Marion knitted her brow. “I hardlythink the MacLeod women disliking me should make you smile,” she grumbled.
Bridgette had the nerve to laugh inher face. “Ask me why they are griping, Marion.”
Marion hesitated, sensing mischiefin Bridgette’s tone, but then her curiosity prevailed. “Why do they not carefor me?”
“It’s nae that they dunnae care forye. Many are envious of ye.”
Marion felt her jaw drop open.“Envious ofme?”
Bridgette nodded.
“Whatever for? There’s no reason tobe jealous of— Oh!” Her shoulders sagged. “They wish to be married to Iain.”
“Well,” Bridgette said slowly, herlaughter making her voice shake, “I’m sure afore he married Catriona, thenafter her death and afore ye came along, they wished it, but now they areenvious because they long to be married to a man who loves them with as much passionas the MacLeod loves ye.”
Marion burst out laughing now, too.“You must be teasing!”
Bridgette frowned. “I dunnae teaseabout love, and I may even be one of those women who is a wee bit envious. Iwould love to have Lachlan look at me the way Iain looks at ye.”
Marion arched her eyebrows at herfriend. “You wish for Lachlan to look at you as if he’s tormented by how heshould feel for you?”
“Aye!” Bridgette said. “I’d gladlytake confusion on his face instead of the blank expression with which he staresat me. Then at least I’d ken he feelssomething. However, Iain does naelook at ye like a man tormented.” Bridgette quirked her mouth. “Och. Well,sometimes, but mostly, especially the night ye appeared in the hall wearingCatriona’s wedding gown—afore he realized what ye were wearing—he looked like aman verra much in love. His eyes go all soft when he looks at ye and a smilealways plays at his lips. Oh! And yesterday, even when ye were nowhere in sightand he sent Fiona away and demanded all the MacLeod women like ye, he lookedlike a man who would fight the devil himself to defend ye. No man who is nae inlove looks like that.”
“I assure you, he’s not in lovewith me.” No matter how deeply she longed for it, she refused to fool herself.
“I assure ye, he is. Now he may naehave told ye yet…” Bridgette gave her a questioning look, and Marion shook herhead. “Och, well, he is still denying it, then. Do ye nae remember what theseer said?”
Before Marion could answer,Bridgette spoke again.“Thrice he’ll stare how he feels for ye in the face,and thrice he’ll deny it.”Her accent so mimicked the seer’s thatgooseflesh appeared on Marion’s arms. Bridgette cackled—for effect, Marionknew—but it still made Marion shiver.“But if the Fairy Flag flies again,then the love that is now but a seed in his gut will have found a way to hisheart and will grow into a vine that stretches to the heavens. It will be a newlove. Nae the same as any that grew afore it, but strong, true, and ablessing,”Bridgette finished.
Marion trembled where she stood,exhilarated by the possibility that Iain was starting to truly love her. Yetshe also shook with the very real fear that if it was true, and if the seer’sprophecy was correct, Iain would eventually fly the Fairy Flag to save theclan, which could only mean the clan was in danger because of her. Her thoughtsturned in circles and each loop led to Froste, which led to her father. Beforeshe could think more on it, a wave of nausea overcame her. She barely made itto the bucket before she was sick.
Bridgette hovered behind her as sheretched, and when she was done, her friend handed her a linen. “Are ye sure yefeel well enough to be out of bed?”
Marion nodded. “Yes, I feel fine,except I have been rather nauseated in the mornings and haven’t had much of anappetite.” She gave Bridgette a stern look. “Don’t mention it to Iain. I don’twant him to worry.”
Bridgette stared at her oddly for along moment. “Marion, may I ask ye something delicate?”
Marion nodded.
Bridgette furrowed her brow. “Whenwas the last time ye had yer flux?”
Marion felt a blush rise to hercheeks, but she cast her mind back and then gasped. “Well before I leftEngland.” She could not stop the grin that came to her face. “Bring me the cupover by the bucket.”
“Why?” Bridgette asked with afrown.
Marion strode past Bridgette andpicked up the cup before scurrying behind the dressing curtain. As she pulledher clothes down to relieve her bladder, she said, “The midwife in the villagenear my father’s home told me that if a woman is with child, her urine will beclear.”
Bridgette snorted. “And ye believethat? My mother told me a sure sign was morning nausea. Ye’re going to have abairn!”
A child.
Marion’s hand fluttered to herbelly as she pulled up her clothing and looked into the cup. She needed properlight to see the color. She dashed to the window, and her breath caught. Itlooked clear! She and Iain had made a child. Heaven above! Her fingers curledagainst the skin of her belly as she thought of falling down the stairs andthat she could have lost the babe. She exhaled a shaky breath of relief thatshe had not.
Would Iain be as happy as she wasat the news?
Her grin faltered a bit asBridgette came to peer over her shoulder. “That looks clear to me. Ye must tellIain at once!”
Marion nodded. “I will. I just wish…”She let the words trail off. She was embarrassed to say that she wished heloved her. What if he felt he must say the words now because she carried hischild, but he didn’t truly mean them?