My Father's Keeper
Chapter 11 – A Most Unusual Proposal
Lord Grey went to the girl lying on his divan and smiled a little. She was sleeping still, but her breaths were shallow. Her face was soft and made her look like a young girl, far younger than she was.
There was a knock at the door. The girl woke looking up at him a moment before she watched him walk to the door.
Bash was there with Mac Dubh. Mac Dubh said nothing and walked forward, his chains clinking as he did so, to his daughter. He looked at her and gently lifted a hand to her brow. He recoiled almost instantly in horror.
Bash came forward. "What is it?" He asked.
"She haes a fever." Mac Dubh said. He swallowed. If unchecked fevers could be fatal to the person who had them. He pulled the quilt up to the girl's chin and caressed her hair speaking softly in Gaelic.
Lord Grey could see the look in the girl's eyes of pain and the red blotches on her face. He took a breath. "The women will not return until this evening." He said.
Mac Dubh reached for the water basin and lifted a cloth. Once wet he put it on her brow and caressed her flesh to try and cool her head. He took a breath.
Bash stepped to him. "I promise you, we will do all we can for her."
Lord Grey nodded his agreement.
Mac Dubh left his daughter's side to join his work team, but he was anxious about her.
Lord Grey looked at the girl as he had her sip some tea and then let her sleep. He looked at Bash who stood, hands on hips watching.
"Go to the village and bring back their healer and whatever medicines."
"But we have a doctor..."
"Who is used to war trauma, not snake venom."
Bash nodded and went to saddle his horse. He rode to the village to the west. He went to the town quite often for drinks at the tavern and a girl if he wished. The healer there was a woman, but everyone swore by her cures.
By the time he returned with the woman, Ellen was whimpering and having feverish dreams. She was almost delirious and Lord Grey had no idea how to help. He had icy water which he used to bathe her brow, arms, and chest.
Bash knocked and entered with a small woman behind him. The woman was small, looking more like a pixie than a woman. She stepped forward, long hair gray and matted as she moved. Lord Grey saw her face. Her face was young, perhaps nearing thirty, but her eyes were ageless as she looked at the girl.
"Whit happened?" She asked.
"Mac Dubh said an adder."
"Thare is mair 'ere. A donas." She said moving to the tea cup. She added herbs and whispered.
"A what?" Bash asked.
"A devil." Ellen answered weakly looking up at them.
Lord Grey stepped forward. "That is nonsense. You have a fever."
"Moors hae spirits." The healer said. "Trapped fae lang ago. Whin crabbit thay kin cause harm or death." She said looking back at the girl.
Bash took a breath. "Can you save her?"
She lifted something made of sticks. She spoke in a guttural language and Ellen looked about. The woman looked back at Bash. "Open a windae."
"The air could kill her!" Lord Grey gasped.
"Th' air 'ere is killing her. Tak' yer chances wi' fresh." The small woman said.
Bash took a breath and opened a window. The air flowed in with an odd hiss. He looked feeling himself a little more refreshed as the woman encouraged Ellen to drink the tea she had made.
Ellen gave an odd shutter as she laid back. There was an odd gust of wind that wailed. The Englishmen looked at each other as the woman gently pressed a cloth to Ellen's brow speaking softly in Gaelic. Ellen listened.
Words of protection.
This woman was a druid. One who practiced the old ways. She had heard of them. They were mostly in secret now and the English had a rather high suspicion of such people since they were natural and did not believe in God.
ZzZ
It was nearing dusk. Mac Dubh was brought up and he took in the scene before him. He moved forward growling something in Gaelic as he saw the woman. He pulled her back from his daughter and stood protectively before her.
His blue eyes looked from the woman to Bash to Lord Grey and back. He spoke in Gaelic, face showing his displeasure.
The woman answered him, spreading her hands.
Mac Dubh looked at Bash. "How come is she 'ere? she is a witch."
"She is a healer according to the villagers."
"She is an angel maker." Mac Dubh growled. "She cuid poison ellen."
"Ah cuid." The woman agreed. "Bit how come wid ah? ah wis asked tae come tae save her, nae murdurr her."
"What is an angel maker?" Lord Grey asked.
"Someone wha kin rid a wifie o' a bairn she does nae waant." Mac Dubh said making a face and then crossed himself.
The woman smiled a little. She was small near Mac Dubh. She lifted a large pin and stuck it in Ellen's palm. The girl was moaning softly and moving a bit in her delirium. The woman lifted the pin to her lips and smiled at the three men watching her in an odd horrified fascination.
"Ah hae bin kent tae hulp wummin in trauchle, bit that insae how come this lassie needs hulp." The woman cocked her head, brown eyes watching. "She haes muckle tae bide fur yit if given a chance." She looked directly up at Mac Dubh. "Ah hae seen it if ye gie her a chance."
Mac Dubh shifted and one hand went to her throat. "Whit hae ye dane?"
"Her fever mist break by mornin' or she wull die seumas fraser." The woman said as he held her. Her voice was raspy as he held her.
"Ah cuid break yer scrawny neck." Mac Dubh threatened.
"If ye dae, na yin kin guide her back tae th' land o' th' living." She countered hands going to his large one about her throat. He noted how small the hands were. Like a child.
Bash had taken a step forward, but Lord Grey lifted a hand to let the Scots sort it. He was suspicious of this woman as well.
Mac Dubh took a breath. "Howfur dae ye ken me?" He asked squeezing a little.
"Ah ken ye weel. Ye wur meant tae die at culloden, bit yer spirit refused." She looked down. "Yer daughter haes need o' ye."
Mac Dubh took a breath. "Wull yer grass cures save her?"
The woman shook her head as Mac Dubh let go of her throat. She dropped to the floor coughing. She took a deep breath and sat up on her knees looking up at him as her hand went to her throat. It was bruised from his hold.
"No." She said, voice a whisper. "Her ainlie chance is tae be brought tae th' burn 'n' cooled."
Mac Dubh looked at her and his face went white. "That cuid murdurr her." He pulled the woman to her feet and looked into her eyes.
"Indeed. However, she is dying noo. Whiles th' cure is worse than th' disease, bit if ye dae this. She wull bide. If nae. She wull die afore dawn o' morrigan's curse."
Mac Dubh gasped he looked at Lord Grey and then back at the woman. "If she dies. Sae dae ye." He said grimly.
The woman stepped back. "Than ah shuid pray tae th' auld gods that it does nae fail shuid ah nae?"
Fraser shrugged. "As ye lik'." He looked at Lord Grey. "We mist tak' her tae th' burn."
Lord Grey looked at him. "You cannot be serious." He gasped.
The healer looked at him. "Urr ye aff tae allow her tae die then? kin it be oan yer heid then sassenach."
Mac Dubh moved and lifted the girl in his arms. He didn't trust the witch, but she had a point. If they did not bring her fever down, Ellen would die within hours. He had gotten his daughter back. He was not about to let her go now.
He looked at the English daring them to stand in his way. Bash took a breath and looked at Lord Grey. Lord Grey lifted his hands. "I will not take responsibility for this action." He said turning away.
Bash nodded. He looked at the tall Scot. "Come then." He said.
They walked out of the fortress and to the burn. Mac Dubh stepped into a wide part of it and shivered a little at the difference in temperature. He then looked at the pale quivering girl in his arms. She was so warm in his embrace it felt like he was holding a coal from a fire. He took a breath and then dropped her into the water.
The girl stiffened as her body reacted even more to the dramatic temperature change. She struggled. He lifted her up and she took a breath, but then he forced her head under again knowing her head need to cool the most. After a few seconds he pulled her up letting her gasp for air. He continued this four more times before he bent, scooping her up.
She looked up at him, shivering, not quite understanding what was happening, and coughing the small amount she had gotten in her lungs. Mac Dubh looked at her as he walked out.
"Are you better, Mo chridhe?" He asked.
She shivered looking at him. "Papa?" She asked.
He smiled and hugged her close as he walked back to the prison with her in his arms. Bash followed. No questions were asked as the tall Scot walked into the courtyard. The healer walked to him and nodded. She touched the girl's head. "She will sleep well and wake tomorrow well enough."
Mac Dubh looked at her and said nothing. He walked to the girl's room. Blaire had seen him and followed him, amazed that the girl was drenched.
The Scot allowed her to dress the girl and see her to bed. No one said anything different and so he made himself comfortable on the floor on the rug beside the fire that Blaire had started.
Bash moved to saddle a horse to escort the healer back to the village. She lifted a hand and walked out the gate alone. When he finished saddling his horse he walked the horse out and looked about. He walked about the fortress. Even in the low light he should have been able to see the woman's silver hair.
There was no one about. He blinked and looked up at the guards on the battlements.
"Did the woman come this way?"
"What woman?" They called back.
Bash took a breath and shook his head. This land was getting more and more eerie the longer he was here.
ZzZ
Morning came. Mac Dubh woke before sunrise and moved on his hands and knees, chains dragging on the floor as he moved to his daughter. She was breathing easily. He touched her brow.
Her fever had broken.
He took a shaky breath and sat back, back to the side of her bed as he looked upwards. "Thank ye Lord Jesus." He murmured before he took a shaky breath and wept in joy.
Bash was not expecting to see the prisoner there hand raised to open the door to leave. The pair looked at each other. Bash realized that Mac Dubh could have escaped, but hadn't. The love for his daughter kept him.
Bash nodded. "Your group is leaving."
Mac Dubh nodded and moved to join them, wiping the tears from his face with his hand.
Bash took a breath and then looked in to see the girl, dressed in a night dress, sleeping peacefully. God in heaven the vanishing healer woman had done it.
He moved quickly to report to his lordship even as Mac Dubh walked out with the men, speaking to them softly as to where he had been.
ZzZ
It was a week later when Ellen was fetching water from the burn to make bannocks for the men and gruel when she heard something behind her. Her hand went to her belt where her dirk had been, but found it was missing.
"Looking for this?" Lord Grey asked as he held it out to her.
She looked at him. "My lord." She bowed her head.
"Miss Fraser." He said. He nodded to the weapon. "Considering your last month I think this would be of value."
She smiled a little. "Thank you."
"How are you feeling then?"
"Well. Just a little tired now and then."
"Your leg still pains you?"
"Not often."
He nodded. "I have hired a new laundry girl." He said walking passed her to the stream edge.
"Why? Was I doing a terrible job? I know I ripped Mackay's shirt. I am sorry. You can take it from my pay and..."
He turned back to her and lifted a finger to her lips. "That isn't it at all." He murmured. He lifted her hands in his. He looked at them. They were often dry and cracked and they had to hurt. He sighed dipping his head and kissing them. "This work is not for you."
"Are you sending me away?"
"No."
"What then?"
He smiled and looked at her. "Ellen. You are not used to the labors of a work camp. You have proven yourself to be worthy of tasks, but it has caused you damage. We nearly lost you to a snake bite, you suffer from the lye, you have been attacked by my own men..." He swallowed. "I feel I owe you something like protection." He said.
"What do you mean?" She asked sitting down on a log.
"I mean I would have you do not as intense duties. Mending, some cooking, but mostly healing." He took a breath. "It would be a shame for you to go blind or worse from working as you are at your age."
She narrowed her eyes. "What else am I supposed to do? Return to my family? They likely have disowned me and my father is here in prison."
"What of his family?"
She shook her head. "I ran away from them." She admitted slowly.
He smiled and chuckled lightly. "You really are a marvel."
"What more do you wish my lord. I have chores to attend to."
He took a breath. "You need not work again if you do not wish."
"What?"
He took a breath and looked at her seated there. "Ellen. My dear Ellen." He said softly. "I find I wish to know you better. Learn about you. Your family. You."
She was about to speak and he lifted his hand.
"No let me finish before I lose my way."
She nodded then.
"Ellen. You are a beautiful soul. I would have you at my side." He lifted a ring from his pocket. It was small delicate, with a ruby in it. "Would you do me the honor of marrying me?"
She stared at him. "Me?"
"Yes, you."
"But..."
"What?" He asked.
"But you love men." She blurted. She looked up horrified and clapped her hands to her mouth. "I'm so sorry. I..." She moved to leave, but he caught her.
"No, you are right. I do prefer men, but I must marry a woman." He looked at her. "My dear this would be a marriage of convenience for us both. I will not touch you unless you wish me to. You will be able to heal and bring a woman's touch to this dreary place come winter." He smiled. "However, I promise you, I do care for you and I will keep you safe."
"What must I do in return?"
"Be my lady." He said simply. "When we are ready, bear my heirs in your body, but I am not concerned with that at the moment. A prison is hardly a place for you to bring babies into this world."
She looked at him. "My father will never agree."
"Does he really need to know?" He asked. "Besides. He is a prisoner. A man held at the King's pleasure. He may be your father, but he has no rights to stop you from marrying whomever you choose." He stepped closer.
"But...I will have to tell him sometime."
"When the time is right. Yes."
She looked down.
He cupped her chin with his fingers. "You will be a Lady." He murmured to her. "It is not a dishonorable marriage. You will be looked after, which is more than I can say for your prospects with Bash Homer."
She swallowed and stiffened. "He loves me."
"No. He wants to bed you and that is all. I am, if anything the opposite. I will bed you as you wish."
She looked at him. "But what of the men you prefer?"
He smiled a little. "I will take no one to my bed without your knowledge and acceptance."
She looked at him, searching his face. "You mean that."
"Yes, I do."
She took a breath and lifted her hand. "Very well, my lord. You have a deal. I will marry you on one condition."
"And what is that?"
"That I am allowed to still do the hanging of the laundry and help cook as I desire."
He took her hand. "Done." He said. He then pull her arm sharply to him and reached up, kissing her mouth with surprising tenderness.
She gasped, startled, but did not pull away.
He did, eyes searching her own. He then slid the ring onto her hand. He kissed her knuckles tenderly and smiled as he bowed. "Until later my beautiful bride."
He then walked off, leaving her to her own amusements as she stood looking after him. She looked at the ring and then sighed, lifting the water bucket up.
What had she gotten into now?
