Medieval Ever After (84 page)

Maddie clung to Alex with her right arm. He kissed her forehead but said nothing.

For Alex, this event had brought clarity to his life. He chastised himself for the doubts he had entertained for the past several days. Maddie belonged in his arms. How could he have doubted it for an instant? The woman had just jeopardized everything for his sister and another wee bairn. She had never questioned whether it was the right thing to do—she had simply done it. The needs of others always came first for Maddie. Long ago, he had thought her timid—a frightened rabbit. Well, timid, frightened rabbits didn’t put themselves in danger jumping down deep sinkholes in the ground.

Somehow, he would have to help her bring the same courage to their lovemaking. He probably would still have to be very patient, but they would find a way to make it work.

She would be his wife and he vowed to make her happiness a priority.

Maddie MacD had just grabbed another portion of his heart.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

When they reached
the stables, Old Hugh grabbed the reins while Mac took Maddie gently from Alex. The instant he got off Midnight, he took her back into his arms. She never made a sound when she moved, but the look in her eyes told Alex everything.

As he carried her to the keep, he whispered, “I will take care of you. Brenna will help with your arm, but I promise not to leave you.” He leaned over and kissed her mouth.

“Jennie? Emma?” she choked out.

“Emma appears fine. Jennie is with Brenna right now. Once you are settled, I will check on Jennie. You are a brave woman, Maddie.”

He glanced down at Maddie and noticed the way she clung to him with white knuckles. The pain she bore showed in subtle ways. Unfortunately, he knew the arm would need to be straightened, so her pain would worsen before it improved.

When Alex reached the door, Alice offered her assistance to him. As she followed him upstairs, she said, “I have her chamber ready, my laird. Brenna is with wee Jennie. I will assist Maddie and then send for Brenna once she is settled.”

At the top of the stairs, Alex turned to the right.

“Laird, I am sure you have forgotten in the confusion, but Maddie’s chamber is to the left.”

Alex ignored her and strode onward.

“Ah, excuse me, but Maddie’s chamber is the other way.”

When Alex glanced over his shoulder, Alice was standing there glaring at him, her hands on her hips.

He reached his door and pushed it open with his foot. “I am not confused, my lady. Maddie will be in my chamber.” He proceeded to his bed and carefully set her down.

Alice jumped. “But this is not proper,” she fretted. She stood outside his door as if afraid to venture inside.

“I don’t know if it is proper or no’, but she stays with me. This is where she belongs. I will take care of her,” Alex finished. His glare told Alice his decision was not open for discussion.

“Alex, I already have enough difficulties with your clan. Please do not do this,” Maddie begged in a soft, strained voice.

“Stay with her for a minute please, Alice.” He turned to Maddie and said, “I need to check in with Brenna. No one will know, Maddie. Do you no’ know yet where you belong?” Alex carefully propped Maddie’s left arm on a pillow, tucked her into bed, kissed her cheek, and turned toward the door.

“My lord, but what will your people think? They will assume terrible things about her,” Alice implored, her cheeks turning red.

“And if they dare to speak it, they will find themselves living elsewhere. She is my betrothed, and she stays here. I promise you, Alice, I will not ravish your charge until after we are wed. But she will stay here where she belongs.” Alex nodded his head to Alice and left the room. At the last moment, he stuck his head back around the open door, “But I will allow you to bathe her, if you do no’ mind. I am sure she will feel better with all that dirt washed away. And I know it would upset you if I did it.” He winked and smiled, then shut the door behind him.

Alex found Robbie and Brenna at Jennie’s bedside. He leaned over and kissed his wee sister’s forehead. “Is there any change, Brenna? Have you found anything else?”

“Nay, Alex. I think ‘tis the head wound that makes her sleep. She did talk some nonsense a bit, which I take to be a good sign. Her body needs rest. She knows she is safe now, so hopefully she will relax enough to start healing. Robbie, you stay with her while I tend to Maddie’s arm.”

As they headed down the passageway together, she turned to her brother. “Alex, I will need you and Brodie to hold her down. Can you handle it when she screams? I can bring someone else in to hold her if it would be too much for you. It is a bad break. I will need to probe it first before I can set it.”

“Aye, I will hold her. She will not scream. But I want to be there to help her deal with the pain. Brodie won’t be needed.”

Brenna shook her head. “Alex, I want another to be there. As you know, I have been kicked and swung at by men who have suffered less painful breaks. I cannot risk any injuries. I need to be strong for both of them.”

“Aye, if ‘tis what you want, we will do it. I will get Brodie.”

“I want to give Maddie something to help ease the pain. Then I will return after I check on Jennie once more. I need to give the pain mixture a little time to work.”

As soon as Alex found Brodie, he sent him to Jennie’s chamber to check on their wee sister and fetch Brenna. When he entered his own chamber, he found Alice primping Maddie. She had cleaned most of the dirt off her charge, but was still fussing over her.

“Maddie, the rest of your bath will have to wait until tomorrow. We cannot stress your arm any more today. My lord, may I move a few of her things here?” Alice asked.

“You may move all of them here if you would like. This is where she stays.” He sat on the bed on Maddie’s right side, leaning his back against the wall so he could prop her against his chest and guard her arm. Alice left to retrieve Maddie’s things.

Rubbing her uninjured right arm, he whispered, “Jennie is still sleeping, but Brenna thinks she may just need extra rest. She will come and straighten your arm out soon. I promise to stay with you.” He brushed his lips across her silky hair. “You know it will hurt, aye?”

Maddie slowly nodded. Whatever Brenna had given her had started to work. He could tell she was fighting to stay awake.

“Alex, are you angry about the loch?” she whispered.

“Nay, love, just foolish.”

“No more secrets…” she mumbled as her eyes closed.

Alex caressed her right arm to help lull her to sleep.

“Alex?” Her eyes opened for a second before closing again.

“Hmm?”

“I love you. You are my dream.” Her breathing shifted into a more rhythmic pattern as she fell sound asleep.

Alex didn’t move—he
could
not move. Had he heard her correctly? She loved him? His heart soared and did a funny little flip. Those three little words had warmed his heart. He wished she would say it again, but she was asleep. He still was not sure he loved her, but he certainly had stronger feelings for Maddie than he had ever felt for any lass. He hadn’t realized how strong those feelings were until the accident.

Brodie and Brenna came into the room not long after.

“She is a strong lass for her size, is she no’, Alex?” Brenna asked. “I shudder to think what would have happened if Maddie had not been able to pull both lasses up. Is she sleeping?”

Alex nodded. “Aye, though I know you will wake her when you do what you must. Do it quickly, please.”

“Brodie, be ready to grab her in case she starts thrashing. I have to probe the broken bone first. I’m afraid it will be very painful.” Brenna arranged her supplies, a board to hold the arm straight, linen strips to wrap around it and a piece of linen to fashion into a sling.

Brenna lifted the injured arm and asked Brodie to hold it still for her. That simple action was enough to jolt Maddie awake.

“Maddie,” Brenna said softly but firmly, “I have to feel your bones to see exactly where it is broken. I hope there is only one break, but I must check for more. It will hurt, so scream if you must.” She leaned in to kiss Maddie’s cheek. “Thank you, lass, for saving our wee ones.”

Then, without waiting any longer, Brenna started to probe Maddie’s left hand, working her way upward. They waited for the screaming to start, but it never started. Maddie’s breathing was erratic and she nuzzled her face into Alex’s chest, but she kept her arm completely still for Brenna.

“How does she do it? I have never seen a lass who can bear so much,” Brodie asked in wonder. “How would you ever know she was in pain?”

Alex smoothed a hand over her hair. “I am starting to learn more about my betrothed. I know when she is in pain. I could see it in her eyes when she was in that hole, and I can see it in the sweat on her brow now. You are all right, sweeting?” he whispered.

Maddie nodded, but kept her eyes closed.

Alex pointed to her right hand. It was clenched into a tight fist.

Having finished her probing, Brenna sat back a little and said, “I think there is only one break in your forearm, Maddie. That is the good news. But I am going to have to pull and twist it to get it back in place. That is the bad news. Can you wiggle your fingers for me?”

Maddie wiggled all her fingers slowly, but it clearly took effort.

“Good. Now, I will do this as fast as I can, but it will be painful.” Brenna showed Brodie what she wanted him to do.

Maddie grabbed Alex’s hand with her right one. She took a deep breath and nodded at Brenna. After nodding back, Brenna tugged on Madeline’s arm, pushing and twisting the bone back into place. Maddie’s body arched off the bed, but while her body trembled all over, she never made a sound. Tears flowed down her cheeks as Alex held her in place.

“There, I am done. I think it will heal straight. I just want to get it wrapped. You will not be able to use it at all for at least a fortnight.” Brenna wrapped her linen strips around the board, then motioned for the brothers to give Maddie the rest of the sleeping potion.

As she drank the mixture, Madeline smiled weakly. “Thank you, Brenna. That was not so bad. You are very gentle.”

Brenna raised her eyebrows and glanced at both brothers before she left the room.

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