The lady did have spirit. The way she held her head reminded Alex of his mother. Most lasses would be sobbing uncontrollably now if in her situation.
“If you need anything, my lady, please ask. I will not be far. Here is a sliver of soap you may use.” Alex turned and walked back to the area where they would camp. He kept his back toward the river, but his ears open.
A few moments later, he heard a gasp as Madeline entered the water. Brodie and his men labored at skinning the meat they had caught. Alex decided to build a fire and went in search of more wood and brush.
***
Maddie removed her torn gown and stepped into the stream. The water was brisk but bearable. She lowered herself into the water, stopping as it burned the angry, raw skin. She finally managed to get her upper body in the water, but her thin chemise still clung to her back. After several attempts to free it from her wounds, she realized it was probably stuck in dried blood as Laird Grant had advised her. If she didn’t get it cleaned soon, she feared the laird was right, it would fester.
Tears gathered in her lashes, but she held strong. What was happening to her? She really didn’t know any of these men. Why was she travelling with them? How could she trust them?
They certainly were handsome, especially the one called Alexander. Was he named after their king? Somehow, that seemed appropriate. Whenever he glanced her way, she was unnerved. She was not accustomed to strangers as her father had protected her, but was it normal to feel so unsettled whenever an attractive man looked at her? It wasn’t just his face, but his size. He was larger than her da had been. Yet she didn’t worry about his purpose. She trusted him, but didn’t know why.
There was too much information for her to process presently. Truth be known, she was glad to be away from her stepbrother, but Alice would worry about her. Laird Grant had said Mac had sent him a missive. Alice had mentioned it as well. She hoped her maid would guess she was with the Grant brothers.
“Laird,” she called out. “How long will it be until we will arrive at your castle?”
Alex appeared at the edge of the stream.
“Turn around, please! I am only in my shift,” Maddie shouted.
“Your pardon, my lady,” Alex said as he obliged. “We have a day or two travel ahead yet.”
Madeline sighed with resignation. She looked at the tall highlander, his back to her. Could she trust him? Her instincts said yes, as he was Brenna and Jennie’s brother. She knew she would have trouble letting him get close. However, she needed help and there were only men nearby. She had no choice. He was the only one she could trust at the moment.
“Laird Grant, I need help getting the fabric out of my wounds. Will you assist me?”
“Of course, but you may prefer to turn your back to me, as I cannot soak all of my clothes. I only have an extra tunic with me.” She watched Alex strip off his boots and quickly turned before he tossed his plaid aside. She listened to his splash as he dove into the water. He surfaced directly behind her, then stopped. She trembled beneath the water.
“Lass, I will try my best no’ to hurt you,” he said softly. He stepped forward in the water and she jumped.
Alex decided to try to be quick about it. His heart had already softened toward her. If he had to listen to her scream or cry, it would probably be his undoing. As he pulled on the material, she winced. “I am afraid this will hurt a bit,” he whispered.
Maddie braced herself and said, “Go ahead, be done with it.”
Alex worked carefully to free the material from the dried blood. Since he towered over her, he could actually see her full breasts rising and falling with her breathing. Hardly scrawny anymore! Alex tried to rein in his thoughts, as he would not be able to act on them. If he wasn’t careful, his hardness would frighten her right out of the water. He focused on his work, trying to ignore her scent and the feel of her skin under his hands. One small consolation was there appeared to be only two lashes. They had arrived none too soon. He shuddered at the thought of what her stepbrother may have done to her.
Madeline could not stop herself from sneaking a peek over her shoulder at the tall laird from under her lashes. She hadn’t expected him to be this gentle. He was even more handsome now with the black washed off his face. He had the broadest shoulders she had ever seen, and his torso was all muscle. She unconsciously licked her lips as her eyes caressed his bronzed skin.
When he caught her staring, she blushed and snapped her head back around. He worked carefully on her back, his warm breath washing across her neck. She jumped as he freed part of the cloth from her lash marks. What must he think of her to have been whipped by her own kin? He must think her behavior was horrid.