Tempted by the Highland Warrior Read Online Free PDF Page A

the immense
freedom had been overwhelming. There was no one to tell her what to wear, where
to go, or what her duties were each day. Although Marguerite tried to offer her
help, she was unaccustomed to living this way. She felt awkward, trying to
settle into a pattern that wasn’t her own.
    A commotion outside caught their attention and Laren hurried to
see what it was. Marguerite followed and saw the men returning on horseback.
Callum was with them, but he stared off into the distance as if he were blind.
In his broken posture, she glimpsed a man who had suffered years’ worth of
torment in only a few weeks.
    An aching regret squeezed her heart. It’s
my fault , she thought to herself. If Callum spied her, he might be
angry with her for what had happened. A strange rise of nerves gathered inside
her like a windstorm of leaves. She wanted to see him again, but it was possible
he didn’t remember her.
    She disappeared within the fortress and gave orders for a hot
bath to be prepared for Callum. It shamed her to realise that she was hiding
from them. From her vantage point in the far corner, she saw the men gathering.
Nairna’s face was pale as she followed behind her husband and the others.
    When Bram tried to touch the ragged tunic, Callum exploded into
a fight. He was like an animal, raging at his brother, attacking with his fists.
He didn’t seem to recognise his own family any more or realise that they were
trying to help him.
    It was awful seeing him like this. It was as if the man she’d
saved was no longer there, lost in a world of his own madness.
    Alex and Bram tried to subdue him, but Callum kept fighting,
his blows striking hard.
    ‘Help us bring him above stairs,’ Alex said to Ross, one of
their kinsmen. The older man had greying hair and a full beard, but there was no
denying the brawny strength of his forearms.
    ‘He needs food,’ Ross said and Nairna hurried to fetch it. When
the men half-dragged Callum up the winding stairs, Marguerite moved behind them.
They brought him into Alex’s chamber and she remained on the stairs, watching
from a distance. When they tried to remove his bloodstained tunic, Callum fought
harder. Bram expelled a curse as a fist caught him in the eye.
    Men and women came and left the chamber, but Marguerite
remained in the shadows, feeling like a coward. Several of the MacKinlochs had
brought in hot water, but she didn’t know if Callum would avail himself of the
bath.
    After a time, Nairna found her and the woman’s face was lined
with worry. ‘You said you helped Callum on the night he was wounded. Would you
be willing to go to him now?’
    ‘I don’t know if I could do anything,’ Marguerite admitted. ‘He
might not remember me.’ Or if he did, he might resent her for being sent
away.
    ‘Will you try?’ Nairna took her by the hand, drawing her into
the hall. ‘You’re the last hope we have.’ Her face grew upset, but she revealed,
‘The tunic on his back has stuck to the wounds. He won’t let us take it off. It
will grow poisoned if we leave it.’
    Marguerite closed her eyes, suppressing a shudder. Callum would
die a long-suffering death, if he didn’t allow anyone to assist him. She took a
deep breath and nodded. ‘I’ll do what I can.’
    She followed Nairna into the room, worrying that she would be
unable to help. Inside, she saw Bram seated across from his brother, an
untouched cup of mead resting upon a table beside him. Callum stared at the
wall, as if he weren’t aware of his brother’s presence. His knuckles were
bloody, matching his brother’s swollen face.
    Nairna spoke quietly to her husband, while Marguerite tried to
summon her courage. Why would you think you could help
him ? her mind demanded. He won’t even remember
you.
    But the moment she stepped forward, Callum turned to face her.
There was disbelief in his expression, as if he couldn’t understand how she had
come to be here. His brown eyes stared into hers, and though she saw the