“I have never herd of a woman that has done something like that ever before. Not even in tales!” he said, smiling at her.He was sincere.
Lorna felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It was finally over, a new life was opening up for her. She took a deep breath.
“Thank you M’laird.” She sad with full heart. “May I introduce my sisters?” Lorna asked. “You know Nan, and Torrie. This is Jessie, Leanna and Bettina.”
Alex smiled at them again, acknowledging each with a nod, then he yawned. The day had been physically and emotionally draining and he was exhausted.
“How is Robina?” Nan asked.
“Sleeping,” he replied. “I am sure that what she went through today was very stressful, especially for a woman in her condition.”
“Indeed,” Nan replied. “I will go and make sure that all is well.”
“I will come with you.” Alex jumped up and strode ahead of Nan.
“What a perfectly beautiful man!” Bettina said in wonder, echoing all their thoughts. “And how devoted!”
“I wonder if he has a brother?” Leanna mused.
Nan was a very straightforward woman, as Alex soon discovered.
“I could see you watching me, M’laird. And wondering if I have the same problem as my sister.” She raised her eyebrows questioningly and he nodded.
“I do not. You might not know it but that happens to a lot of women who go under extreme stress. I am sure my sister will be able to recover now. ”
“She is fine,” Nan said softly, stroking Robina’s cheek. “When is the wee one due?”
“December,” Alex replied, with such certainty that she wanted to ask how he knew.
Just then, Robina stirred and opened her eyes, then she and Alex gazed at each other for a moment with a look so full of love that Nan almost felt moved to tears.
“I want to go home,” Robina said firmly. “I feel fine now, and better now that Lockie is dead.”
“They will try me,” Alex said gloomily. “Does that not scare you?”
“Then they will let you go.” Robina was confident. “There are enough people who saw what happened to testify on your behalf. Have faith, sweetheart. I do, and your tenants do, and the village does.”
Alex sighed and put his arms around her. Death itself did not scare him; it was the thought of never seeing Robina again that kept him awake at nights.
Lockie was buried quietly in the church of St Veronica’s where they had fought the duel. Lorna and her sisters did all the laying out of the body, and the funeral service was attended by them and a few staff from the castle, including the stable hands who had witnessed the killing. Alex and Robina did not go, but they laid flowers on the grave afterwards, and it was then that the head groom, Tam Dunn, approached them. He was an upright man in his sixties who had worked at the castle for as long as anyone could remember.
“M'laird, we a’ saw whit happened an’ we knaw ye were nae guilty o’ the Laird’s death. We will stand by ye.” His honest face was full of sincerity, and Alex hugged him impulsively. Tam was stunned: lairds did not hug grooms, and it provided much gossip for months to come.
Alex went to the justices with all his witnesses the day after the funeral to tell them the full story. A few friends spoke up as character witnesses for Lockie but they had not been at his death, so their testimony did not carry much weight. The judges listened and examined the scratches on Robina’s neck. The fact that anyone could ill-treat a noblewoman with child disgusted them, but it was Lorna’s testimony that swung the decision in Alex’s favor, and he walked out a free man.
He felt such a surge of relief that he almost collapsed, and Robina hugged him for so long that the others had to pull them apart amid laughter and tears of joy.
Gordon Alexander Forsyth Lindsay had more godparents than any other baby anyone had ever heard of. He was especially rich in godmothers, as he had four. They were Cora and Fia Findlay, Nan Wishart, and Lorna. His godfather was his grandfather, Bearnard.
At two months old, Gordon’s hair was still red, and looked as if it would stay that way, and although it was still too early to tell, his dark blue-gray eyes seemed to be lightening. Robina hoped they would be the same color as Alex’s.
He was already showing signs that he would be an impressive size, since his limbs were long and he had a prodigious appetite. Robina would not allow a wet nurse, so she was very much in demand.
Gordon was a restless and demanding baby, but they loved him nonetheless for that, and Alex said it was a sign of his warrior spirit. “He has the courage of a lion!” he growled, even though Gordon was only eight weeks old and had no teeth.
“My son is not going to fight another battle!” Robina said fiercely. “He will grow up and run our estate.”
“Yes,” Alex murmured, looking down at Gordon’s little sleeping face with an expression of tenderness that made all the ladies in the company weak at the knees. There was nothing more appealing to a woman than the sight of a big brave man protectively holding a helpless little creature like a baby, especially his own baby.
