The Recalcitrant Wife

Chapter 4: A Trip to lallybroch

Banner by LOS

. . . . .

Jamie pulled on my arm, positioning me so he could see my face. "Dinna cry, Sassenach, I canna stand it. Leastwise, I havena left this earth yet, so there's nay need o' it."

"But if I hadn't come back ..."

"Then ye wouldna ken for certain as I wasna more, and ye'd go on wi' yer life, as afore ye e'er lit eyes on me."

"That I could never do, if I lived to be a hundred."

His eyes grew round. "But ye have a husband waitin' for ye in yer own time."

"As you can clearly see, I'm not with him now. I came back to you."

"Aye, and I see as ye love me, truly, and glad I am o' it."

Murtagh cleared his throat to signal that he was here with the food. "Thank you, Murtagh. You may set them down on the dresser. I'll make sure he eats."

He placed it on the surface and smiled at Jamie. "How is it, Lad? Are ye feelin' proper agin?"

"Oh aye, my leg hurts like a bugger, but I ken as it wilna spoil my appetite."

"Good." Murtagh turned to leave the room.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" I asked.

"I'd feel a might safer if I took my dinner wi' me outside; my pistol as weel. The redcoats are no likely to find us here, but I'll keep a sharp lookout all the same."

# # # # #

The night came, and Sassenach was busy putterin' 'bout, fixin' op my pillow, and rearrangin' the blankets. I was surprised tho' when she laid her pillow, and some beddin' from the storage shelves opon the floor.

"What's amiss, a nighean?"

"Nothing ... I just don't wish to jostle you about, and cause you more misery."

"D'ye mean to sleep apart from me, then?"

She looked op from her task on the floor. "Of course. You need your rest."

"I've slept wi' ye in the same bed, nigh on three years and then some, and I'll no stop now."

"But ..."

"Nay, I'll no be able to sleep wi' ye down there. Come here. I need ye beside me."

Claire gave me a querulous look, and I kent what she was thinkin'. "Dinna fash, 'bout me, woman. If ye want me to sleep this night, I expect ye'd best slide under the covers."

. . . . .

The cautious lass crept onto the mattress so as to cause as little motion as necessary. Then she lay there stiff as a piece o' timber. "Sassenach—ye willna break anathin'; it's only my leg is injured, ken. Now, I'd be pleased if ye'd touch me, and lay yer head opon my shoulder."

"I'm so afraid of hurting you," she whispered.

"It's more hurtful to my mind as we're t'gether abed, yet apart."

She gently rested her head and hand opon my chest, and I stroked her hair, contented. "There now; havin' ye here like this is better than all the laudanum in the world."

# # # # #

The next morning, I fixed breakfast, and Jamie let me this time. After we'd eaten our fill, I unwrapped his leg and applied a poultice consisting of burdock, rosemary and calendula—rosemary for the pain, and burdock and calendula for their healing and antiseptic properties. That done, I placed a clean bandage over it, and crossed my fingers.