The Veiled Lass

Chapter Ten

"Mother please you must help her" Breac begged as he knelt next to Elspet and his mother.Lady Macdonnell peered at her son realizing her previous slip of words had gone unnoticed and quickly focused on the situation at hand;the poor lasses injuries."I need hot water,linen strips,needle and thread"Lady Macdonnell ordered sternly. She raised a brow curiously when her twenty summer old son scrambled to obey like a small child.

Breac soon returned with the supplies and a handy maid hastily presenting the supplies to his mother. He then kneeled next to his dear Elspet. Breac brushed his fingers down her pale skinned cheeks and noticed to his dissatisfaction they were not the roses and sweet cream they were when he first laid eyes on her that fateful night but now sickly pale and lifeless like the ever relentless snow outside.

Lady Macdonnell worked diligently. She first sewed up the larger, deeper gashes with neat small stitches before, moving onto clean the rest of the dirt and dried crusts of blood from the lass's body. Once that was done she began the tedious task of wrapping the lass's back with clean linen binding.

Breac watched worriedly as his mother tended to Elspet wincing sympathetically at every stitch his mother place in the lass's back.With the muck and blood gone the lass's back wasn't quite as horrific as he first thought. Though there was still one to many marks on his darlings back and the person that has dared put them there would soon be begging for Breac to kill them once he got them in his sights.

Lady Macdonnell finally leaned back to assess her work and gave a weak smile to her son " The lass suffered a severe lashing no more than a day or two old,I stitched her deepest gashes and the rest should heal nicely if she is taken care of correctly. Now her limbs will be sore because she also suffered quite the beating."

Brec growled darkly at his poor loves assessment.

"You may make your father aware of the travesty that has happened. What you will most likely do if the murderous look in your eyes is anything to go by, is find the bastard that did this and make them grovel for death."Lady Macdonnell stated before placing a kiss upon her son forehead and taking her leave.

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Lady Macdonnell entered her chambre slowly. Careful not to wake her husband as she moved towards the desk in the far corner under a moonlit window.She opened the last drawer on the desk and unearthed a old leather bound sketch book.

Lady Macdonnell opened the book to a sketch of a young girl and ran her fingers over the crackling page.

"Ainslie! slow down I canna run that fast!" Irvette called as she chased after the dark headed lass before her. "Tis not my fault yee canna keep up" Ainslie laughed melodiously as she finally stopped to lay down in the lush highland meadow. Irvette grumbled playfully as she moved to accompany her friend;she watched with a jealous pang as the pale beauty brushed a thick dark curl from her face."What are yee looking at Irvette?" Ainslie questioned as she faced her friend."Nothing" Irvette mumbled as she felt another pang of admiration as her dark eyes met Ainslie's stunning violet orbs.

Violet eyes

Violet eyes.

Such familiar violet eyes

"Darling?"

Lady Macdonnell looked up from the book to see her husband gazing at her bleary eyed.

"Come to bed my love" Laird Macdonnell requested; voice thick and raspy from sleep.

Lady Macdonnell quickly closed the book and slipped it back in its resting place before removing her cloak and slipping into the large bed.

"Goodnight Alasdair"

"Goodnight my Irvette"