Chapter Seventeen
"Ye are what?” Iain rasped, abruptly sitting down on the bed.
Seeing how pale he had gone, Islaen decided she had been right. He was not going to take it well. She had half-hoped that since it was a fait accompli, he would accept it, but realized that had been a foolish hope. A fear that ran as deep as his was not so easily conquered. She could only be thankful that she had only a little over three months left to wait.
Having followed him from the bailey to their chambers she still had her cloak on, so she removed it. “With child."
With a horrified fascination, Iain's gaze fixed upon her abdomen. The swell there was small but large enough to round the front of her gown. His dazed mind finally made him realize that such rounding took a while.
"How far along are ye?” he asked suspiciously.
"O'er five months."
"And ye didnae tell me?” he yelled.
"Nay and, an I hadnae started to show, I would still be keeping it quiet.” She sighed as she saw the anger in his eyes. “Iain, ye didnae want the bairn, didnae want me to get with child at all. I felt t'was news ye wouldnae be anxious to hear so didnae give it to ye until I couldnae hide it any longer. No one likes to tell someone something they dinnae want to hear."
He stood up and began to pace the room.
"So, I am the last to ken it, am I?"
"Weel, I only told Storm and Meg but, aye, ye may be. As ye can see, ‘tis most clear now but no one has spoken on it."
"If ye had spoken earlier mayhaps we could have,” he began, hating the words even as he spoke them.
"Dinnae say it, Iain,” she whispered. “Mayhaps that is another reason I kept silent. I ken that there are ways to take the bairn from a woman's body but I would ne'er do it. ‘Tis best we didnae have that confrontation."
"Aye, ye are most like right.” He ran a hand through his hair and stared at her stomach. “I ken I wouldnae have made ye either,” he whispered, then began to collect his things. “It must have been that night ye came to me. I should be hanged for my lack of control. T'was reckless."
"What are ye doing?” She decided it would be unwise to correct his erroneous conclusion about the time of conception, for then he might start to think about it too much. “Ye arenae going back to Muircraig, are ye?"
"I am going to my own chambers,” he announced as he left her chambers, carrying as many of his things as he could.
"These are your chambers. We are wed, so share a room. My being with bairn need nae change that. The bed is big enough for the three of us,” she jested weakly but he just ignored her, quietly setting his things down and going back to get more. “Iain, there isnae any need for this,” she said a little frantically when he came back into the room.
"Ye are with child."
"So what? I dinnae understand this at all."
"Ye need rest and to be treated gently, to be taken great care of."
"Ye need nae leave our bed to do that.” This was a reaction she had not foreseen, and was at a loss as to what to do about it.
"Islaen, an I share your bed I will make love to you."
"Weel, at least now ye ken that ye willnae get me with child.” He ignored that and she began to feel really desperate. “'Tis nay wrong to do so."
"It could endanger ye or the child."
"I have been in this state for months and we have made love often."
"Anither reason why ye should have told me sooner. We are simply fortunate no harm was done."
"Iain, I am certain t'will nay harm me,” she said as he gently took her by the arm and led her back to her room.
"I willnae take the chance,” he said firmly, then left her standing in the middle of her room.
Stunned, Islaen stared at the door that now separated them. She briefly thought of going after him and continuing the argument, then decided against it. Not only her pride rebelled, but she was sure she would get nowhere while the shock he had suffered was still so fresh. He was in no condition to listen to any argument or reason. It was hard not to race after him and call him an idiot as well as a few other highly unflattering things, but she resisted the urge. She would give him some time to come to his senses. Islaen just hoped she did not grow too round in the meantime, so round that when he did return to her bed she was past caring or he was.
