Page 46 of Highlander's Captive Bride
“What?! Even though I’ll get better now that they cannae put the nasty things in me food?”
“Aye. I’m afraid so. ’Tis the only way to catch them.”
“But, Da, I want to go out and play like I used to. I dinnae want to have to be in here all the time and act sick,” Elodie protested.
“I ken, lassie, and I’m sorry I have to ask ye to do this. But it willnae be for much longer, I promise ye. Just a few days, and then we’ll have them. And if ye can do it, I’ll buy ye something nice to make up for it.”
Elodie thought for a moment. “A pony?”
“Aye, a pony if ye like.”
“And can I go to the Beltane party?”
He hesitated. “I’ll think about it.”
Elodie thought some more, her face screwed up in concentration. Finally, she said, “All right, Da. I’ll do it.”
Bellamy smiled and hugged her close, kissing the top of her head. “Ach, ye’re a grand lass. I kenned I could trust ye to help me. Now, dinnae forget, ye have to fool Poppy into thinking ye’re really, really sick. Much worse than before.”
“But why, Da? Poppy’s me friend. She wouldnae tell.”
“’Tis not that, hinny. ’Tis to protect her from the bad person. They might try to hurt her, to find out what she kens. If she kens naething, she’ll be safe, d’ye see?”
“Aye, I suppose so. I dinnae like lying to her, though, all the same,” Elodie said sadly.
“Aye, lying isnae good, of course. But sometimes, me lassie, we have to tell a wee lie to find out the truth about something important. That’s allowed,” Bellamy told her.
“All right, Da.”
“Good lass. Now, remember, nae one else can ken about this secret plan. Just ye and me, and Daisy. All right?”
Not long after that, Poppy came back with the bannocks, and Bellamy told her that he had to leave on some urgent business. He left her standing with the plate of hot bannocks, looking after him in puzzled annoyance.
“Well, d’ye want to try one of these, lassie?” Poppy finally asked when he stepped out of the room, turning to Elodie with the plate.
But the little girl shook her head and said, “Nae, thank ye, Poppy. I dinnae feel very well. Me tummy’s all sore again.”
Satisfied his plan was in motion, Bellamy headed off to find Jamie, to tell him all that had happened and enlist his help. As he passed Daisy’s door, a vivid vision of her moaning with pleasure as she lay spread out naked before him on the bed made his groin twitch.
He was tempted to go into her room, where he was sure she was still asleep in her bed, and simply tear off his clothes and get in with her. He knew he could never have his fill of her, and that was the reason why he kept on walking past her door.
As he took the stairs two at a time, he told himself that the way he felt about her risked distracting him from his mission. But deep down, he knew he was really scared of the way he was starting to care about her, and of the heartbreak and mayhem that could ensue if he ever let her all the way into his heart.
Despite that, by the time he went outside to the training yard behind the keep to find Jamie, he decided he wanted to do something nice for Daisy. He wanted to show his gratitude for all she had done, and was doing, for him and Elodie.
Just as he thought, Jamie was in the training yard, sparring with one of the younger soldiers. He and Bellamy often trained together in the mornings, trying to hack bits out of each other with their claymores with boyish enthusiasm.
“Are ye done yet? I need ye,” Bellamy shouted to Jamie, who immediately bowed out of the session and came over to join him. His face was red and sweaty, and he was puffing with exertion. He laid aside the wooden shield he had been using and sheathed his sword.
“A bonny morning to ye,” Jamie said with a grin. “Have ye come to let me beat the living daylights out of ye?”
Bellamy laughed and put an arm around his friend’s shoulders, drawing him aside. “Nae today, thank ye. I have something important I need to speak to ye about. Will ye walk with me?”
“D’ye nae want some breakfast? I’m starving after that training,” Jamie asked hopefully.
But Bellamy shook his head. “This is too important to risk being overheard,” he explained and then guided Jamie further away, into a secluded area of the castle grounds.
They sat down on a stone bench.
