Lydia’s breath caught. “You mean I… I am…”
“Aye, Me Lady.” Fenella softened, just a little. “Ye’re most like with bairn.”
Lydia sat up slowly, her fingers trembling as they pressed to her stomach. “God above…”
The healer placed a hand on her shoulder, firm and grounding. “It’s early. Early enough that only ye and yer own body ken. I may be wrong… such things are unpredictable. Sometimes worry can make a lass miss her blood. But ye’re healthy, and ye’re wedded, so it’s safe to assume ye’re with bairn.”
The timing for such a thing could not be worse. Someone was after her, someone who was hellbent on taking her life, and now, she was with child. How was she supposed to keep this child safe? How was she supposed to tell Kieran, who surely would never let her out of their chambers again?
As if I dinnae have enough things to worry about.
“I daenae ken what to do,” she confessed, her voice cracking. “Fenella… I’m frightened.”
“Ye’d be daft if ye werenae.” The healer snorted, squeezing Lydia’s shoulder. “Pregnancy is never a simple walk through the heather. And ye’ve a complicated life at the moment.”
Lydia drew in a shaky breath. “Do ye think all this… all this the danger could harm the bairn?”
Fenella’s expression hardened, fierce and protective. “Listen to me, Me Lady. Fear’s natural, but it cannae rule ye. With care, with rest, and with vigilance, ye and the bairn will thrive. And as for danger… ye’ve a husband who’d throw himself before any blade. Our laird may be troubled, stubborn, and wholly too grim for a man his age, but he willnae let harm come to ye if he can help it.”
Lydia’s eyes stung with unshed tears. “He’s already lost so much.”
“Aye. Which is why ye must tell him.” Fenella tightened her grip. “Secrets fester. Tell him tonight, before fear convinces ye otherwise.”
The mere thought of telling Kieran frightened her, not because she thought he would be angered by this, but rather because she knew he, too, would be frightened for their child. It was much too soon for something like this, and now that she had fallen pregnant before the threat to her life had been neutralized, there was no doubt in her mind Kieran would blame himself for it.
And he would do anything to stop harm from befalling her—to the point of recklessness. But what could she do? Hide it from him? That would be far from wise.
Lydia nodded slowly, breath trembling. “Ye’re right.”
“Of course, I am,” Fenella said, turning away to gather her jars. “Now, go on. And stop lookin’ like someone dropped ye in an icy stream. Ye’re with bairn… it’s a good thing.”
A shaky laugh escaped Lydia despite everything. She rose to her feet, still stunned, still frightened, but steadier than before.
As she stepped toward the chamber door, Fenella called after her, her voice gentler than Lydia had ever heard it.
“Blessings on ye, Me Lady. And on the wee life ye carry.”
Lydia’s hand flew instinctively to her abdomen, resting there for a moment. She was, indeed, carrying a life. Kieran’s child. Their child.
It was still difficult to believe.
With a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped out into the croft, acutely aware that the truth she now carried would alter both their lives forever.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Damn this blasted chill!” Kieran mumbled to himself.
The morning broke, cold and brittle, the kind of chill that crept into the bones no matter how many fires burned in the hearth. Kieran strode through the corridor toward the solar, his boots echoing sharply on the stone. He had a list of tasks for the day—more guard rotations, another round of interrogations, a new lead he meant to chase down.
But the moment he stepped into the solar, all thought fled him.
Lydia stood near the window, her hand braced on the sill as though she needed its support. She stared out at the gray sweep of hills and mist-covered lake, unmoving, her shoulders tight and her breath far too shallow.
Something inside Kieran’s chest twisted painfully, and he immediately knew something was wrong.
He approached quickly, his footsteps hurried and loud. “Lydia?”
She flinched as if she hadn’t realized he was there. Turning toward him, she tried to steady her expression, but the dazed look in her eyes made his heart thud painfully hard in his chest.
