“Scottish feasts are much more interesting than any ball or cocktail party you could attend in England,” Isla told Moira the next day as they sat in the healing room and attended to Moira’s patients.
“Cocktail?” Moira asked her.
“It’s a kind of drink,” Isla explained. “We make it in England.”
“Oh… the rich and elites. I’m sure it’s what the Queen drinks.”
Isla laughed at Moira’s joke and both their riotous sounds filled the room. She liked Moira. The woman matched Isla’s definition of the kind of woman she saw herself.
Even last night at the feast, Moira had taught her three more Highland dance steps. Isla had a lot to show Penny when she returned to her time. Penny was a great dancer, and her Scottish heritage made her even better at doing the Celtic moves.
“Here, make sure you mash these roots perfectly so when we immerse them in ale, they come out better,” Moira explained to her.
Isla did as Moira explained with enthusiasm. She loved that she was learning new things. Today, Moira was showing her to make a root herb for stools and even though the rare ginseng roots did not smell so good, Isla knew they would be effective.
Isla was shocked her stomach hadn’t hurt this afternoon when she got out of bed. She drank and ate pie until early this morning because the feast lasted that long. Isla was completely exhausted when it had finally ended, but Moira did not even look a little bit fazed.
Isla was sure everyone in the Castle besides the servants woke up by midday because the feast. Moira had come to find her so they could come up here and prepare herbs together, and she had obliged.
She loved that she could learn something new from Moira. Compared to her friends back in her time, Moira had more vast knowledge the kind of things that interested Isla. She knew they would be good friends soon.
Spending her time with Moira was better than sitting in her chamber all day.I have nothing better to do anyway besides think of that kiss.
She had not seen Jack since she came out of her chamber, and she remembered Moira mentioning he rode out with Jamie and Elliot earlier.
Every time she tried to keep her mind straight, it wandered back to Jack and the heat of his skin against hers as their lips mingled.
A soft knock on the door caught their attention, and when the door opened Aideen came into the room.
“Do ye have somethin’ for pain?” he asked after he greeted them both and sat.
“Aye, I do,” Moira replied, and Isla watched her walk to a shelf, reach for a dark vial and hand it over to Aideen. “Make sure to take it only at night. It makes ye drowsy.”
“Thank ye, Moira, ye do good work.”
After Aideen left them again, Isla asked, “Did he get hurt?”
Moira nodded. “Aye, in a conflict with some brigands weeks back. He got stabbed in his side while protectin’ the Laird. He has been in so many battles with the Laird and has saved him countless times.”
Isla imagined what that would have been like.Jack must have been injured a few times himself,she thought before she focused on squashing the roots again.
It was night by the time she finished preparing the herbs with Moira. While Moira retired to her chamber, Isla decided to go on a short walk. Whenever she felt tired back at home, she usually sat on her room’s balcony and stared outside her father’s estate.
The Lambert Estate was always so busy that even at nighttime the merchants’ servants still pushed carts back to the in-house storerooms her father had built to house his merchandise after arrival from the ports.
No week passed without goods arriving at the Estate and business always boomed even after her parent’s death. Her uncle had inherited the business while Isla took the Estate. Life was not the same without her parents though.
Even though Isla couldn’t say they had loved each other, she could say they had loved her so much, and she missed them every day since they passed.
Arriving in this place had offered her peace for a while. Isla realized she hadn’t even had the time to miss them since she came here.
How long has it been already?
It was her second week now. How long was she going to stay here?
She was lost in her thoughts until she heard someone clear their throat behind her. Jack was there when she turned around and he had his hands behind him.
“How are ye doin’?” he asked. His voice reminded her of how his groan sounded that night. Her gaze dropped to his lips before she could stop herself, and her breath hitched in her throat.