He opened his mouth to blast the poor woman for that, then spied Iliana. “Lass! There ye are. Tell these harpies to let me up.”

Iliana smiled slightly at his pleading expression and moved to the bedside to peer down at him, taking in the angry red in his cheeks. “You are feeling better then?”

“Aye.”

Reaching out, she felt his forehead, relieved to find that fever was not the reason behind his new color.

“Good,” she announced abruptly, gesturing to Janna and her mother to leave him be. Janna moved away from the bed at once, but Lady Wildwood hesitated.

“He should not be up yet. He needs rest to heal properly.”

“He will rest. We will not let him do anything strenuous, but he can sit below and give orders now.”

Her mother relaxed at that while Angus stiffened.

“I am laird here, lass. I’ll decide what I can or cannot do.” He shifted his legs over the side of the bed and stood abruptly, then paled and swayed sickly on his feet.

Iliana reached out to steady him at once.

Grabbing her hand gratefully, he sank back onto the side of the bed again. “Well, mayhap I shall take it a bit easy.” Even saying that made him grimace with distaste. Frowning, he speared Iliana with a look. “Yer mother told me o’ yer plan with the uisgebeatha. Did it work?”

She nodded solemnly. “The causeway and catapult are ablaze. Rabbie is watching to see what they try next. I told him to call me if they did anything.”

“Good.” He nodded solemnly. “And the messenger?”

“You were asleep when I returned. Gertie was to tell you that he was missing.”

“Missing?” Janna asked with obvious surprise.

“Aye. He must have slipped out ere the gate was closed.”

“Nay.” She shook her head firmly. “He was abed after we brought the laird up here. I checked on him myself.”

“He was not there yester eve when I looked.”

Janna frowned at that, as did Angus.

“Go check on him again. If he is not there, post guards and start a search,” he ordered.

Nodding, Iliana turned toward the door. Janna started to follow her, then hesitated and glanced toward Lady Wildwood, then Angus.

“Go with her,” Angus waved her away. “I’ll keep an eye on Lady Wildwood.”

Iliana’s mother scowled at that, then smiled sweetly. “Aye, and I shall be sure he does not overdo.”

Shaking her head at the war of wills that was about to play out between the older couple, Iliana led the servant out of the chamber and down the hall to the room the messenger had been given. She truly did not expect him to be there, so when she opened the door and stepped inside to see him lying in the bed, apparently sound asleep, she stopped abruptly and frowned.

“See,” Janna whispered. “Mayhap in all the excitement ye peered into the wrong chamber.”