“Are you sure whoever you got these from doesn’t mind?”
Ali asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “They look like they’ve never been worn.”
“They havena’, the laird ordered them fer our lady. Spoiled her he did. Never wanted to give her father anythin’ to complain aboot. Not many have gowns such as these. They were a gift fer after the bairn was born.” She gave a sad sigh before she went on to explain, “’Tis why they’re long enough fer you. I didna’ have a chance to alter them fer her.”
Ali didn’t know what to say, so she concentrated on pul ing up the stockings, wincing as the fabric scraped across her palm.
“What’s wrong, lass?” The woman reached for Ali’s hand. She tsked, and shook her head. “Fergus should have been the one to see to the wound, but I ken he couldna’
do it. No’ after the last time.”
“The last time?”
“Aye, he tried to help Dougal, you see, doin’ as you did fer our laird. Kil ed him instead,” she said as she bent to rol on the stockings for Ali.
LORD OF THE ISLES
33
Ali’s eyes widened. “Oh, ah . . . I’m sorry.”
“Aye, wel , these things happen, but at least our laird had you to care fer him.” Stepping back she gave Ali the onceover. “Yer set now.”
Ali got up from the bed, anxious to check on her patient. Not sure she was ready to have her suspicions confirmed.
“Did Rory wake up when you were in his room?”
“Nay, but he seems to be restin’ comfortably. Doona’
fash yerself, lass. You can see to him once we’ve had our wee chat.” Mrs. Mac opened the adjoining door and cal ed out to Fergus and Iain, gesturing for them to come inside.
“I’d rather not leave him on his own. We can have this conversation in his room.”
“Nay, we canna’ do that. I have a lass sittin’ with him. If need be, she’l cal .”
Fergus and Iain came into the room, looking il at ease, unable to meet her eyes. Mrs. Mac closed the door behind them. “Sit, lass,” she ordered.
Ali obeyed. The woman was bossy.
Iain rubbed the shadow along his jaw with the palm of his big hand, then lifted his eyes to hers. “Do you ken what happened?”
Ali chewed the inside of her lower lip, wondering if she dare risk the embarrassment of explaining exactly what it was she thought had happened. It was so far-fetched as to be laughable, but she wasn’t laughing, and she needed to know what was going on.
“When your brother was wounded you thought he was going to die, so you raised the fairy flag, and
She tried to make light of it.
The three of them stared at her in stunned silence.
tiously, she searched for cameras in the crevices of the gray stone wal s. 34
“How did you ken?” Iain asked.
“Duncan Macintosh, Dunvegan’s caretaker, he told me about the fairy flag when he took me on a tour of the castle this afternoon,” she said absently, until she realized what Iain had asked. “What do you mean, how did I know? Are you trying to tel me that’s what happened?”
“Aye.” Iain grimaced.
She jumped off the bed. “Wel , wave it again and send me back.”
“We canna’ do that. There’s only one wish left,” he ex
plained, backing away as she strode toward him.
“I’m tel ing you to do it, now.” She stabbed a finger into his broad chest.
“I’m sorry, lass, we canna’. We have to think of the clan,” Fergus said quietly.
“What about me? You expect me to stay here, stuck in the sixteenth century, never to go home?” She choked back a sob, determined not to cry.
“Ah, lass, I didna’ mean for this to happen. But I had no choice. I couldna’ let my brother die.”
“’Tis no’ the lad’s fault. He only raised the flag and the fairies did the rest.”
Mrs. Mac, who had remained quiet the entire time, stepped forward. “Lass, do you have bairns you’d be leavin’
behind?”
