"He has a good chance, Father," Jamie said. She heard a woman cry out and guessed it was Elizabeth.

"I would like to help you," the priest announced.

"I would appreciate your help," she replied. She heard the soldiers grumbling under their breath behind her. She ignored them and turned back to her husband.

"You were leaving with your men, I noticed, but if it wasn't an important errand, I could use your assistance."

"We were going to build a box," Alec explained.

"A box?"

"A burial box," the priest interjected.

Jamie looked incredulous. She felt like putting her hands over Angus's ears so he wouldn't hear this discouraging talk. "For heaven's sake, you'd put Angus in the ground before he quit breathing?"

"No, we'd wait," Alec answered. "You really think you can save him, don't you?"

"What can I do to help?" Gavin asked before Jamie could answer her husband.

"I need more light, linen strips, a goblet of warm water, bowls with more water, and two slats of wood, Gavin, about this size and length," she instructed, showing him with her hands the desired dimensions.

If they thought her requests didn't make any sense, they didn't mention it to her.

"His arm is broken, lass. Do you think to cut it off?" the priest asked.

A soldier behind Jamie's back muttered, "Angus would rather die than have his arm removed."

"We aren't going to cut his arm off," Jamie announced in exasperation. "We're going to straighten it."

"You can do this?" the priest asked.

"I can."

The circle of men tightened around the table. Gavin nudged his way next to his mistress. "Here's the goblet of water you wanted. The bowls are behind you."

Jamie opened one of the medicine jars, pinched a sprinkle of brown powder between her thumb and forefinger, and mixed it with the water in the goblet.

When the liquid had turned murky, she handed it to Gavin. "Please hold this for just a moment."

"What is it, mistress?" Gavin asked, sniffing the potion.

"A sleeping drink for Angus. It will also ease his pain."

"He's already sleeping."

Jamie didn't recognize the voice, knew another soldier had called out that comment. His tone had been filled with anger.

"Aye, he's sleeping," another muttered. "Anyone can see he is."

"He is not sleeping," Jamie countered, trying to hold her patience. She knew she'd have to gain their confidence if she was going to get their help.

"Then why ain't he talking to us or looking at us?"

"He's in too much pain," Jamie answered. "Alec, would you hold his head up so he can drink more easily?"

Alec was the only one who didn't argue with her. He moved closer to the table and lifted Angus's head. Jamie leaned over his friend, cupped his face in her hands, and spoke to him. "Angus, open your eyes and look at me."

She had to repeat her demand three times, bellowing the last, before the warrior finally complied.

A surprised murmur rushed around the table. The doubting Thomases had just been convinced.

"Angus, you must drink this," Jamie ordered. "It will take your pain away." She didn't let up on her prodding until the warrior had swallowed a large portion.

Then she sighed with satisfaction. "It will only take a minute or two before the potion does its work."

After making that statement, Jamie glanced up.

Alec was smiling at her.

"He could still catch fever and die," she whispered, fearing she'd given him too much hope and not enough caution.

"He wouldn't dare."

"He wouldn't?"

"Not after the way you screamed at him," Alec replied.

Jamie felt herself blush. "I had to raise my voice," she explained. " 'Twas the only way I could get him to respond."

"I think he's sleeping now," Gavin interjected.

"We shall see," Jamie announced. She once again leaned over Angus and cupped his face in her hands.

"Is the pain leaving you yet?" she asked.

The warrior slowly opened his eyes. Jamie could see the medicine was beginning to work, for his brown eyes were glazed.

His face had taken on a tranquil expression, too. "Have I gone to heaven?" Angus asked, his voice a scratchy whisper. "Are you my angel?"

Jamie smiled. "No, Angus. You're still in the Highlands."

A look of horror crossed the warrior's face. "Good God Almighty, I ain't in heaven. I'm in hell. It be a cruel trick the devil plays. You look like an angel, but you sound… English."

He'd roared the last of his statement and immediately started struggling. Jamie leaned so close to his right ear she was almost kissing him, then whispered in Gaelic, "Rest easy, friend. You're safe in Scots' hands, you are," she lied.

"Picture your next battle with the English if it will make you feel any better, but hush your talk now. Let the potion woo you to sleep."

The soft burr she'd deliberately put in her voice sounded awful to her. Angus was too drowsy to notice, though. He quit his struggles and closed his eyes again.

He fell asleep with a smile on his face.

Jamie thought he might be counting the number of English soldiers he was going to kill.

"What did you say to him, milady?" a soldier asked over her shoulder.

"I told him he was too stubborn to die just yet," Jamie replied with a dainty shrug.

Gavin was disconcerted. "But how would you be knowing if Angus was stubborn or not?"

"He's a Scotsman, isn't he?"

Gavin looked over at Alec to see if they were supposed to be amused or insulted by Lady Kincaid's comment. Alec was smiling. Gavin decided his mistress must have meant to jest with him. A frown marred his brow, and he began to wonder how long it was going to take him to understand this unusual Englishwoman. Her sweet voice was as deceptive as her appearance. She was such a delicate-looking little thing. Why, the top of her head barely reached her husband's shoulder. That husky voice of hers could coax him into complying with each and every request she gave if he didn't stay on his guard.

"I would also like to help you."

The tearful voice belonged to Elizabeth. She stood across the table, facing Jamie. The fair-haired woman still looked frightened, but determined, too, and when Jamie smiled at her, she gave a hesitant smile back. "Angus is my husband.

I'll do whatever you tell me to do."

"I'm thankful for your help," Jamie told her. "Dampen this cloth and press it to your husband's brow," she directed.

Jamie pulled three stockings out of her pocket and slipped one of them over the wood slat Gavin had provided. Before she was finished, one of the soldiers had covered the second slat for her.

Her hands were shaking now, for the task she most dreaded couldn't be delayed any longer. It was time to straighten Angus's arm.

"In England, it has become fashionable to use a sleeping sponge to put a man to sleep, but I don't hold with that form of treatment," she rambled. "I pray Angus will sleep through this."

"Would he sleep better if you'd used the sponge?" a soldier asked.

"Oh, yes," Jamie answered. "But he might not wake up. Most don't. The disadvantage does outweigh the merit, don't you think?"

The soldiers immediately blurted out their agreement.

"Alec? You're going to have to do this for me. I don't have the strength," she said. "Gavin, I'll need long strips of linen ready to bind the slats together."

Jamie worked the third stocking over Angus's swollen hand, paused to cut five holes in the toe of the sock, then eased his fingers and thumb through the openings. Each time she touched his arm, she gave Angus a quick, worried glance to see if he'd awakened.

"Alec, take hold of his hand. Gavin, you hold his upper arm," she directed.

"Pull, but ever so slowly please, until I can straighten the bone. Elizabeth, you must turn your back now. I don't want you watching this."