introduce you to Lochlan’s wife, Janet. She’ll be your ladies maid after she is delivered of their babe. Janet, are you about?”
A pretty lass with hair more red than brown and deep blue eyes stepped out from behind the doorway and came forward to greet them. One look at Janet’s swollen belly told her there would be a babe shortly. Màiri met her open smile with one of her own and felt an instant liking toward the girl.
Janet bowed clumsily. “Welcome, mistress,” she said, holding her back when she straightened. “I am so glad you’re here.”
“Thank you, Janet. I am glad to be here. Is this your first babe?”
Janet touched her stomach. “Aye. My mother tells me it will still be a while, but I do na think it will be all that long. Least ways, I pray it will na. I only want to have it over.”
Màiri smiled, thinking that it was normal for most women to look forward to having it over in the end. But what she sensed more than Janet’s discomfort was her fear. Her gift told her the girl was frightened to death.
Màiri tried to ignore her gift, but in the end couldn’t help herself. She had to ease the girl’s fears if she could. She held Janet’s hand for a moment and felt a rush of relief. Her gift could not tell if it would be a boy or a girl, but she knew all was well.
“Do na worry, Janet,” she said softly. “You have nothing to fear. The babe growing inside you is strong and healthy.”
The look on Janet’s face lightened with relief. “Oh, thank you, mistress. My mother thinks I’m silly for worrying so but I am frightened. I do na think I could bear it if something happened to the babe.”
“Do na worry. Nothing will happen.”
“Bless you, mistress. You must have seen my thoughts for you knew just the right words to say.”
Màiri was consumed by a sense of wariness. She should not have used her gift. How did she ever expect to control its powers if she let what she could see have free rein every time a question arose? She had to learn to ignore it.
Iain moved between them and she was glad when he issued Janet an order.
“Janet, take your mistress to her room,” he said, “and send someone up from the kitchen with a platter of food. Your mistress needs to eat, then get some rest before the celebration tonight. She has had a very long day.”
“Aye, milord.” Janet turned toward Màiri and smiled. “Come, mistress. The laird’s rooms were freshly aired just this morn. Old Yseult braved coming here to tell me herself to prepare the laird’s chambers. She knew he was coming back to us and even told me he was bringing the MacAlister future with him.”
The look on Iain’s face hardened. “You know not to have anything to do with her,” Iain said, his tone a reprimand that sounded through clenched teeth. “I do na want the hag to step foot in my keep.”
Janet’s cheeks colored. “But her words came true, milord. She said you were alive and would come back to us. Her powers told her.”
Fire flashed from Iain’s eyes. “She is a witch!” he bellowed. The tone of his voice was as violent as Màiri had ever heard. “Everything she touches suffers from her interference. She is fortunate I allow her to live close enough to benefit from my protection.”
Janet’s face beamed a bright red. “I am sorry, milord. I will na mention her again.”
Iain raked his fingers through his hair and breathed a heavy sigh as if to get his emotions under control. When he spoke, his voice was softer. “Show your mistress to her room, Janet, and see to her comforts. Then come back down and tell me all that has happened while I have been gone.”
A tentative smile covered Janet’s face. “Aye, milord. I canna wait to share with you the news about Hector and the tanner’s daughter, Agnes.”
A surprised look covered Iain’s face, replacing the frown he’d worn a moment ago. “Hector?”
“They will be married as soon as the priest gets back from the MacDuff’s,” Janet
A pretty lass with hair more red than brown and deep blue eyes stepped out from behind the doorway and came forward to greet them. One look at Janet’s swollen belly told her there would be a babe shortly. Màiri met her open smile with one of her own and felt an instant liking toward the girl.
Janet bowed clumsily. “Welcome, mistress,” she said, holding her back when she straightened. “I am so glad you’re here.”
“Thank you, Janet. I am glad to be here. Is this your first babe?”
Janet touched her stomach. “Aye. My mother tells me it will still be a while, but I do na think it will be all that long. Least ways, I pray it will na. I only want to have it over.”
Màiri smiled, thinking that it was normal for most women to look forward to having it over in the end. But what she sensed more than Janet’s discomfort was her fear. Her gift told her the girl was frightened to death.
Màiri tried to ignore her gift, but in the end couldn’t help herself. She had to ease the girl’s fears if she could. She held Janet’s hand for a moment and felt a rush of relief. Her gift could not tell if it would be a boy or a girl, but she knew all was well.
“Do na worry, Janet,” she said softly. “You have nothing to fear. The babe growing inside you is strong and healthy.”
The look on Janet’s face lightened with relief. “Oh, thank you, mistress. My mother thinks I’m silly for worrying so but I am frightened. I do na think I could bear it if something happened to the babe.”
“Do na worry. Nothing will happen.”
“Bless you, mistress. You must have seen my thoughts for you knew just the right words to say.”
Màiri was consumed by a sense of wariness. She should not have used her gift. How did she ever expect to control its powers if she let what she could see have free rein every time a question arose? She had to learn to ignore it.
Iain moved between them and she was glad when he issued Janet an order.
“Janet, take your mistress to her room,” he said, “and send someone up from the kitchen with a platter of food. Your mistress needs to eat, then get some rest before the celebration tonight. She has had a very long day.”
“Aye, milord.” Janet turned toward Màiri and smiled. “Come, mistress. The laird’s rooms were freshly aired just this morn. Old Yseult braved coming here to tell me herself to prepare the laird’s chambers. She knew he was coming back to us and even told me he was bringing the MacAlister future with him.”
The look on Iain’s face hardened. “You know not to have anything to do with her,” Iain said, his tone a reprimand that sounded through clenched teeth. “I do na want the hag to step foot in my keep.”
Janet’s cheeks colored. “But her words came true, milord. She said you were alive and would come back to us. Her powers told her.”
Fire flashed from Iain’s eyes. “She is a witch!” he bellowed. The tone of his voice was as violent as Màiri had ever heard. “Everything she touches suffers from her interference. She is fortunate I allow her to live close enough to benefit from my protection.”
Janet’s face beamed a bright red. “I am sorry, milord. I will na mention her again.”
Iain raked his fingers through his hair and breathed a heavy sigh as if to get his emotions under control. When he spoke, his voice was softer. “Show your mistress to her room, Janet, and see to her comforts. Then come back down and tell me all that has happened while I have been gone.”
A tentative smile covered Janet’s face. “Aye, milord. I canna wait to share with you the news about Hector and the tanner’s daughter, Agnes.”
A surprised look covered Iain’s face, replacing the frown he’d worn a moment ago. “Hector?”
“They will be married as soon as the priest gets back from the MacDuff’s,” Janet
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