Naturally I’d nae hae the next Glenkirk born a bastard, but she is a stubborn lass, and neither my uncle the abbot nor I can move her.”
“I’ll send for my brother and his clerk immediately, my lord. You may trust my discretion. Women, at best, are unpredictable. Women about to give birth, however, are downright dangerous. It is best to just give in gracefully.”
While they waited for the lawyer, young Robbie was shown into the room. “This boy,” said the servant, “claims he must see the earl on a matter of life and death.”
“Well, lad,” said the earl kindly.
“I’m Robbie Kerr, Sally’s brother. Her ladyship is having the bairn now.”
“Jesu!” swore Patrick. “Is it born yet?”
“Nay, sir,” said the boy calmly. “She’s just begun her labor.”
“Yer remarkably well informed for a lad of nine? Ten?” The earl was amused.
“Ten, sir. And I should be well informed. There’s six after me.”
“Your mother’s to be commended, young Robbie,” said Benjamin Kira.
“Nay, sir. Me mum died birthin’ me. ‘Tis my stepmother who had the six after me.”
The earl paled and, noting it, Benjamin Kira said to him, “I’ll send my wife back with the boy. She’s a mother three times. She’ll find out how far along your lady is. Don’t worry, my lord. These first births are always long. You have plenty of time.”
As Abner Kira and his clerk entered the room, Benjamin and the boy went to find Benjamin’s wife. Husband and wife conferred in a language unfamiliar to Robbie. It sounded a bit like the Gaelic he’d heard spoken occasionally. Mistress Kira turned her lovely brown eyes on Robbie. “Well, laddie. Come along, and lead me to his lordship’s house,” she said.
Sally let them in, for Robbie took Mistress Kira to the front door. “I am Master Benjamin Kira’s wife. His lordship sent me to see how his lady does.”
Sally curtsied. “If you’ll pray be seated, ma’am, I’ll go fetch my aunt. She is wi her ladyship now.”
When Mrs. Kerr came down the stairs she fussed, “Och, Sally has left you in the hallway. Come into the back parlor, and have a glass of cordial.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Kerr,” smiled Anna Kira, “but I must hurry back. His lordship, like most first-time fathers, is frantic. How does his lady?”
“He need not worry. Everything is proceeding normally. She’ll nae deliver for hours yet.”
“I think he’ll be home long before,” said Mistress Kira gently.
The two women looked at each other, their faces registering their understanding of the ways of men. They laughed. Returning quickly to her own home, Anna Kira reassured the earl that Cat was fine.
By this time, Abner Kira had composed the document which made Catriona Mairi Hay Leslie, Countess of Glenkirk, sole owner in her own right of A-Cuil, and of the investments left to her by Janet Leslie. The document, written in duplicate, was signed by Patrick Leslie, Earl of Glenkirk, and witnessed by both Benjamin and Abner Kira. One copy was to be kept permanently in the Kira vaults. The earl took the other with him.
He hurried through the snowy twilight, the document clutched beneath his cloak. She would wed him now. She had to!
“Not yet,” smiled Sally as she let him in and took his cloak.
“My uncle?”
“In the library, sir.”
He moved swiftly down the hall and into the library. “Come, Uncle Charles, get what ever ye need to marry us. I’ve done what Cat asked, and I’m going up to her now.” He was out the door before the abbot could speak. He ran up the stairs, two at a time, and burst into Cat’s bedroom.
A long table, slanted to one end, stood before the fireplace. It was covered in muslin sheets. Cat sat upon it, propped up with pillows. The earl looked around, astounded.
“Birthing is a bloody business, my lord. I dinna believe in ruining a perfectly good mattress and feather bed,” said Mrs. Kerr.
Patrick walked over to Cat and stood before her. Without a word, he
“I’ll send for my brother and his clerk immediately, my lord. You may trust my discretion. Women, at best, are unpredictable. Women about to give birth, however, are downright dangerous. It is best to just give in gracefully.”
While they waited for the lawyer, young Robbie was shown into the room. “This boy,” said the servant, “claims he must see the earl on a matter of life and death.”
“Well, lad,” said the earl kindly.
“I’m Robbie Kerr, Sally’s brother. Her ladyship is having the bairn now.”
“Jesu!” swore Patrick. “Is it born yet?”
“Nay, sir,” said the boy calmly. “She’s just begun her labor.”
“Yer remarkably well informed for a lad of nine? Ten?” The earl was amused.
“Ten, sir. And I should be well informed. There’s six after me.”
“Your mother’s to be commended, young Robbie,” said Benjamin Kira.
“Nay, sir. Me mum died birthin’ me. ‘Tis my stepmother who had the six after me.”
The earl paled and, noting it, Benjamin Kira said to him, “I’ll send my wife back with the boy. She’s a mother three times. She’ll find out how far along your lady is. Don’t worry, my lord. These first births are always long. You have plenty of time.”
As Abner Kira and his clerk entered the room, Benjamin and the boy went to find Benjamin’s wife. Husband and wife conferred in a language unfamiliar to Robbie. It sounded a bit like the Gaelic he’d heard spoken occasionally. Mistress Kira turned her lovely brown eyes on Robbie. “Well, laddie. Come along, and lead me to his lordship’s house,” she said.
Sally let them in, for Robbie took Mistress Kira to the front door. “I am Master Benjamin Kira’s wife. His lordship sent me to see how his lady does.”
Sally curtsied. “If you’ll pray be seated, ma’am, I’ll go fetch my aunt. She is wi her ladyship now.”
When Mrs. Kerr came down the stairs she fussed, “Och, Sally has left you in the hallway. Come into the back parlor, and have a glass of cordial.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Kerr,” smiled Anna Kira, “but I must hurry back. His lordship, like most first-time fathers, is frantic. How does his lady?”
“He need not worry. Everything is proceeding normally. She’ll nae deliver for hours yet.”
“I think he’ll be home long before,” said Mistress Kira gently.
The two women looked at each other, their faces registering their understanding of the ways of men. They laughed. Returning quickly to her own home, Anna Kira reassured the earl that Cat was fine.
By this time, Abner Kira had composed the document which made Catriona Mairi Hay Leslie, Countess of Glenkirk, sole owner in her own right of A-Cuil, and of the investments left to her by Janet Leslie. The document, written in duplicate, was signed by Patrick Leslie, Earl of Glenkirk, and witnessed by both Benjamin and Abner Kira. One copy was to be kept permanently in the Kira vaults. The earl took the other with him.
He hurried through the snowy twilight, the document clutched beneath his cloak. She would wed him now. She had to!
“Not yet,” smiled Sally as she let him in and took his cloak.
“My uncle?”
“In the library, sir.”
He moved swiftly down the hall and into the library. “Come, Uncle Charles, get what ever ye need to marry us. I’ve done what Cat asked, and I’m going up to her now.” He was out the door before the abbot could speak. He ran up the stairs, two at a time, and burst into Cat’s bedroom.
A long table, slanted to one end, stood before the fireplace. It was covered in muslin sheets. Cat sat upon it, propped up with pillows. The earl looked around, astounded.
“Birthing is a bloody business, my lord. I dinna believe in ruining a perfectly good mattress and feather bed,” said Mrs. Kerr.
Patrick walked over to Cat and stood before her. Without a word, he
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