Free Celtic Bride by Margo Maguire Page A

feel her long, graceful fingers as they moved along the knight’s skin.
    His mouth went dry.
    Keelin leaned over to wet the cloth again, and stopped short. Her body jerked suddenly, as if she’d been hit from behind. Then her eyes darkened, and she knelt unmoving, her attention concentrated on some unseen thing.
    An instant later, she was in motion again. She got up from her knees and began to rearrange things, making more free space before the fire. Then she helped one of the wounded men to shift one side.
    “Whatis it, Lady Keelin?” the fellow asked.
    “Oh, ’tis nothin’,” she said. “Just makin’ a wee bit more room for…for…”
    Marcus cleared his throat just then, and got to his feet.
    “Oh, Lord Marcus,” Keelin said, stepping carefully through the cottage to reach him. She put one hand on his arm. “I’m afraid there’s to be more bad news….” She spoke so quietly that the other occupants of the cottage would not hear.
    He looked at her skeptically.
    “One of yer men has been thrown from his horse,” she said, her brow furrowing with concentration. “He’s hurt…I’m not sure…I think he’s…” She shook her head. “Two men are carryin’ him even now toward the cottage. They could use more help—”
    Suddenly, voices were audible outside the cottage and Marcus turned and pulled open the door. Just as Keelin had said, Sir Edward was being carried between two men, his left leg hanging limp between them.
    A shudder ran through Marcus that had nothing at all to do with the frigid air and freezing rain that blew inside. He turned and gazed at Keelin with perplexed, narrowed eyes.
    “Here,” Keelin said, quickly turning away from the look Marcus gave her. She felt as if she’d been struck. “Put him down here near the fire.”
    The injured man groaned with pain as the two knights eased him down to the floor by the fire. “His horse slipped, my lord,” one of the knights explained. “The ground is icy in spots and with the rain coming down in sheets it’s difficult to see.”
    “His leg’s broken,” the other knight said.
    Marcusused his knife to cut away the man’s hose and occupied himself looking at the leg while Keelin mixed one of her powders into water. How could she have known? It was impossible, yet he had not imagined the way she’d been physically struck by the premonition. Nor could he forget the words she’d said just before the three men had come into the cottage.
    Keelin took the mug to Edward and held it to his lips, helping him drink. “’Tis but a wee bit of valerian to ease the pain and help ye to relax while the bone is set,” she said. “’Twill make it easier. On all of us.”
    She helped him to lie back, then knelt opposite Marcus. “We’ll be needin’ two splints,” she said to the men. “There’s wood behind the cottage near the mule wain,” she added. “Somethin’ back there’s bound to work.”
    Sir Edward groaned when Keelin ran her hands along his leg. To Marcus, she seemed to have the gentlest touch, though his mind was still spinning with what he’d just witnessed. How could he trust anything he saw or heard anymore?
    “Have ye any leather strips, m’lord?” she asked, looking up at him.
    Marcus gathered his wits and replied in the affirmative.
    With help, Keelin had set Edward’s leg. Then she managed to get him to eat some of the hot stew. The other men would remain inside now, even though it was close quarters. There would be no intruders on the prowl in this weather, no good reason to keep men out in the cold and wet.
    Marcus had to get out, though, to get some air. He needed to gain some distance between himself and Keelin O’Shea. He pulled a warm woolen tunic over his linen shirt, and quickly dug his cloak out of his pack.
    “Marcus?” Adamasked.
    “Yes, Adam,” Marcus replied, ashamed that he’d considered skulking out without speaking to the boy who had been awakened by Edward’s groans of pain.
    “Where are