Read Online The Warrior's Touch by Michelle Willingham - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michelle Willingham
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mouth water, but Connor suddenly grew aware that he still could not feed himself.
Aileen behaved as if nothing were amiss when she lifted a spoon to his lips.
Connor tasted the rich stew seasoned with rowan berries and teased her for his brothers’ benefit. ‘’Tis not every day a man is given his food by a lovely cailín .’
Aileen smiled and shoved another scorching bite of stew into his mouth, not waiting for it to cool. Her unspoken message was clear.
The next time she brought the spoon to his lips, Connor turned his face aside, joining in conversation with his brothers. Ewan abandoned himself to the food, mumbling a few words.
‘Ewan and I are grateful for your hospitality,’ Trahern said, smiling broadly at Aileen. ‘But I should like to hear your stories of my brother. I know he was fostered here, and I am certain you know a tale or two that would humble him before his brothers.’
‘I do,’ Aileen answered Trahern with a warm smile of her own.
Connor was startled to see the shyness gone. It transformed her, giving her the look of a seductress.
‘I’ve my doubts of that,’ he said. ‘I was never anything but the most innocent of lads.’
Ewan choked upon his mead, Trahern laughing as he pounded his brother on the back.
Aileen offered Connor a sip of mead, and he drank slowly, meeting her gaze with his own. The drink tasted sweet upon his tongue, though there was no sweetness in Aileen’s expression.
‘It was many summers ago,’ she began. ‘Connor was fifteen, I believe. He was in love with Lianna, a girl from the village, but she’d not have him.’
‘A woman who didn’t want our brother’s affections?’ Trahern teased. ‘I cannot believe such a thing. I am astonished to hear it.’
‘It isn’t so very difficult to imagine,’ Aileen quipped, darting a glance at Connor.
He feigned a smile, but it disappeared when she began the tale of a time when the village girls had stolen his clothing while he bathed in a stream. He’d been forced to return home without even a loincloth. The memory still made his cheeks burn. Though he knew she intended merely to provide amusement to his brothers, he didn’t like it.
Trahern began an amusing tale of a man who had gone to sleep and awakened in a maiden’s hut without his clothes. Ewan and Aileen both laughed, and Connor grew more withdrawn. His hands ached, and he hoped to dull the pain with the mead.
Awkwardly, he leaned down and tried to grip the goblet with his forearms. He could not tip the cup of mead without spilling it down his chest. Aileen took it from him and held it to his mouth. Connor accepted her help, but found it difficult to look at her.
Trahern rose and stretched. ‘Thank you for an exceptional meal, Aileen.’
She acknowledged his brother’s praise with a nod. Then she asked, ‘Have you decided to return to Laochre, Connor?’
‘I’ll stay here until I have my full strength again.’
Her eyes turned troubled. ‘Until I remove the bandages,’ she corrected.
A moment hung between them, and Connor saw her reluctance. Why? She was not allowed to heal anyone else. It was not as if she had others to tend.
Her hesitancy must have been evident to Trahern, for he said, ‘Would you care to walk with me? After such a fine meal, I’d like to enjoy the afternoon sun.’
Aileen glanced at Connor. ‘I don’t know—’
‘Go with him.’ Connor lifted his hand in agreement.
She didn’t want to, especially when she noted the pale lines of pain upon his face. Inwardly she berated herself for not adding a mild sleeping draught to his mead. She reached for her medicines, choosing the herbs she needed. Chamomile and mint would be mild, perhaps with a little willow bark to ease his discomfort.
‘Go and enjoy your walk,’ she suggested to Trahern while she added hot water to steep the herbs.
‘He wants to talk to you alone,’ Ewan interrupted.
Trahern glared at his brother. ‘Could you be a bit more subtle,
Aileen behaved as if nothing were amiss when she lifted a spoon to his lips.
Connor tasted the rich stew seasoned with rowan berries and teased her for his brothers’ benefit. ‘’Tis not every day a man is given his food by a lovely cailín .’
Aileen smiled and shoved another scorching bite of stew into his mouth, not waiting for it to cool. Her unspoken message was clear.
The next time she brought the spoon to his lips, Connor turned his face aside, joining in conversation with his brothers. Ewan abandoned himself to the food, mumbling a few words.
‘Ewan and I are grateful for your hospitality,’ Trahern said, smiling broadly at Aileen. ‘But I should like to hear your stories of my brother. I know he was fostered here, and I am certain you know a tale or two that would humble him before his brothers.’
‘I do,’ Aileen answered Trahern with a warm smile of her own.
Connor was startled to see the shyness gone. It transformed her, giving her the look of a seductress.
‘I’ve my doubts of that,’ he said. ‘I was never anything but the most innocent of lads.’
Ewan choked upon his mead, Trahern laughing as he pounded his brother on the back.
Aileen offered Connor a sip of mead, and he drank slowly, meeting her gaze with his own. The drink tasted sweet upon his tongue, though there was no sweetness in Aileen’s expression.
‘It was many summers ago,’ she began. ‘Connor was fifteen, I believe. He was in love with Lianna, a girl from the village, but she’d not have him.’
‘A woman who didn’t want our brother’s affections?’ Trahern teased. ‘I cannot believe such a thing. I am astonished to hear it.’
‘It isn’t so very difficult to imagine,’ Aileen quipped, darting a glance at Connor.
He feigned a smile, but it disappeared when she began the tale of a time when the village girls had stolen his clothing while he bathed in a stream. He’d been forced to return home without even a loincloth. The memory still made his cheeks burn. Though he knew she intended merely to provide amusement to his brothers, he didn’t like it.
Trahern began an amusing tale of a man who had gone to sleep and awakened in a maiden’s hut without his clothes. Ewan and Aileen both laughed, and Connor grew more withdrawn. His hands ached, and he hoped to dull the pain with the mead.
Awkwardly, he leaned down and tried to grip the goblet with his forearms. He could not tip the cup of mead without spilling it down his chest. Aileen took it from him and held it to his mouth. Connor accepted her help, but found it difficult to look at her.
Trahern rose and stretched. ‘Thank you for an exceptional meal, Aileen.’
She acknowledged his brother’s praise with a nod. Then she asked, ‘Have you decided to return to Laochre, Connor?’
‘I’ll stay here until I have my full strength again.’
Her eyes turned troubled. ‘Until I remove the bandages,’ she corrected.
A moment hung between them, and Connor saw her reluctance. Why? She was not allowed to heal anyone else. It was not as if she had others to tend.
Her hesitancy must have been evident to Trahern, for he said, ‘Would you care to walk with me? After such a fine meal, I’d like to enjoy the afternoon sun.’
Aileen glanced at Connor. ‘I don’t know—’
‘Go with him.’ Connor lifted his hand in agreement.
She didn’t want to, especially when she noted the pale lines of pain upon his face. Inwardly she berated herself for not adding a mild sleeping draught to his mead. She reached for her medicines, choosing the herbs she needed. Chamomile and mint would be mild, perhaps with a little willow bark to ease his discomfort.
‘Go and enjoy your walk,’ she suggested to Trahern while she added hot water to steep the herbs.
‘He wants to talk to you alone,’ Ewan interrupted.
Trahern glared at his brother. ‘Could you be a bit more subtle,
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