Caelen's Wife: Book One - A Murmur of Providence (Clan McDunnah Series 1) by Suzan Tisdale Page A
Authors: Suzan Tisdale
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places in the keep.
Such a beautiful babe, crying or sleeping. Little lips sucking at nothing whilst he slept in her arms. Little fingers of one hand were balled into a fist and rested against his ear. Wisps of hair, soft as a spring breeze, were barely noticeable and gave him the appearance of being bald.
Symon McCray was a beautiful babe, so soft and sweet — when he wasn’t screaming — he made Fiona ache for one of her own.
Tears pooled in her eyes. Tears of regret and longing. There would be no babes of her own for she was as barren as the deserts of Egypt. Isn’t that why James quit coming to her bed? Because she could not give him that which he wanted most, what she wanted most?
It no longer mattered, for James was now long dead and she was chief of their clan. No matter how intense the ache in her heart, she would never remarry, would never bring forth a babe so tender and sweet as the nephew she now held in her arms.
Wiping away her tears on the shoulder of her dress, she took deep, steadying breaths and prayed no one would see her like this, in tears longing for something she would never have.
For the rest of her days, she would have to be content with holding other women’s babes. There was no sense in missing something she never had. Her fate was such that she would spend the rest of her days a widowed and barren woman, chief of her clan. ’Twas her destiny, she supposed, to make certain that her clan remained at peace, well fed and sheltered, so that her people could live out their own dreams. Aye, thatwas her fate, her future, her providence.
Chapter 12
T he babe had not been asleep long, when Brodie and William came bounding down the three steps that led from the foyer into the gathering room. Behind them were Caelen McDunnah and several of his men.
Brodie and William came to an abrupt halt as soon as they saw their nephew asleep in Fiona’s arms. Both men knew that the last few days — and nights — had been quite stressful for anyone who lived within the walls of the keep, especially on the third floor where Collin and Mairi’s room was located.
“He’s asleep,” William whispered, looking quite relieved. He and his wife, Isabelle, had a bedchamber across the hall from Collin and Mairi. Though a solid wooden door and wide hallway separated the two rooms, nothing aside from moving the child out of Scotland could keep anyone from hearing the poor babe cry.
Caelen and his men came to a halt, but for entirely different reasons.
“Yer wearin’ a dress,” Caelen murmured.
Phillip, having not yet had the pleasure of meeting Fiona McPherson in person, said to Caelen, “Ye did no’ say she had a babe.”
Fiona pinned every man in place with a fierce glare.
“I’ll kill the first man who wakes this babe.”
N o one moved so much as a muscle for a very long time.
“This is the first time he’s slept in days. I’ll thank ye kindly to remain quiet,” she whispered.
Phillip repeated his earlier statement to Caelen, this time in a much softer whisper.
“Ye did no’ tell me she had a bairn.”
“I don’t,” Fiona whispered across the space to the man. “This be me nephew, Symon.”
Phillip stepped forward and smiled when he looked down at the babe. “Colicky?”
“Nay,” Fiona whispered as she continued to rock from one foot to the other. “Teethin’.”
“Did ye rub whisky on his gums?”
“Aye, only a little while ago,” Fiona said, wondering who this big, burly man standing before her was.
Phillip gave an affirming nod of his head. “What have ye teethin’ him on? A beef bone?”
“I be no’ sure what his mother and father are usin’ at the moment. A bit of leather I think.” Fiona said, as she stared up at the man. “Who areye?”
Phillip took his eyes away from the babe long enough to answer. “Phillip McAdams. I be cousin to Caelen, on his mum’s side.”
Fiona inclined her head to him. He looked nothing at all like Caelen, but there was
Such a beautiful babe, crying or sleeping. Little lips sucking at nothing whilst he slept in her arms. Little fingers of one hand were balled into a fist and rested against his ear. Wisps of hair, soft as a spring breeze, were barely noticeable and gave him the appearance of being bald.
Symon McCray was a beautiful babe, so soft and sweet — when he wasn’t screaming — he made Fiona ache for one of her own.
Tears pooled in her eyes. Tears of regret and longing. There would be no babes of her own for she was as barren as the deserts of Egypt. Isn’t that why James quit coming to her bed? Because she could not give him that which he wanted most, what she wanted most?
It no longer mattered, for James was now long dead and she was chief of their clan. No matter how intense the ache in her heart, she would never remarry, would never bring forth a babe so tender and sweet as the nephew she now held in her arms.
Wiping away her tears on the shoulder of her dress, she took deep, steadying breaths and prayed no one would see her like this, in tears longing for something she would never have.
For the rest of her days, she would have to be content with holding other women’s babes. There was no sense in missing something she never had. Her fate was such that she would spend the rest of her days a widowed and barren woman, chief of her clan. ’Twas her destiny, she supposed, to make certain that her clan remained at peace, well fed and sheltered, so that her people could live out their own dreams. Aye, thatwas her fate, her future, her providence.
Chapter 12
T he babe had not been asleep long, when Brodie and William came bounding down the three steps that led from the foyer into the gathering room. Behind them were Caelen McDunnah and several of his men.
Brodie and William came to an abrupt halt as soon as they saw their nephew asleep in Fiona’s arms. Both men knew that the last few days — and nights — had been quite stressful for anyone who lived within the walls of the keep, especially on the third floor where Collin and Mairi’s room was located.
“He’s asleep,” William whispered, looking quite relieved. He and his wife, Isabelle, had a bedchamber across the hall from Collin and Mairi. Though a solid wooden door and wide hallway separated the two rooms, nothing aside from moving the child out of Scotland could keep anyone from hearing the poor babe cry.
Caelen and his men came to a halt, but for entirely different reasons.
“Yer wearin’ a dress,” Caelen murmured.
Phillip, having not yet had the pleasure of meeting Fiona McPherson in person, said to Caelen, “Ye did no’ say she had a babe.”
Fiona pinned every man in place with a fierce glare.
“I’ll kill the first man who wakes this babe.”
N o one moved so much as a muscle for a very long time.
“This is the first time he’s slept in days. I’ll thank ye kindly to remain quiet,” she whispered.
Phillip repeated his earlier statement to Caelen, this time in a much softer whisper.
“Ye did no’ tell me she had a bairn.”
“I don’t,” Fiona whispered across the space to the man. “This be me nephew, Symon.”
Phillip stepped forward and smiled when he looked down at the babe. “Colicky?”
“Nay,” Fiona whispered as she continued to rock from one foot to the other. “Teethin’.”
“Did ye rub whisky on his gums?”
“Aye, only a little while ago,” Fiona said, wondering who this big, burly man standing before her was.
Phillip gave an affirming nod of his head. “What have ye teethin’ him on? A beef bone?”
“I be no’ sure what his mother and father are usin’ at the moment. A bit of leather I think.” Fiona said, as she stared up at the man. “Who areye?”
Phillip took his eyes away from the babe long enough to answer. “Phillip McAdams. I be cousin to Caelen, on his mum’s side.”
Fiona inclined her head to him. He looked nothing at all like Caelen, but there was
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