MacDougall 01 - Laiden's Daughter by Suzan Tisdale

and was smiling.     Duncan stifled a chuckle as he looked down at her.   The lass’ head barely reached the middle of his chest, her hair was mussed and the clothes hung so loosely upon her, that she had the appearance of a child playing dress up.
    Whilst she had been otherwise detained, Duncan and Rowan had spread a plaid on the ground and opened the bundle Rebecca had given them.   Her smile disappeared in the blink of an eye when she caught sight of the items spread out on the plaid.   There was no way to change the dressings on her wounds without removing the tunic.   She went red from head to toe at the thought.
    “We need to change yer bandages, lass.” Duncan told her as he slid an arm around her waist to lead her to the plaid.   Roots grew instantly in her feet and refused to proceed forward.
    There had been many times in her life where she had wished she’d been born a lad and this was one of those moments.   If she had been born the opposite sex, she would have been better suited to work in the fields and hauling rocks.   There would have been no braid to cut and no trading her for sheep.   There would have been no beatings or attempt at rape.   And if she were a man right this very moment, she wouldn’t be trembling with embarrassment and fear at the prospect of baring her back to anyone.
    Duncan could see the nervousness in her eyes.   “What be the matter, lass?” he asked.
    What be that matter? Where Aishlinn came from, young ladies did not bear their skin to men they were not married to! Well, a harlot or a bar wench might, but Aishlinn was neither of those things.
    Thinking she might be worried that they would not be as gentle as Rebecca had been, Duncan attempted to sooth her worries.   “Lass, I promise we’ll do our best to be gentle and not harm ye.”
    The only harm she was worried about at the moment was to her reputation.   What if word got out that she had removed her clothing in front of a man?   Two men to be exact! “You’ll be seeing my back,” she whispered.  
    Rowan coughed lightly and turned his back to her while Duncan let loose with an exasperated sigh.   “Aye, lass, we will be needin’ to see yer back fer that’s where yer cuts are.”    He could understand the lass’s reluctance but now was not the time to stand on proper social protocol.   “If we dunna change yer bandages, they could grow infected.”   He hoped she would listen to reason.  
    While the thought of infection did not please her, perhaps it would be worth the risk.   “But what would people think?” she asked as her knees began to knock together.  
    Duncan threw back his head and laughed heartily.   Aishlinn’s eyes blazed with anger.   He was a man, a blasted fool, who could not appreciate the fallout of a sullied reputation.   “I am glad, Laird McEwan, that I’m able to bring such amusement to you,” she gritted her teeth at him.   She noticed Rowan had remained with his back turned and his body shook with laughter.   “And you as well Laird Graham.”   They could both take a leap from the nearest cliff as far as she was concerned.   Men set the rules in this world, and then laughed at you when you followed them.    
    “Lass, there be no one here but us,” Duncan said through smiling lips.   “Yer reputation will remain in tact.”   He shook his head as his laughter began to subside.
    Rowan had managed to take a deep breath and turned back to them.   He was doing his best to remain composed as well as thoughtful.   “Lass, we really must change the bandages.   We’ll only be lookin’ after ye like a brother would towards a sister who is ill or injured.”
    Her own brothers would have poured salt into her wounds and laughed while she cried in pain.   Neither Rowan nor Duncan appeared to be anything like her brothers.   Aishlinn knew they meant well and she began to relax a bit towards the idea.   She couldn’t very well change her own bandages.