Page 104 of Scandalous: Family Ties and Spies

“I dinnae want him near me.”

Although his wife’s whisper was indistinguishable to those in the hall, Valeran heard her words quite clearly.

“But Amalie,—” Aunt Matilda said with surprised concern.

“He is nae allowed tae come near me.”

This time his wife’s voice was loud enough to be heard by everyone in the entryway. The harsh declaration hurt worse than the night the spy had slit open his mid-section. Around him, he heard the soft gasps of the family members filling the main hall. A petite gray figure hurried toward him, and his mother-in-law squeezed his arm.

“She’s frightened, Val. She’ll be fine.”

“But the doctor?” he choked out as fear made his blood run cold.

“He’s a man, and has never given birth to a babe. I have,” Lady Patience said softly with one more squeeze of his arm, then she turned away from him. “Julian, have one of the boys fetch the midwife from Stirling. I sent word yesterday she might be needed.”

Lady Patience then hurried up the stairs, followed by three other feminine shadows as another cry of pain echoed down into the main hall. Valeran’s stomach twist viciously at the sound. The next shriek of pain sent him charging toward the staircase. A strong hand tugged him to a halt.

“Let Patience see tae Amalie first, lad. The lass is nae thinking straight at the moment. Ye dinnae want to make things worse for her. I heard the fear in her voice.” Something about the worried note in the Larid of Crianlarich’s statement made Valeran shake his head in fierce objection.

“I need to be there, even if all I do is wait outside the door,” he said grimly, certain the emotion Amalie’s father had heard was anger, not fear.

His mouse wasn’t afraid of anything. Except you dying, a voice in the back of his head snarled. Amalie’s father immediately released his arm, and Valeran quickly started upward. Another scream of pain echoed out of his wife, and fear made him lose count of the steps. Stumbling forward, he fell flat on his face, while his hand flew outward, searching for the bannister. A second later, Jamie was at his side.

“Val, let me—”

“No, I know the way. I simply lost count,” he gritted out between clenched teeth as his hand found the bannister.

“All right, you only have five more steps to the landing.”

Valeran acknowledged his friend’s quiet words with an abrupt nod and continued upward. It was the first time in years he’d fallen in front of anyone. One hand gliding across the corridor’s wall, he heard Amalie sobbing, and quiet voices floating out of their bedroom.

Christ, he should have put his foot down when she’d refused to consider remaining in London for the holiday. She’d weathered the train to Stirling without any more discomfort than if they were at home, but the carriage ride had been bumpy. Amalie had been too excited to complain, but her back had been hurting, and she’d spent almost half a day in bed after they arrived.

Although she’d not said it, Valeran had a feeling that she’d always wanted to have the baby at Callendar Abbey when her time came. But if he’d known the doctor had warned her there might be trouble during childbirth, he would have tied his fearless mouse down. Valeran stopped outside their bedroom door listening to the women in the room with Amalie.

Footsteps, softened by the hallway carpet, made him turn his head toward the sound. Carrying a large basin in her hands, Valeran recognized the short, rotund woman hurrying in his direction as Mrs. MacGregor, the abbey’s housekeeper. Without speaking, she simply entered the open doorway to his and Amalie’s room.

There had only been one other time when he’d felt this helpless, and the memory of what he’d lost that day made his chest constrict as the air in his lungs disappeared. As he struggled to fend off his panic, he saw Wills’s tall shadow running toward him with his medical satchel in hand. The young doctor paused for a moment, and patted his shoulder.

“Chin up, old man. Between me and the midwife, we’ll take good care of her.”

Wills didn’t wait for an answer, but disappeared into the bedroom as Amalie screamed again. To his right, a chair was suddenly placed beside him, and someone forced him down into the seat.

“Sit down. You look like you’re about to drop to the floor like a bag of flour.” Jamie’s voice was somber as Valeran fell into the chair.

“What if she…” His voice trailed off, unable to say the word.

“That will not happen. You know from experience how skilled a doctor Wills is, he’ll make sure Amalie and the baby do well.” Jamie’s soft statement was filled with confidence as he squeezed Valeran’s shoulder.

He didn’t bother to acknowledge his friend’s words. Instead, he closed his eyes, then rested his head against the wall. Once again a cry spilled out into the hall. This time Amalie’s anger had given way to something darker. Pain and fear echoed in the sound, and it twisted him inside out. He leaped to his feet and met Aunt Matilda at the doorway. Hands pushing into his chest, his wife’s great-aunt shook her head.

“Now is nae the time, Val. We asked if we could send for you, but she refused,” Lady Stewart’s voice was filled with puzzlement. “The lass is having a hard time at the moment, and Patience has said it’s best nae tae upset her or it may make things worse.”

“Worse?” he choked out.

Lady Stewart didn’t answer him. The older woman caught his hand and squeeze it before she hurried past him toward the servants stairs at the end of the hall. Slowly sinking back down into his chair, he waited with fear weighing down on his shoulders. He was standing on the threshold of hell. A place his wife had said she’d hoped he would never visit.

Time moved slowly, and with every cry of pain filling the air, Valeran flinched. A few moments ago, Wills had appeared in the bedroom doorway, tersely asking where the midwife was. Valeran hadn’t been able to ask what was happening before the young doctor vanished into the room again. When the midwife arrived a short time later, the woman disappeared through the door of his and Amalie’s bedroom.