She drenched a cloth into a bowl of water and gently began to bathe the wound. Fresh blood oozed from the injury as she brushed aside the dried, crusted parts. Careful in her task, she did not want to leave even a speck of dirt on the wound for when it would be closed. It was a jagged wound that would surely leave a great scar, but it wasn’t anything that should be fatal if he didn’t suffer a fever.
After she was satisfied that it was clean, she called Blair’s attention and pressed the flesh back together for him while he took up the needle. Jane held her breath as the man slid the sharp end in the first time, but Darach slept on. Blair quickly set his stitches, making sure they were tight and close together.
They worked down, hovering over him as they closed him up gradually. Jane's back ached, and her eyes burned from the strain. She estimated the wound to be about five or so inches in length.
“How soon do ye think he would recover from this, my lady?”
Jane looked up at the healer and then back at the wound. At any rate, it would pain him to move in the days to come.
“Weeks. Maybe close tae a month.”
Blair’s mouth spread in a little smile. “My thoughts exactly. But if ye ken anything about the laird, we'd be begging him tae stay in bed in a matter of days. We'd need ye tae join voice in convincing him.”
When the last stitch was set, Jane sat back and sighed in relief for the hard part was now over. Now what the wound needed was a bandage to bind it in place.
“Need tae clean it once more.”
Jane nodded at the man's words. She wiped the hair from her eyes as she walked out of the room to where Lorna was waiting, her eyes filled with fear as she stared at Jane's tired form.
“My brother—”
“Aye, he is alright. He needs rest and attention, and he’ll be back tae himself. Dinnae worry, Lorna.”
She nodded demurely. “What do ye need?”
“Water.”
Lorna gave the command, and one of the guards standing at the door ran toward the kitchen without hesitation. He was back in a blink of an eye with a bowl full of fresh water and then handed it to Jane. She quickly headed back to the room and washed the wound down once more before the healer applied the thick poultice he had mixed up to the stitched flesh.
Jane folded over several strips of material to fashion a thick bandage and then handed it to the man who held it to Darach's side.
Blair skillfully wound the much longer strips around his waist and midsection to hold the bandage in place. “Now, he rests. Ye can watch over him for me while I pay a few visits tae other patients in the keep.”
Jane nodded and moved to Darach. She arranged his head to rest on one of the small pillows and smoothed the hair from his brow.
His face is so beautiful. He was relaxed in his slumber, looking more peaceful than she’d ever seen him. Jane ran her finger over his cheekbone and to his jaw, and her heart clenched. He truly was perfect in every form and fashion. He was.
As if deciding to respond to her, his eyelids flipped open. His eyes were unfocused as he gazed at her face, but she was immersed in his look and smiled down at him.
“Aye,” he croaked out. “Have I gone tae heaven? ‘Tis the only explanation for charm such as this.”
Jane felt a prick of pleasure until she remembered that he was probably hallucinating. With a sigh, she smoothed her hand over his unshaven chin. The bristle scratched her palm, and she briefly remembered what it felt like on other parts of her body. A warm blush spread across her, and she quickly pushed the thought from her mind.
“Nay, my laird. ‘Tis nae heaven yet; ye’re still with us in the world.”
“Ye’re too beautiful, lass,” he said in a slurred voice.
Jane smiled and soothed her palm over his cheek again. He turned and nuzzled into her hand, his eyes closing as an expression of pleasure settled on his features.
“Sleep now, Darach,” she whispered. “‘Tis the truth that ye have a long recovery ahead of ye.”
“Ye must nae leave, Jane,” he murmured.
“Nay, Darach. I willnae leave ye.”
She meant it. Her heart was bursting with feelings for the man beforeher, and even if her father arrived right now, she wouldn't leave him. She wasn't sure if it was the night they spent together, the intimacy he gave her, or the fear of losing him, but she knew things had gotten a lot more complicated. She harboreda deep affection for him that filled her entire being.
The prophecy didn't matter, not anymore, and any thought of escape disappeared into thin air.