Page 12 of Highlander’s Sweet Poison

“I see a smile on someone’s face,” Jillian said with a grin. Young Gil was at the table next to his father as Maria let her and Graeme in. For two days, Graeme had been watching her, but he hadn’t said a word about that night. During the day, she could feel his gaze on her even if she couldn’t always spot him, and at night, he slept on her floor. It was just as well because she didn’t have any more to say about it.

But this, seeing Gil at the table eating his eggs and laughing at whatever his father had said, brought a sense of peace and happiness to her. She’d helped where she could, and there was little more she could ask for.

“Papa was trying to do a sheep call, but he’s terrible,” Gil laughed. “Do it for Lady Jillian!”

Grinning sheepishly, Langdon repeated the call, which had them all laughing. Blushing, he rose and grabbed his son, hoisting him up in the air once before sitting him on the edge of the table. “My lady, ye have my apologies for how I acted before,” Langdon said in a low voice.

“How did ye act before?” Graeme growled behind her.

“Never mind him, and while I appreciate the apology, it isnae necessary. There are few things more terrifying than a child getting sick. His chest seems clear of the congestion.”

“I hope so. He’s been coughing up that stuff for two days,” Maria complained, but she looked at her child with such love in her eyes.

“Then I say that someone is on the mend.” Jillian placed her hand on the boy’s brow and was thankful to find that it wasn’t hot or clammy. “Take a deep breath for me.”

Gil complied with a comically large breath, but there was no rattling or cough. “Excellent. Ye are as right as can be,” she announced with a smile before she helped the boy down so he could run around. Turning to his parents, she opened her bag. “As I am certain that ye have heard, I wilnae be here for much longer, but I am going to leave ye with some more salve in case the cough returns within the next few months. I also left a recipe for Agnes to make some after that.”

Turning, Maria glared at Graeme. “We heard ye were offered sanctuary, Jillian. Ye should take it. I know not what we would do without ye.”

Finally, she’d found her home and people who loved her. Her heart swelled at the thought. “Ye will do fine. Agnes is an excellent healer, and now she will be even better. I will miss all of ye, but I am a MacSeaver, and I suppose everyone must go home at some point.”

“Ye cannae leave before tomorrow!” the little boy cried as he threw himself at her skirts and hugged her legs.

Jillian knelt down and lifted his chin. There were tears in his eyes. “I have no intention of leaving today, sweet boy.”

“Good, cuz I ‘ave something for ye, but ‘tis not ready yet. It will be tomorrow.”

“Then tomorrow, I shall see ye.” She kissed him on the head and rose. “Now if ye will excuse me, I have a couple more people I need to see.”

They said their goodbyes, and Jillian turned to a glowering Graeme. Ignoring him, she swept by him through the doorway. He followed quickly behind and matched her steps next to her rather than trailing her.

“What did Langdon say to ye?”

“Nothing that ye and countless others didnae say,” she said briskly. “He was distraught over the thought of losing his child and had lashed out at me. Others have accused me of far worse with less of a driving force.”

He was quiet for another moment as they walked, and he finally sighed. “Ye cannae kept promising to see people in the future. I only promised ye a couple of days, and ye are finishing up everything that ye need to do today.”

“If we leave in the morning, I am certain that we can make time for whatever the child needs,” Jillian said as she rolled her eyes. “And if this is to be my last day, I wish to enjoy it and not have ye harping about everything that I do.”

At that, he growled. “I amnae harping. I am just reminding ye—”

“I dinnae need reminding, Graeme. Ye simply being here is reminder enough!”

Grabbing her elbow, he whirled her around, and his eyes were so cold that they glittered. “I am not responsible for what happened to ye, either on MacSeaver soil or here. I am sorry if I am a reminder, but I did save ye.”

A fist squeezed around her heart, and she was about to tell him that he wasn’t a reminder of what happened that night, but panicked shouts interrupted them. Glancing over his shoulder, she gasped when she saw the smoke rising in the air.

Instantly, she was transported back to that night. Leaves on fire, dropping from the trees. Embers scorching her skin. Smoke thickening until she feared she would choke. And all around her, villainess laughter.

Graeme took one look at her face and grabbed her chin. “Look at me,” he said sternly. “Ye are safe. I amnae going to let anyone hurt ye, but I need to go help, so ye must get a hold of yerself.”

The sound of his voice helped force her back to the present. She focused on his handsome face and those gorgeous eyes that had held concern as he picked her up from the ground.

His touch was quick but gentle as he tried to right her clothes and pick her up to carry her to safety.

Then she saw the direction of the smoke. “Oh, that’s Lydia’s house. Her aunt...Graeme, her aunt fell last month, and she still cannae walk vera well. We need to help her!”

“Jillian!” Graeme snarled as she started to race toward the house. Flames were shooting up from the thatched room. It would start to fall any minute. Most of the villagers were in the fields or by the river, but they were racing toward the house now.