Highland Escape - Cathy MacRae Page 0,53
faded, Anna rolled to her feet and resumed dressing for bed.
“Tell me.” The whining in Nessa’s voice threatened to start the giggles again.
“Tell you what, Nessa?”
Impatient, Nessa huffed, rattling off a string of questions. “Are ye courting? Do ye love him? Does this mean ye shall stay forever? Are ye planning to marry? When will I become an aunt?”
Anna plopped onto the bed, stunned by the directness of Nessa’s questions. She still searched to find her bearings, not sort things out for her nosey adopted sister. Love? She wasn’t sure what love was. At least not between a man and woman. Mairi said love needed passion, trust, respect and caring to form. They had all of these, so perhaps love would develop. It was too new to her, too early in their relationship to claim love. As for the rest, she couldn’t think that far ahead. Turning at last to Nessa’s eager face, Anna answered carefully.
“Yes, we are courting. He asked today, so you haven’t missed anything. ’Tis too soon to speak of love, but I do care for your brother. There is something powerful between us. As for the rest, only time will tell.”
Clasping her hands to either side of Anna’s face, Nessa gave her an elated smile. “We shall truly be sisters! It has been my dearest wish.” Unable to contain her joy, Nessa crawled under the bedclothes with Anna, extolling the virtues of love until they both fell asleep.
The next few days flew swiftly by. Each morning she trained with Duncan in both armed and unarmed combat. He readily saw the logic behind each technique they covered and regularly praised her abilities. Often, their sparring led to heated embraces and kisses. She relished them as much as the fighting, perhaps more.
Duncan’s prediction she’d won over clan MacGregor proved accurate. Setting bones, stitching cuts, tending burns, soothing fevers, and treating a number of other maladies kept Anna busy for several hours most afternoons.
The laird grudgingly allowed Nessa to assist Anna on most cases, after Anna suggested the future wife of a laird, skilled in healing the sick and wounded, would be quite valued. Not in the least put off by the sight of blood, Nessa showed signs of a true gift, and her kind, gentle nature put people at ease.
The gratitude of the people whom Anna assisted warmed her heart. She’d turned down a pig, sacks of grain, and some vegetables she didn’t recognize as payment for services. Duncan explained to everyone that the laird provided for her, and in turn her services were part of his care for them. She’d never received compensation before for doing what she viewed as Christian charity, and felt uncomfortable doing so now.
In spite of the laird’s words, she noticed her favorite things continued to crop up anonymously. The jam she enjoyed so much at breakfast always seemed to be on the table. Loaves of the dark, sweet bread with nuts and berries she favored was regularly served. A never-ending supply of lavender soap appeared for her bath. Two thicker tunics and a new pair of deerskin breeches found their way into her possession. Anna never knew who was responsible for these things, but her heart filled each time she saw them.
The laird set boundaries on the types of cases Nessa attended. Again, Anna was surprised by the lack of protest the girl offered. It also made her feel guilty she wasn’t as obedient a daughter as Nessa. Watching father and daughter together made Anna grasp the depth of love her own father had possessed to allow his only daughter to pursue the unconventional interests she did.
Isla attended also. She and Nessa kept a running log of treatments, tracking details for each case. Anna used this opportunity to teach the girls Latin, English and mathematics. They kept various remedies cataloged in another book.
Though Nessa shied from any use of acupuncture, Isla allowed Anna to treat her, as she experienced difficult pain the week leading up to her monthly courses. This, along with an herbal tea, eased her suffering considerably.
Two days after Isla’s first session, Anna received requests from a number of women in the village for the same tea. A few even allowed acupuncture. While she had envisioned healing more grievous wounds and illnesses, she experienced satisfaction knowing she brought comfort to other women.
Anna cherished her time at the stables working with the horses. She found joy in training the unruly young steeds to take the bit and saddle and