“What aboot what ye said, Thor?” Rose shifted her gaze from Greer to her brother.
“What did ye say?” Greer leaned forward to twist and look at Thor.
“I said ye carried ma bairn.”
Even though they’d discussed making that claim, realizing Thor had spoken it aloud brought back a wave of agonizing memories. Greer’s face drained of color, and Thor pulled her back against him. She burrowed her face against his chest. Rose’s eyes widened, unsure what just happened. Thor kept his voice low.
“I didna ken until today that we lost a bairn. Edgar beat Greer after he learned aboot us after that battle. She didna ken she was carrying until she miscarried.”
Rose and Blaine sat dumbfounded, both shifting their focus to Greer’s belly. Thor shook his head, warning them not to say anything about her current condition. His heart ached for the petite woman on his lap. It reinforced his commitment to do anything to protect her. He refused to imagine a future without her.
“I dinna ken if I can have more bairns after that.” Greer lifted her head and peered at Rose and Blaine. “I hope I can.”
“And if yer clan contests yer marriage? If ye conceive now—” Rose snapped her mouth shut at her brother’s glare.
“She’s a Sinclair, and our clan willna contest our marriage,” Thor barked. He would skirt whether Greer would conceive since he wouldn’t humiliate her by saying they might never couple.
“If I conceive, then the bairn is a Sinclair because Thor and I consider ourselves married.” Greer looked at Thor again. She knew he was trying to save her the embarrassment of discussing this, but they sat with family. She didn’t want to hide more than she had to. “I want to handfast, so we can ask Father Bennett to wave reading the banns if we handfasted and married by consent.”
“If that’s what ye want, wee one,” Thor whispered, and Greer nodded.
“I’d like to marry ye all three ways. That way nay one can say we arenae married before God and the law.”
“I’ll marry ye any and every way under the sun.” Thor relished the same smile Greer shot him before they left their chamber. It made everything right in the world, even if only for a few moments.
“I thought we should have a feast tomorrow eve to celebrate. It will make it feel more official to everyone. Are ye all right with that?” Rose reached out for Greer’s hand, and they clasped them like they had when they were girls.
“I think that is a good idea. And I wish to celebrate. I’m proud to be Thor’s wife, and I’m happy that we’re finally together again.”
“Since people ken ye’ve already been handfasted, nay one should insist upon a bedding ceremony.” Blaine thought he offered reassurance, but at the terror on Greer’s face, he darted his eyes to Thor, who swept Greer into his arms.
“We may nae come back down.”
Rose jumped off her husband’s lap and raced to the door to open it before Thor reached it. Greer’s pallor was worse than a moment ago, and she trembled so hard that it was easy to see. Thor went to the servants’ stairs rather than the main staircase in the Great Hall. He took the stairs by twos and threes until they reached the third floor. He rushed down the passageway until he fumbled, then shouldered the door open. Greer lurched from his arms and nearly fell to the floor. He barely steadied her before she darted to the chamber pot and heaved. The best he could do was hold her hair out of the way and rub her back.
“I’m sorry.” Greer’s voice croaked, her throat sore. She stood and looked around. Thor grabbed a linen square from beside the ewer and bowl. He poured water into the bowl and dunked the cloth. He kept the cloth out of Greer’s reach when she put her hand out. He gently smoothed it over her face and neck before he handed her a sprig of mint like she had done for him when they talked in her chamber.
“Ye dinna have to apologize. Even if ye were a virgin, there isnae a chance I would allow anyone to watch me make love to ma wife. We dinna believe in them in ma family. What a mon and his wife do is private. It isnae an event for people to watch. We arenae horses trying to breed.”
“What if people insist?”
“What mon is daft enough to think a Sinclair would allow that? And what mon is large enough to force me?”
“The women can be just as bad as the men. I dinna want them to see ye. I dinna like that at all.”
“Wheest. I’m nay showing maself off to any woman but ye, and nay mon is looking at ye and keeping his eyes. It willna happen.”
“But—”
“Greer, it willna happen.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she nodded. “I dinna want to fear things like this. I want to believe ye when ye say all will be well. I want to be normal.”
“I canna think of any woman who’s excited for a bedding ceremony. It isnae abnormal to fear that. We dinna ken yet if all will be well or how we can make it well. But I willna give up on our future, even if people interfere. I ken ye have scars I canna see. I ken ye dinna feel like Rose or other women. But that doesnae mean ye arenae normal. Ye eat, drink, sleep, pish, and shite like everyone else. I’d say that makes ye perfectly normal.”
“Thor, ye’re disgusting.” Greer offered him a watery smile. He shrugged unrepentantly. “Thank ye.”
“Do ye feel better?”
