Anice smiled at Moira. “Aye, Craig is well. And growing like the weeds in the garden. I think his first tooth may come soon.”
“And the nightmares? Do they come as often as before?”
Anice frowned, trying to remember the last time the dreams came. “Not since Sandy’s death. Do you have some reason to think they’ll return?”
“Now that yer married again, yer fears may give rise to them.”
“Fears? Now that all seems settled with Struan as Robert promised it would be, I have nothing to fear.”
Moira simply stared at her in that assessing way of hers and said nothing. The sound of voices outside the room drew their attention. The door opened and Robert entered.
“How do ye fare, Moira? Ye look well.”
“I am well, Robert,” she said, glaring past Robert at Pol, who stood watching her from the doorway. “Welcome back to Dunnedin. I did no’ think to see ye so soon after yer departure.”
“I had no’ planned to return, but plans change.” Robert met Anice’s gaze as he spoke to Moira.
“Well, I will take my leave of ye. Anice, do ye want some herbs for the pain in yer head? ’Twould be no trouble at all to get them for ye.”
Anice started to answer, but another growl from Pol interrupted her. Instead of being concerned about Pol’s obvious anger, Moira laughed. Pol took her hand and began to pull her from the room.
“My thanks for your visit, Moira. I will call on you if I need anything for my head.”
Moira started to speak, but the door slammed before she could get the words out.
“He thinks she is being stubborn and doing too much so close to her time,” Robert said, laughing. “Much like ye were while carrying Craig.”
“You think I was stubborn then?”
“Oh, aye. Stubborn is a polite way of saying it.”
She thought back to some of her behavior near the end of her pregnancy and realized he was right. She also realized that he had shared much of that time with her.
“’Tis just like a man to expect a sweet disposition from a woman who cannot sleep, cannot tolerate certain smells and foods, and can no longer see her feet when she stands.”
He grunted and she laughed at the sound. She knew now that he did that when he knew not what to say. Robert grunted, Pol growled. Changing the direction of the conversation, Anicesat on the bed and pointed across the room.
“I put your clothes in that trunk and your belongings in the small casket next to it. The plaids you brought from Dunbarton are in that one over there, along with the ones I already had. Is there anything else you need here in our chambers?”
He looked at the trunks and then around the room.
“Nay. I will keep my weapons in the armory.”
“I brought in another chair so that you can eat here if you wish. And I plan to use the antechamber for bathing.... At first I thought to make it into a nursery for Craig, but I am not ready to have him so far from me. If it meets your approval?”
“Anice, this is fine.” He walked to the table and sat down in one of the chairs next to it. “Or...”
“Or what?” He looked at her and waited. She took a breath and offered another choice to him.
“We could use separate rooms, if you’d rather not sleep in here at all. ’Twould not be such an unusual arrangement for a married couple.”
She regretted the moment the words left her lips. She offered it because she did not want him to be uncomfortable sharing his chambers with her. But she hoped deep inside that he would not choose that way. Confused by her feelings, she waited for his response.
“Is that what ye wish? Yer own room?” His face darkened and she noticed that he kept clenching and unclenching his hands into fists on his lap.
“I... ah... ’tis truly up to you, Robert. I offered it only as a way to give you some privacy and a bed to sleep in.”
He stood and walked nearer. “I think we should keep up the charade of a marriage for a bit until everyone is accustomed to it. My thanks for making these changes to yer room to accommodate me.”
