A frantic-looking Bridgette stoodin the doorway with Graham directly behind her. “I’m sorry to disturb ye, butAlanna’s been in labor for a day, and there’s something wrong. Ye can deliver abairn, can’t ye?”
Marion nodded and was out the doorand down the stairs before Iain could protest. Left with little choice, he madehaste to keep close to her, pushing Graham to move out of his way.
“How come every time I look ye’retrailing Bridgette?” Iain demanded when the women turned the corner ahead ofthem, going out of sight for a moment.
Graham flushed. “I love her.”
“Ye’re too young to ken what itmeans to love a woman.”
“I’m nae too young,” Graham growled.“I’m as old as ye were when ye married Catriona.”
The comment hit Iain like an arrow.He stumbled to a halt.Catriona.He’d not thought of her in weeks. Notonce. Yet somehow he knew that if she could speak with him, she’d tell him itwas as it should be. It was time for him to truly rejoin life. The guilt hefelt over breaking his promise to Catriona lifted like a mist. She would alwayshave a place in his heart, but now Marion did, too.
They ran the entire way to RoryMac’s home. Marion and Bridgette made haste to Alanna’s bedside, where Rory Macpaced. Iain entreated his friend to let the women work and wait with himoutside, but he refused to leave the room. Iain nodded and stood just outsidethe cracked door, through which he could see Marion and was ready to interveneshould she request his help.
Rory Mac barked orders at Alanna tosimply push the baby out, and Alanna, in turn, screamed at him to get out ofthe room. Bridgette started fussing at them to stop but it did no good.
Iain’s eyes widened as Marionpicked up a plate and threw it to the floor.
The shouting abruptly stopped, andeveryone looked at her. She marched up to Rory Mac and poked him in the chest.“If you don’t want your wife to die while trying to birth your baby, I thinkyou should leave.”
Rory Mac gaped at Marion. “Alannacould die?”
Marion nodded. “Look at her. She’sbeen in labor far too long. Fatigue is setting in, and soon she will be tootired to help the baby come out at all. Your yelling at her is not making itany easier. You must leave and let us help her.”
Rory Mac looked as if he was aboutto argue, but he finally nodded and came out the door. Once it was shut, Iainthrew an arm around his friend. “Come. We’ll practice combat.” It was theperfect task to draw his friend’s attention away from what was happeninginside, and thankfully, Iain was never without his dagger.
They practiced with their daggersand then took turns shooting Rory Mac’s bow while Alanna’s yells occasionallypunctuated the relative silence.
“I’m going back in,” Rory Macfinally demanded after several hours had passed. “Alanna needs me.”
“Aye, she needs ye to stay out hereand be strong. Ye will be in the way in there, and ye ken as well as I do thatshe’d nae want ye to see her giving birth.”
Rory Mac nodded. “Ye’re right, butI feel as if I’ll die if I lose her or the bairn.”
Iain nodded. “I ken how ye feel,but ye will nae lose them.” As the words left Iain’s mouth, the sound of a doorcreaking open caused Iain to turn.
Bridgette strolled out, a largesmile on her face, sweat covering her brow, and a baby bundled in her arms. Shewalked up to Rory Mac and looked up at him as she pulled the plaid the baby waswrapped in down just a bit. “Meet your son,” she whispered as she handed theboy over to him. “He was pointing the wrong way to come out, which was why ittook so long, but Marion knew how to turn him.”
“Thank God for Marion,” Rory Macexclaimed.
Iain nodded, feeling exactly thesame way.
By the time Marion and Iain reached the great hallfor supper that night, the news of her saving Alanna and her baby had reachedevery corner of the castle, in large part due to Rory Mac telling the tale toeveryone he saw as he went out to spread word of his son.
Just as they sat down at the daisto eat, Robbie, one of the clan’s fiercest warriors, rushed into the hall anddirectly to the dais. His wife also had been in labor for far too long, and hebegged Marion to attend the birth. Marion quickly agreed, and off they set onceagain.
When they returned to theirbedchamber later that night, after Marion had successfully helped deliveranother bairn into the world, Iain held her in his arms as they lay in bed.
“What if,” she said in a smallvoice, “I cannot have another child? Seeing the new bairns today made me seethat even though I fear losing a babe, I’m more afraid I’ll never have one. Andthen we won’t have a family, and you’ll be disappointed, and—”
He kissed her to silence her. Whenhe pulled away, he looked into her eyes. “We are already a family,aghràidh.Dunnae fash yerself. We will simply enjoy the process of trying to make abairn, and if it happens, so be it. If nae, we have each other.”
Before more could be said on thesubject, a knock came at the door. “Iain,” Lachlan called. “A note just arrivedfor ye from King Edward.”
Iain took in his wife’s wide eyes.“Dunnae worry,” he whispered and kissed her forehead before he went to the doorand opened it. He took the scroll from Lachlan, broke the seal, and read.
“What does it say?” Lachlan asked.
