handed the ring to Brodie, who stared impatiently at the flight of descending stairs. He practically snatched the keyring from Aggie’s hand when she held it up.
Laurel heard heavy boot steps outside the door. She drew a deep breath and twisted toward the door. It took the last dregs of her strength to lift her hand and slap it against the door. Her fingers were too inflexible to make a fist, and she didn’t have the energy to pound on anything. She tried to call out, but the only sound she produced was a cracked whisper. “Brodie,” she rasped.
She fell back against the wall when she heard a key in the door. She was certain it was Brodie, but she would be happy with anyone at that point. The torch had guttered hours ago, so she sat in the dark. When the door flew open and torch flight flashed before her, her sensitive eyes made her moan.
“Dear God, Laurie!”
She opened her eyes to see Brodie thrust the torch behind him before he swooped down and lifted her into his arms. Her head lolled onto his shoulder as she looked at him. She had no strength left to smile or nod. Even the notion of keeping her eyes open was daunting. She’d stopped shivering hours ago, too weak to continue. She’d never imagined she could be so cold and yet still be alive. She knew if Brodie hadn’t found her, she likely wouldn’t be for this world in another hour.
“Get a bath to our chamber,” Brodie commanded. Laurel tried to see who he was ordering around.
“M—” Laurel only produced the sound when she recognized her brother and Donnan. Brodie’s warmth, and the security she felt now that he’d found her, made her want to sleep. She hadn’t let herself, fearful that if she fell asleep, she would never wake.
“Thistle, nae yet. Mo ghaol, ye canna sleep yet. I ken ye’re so tired, but I must get ye warmer before ye sleep. Stay with me, Laurie.”
Laurel heard the desperation in Brodie’s voice, and her heart ached for how her husband must feel. She mustered energy she didn’t think she held and nodded. She pushed forth the sound, “Bro—”
“Aye, mo ghaol, I’m here.” Brodie bounded up the steps as though he carried nothing at all. He rolled Laurel, so her face nestled against his chest, protecting her eyes from the sunlight. Clan members stopped in their tracks as they watched their laird running toward the keep’s main doors with their lady in his arms. The guards at the top of the steps pulled the double doors open for Brodie. He didn’t slow as he ran the entire way up to their second-floor chamber. Monty and Donnan were behind him, but Monty sprinted forward to reach the door and open it for Brodie.
Without a word, Monty went to the fireplace, adding bricks of peat and poking the embers alive. Brodie laid Laurel on the bed and stripped off boots and stockings. Donnan went to the chest Brodie silently pointed to and pulled out two extra plaids. He went to the bed and unfolded them halfway before stacking them. Looking at one another, all three men reached for the brooches at their shoulders, unpinning the extra yards of wool. They dropped their scabbards and belts to the floor as they unwound their breacan feiles. Standing in just their leines, they added their plaids to the two already laid out on the bed. Monty and Donnan looked at Laurel, then Brodie before they left the chamber.
Alone with Laurel, Brodie stripped her of all her clothes, alarmed by how cold the material was. He ripped off his leine and climbed onto the bed beside Laurel. He covered them both with the five plaids before he pulled Laurel’s body flush with his.
“Laurie, dinna sleep. Nae yet. Ye can sleep the night and the day away, but nae until I ken ye’re warm enough to—” Brodie couldn’t finish. What would he say? Survive. Live. Not die. He didn’t want to say any of those aloud. When Laurel’s moans grew more pain-filled, he knew it meant sensation was returning to her extremities. He knew it would be excruciating, but it meant she would regain feeling. He prayed that without a biting wind and truly frigid temperatures, she wouldn’t suffer frostbite and risk losing fingers and toes. But try as he might, Laurel gave in to her body’s demand to sleep. Less frightened as her body started to warm, Brodie didn’t