Page 24 of Rescued By the Highland Warrior
“Me healer,” Moira tutted. “I’m fine Roderick, I’m already feelin’ a wee better, and we cannae very well stay in this hut fer the rest o’ the day, can we?”
“Nay,” Roderick interjected, “that’s why I’ll carry ye.”
Moira’s eyes widened, as she looked at him in shock. “Nae, Roderick, ye’ve done that quite enough. I think I can mak’ it back tae me chambers now without ye having tae dae all that.”
It was amusing to Roderick what sort of things garnered Moira’s emotional response. Most things didn’t appear to affect her at all, but when it came to Roderick carrying her or caring for her, for whatever reason, she seemed outraged.
It wasn’t a big deal to Roderick, she was as light as a feather. Although he felt telling her that would only make things worse.
“Moira” he said plainly. “I insist, I will nae tak’ nay fer an answer.”
“Fine,” she huffed after a moment’s consideration, looking off to the side. “At least ye gave me some warnin’ this time.”
“A true gentleman, I am,” he smiled, before once again taking Moira into his arms. He walked with her in silence, all the way to her chambers. Some passing people gave them concerned looks–but for the most part they were left alone.
The bandage on Moira’s leg was explanation enough.
Once inside her chambers, she broke the silence insisting he put her down.
“Aye just a minute,” he said, and then carefully settled her down onto her bed. He closed the doors behind him, and was just about to advise her to rest, when suddenly she moved.
She slipped down from her bed, landing firmly on her two feet. To Roderick’s surprise she began to walk around the room with ease toward her case.
“What are ye daeing?”
She didn’t respond, but smiled back at him, a mischievous smile—one that completely contradicted her previous semblance of pain.
CHAPTER NINE
“Daes it nae hurt ye?” Roderick exclaimed, his brow furrowing in confusion as Moira noticed him watch her move around at ease. She could have offered him an explanation, but she was enjoying the look on his face too much.
Moira sighed, and turned to face him, unable to hold back the playful smile that spread across her lips. “I didnae actually twist me ankle, Roderick. So there is nae reason fer it tae hurt.”
Roderick’s mouth fell open slightly before he snapped it shut, his expression serious. “So, ye were fakin’ it?”
“Aye,” Moira said, coming closer toward him.
“Tae get tae the healer?”
“Aye.”
Roderick’s expression hardened as he moved away from Moira, perching at the edge of the bed, his face etched with a deep and pensive scowl. Moira’s chest tightened. She knew he might be angry—especially after how attentive and caring he’d been during her ‘accident.’ The thought stirred a faint pang of guilt inside her.
She also didn’t like that he had had to carry her, and she didn’t like that she had had to be ‘saved’, even if it was only in pretense. The idea of depending on anyone but herself, stirred a mixture of deeply uncomfortable feelings within her.
But still, his reaction had been useful for her plans, plans that benefited him too. And yet, she couldn’t ignore the part of her that was touched by the way he had held her so protectively, the fierce concern in his eyes as he had stayed by her side at the healer’s home.
“I understand why ye did it,” Roderick said at last, his voice low and tense. “But why would ye nae just tell me? I wouldnae have been so…”
His voice trailed off, and he stopped talking, but he looked Moira directly in the eye. It was as though he was trying to extract from her all the emotions that she was already feeling.
“I’m sorry, Roderick,” Moira said gently. “But I couldnae trust that ye had any sort of good actin’ skills, and I didnae want tae raise any suspicions.”
She pushed past her guilt, refusing to feel bad for something that was ultimately for an investigation he was urging her to speed up. He was the one who had told her that they were running out of time.
“But did ye need tae tak’ it so far?” He asked. “Ye were groanin’ in pain.”
“I ken, but I needed ye tae tak me tae the healer’s chambers, which ye did. I didnae ken how sympathetic ye’d be, but ye did a great job in takin’ me there–it worked perfectly.”
