Heroes of Honor: Historical Romance Collection

by Laurel O'Donnell

  “Unless ye desire seeing bits of yer wee sister that nay brother should ever witness, I suggest ye let go of me. I am going in.” That was just the right thing to make Magnus release him. Magnus laughed and nodded. He turned his back but did not move. “Just as I figured. Ye want to make sure she’s well just as much as I do. I kenned it.”

  “Aye well, she’s ma baby sister, and I have always watched over her. Ye arenae ma favorite person since ye’re the one who did this to her.”

  “Ye dinna need to remind me. I dinna ken if I can go through this again.”

  “Ha, I give it a few sennights before ye forget yer words and ye’re pawing her again. I bet the two of ye will rival Mama and Da for number of kids.”

  “I’ll remind ye of that when yer turn comes.” Tristan pushed the door open before Magnus denied it and slipped into the room.

  “Ma laird! Ye canna be in here now. This isnae a place for a mon.” The midwife tried to shoo him away, but he walked determinedly to the side of the bed. His wife lay there sweating and pale. Her eyes were closed, and he did not see her chest rise.

  “Mairghread!” He snatched her hand and was ready to shake her when her eyes snapped open.

  “I ken ye are here. I could hear ye and Magnus coming up the stairs and then everything ye two said. Ye’re nae exactly quiet. I was resting.” Mairghread focused on him and observed the sheer terror on her braw husband’s face. She squeezed his hand and pulled him towards her. “Help me sit up, Tris--”

  She was unable to finish before another pain tore through her, and she screamed. Tristan was certain he would be sick. He had seen more blood and broken bodies in battle than any one man should, but the sound of his tiny, fierce wife in pain almost broke him. He sank to his knees beside the bed and rested his hands on her shoulders as she leaned against him.

  She settled back against the pillows and closed her eyes again. Tristan looked around, not knowing what to do with himself or how to help. He felt completely and utterly useless for the first time since he had assumed the duties of laird. He started to stand and release her when he spotted a chair near the bed.

  “Dinna ye dare leave me now. I’ve been waiting for ye for hours and asking for ye.” She did not open her eyes, but she yanked on his arm. In turn, he glared at the midwife who had kept him from knowing his wife wanted him there.

  “I amnae going anywhere. I will stay with ye for as long as ye like.” He pulled her shoulders forwards and shoved the pillows out of the way.

  “Tristan? I need those.” Before she understood why he moved them, he crawled onto the bed and sat behind her. His leg braced her sides, and his chest supported her back.

  “I told ye, I amnae going anywhere.”

  Mairghread breathed a sigh of relief. She was finally comfortable after hours of pain. She pulled his arms around her and rested his hands on her rounded stomach. She placed her hands on top of his. She breathed his scent that never ceased to calm her when she was upset or arouse her when she was ready to play.

  “I love ye, mo ghaol.” Tristan murmured by her ear. He brushed her sweaty hair from her forehead and put his hand back on her belly. Her belly tighten under it, and he was amazed at how hard it had become. He felt her tense as the pain resumed.

  “Push, ma lady. Push. It’s time. I can see yer bairn’s head. A dark head of hair, I can see.”

  Tristan took hold of her hands, and she squeezed with a strength he never imagined a woman would possess. She bore down as hard as she could.

  “That’s it, ma lady. This one will come out fast now that yer body is ready.” The midwife was right. It only took three more tremendous pushes, and their son was out.

  “It’s a lad, ma laird.” The midwife held up the squalling babe for them to both see. He did have a head of dark hair just like his father. The midwife cleaned him, and another woman stepped forward. Tristan had not noticed the others in the room until now. There were a few serving women, and a woman he recognized from the village.

  Mairghread reached out, too exhausted to open her eyes after her initial view of the babe.

  “Ma lady, the bairn will be hungry. He needs to eat right away. Then ye can hold him.” The midwife turned away. Mairghread lurched upright and tried to climb out of bed.

  “Give. Me. Ma. Bairn. Now!”

  Tristan tried to pull Mairghread back into bed, but she swung at him. He was shocked that she had any energy left in her body or that she would try to hit him.

  The village woman stepped forward and tried to take the baby from the midwife. “Ma lady, I am yer wet nurse. Noblewomen dinna suckle their own bairns. It just tis nae done.”

  Tristan’s head snapped up when he recognized the voice. He had not seen Alice in a very long time, but she was a woman who he had been intimate with for an extended period. He wondered how she was a wet nurse if she had not birthed her own children. Or had she? When had that happened? Alice hesitated and looked with longing at both him and the bairn.

  “He is mine. I willna allow any other woman to nurse him. Give me ma bairn.” She was bordering on hysterical. Mairghread had not missed the looks from Alice and growled. “I ken exactly who ye are. I ken ye are one of the village wet nurses. I also ken ma husband used to bed ye. I dinna give a damn who ye may be or what yer good intentions are. I will nurse ma own bairn.”

  Tristan did not know what to be most shocked about: the fact she knew this woman used to be his lover, a lover he barely recognized, or the fact that she was ready to come to blows over their bairn who was less than five minutes old.

  “Alice, give the bairn to Lady Mairghread. She made her intentions vera clear. Yer services are appreciated but unneeded.”

  Once the bairn was in her arms, she settled back on to the bed. She had overcome her jealousy despite her ever-expanding waistline during pregnancy. She was aware of who the women from Tristan’s past were, but he never once strayed in his attention or affections. Just the opposite. He was almost inseparable from his wife, but that did not mean she liked other women eyeing her husband.

  “Everyone out.” Tristan demanded.

  “But ma laird, we need to bathe yer wife, and the bedding needs to be changed.” The midwife said.

  “I ken how to care for ma wife.” Mairghread felt the power of his love and devotion in those words, and with that, everyone cleared out of the room. Over the next ten minutes, Tristan set to changing all the bedding, bathing Mairghread, and changing her gown. Through it all, Mairghread cooed at the bairn and nursed. She watched her husband, a braw warrior and laird, do the duties of a chambermaid and lady’s maid. She had never felt more love for the man.

  “Tristan, what shall we call him?” she asked as he carried them both back to bed.

  “I dinna ken. What would ye like?”

  “Liam for his given name, after ma da, and Brodie, after yer da. What think ye?

  “Perfect, ma highland lass.” He wrapped his wife and child in his arms, and they all fell asleep.

  Hours later, Liam Sinclair looked in on his daughter and her family. His heart pounded with love and pride for the family he and his wife created. He wondered which of his children would be next to start a family and hopefully find love along the way.