walking.”
But when Cat Hay awoke she wasn’t thinking of Patrick. She was thinking of the pains sweeping over her. She struggled to gain her feet, but no sooner had she done so than a flood of water poured down her legs. She screamed. Within seconds, both Mrs. Kerr and Sally burst into the room. It took but a moment for Mrs. Kerr to sum up the situation. She put a comforting arm about Cat.
“Dinna fret, my lady. Tis just the laddie deciding it’s his time to be born. Sally, lass! Get some towels. Are ye in pain, my lady?”
“A little. The pains come and go.”
“Rightly so,” said Mrs. Kerr. “Sally! Go tell the abbot we’ll need his help wi the table. Now, my lady, back into bed for the moment.” She helped Cat back into the big bed.
Sally hurried downstairs to the library, where Charles Leslie dozed peacefully before the fire. Gently she shook his shoulder. “Sir! Sir!” Charles sleepily opened his eyes. “Mistress has gone into labor, sir. Mrs. Kerr and I will need yer help in carrying the birthing table.”
The abbot was wide awake now. “Has the earl returned?”
“No, sir.”
“Damnation!” swore the abbot “I’ll hae to run and fetch him.”
Sally put a hand on his arm. “My lord, my little brother’s in the kitchen. He’ll go fetch the earl. There is plenty of time. First babies are always slow in coming.”
“Gie the lad this,” said Charles, handing Sally a copper. “There’s a silver piece when he returns.”
“Thank ye, m’lord. If ye’ll wait here I’ll send the boy now.”
She ran to the kitchen, where her ten-year-old brother sat spooning lamb stew into his mouth. “Here, Robbie. Run to Banker Kira’s house in Goldsmith’s Lane. Ask for the Earl of Glenkirk, and speak to no one else. Tell him his son is about to be born. If they dinna want to disturb the earl, tell them ‘tis life and death.” She gave him the copper. “And there’s silver when ye come back!”
Clutching the copper, the boy grabbed his cloak, and ran.
At Benjamin Kira’s home the Earl of Glenkirk sat sipping Turkish coffee and listening with growing amazement as the current head of the Edinburgh Kira family told him of Catriona Hay’s financial acumen. “She’s almost tripled her investment in the last two years,” said Benjamin Kira.
“Surely ye tell her what to do,” said Patrick.
“Not for the last two years, my lord. When she was twelve, she wrote and asked if I would instruct her in financial matters. I began simply, for I was not sure either that she was serious or that she had the intellect for it. The more I taught her, the more she wanted to know. She absorbed all I told her, and comprehended everything. Two years ago she began handling her own affairs. For about six months she would consult me before she made a move, but since then she has taken full charge. She’s clever, my lord, very clever. I don’t mind telling you in confidence that I have been following her lead myself, and a pretty penny I have made!”
Patrick Leslie swallowed hard. “Are ye telling me, Benjamin, that when Lady Catriona has instructed ye regarding her investments, ye hae followed her advice regarding yer own?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Did ye know that the Master of Greyhaven turned over Lady Catriona’s investments to me last year when the wedding date was set?”
“I did not know, my lord. We were not notified here in Edinburgh. Lady Hay has been continuing to handle her own funds, especially since she has been here in town.”
“And she will continue to do so, Benjamin. Your brother, Abner, is a lawyer, is he not?” “Yes, my lord.”
“If he is here, I want to immediately draw up a paper legally returning Lady Hay’s possessions to her. And Benjamin, she is
never
to know that I questioned you about her handling of the funds. I will be frank wi ye my friend. Lady Hay will shortly bear my child, and she refuses to wed wi me as was arranged years ago, unless I return her property.
But when Cat Hay awoke she wasn’t thinking of Patrick. She was thinking of the pains sweeping over her. She struggled to gain her feet, but no sooner had she done so than a flood of water poured down her legs. She screamed. Within seconds, both Mrs. Kerr and Sally burst into the room. It took but a moment for Mrs. Kerr to sum up the situation. She put a comforting arm about Cat.
“Dinna fret, my lady. Tis just the laddie deciding it’s his time to be born. Sally, lass! Get some towels. Are ye in pain, my lady?”
“A little. The pains come and go.”
“Rightly so,” said Mrs. Kerr. “Sally! Go tell the abbot we’ll need his help wi the table. Now, my lady, back into bed for the moment.” She helped Cat back into the big bed.
Sally hurried downstairs to the library, where Charles Leslie dozed peacefully before the fire. Gently she shook his shoulder. “Sir! Sir!” Charles sleepily opened his eyes. “Mistress has gone into labor, sir. Mrs. Kerr and I will need yer help in carrying the birthing table.”
The abbot was wide awake now. “Has the earl returned?”
“No, sir.”
“Damnation!” swore the abbot “I’ll hae to run and fetch him.”
Sally put a hand on his arm. “My lord, my little brother’s in the kitchen. He’ll go fetch the earl. There is plenty of time. First babies are always slow in coming.”
“Gie the lad this,” said Charles, handing Sally a copper. “There’s a silver piece when he returns.”
“Thank ye, m’lord. If ye’ll wait here I’ll send the boy now.”
She ran to the kitchen, where her ten-year-old brother sat spooning lamb stew into his mouth. “Here, Robbie. Run to Banker Kira’s house in Goldsmith’s Lane. Ask for the Earl of Glenkirk, and speak to no one else. Tell him his son is about to be born. If they dinna want to disturb the earl, tell them ‘tis life and death.” She gave him the copper. “And there’s silver when ye come back!”
Clutching the copper, the boy grabbed his cloak, and ran.
At Benjamin Kira’s home the Earl of Glenkirk sat sipping Turkish coffee and listening with growing amazement as the current head of the Edinburgh Kira family told him of Catriona Hay’s financial acumen. “She’s almost tripled her investment in the last two years,” said Benjamin Kira.
“Surely ye tell her what to do,” said Patrick.
“Not for the last two years, my lord. When she was twelve, she wrote and asked if I would instruct her in financial matters. I began simply, for I was not sure either that she was serious or that she had the intellect for it. The more I taught her, the more she wanted to know. She absorbed all I told her, and comprehended everything. Two years ago she began handling her own affairs. For about six months she would consult me before she made a move, but since then she has taken full charge. She’s clever, my lord, very clever. I don’t mind telling you in confidence that I have been following her lead myself, and a pretty penny I have made!”
Patrick Leslie swallowed hard. “Are ye telling me, Benjamin, that when Lady Catriona has instructed ye regarding her investments, ye hae followed her advice regarding yer own?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Did ye know that the Master of Greyhaven turned over Lady Catriona’s investments to me last year when the wedding date was set?”
“I did not know, my lord. We were not notified here in Edinburgh. Lady Hay has been continuing to handle her own funds, especially since she has been here in town.”
“And she will continue to do so, Benjamin. Your brother, Abner, is a lawyer, is he not?” “Yes, my lord.”
“If he is here, I want to immediately draw up a paper legally returning Lady Hay’s possessions to her. And Benjamin, she is
never
to know that I questioned you about her handling of the funds. I will be frank wi ye my friend. Lady Hay will shortly bear my child, and she refuses to wed wi me as was arranged years ago, unless I return her property.
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