Page 49 of Highlander’s Sweet Poison

She paled. “I cannae in good conscious want my children to lose their father,” she whispered.

Damn Annella and her large heart.

Without a word, Graeme left Clyde’s shop and went in search of his brother-in-law.

24

Jillian was still seething when there was a knock at the door. Knowing full well that it wasn’t Graeme—he would never knock at his bedchamber, no matter how angry she was—she threw it open hoping to see Kylie.

Instead, there was another at the door. “Bridgette,” Jillian greeted in surprise. “What are ye doing here?”

There was a wild look in Graeme’s mother’s eyes as she grabbed her hand. “Ye are knowledgeable of herbs and salves, aye?”

“Aye, but ‘tis not witchcraft....”

“I dinnae give a damn if ‘tis witchcraft. If ye were a witch, I would be begging ye for a spell right now. ‘Tis Christy. There is something wrong with my grandbaby, and I cannae find my daughter. Please, ye must help me.”

“Of course.” Her head still ached and her body run down after the afternoon she had with the villagers, but she didn’t give either a second thought as she grabbed her cloak and tossed it over her shoulders. Her bag of supplies hung in the corner, but she didn’t have any herbs or potions prepared. She hoped that whatever she had in her bag was enough.

“It started with a cough,” Bridgette explained as they raced out of the keep. “She has had it for a few days, but children cough. It didnae worry me, but then her chest started to rattle, and now she has a fever.”

“As children do,” Jillian said soothingly.

“Jillian, she has no energy. She has been in bed all day, and all she does is moan.”

That was bad. Jillian picked up the pace, running now, and Bridgette managed to keep up.

When they reached Bridgette’s house, Davy was sitting in the chair, rocking back and forth and staring at his sister. Jillian immediately reached her side and forced the child’s eyes open. Too glossy. Pulling the blankets back, she tended the child’s stomach.

Hard.

“‘Tis not the cough,” she said as she pulled Christy up in her arms. “Get me a bucket. Who has been with her today?”

“I have,” Davy said bravely as he raced to get her a bucket. “We were playing near the woods with some children.”

“Did she eat anything?”

“Aye. Some berries that we found.” He returned with the bucket. “Is something wrong?”

“Davy, I need ye to think. Did any of the other children eat the berries?”

Davy nodded hesitantly, and Jillian looked up at Bridgette. “I need ye to take Davy and visit with the other children. See if they are also ill. I fear Christy may have eaten something that is poisoning her insides, but I need to know if the other children are affected. Go. Hurry!”

Davy and his grandmother took off, and Jillian propped Christy up on some pillows. Opening her bag, she took out a small jar and opened the child’s mouth. “This is going to taste foul and will upset yer stomach, but I need to try and rid yer body of what is poisoning ye, Christy. If ye can hear me, I am so sorry.”

Pouring some of the liquid down Christy’s throat, she quickly set the bottle down. It wouldn’t do to spill a single drop, for the concoction took several days to prepare.

The child’s eyes opened in panic, and she leaned over the bed. Jillian grabbed the bucket and held Christy’s hair back. “That’s a good girl. Get as much out as ye can.”

By the time Christy was done, the door came open again, and three men charged inside carrying three children. Jillian wasted no time pouring the rest of what she had down their throats to induce vomiting.

Finally, the children were sleeping.

“Is that it, then? Are they better?”

“I’m afraid not, but we have bought them some time. A few more days before the effects can be reversed. This is most likely the Alderran berry. It usually grows higher up the mountains, but I expect yer children found a wild patch growing. The poison has an antidote, but I don’t have the herbs. I need milk thistle and the berries from the marl tree.”

“There are no marl trees here,” one of the men hissed. “The closest is in the woods that border Armstrong territory.”