Chapter Fourteen
Reaching out, Islaen's hand met only cold linen. She sighed, then hurriedly moved to get her chamberpot as her stomach rolled and heaved. Weak but no longer nauseous, she hurried to clean up. With a cold compress held to her forehead she crawled back into bed for a moment's rest and decided it was probably for the best that Iain left her side so early in the morning. Men could be slow to guess that a woman was with child, but she suspected even the slowest of them would begin to suspect when the woman emptied her belly every morning.
Still, she mused, it was disheartening to find him gone. She was lost in thought on that problem when she suddenly realized someone had entered the room. Expecting Meg she was startled to find Storm at her side.
"Meg was feeling a little poorly so I came to see if ye needed anything. Are ye feeling poorly too?"
"Just a headache."
"Ah, they are a nuisance. Let me freshen that compress for you."
It was not until Storm had stepped behind the screen placed before the chamberpot and washing utensils that Islaen realized she had erred. She winced when she heard Storm gasp softly. When Storm reappeared, Islaen did not really need to look to know that the woman had found the sponges. They were left out for Iain's benefit. She was, however, discomforted by the anger upon Storm's face. For a moment Islaen cursed Iain. It was, after all, his fault that she found herself in such an uncomfortable situation. Islaen knew that she could no longer keep the truth from Storm and hoped that the woman would understand as well as help her keep her secrets.
"Islaen, I would ne'er have thought this of you. I find it hard to believe e'en now though I hold the proof. Is this why you can say you do not fear childbirth, because ye know you are safe from that? How does this help Iain?"
"Come and sit down, Storm. ‘Tis a long and complicated tale."
Hesitantly Storm did so after putting the sponge back and handing Islaen the compress. “I hope ‘tis one to ease my temper. We are friends and I wish us to stay so, yet I love Iain as my own brother and feel as if this is a betrayal of him."
"Iain was the one who wanted the sponges used. He insisted upon it."
"Oh, but, well, that did not mean ye had to."
"I had to or he would not share my bed.” Being as discreet as possible, Islaen told Storm of the wedding eve and the wedding night.
"He obviously feels damning your soul is better than risking your life upon a childbed,” Storm said crossly.
"So ye feel ‘tis a mortal sin too."
"Aye, I also feel ‘tis a sin against you. I will not believe you if ye tell me ye do not wish to bear his children."
"I would not mouth such a lie though I fear I am not clear of the sin of lying. He gave me no choice, Storm."
"I know and I do not think he realizes how cruel that is. He thinks only to protect you. Oh, this is a disaster. How can ye show Iain that not every woman need die upon a childbed, that ye can do it, if he forces you to use those things?"
"By not using them,” Islaen said quietly and smiled faintly when Storm's eyes slowly widened. “I used them once on our wedding night. That was enough to tell me that he doesnae really notice their presence, though it puzzles me that he doesnae."
"His passion runs too hot, Islaen. He notices little save the sating of it, I wager. Ah, poor Islaen, he forces you to deceive him and I can tell that that pains you. I should dearly hate to be caught in such a snare."
"Something else pains me and that is that I must ask ye to keep my deception a secret, to share my lie."
"Of course I will."
"Ye agree most readily."
"Aye. Ye do intend to tell him yourself eventually, do ye not?"
"Aye, when the bairn comes."
"It will."
"I ken it will.” Islaen grinned. “In about six months, mayhaps seven. ‘Tis hard to tell exactly."
"So quickly."
"Nay as quick as I should have liked. I wished for it to be blamed upon the first night we laid together."
"The sponges are not without fault. I use them and was using them when I found myself carrying Blythe."
