“That’s not Henry; his eyes are brown. That’s his brother, Simon,” Emelie closed her eyes and tucked her chin as she inhaled. “He always scared me. There’s something aboot him that isn’t right. Henry said I was silly when I shied away from Simon the few times I met him, but he put me on edge. He and Henry’s other brothers, Oliver and Harrold, are overindulged. Becoming their sister-by-marriage was the only hesitation I had when I believed Henry was courting me. He swore his father was sending them to their own keeps, and Henry would one day lead from their clan seat at Hoppringle. He claimed his brothers wouldn’t be around often. Now I’m certain that was yet another lie. It wouldn’t surprise me if Oliver and Harrold are with them too.”
“Alec went to scout and meet Simon. He’ll use the dark to help him hide that he’s not Stanley. We’ll know more in a couple hours. Once we know how many men Henry has, we can decide, but for now, Brodie and I intend to lead the Pringles to Fraoch Eilean. Brodie’s already sent men to warn the people there. The fight will be there, far from you, Laurel, and Rick.”
“What if he doesn’t believe Alec? What if he discovers Alec isn’t Stanley?”
“Alec will tell them he’s Stanley’s aulder brother. He came because Brodie happened to post Stanley on guard duty and couldn’t shirk it without drawing attention,” Dominic reassured her.
“And if they won’t sail after you?”
“We know their camp is nearby if Stanley planned to walk. Alec will tell us once he finds it. Or if he meets Simon along the riverbank, he’ll work the conversation to give Simon an estimation of how long it would take Henry and his men to get to the island. Whether they come to us, or we go to them, they aren’t leaving Campbell territory.” Dominic’s tone convinced Emelie that Henry, his brothers, and their men would be in graves or carrion by midday. “Berta will send a tray up soon. Are you hungry?”
“Yes. I don’t think you can call me sparrow anymore. I’m not the size of one, and I don’t eat like one.” Emelie grinned as her belly rumbled as if on cue.
“You will always be smaller than me and eat less than me. You will always be my sparrow. And if you’re up to it, I know just what I’m having for dessert.”
“And will you be baying at the moon if you don’t?”
“I am your wolf,” Dominic said before answering the knock at the door. It surprised the couple to find Aggie and Berta on the other side of the portal.
“Ma lady, we hoped we might talk to ye.” Berta eyed Dominic. “Alone.”
Dominic filched a chunk of bread from the tray Berta carried and stepped into the passageway while Emelie watched the two older women. Her curiosity mingled with dread. Aggie handed her a plate with cheese and dried fruit.
“Ma lady, Dominic likely told ye what Stanley said in the bailey,” Aggie began. “A few eyebrows rose when we realized ye arrived here already carrying. But ma lady, Berta and I want ye to ken that nay one has ever thought the bairn is anyone’s but Dominic’s. At first, we wondered if ye’d been indiscreet and that’s why ye handfasted. We didna ken ye were a love match from the start. We thought mayhap ye’d had to marry because of the bairn.”
“But it took less than a sennight to realize ye adore each other,” Berta chimed in. “Nay one wanted to speak out of turn, but we kenned ye thought Dom grieved his first wife. We wanted to ring his neck for nae setting ye straight, but it warmed our hearts, it did, to see how much ye worried for him. Dom is different from before.”
“Aye. He isnae trying to keep the peace when he worries aboot ye. He genuinely wants to be a good da, and he dotes on ye because he loves ye. We all kenned it was infatuation the last time. She manipulated him into thinking it was love, but it was infatuation tangled up with duty, made dirty by deceit,” Aggie said. Emelie saw the pain in the woman’s eyes, and she knew Aggie had never spoken out against Colina, but it was clear she wished she could have.
“He wouldnae have listened to anyone even if we tried,” Berta said. She confirmed Emelie’s suspicions. “I think he kens how different things are this time around. I think he appreciates ye even more for it. Anyhow, we dinna want ye thinking we’re talking out of turn. But we also want ye to ken the clan isnae blind. We understood Colina long before Dom ever did. We understand ye too, ma lady. Whenever ye conceived yer bairn doesnae matter a wit to any of us. Ye and Dom love one another and love yer bairn. Nay one will say otherwise without looking like the village eejit.”
“I hope ye dinna, but ye may hear what Stanley said repeated. We came here to make sure ye ken people might gossip. But when they talk aboot that, it willna be because they believe the lies aboot ye. They’ll be talking aboot how outlandish the notion is and what a traitor Stanley is,” Berta explained.
“Was,” Aggie corrected. “He’ll hang at dawn.”
“Like Graham?” Emelie muttered.
“Aye, just like that traitorous dung pile,” Aggie agreed with emphasis.
“We’ll leave ye to yer meal with Dominic, ma lady. Dinna fash aboot aught. The clan loves ye as much as we do Lady Laurel. Ye’re kin now,” Aggie said as she squeezed Emelie’s hand. She dropped a kiss on Emelie’s forehead and stepped aside for Berta to do the same. They walked to the door and grinned at Dominic.
“In ye scoot, mon. Yer food will be cold,” Berta chided playfully. Once the women left, Dominic carried the tray to their bed, and they sat together as they did for every meal they shared in their chamber.
“You don’t need to wonder or worry. Aggie and Berta came to assure me that no one believes what Stanley accused me of. They admitted people thought we handfasted because you got me with child, and we had to. But they said it matters to no one when our bairn was conceived because it’s clear we love each other and our bairn.”
“We do,” Dominic agreed. “I’m glad they came up to speak with you. Do you feel better for it?”
“I do.” Emelie would tell Dominic if he asked for more details, but she chose not to volunteer what the women told her about Colina. She better understood why Aggie had compared her to Colina in the beginning. She’d always known Aggie meant no harm by her words, but now everything made more sense. The couple continued their meal, chatting about baby names.
“Dom, it’s a lad,” Emelie confessed, apprehensive about his reaction to her declaration.
“Nora swears it’s a lass,” Dominic countered.
“I’ve kenned since the beginning that it’s a lad, Dom. I was too scared to tell you at first, and then I worried it would still disappoint you to know your first child is a son.”
“We talked aboot this a long time ago, Em. I thought you understood I don’t care if I didn’t sire this child, lad or lass. Regardless of whether he inherits a castle or a croft, if this bairn is a lad, he’s still mine and my heir.”
“I know, and I believe you. I just still worried you might feel differently once you knew.”
