass?"

"Men are all too quick to believe women are murderous liars." Jolene  shook her head. "And if they are led to believe she did it because the  mon kenned she was poisoning the laird, something else all men believe  women commonly do, then she has to also worry about the sheriff or his  men."

"Aye, sadly true. I just wish I kenned a way to find out the fate of her  other two brothers. There is nary a male to stand for her now and it  would help a great deal if she had one."

"She has you, and a Murray on your side is not a bad thing to have."

"Nay, it isnae," said Sigimor, "and I would stand at her side if it was  needed as weel. Mayhap ye ought to get her to Gormfeurach."

"Her parents told her to come shelter with you."

"I ken it, and she is most welcome if that is what she chooses, but  right now my keep and, sadly, a lot of my men in it are too sick to be  much help."

"The sickness spread so far?"

"Aye. 'Tis why I decided to get the three of us out of there. I was  slower to act than I really liked but have been keeping a watch on  things. It appears to be passing but they are all weak as babes."

"Then, aye, I will take her to Gormfeurach as soon as we can find the boy."

"That I can help ye with. We will set to it in the morning."

"I will tell Mora."

"Do ye mean to take her with ye?"

"I dinnae really want to, but the boy might come faster if we do take her."

"True. We will see how she fares in the morning." Sigimor stood and grabbed his wife by the hand, tugging her out of her seat.

Gybbon watched them go and a few moments later two women hurried in to  clear away the last of the food. He rose and made his way up the stairs.  He was just thinking that Sigimor had not told him where he was to  sleep when he noticed a door open and, as he looked into the room, saw  his belongings dumped on the bed. He was just about to go inside when he  heard a soft scratching.

Walking down the hall, he stopped when he saw a tiny gray paw slide out  under the door. He opened the door and found Mora whispering to her cat  to come back. Once he stepped inside, the cat ran to the bed. Gybbon  walked to the side of Mora's bed and looked down at her, then sighed.  She would not be going with them in the morning. She was pale but there  were hints that she was feeling a bit feverish. There were flags of red  in her cheeks and her eyes were half shut and far too bright.

"A scratch?" he drawled as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"Well, that was all it felt like and it wasnae so bad when I looked at it and bandaged it. I blame Jester."

"Why not? I often do. Of course, it wouldnae have been made worse if ye had tended it properly in the beginning."

Mora just rolled her eyes. "It has been weel tended now. Washed, wrapped, and sewn up neatly and had cream put on it."