“I’ll go into exile,” she bit out.“And ye won’t have an heir.”
“But—”
“I know ’tis a harsh decision.But considerin’ all Hew has sacrificed in the name o’ love, ’tis therightdecision.So what will it be?”
She braced herself for a challenge.
It never came.
Instead, her father looked at Hew.“’Twas ye all along, wasn’t it?Her lover.Her caretaker.Her hero.I knew it.”He came forward with watery eyes and a father’s proud smile.
Against all odds, it turned out what Sister Eve had told them was true.All of it.Merraid the maidservanthadwritten the verses.And fought at Gellir’s back.And been knighted by the king.And brokered peace between the lairds.She was now married to Gellir and expecting a bairn.
Eve was even right about the king and the laird of Rivenloch forgiving Hew and Carenza for their reckless behavior, though they still needed the sealed marriage document to make their union official.
First, however, Carenza meant to write a missive to Merraid, apologizing for her hasty departure.Congratulating her on her marriage and her upcoming delivery.Commending her on her clever and passionate verse.And announcing her own marriage to the heretofore unnamed father of her bairn, Sir Hew du Lac of Rivenloch himself.Their marriages would make Carenza and Merraid cousins.
She smiled, imagining the stir her missive was sure to cause.
Carenza woke early on Martinmas morn.Not because she needed extra time to dress, which she did lately, since she’d grown to roughly the size of Hamish.
Nay, she didn’t think she’d be going to Mass today.
What urged her awake was a twinge deep in her abdomen, the kind she got when her menses were beginning.
It was time.
The cramp subsided, and she levered herself out of bed.
She’d slept by herself for the past fortnight.In her condition, she found she grew too hot and restless with another person in the bed.
But she wasn’t alone.Standing in the middle of the floor in the dim morning light was a rat.
“Not today, Twinkle,” she told the wee beast.“Ye should make yourself scarce.The chamber’s goin’ to be full o’ maids soon.”
The rat didn’t budge, only sniffed patiently at the air.
“Och fine,” she relented, breaking off a crumb from the oatcakes she kept by the bed.
She tossed it to Twinkle, who scampered off through a gap in the garderobe curtain.
“And don’t come back until everyone’s left.”
Then she summoned the maid, who called the midwife, who called another midwife, who called four more maids to assist.This was the Laird of Dunlop’s grandchild, after all.They wanted no mistakes.
While the servants readied the chamber, stoking the fire, hauling water, bringing linens, Carenza felt more waves tightening her belly.As she’d seen the coos and sheep do, she huffed out her breath until they passed.
Between contractions, she thought wistfully about the marriage document.She had hoped it would arrive before the bairn was born.But no one knew what had happened to Sister Eve.Carenza hoped she was all right.
Someone was sent to wake her father and Hew, though she felt that was unnecessary.They might as well sleep.Birthing was usually an all-day process.Besides, Hew was already nervous about the ordeal.It seemed cruel to draw out his suffering.
At least they could keep each other company.As it turned out, they were nearly inseparable.And whether it was Hew’s influence or the threat of losing her or the impending birth, her father had softened in his attitudes.He no longer cared if everything was perfect.
He made no mention of the missing marriage decree.By his behavior, he assumed they were legitimately wed.He already treated Hew as if he were his son.He’d even had Hew’s precious axe replaced.Though he couldn’t reproduce the runes, he’d hadAmor vincit omniacarved into the handle.
He made no comment about Carenza’s appearance, even though she knew she was as large as a coo and bedraggled as a molting owl.He was just thrilled to be getting an heir.
She breathed through another mild contraction.One of the midwives set up the birthing chair, though she wouldn’t need it for hours.A superstitious maidservant slipped a dagger under her pillow, whispering that it would cut the pain.Another maid mopped Carenza’s brow with a damp rag.The pain passed, and Carenza smiled.The quiet efficiency of the ladies around her was curiously calming.
