When they did not return Tara knew that he would surely send someone in search of them, but that meant that the Duke would be without proper attention for a long time.
She was well aware that the bullet should be extracted as quickly as possible.
As modestly as possible she untied her petticoat, which slipped to the ground. Stepping out of it she first hacked away a wide piece of the calico, which she could use as a bandage and then she tied what remained onto the long stick that the Duke had carried in his hand as he climbed the hill.
Mr. Falkirk had told her that every Chieftain carried a walnut stick and it was symbolic of the crook that was the sign of a shepherd.
“A Chieftain leads and protects his Clan in the same way,” Mr. Falkirk had explained.
Tara pressed the stick into the
