‘Is this one of Father Oliver’s herbal remedies?’ Lizzie asked suspiciously, staring into the tankard of dark brown liquid.’
‘It is. He assured me it is perfectly safe. You will find it tastes good with plenty of honey to help restore your energy for tomorrow. Isabella’s drink is slightly different. I will stay with her and watch over her while you sleep.’
‘You, Master Henry?’ Lizzie stared at him in astonishment. ‘But this is women’s work and you – you...’
‘Sleep now, Lizzie. I shall call you when it is time for the women’s work. And Nell will help me take good care for her mistress.’ As soon as Lizzie had gone to lie down Henry handed Isabella the tisane he had made for her. She wrinkled her nose at the smell but the taste was pleasant enough and she drank obediently because she had faith in Henry’s knowledge and she knew he would never do her, or her baby, any harm. Henry crossed to the fire and spoke to Nell in a low voice.
‘Would you go down and bring the wicker basket you made for the baby, Nell? And air the clothes to go in it. I would like to see how you weave the willow so skilfully and we must have something to occupy out hands and our thoughts while we watch over your Mistress. Will you bring up more canes and show me how you start?’
‘Why yes, Sir,’ Nell said, surprised, but delighted at Henry’s praise. She loved his gentle manner. She was nervous of men, recalling her grandmother’s warnings, but Master Henry never frightened her.
‘I feel so tired already, Henry,’ Isabella said wearily.
‘You had no sleep last night and have paced the floor all day, my dear. A sleep will give you strength. Do you mind if I feel your baby?’ He didn’t wait for her reply as he drew aside the bed clothes and gently pressed her stomach, feeling with both hands. Isabella was amazed. This was her husband, but he avoided all contact with her. His face was filled with concentration. He seemed anxious. He pressed again, moving his hands over her distended belly. ‘I think there are two babies.’ Isabella did not answer. She heard his words as though from the end of a long tunnel but she was too exhausted to reply.
Nell returned, her arms full of the wicker baby basket she had made and the clothes Isabella had sewn so beautifully. She also brought a bundle of willow wrapped in a hessian cloth and the knife she used.
‘Thank you Nell. I think we must prepare another basket as quickly as you can weave. I think your mistress will have two babies.’
‘Twins!’ Nell turned to him her eyes round and anxious. She had never seen a baby being born but there was not much she had not heard about the birth of babies. Her grandmother had been the person all village women sent for when they were having babies. Even when she could no longer attend them in person the young woman who had taken her place came often to the house to seek her advice.
‘My grandmother didna like when there were two babies,’ she said slowly now. ‘She said they sometimes lay head to toes and it was better if the head came first. Oh Sir, my mistress will be all right? Ye’ll not let her die?’ In spite of her skill Nell knew her grandmother had been unable to save the life of her own daughter, Nell’s mother. Henry’s mother had died giving birth to his twin. The two were silently united in their thoughts and prayers for Isabella,. She was so young, and so lovely,’ Henry thought as he looked down at her face relaxed in sleep now with the lines of weariness smoothed away. His father should never have forced her to marry into his family.
Ten
It was the evening of the following day before Isabella experienced an overwhelming urge to push, and the excruciating pain which accompanied it. She knew now that Henry was convinced there were two babies. Lizzie had banished him from her chamber but he had insisted on staying in Nell’s small room so that he would be near at hand if Lizzie or Isabella needed him. Nell was almost beside herself with worry for her beloved mistress. Henry made a herbal drink for her in the end and sent her down to the floor below to get some sleep. Meanwhile Zander found any excuse to linger near the house. He longed to see Isabella for himself, but it was not his place. He seethed inwardly, knowing that the woman he loved could be dying and he would not be with her because she was Henry’s wife, at least in name.
At last Henry heard the mewling cry of a living baby. Moments later Lizzie opened the door.
‘Tell Nell to come. I need her now. The next one is in a hurry.’ She thrust the bundle into his arms and disappeared again. An hour later there were two tiny baby girls lying head to toe in the wicker basket. In spite of her exhaustion Isabella wept tears of joy and relief at the sight of them. She longed for Zander to see his babies. Lizzie and Nell gazed down in awe and delight at the tiny sleeping infants, but Lizzie knew Sir William would not be content until he had a grandson, or even two or three. She knew he had wanted a lusty boy child.
‘Mistress Isabella and her babies have passed a good night and they’re very well,’ she announced the following morning to Sir William and Zander before they had time to ask. ‘She has more courage and stamina than any man I know,’ she said glaring at her master defiantly. ‘Many a one would have given in and died during such a long ordeal. She has fed both her babies already with Nell’s help. I can see the lassie stepping into my shoes one day.’
‘Er…umph,’ Sir William muttered. ‘I knew my daughter-in-law had such qualities. It is the reason I chose her as a mother for my grandchildren, but I would have been more content with one baby if it had been a boy.’
‘My God, you should be thankful they are all alive,’ Zander said heatedly, and Henry swiftly agreed. He had just come in and was in time to see his father’s raised eyebrows at Zander’s anger. He guessed his cousin had longed to be with Isabella during her ordeal. He understood how frustrated he must feel. Zander had already told him of his plans to travel as soon as Isabella was safely delivered. He understood the reason so he had accepted Zander’s decision, but now he would have his father’s yearning for a grandson to contend with all over again.
‘After what happened to our mothers you should be down on your knees giving thanks, Father,’ he said coldly. He looked tired and strained. He had been up all night and all his father could think of was a grandson who would bear his name. Would his father never be content? He turned to Lizzie. ‘It would be better if you do not repeat my father’s words to Isabella,’ he said.
‘There is no need, Master Henry,’ Lizzie said drily. ‘She told me what he would say about wanting a grandson, but I can only thank God for her safe delivery. She is delighted with her babies. She says she will love her wee daughters and enjoy them whatever their grandfather might think of them.’ She pushed back her chair and left them with a defiant sniff.
‘I’m not so fond of spending my time on my knees as you and your monastery friends, Henry, and Lizzie Buchan is taking on too much authority in her old age,’ Sir William muttered.
‘Isabella could have died without her,’ Henry said, quick to defend his old nurse and loyal servant. It was not often Henry expressed irritation or anger and both his father and Zander raised their eyebrows.
Six weeks later Anna gave birth to a baby boy. He was small but healthy and Walter was relieved the labour had been relatively quick for he didn’t believe his beloved wife had the same stamina as Isabella. Sir William was relieved that his daughter had been safely delivered but he couldn’t resist a hint to Henry that he expected him to produce a son the next time too. Henry didn’t answer but as soon as he and Zander were alone he muttered, ‘Did you hear him? All he wants is a grandson who bears his name. I hope you will change your mind about your travels.’
‘I dare not change my mind. I must get away, Henry. I love Isabella with all my heart. Every time I see her I am tempted to take her in my arms. You know the risks, the danger, if anyone should suspect. We may be his own kin but he would be ruthless in his punishment. We should be lucky to escape with our lives, or at least I should. You would have to plead ignorance and say I deceived you. He would punish Isabella too. He might send her away without her daughte
rs. It would break her heart if he did that.’
‘I could never plead ignorance and leave you and Isabella to bear his wrath. Isabella would pay with her life if he thought she had deliberately deceived me.’
‘Life is a tangle,’ Zander said with a sigh. ‘It is fortunate the babies resemble you with their fair hair. Isabella thinks they will soon grow curls.’
‘It’s not me they resemble,’ Henry said, ‘it is our father. Lizzie is only a few years older than he is. She remembers him as a boy with a mop of blond curls. Anyway you and I are not so different except in build. You are tall and broad and strong, more like my father.’
‘Isabella missed you while you were away,’ Zander said. ‘You will be content together.’
‘I am content. I enjoy my wife’s company and conversation more than I believed possible when we were thrust into marriage. I believe Isabella has grown to love me as she loves her brother. She has told me several times she is glad we share interests in books and gardening.’
‘Yes, I see you have made a wattle pen for the goats and one of the sows next to the garden,’ Zander said, changing the subject. ‘I’m told goats like to wander.’
‘They are safe for now and Lizzie says Isabella has been glad of the milk to supplement the feed for the twins. They are thriving and content.’
‘It was a good idea, and Nell seems to have taken to them. She doesn’t allow anyone else near when she is milking.’
‘I’m glad. She follows Isabella’s instructions about keeping the milk clean. But you are avoiding the subject. I am pleading with you not to leave us?’
Zander knew it would be foolish to set out on his travels during the bitter winter weather. Walter’s baby son now claimed his attention, and his love for Anna had deepened. He rarely joined his friends if they went hunting for venison or wild boar. Although the king had made Sir William Douglas a generous grant of lands the surrounding woods belonged to the crown and Walter had no wish to risk his freedom if they were caught. ‘I want to see my son grow to manhood,’ he declared. ‘You would not be so restless, Zander, if you had a wife and children.’ Zander wondered what his friend would say if he knew the truth. He would never understand how a mere glimpse of Isabella tugged at his heart. As for her two tiny infants, they were beautiful. It was almost a physical pain to gaze upon them and know he could never claim them as his.
The weeks passed but gradually winter turned to spring and Zander’s yearning to be with Isabella increased. When she was not feeding her babies she was usually in the kitchens, or the garden. The grass in the pastures was freshening. The snowdrops had blossomed and died beneath the trees. In their place the grassy banks were covered with yellow flowers which Isabella called primroses. Henry had seen how difficult it would be for his wife to walk around the garden carrying two babies in her shawl so he made a small wooden cart and attached two rods with a wooden wheel on each end. Isabella was delighted. She padded the sides and bottom of the box with sheep’s wool covered with linen so that the babies would not be bruised. Nell loved to push the little cart, taking the twins for walks while Isabella inspected her herbs and plants in the garden, or when they put the clothes out to dry. Zander could not quell the pangs of longing as he watched them. He knew he had to get away for all their sakes.
Henry had not ventured far on moonlit nights during the coldest spells of winter but towards the end of March when the world glowed with the silver light of a full moon again he could not resist the magic which drew him to explore. He knew where the birds would be building their nests; the vixen hiding her fox cubs or the badger digging her den. Zander had seen Henry leave and he knew Isabella would be alone in her bedroom at the top of the tower. Now that the twins were sleeping through the night Henry had moved the crib into Nell’s small room. She was delighted. For two nights Zander resisted the temptation to climb the secret staircase, but on the third night he knew he could not set out on his travels without saying good bye to Isabella alone.
When she heard the soft scraping sound of the wooden panel sliding open Isabella’s heart beat faster. She sat up in bed and threw out her arms in greeting.
‘Dearest Zander, I have longed to see you. I’ve missed you so much.’
‘Never as much as I miss you, Isabella,’ Zander said, his voice husky with emotion as she lit the candle and he saw her in her white nightgown again. ‘The temptation to be with you, to hold you in my arms grows greater with every passing day. My desire for you is a risk to all of us. I must leave, but I could not go without bidding you farewell, my love.’ He moved and knelt beside her bed, taking both her hands in his and pressing his lips against her palms.
‘Aren’t you coming in beside me, Zander? I long to be held in your arms and feel your heart beating against mine,’ she whispered softly.
‘Don’t tempt me,’ Zander groaned softly. ‘Wherever I am, whatever I am doing, I shall always love you Isabella. Sir William is not God and he should not have tried to arrange our lives, Henry’s or yours,’ he added with a note of bitterness. Gently Isabella drew one hand away and stroked his hair.
‘I know, and I know my heart has never been the same since the morning I first saw you when Sam led me across the marshlands and you escorted us here.’
‘I should have made you mine then,’ Zander said with a sigh of regret.
‘I would probably have been terrified. All I could think of was offering my life in exchange for my brother’s. Marriage to Henry seemed a much better offer, and he is kind to me. I know he would never hurt me. I suppose I am selfish to want more, but – but oh, Zander, I long to lie in your arms, to feel you are part of me.’ She lifted the bedclothes. ‘Please?’
Zander stood up and shed his clothes. Already his desire was evident. Isabella curled eagerly into his arms and held him close, while she ran her hands once more over his muscular body.
‘Love me, Zander,’ she whispered close to his ear. ‘Love me one more time before you leave us.’
‘You’re sure you are ready? It will not harm you, my love?’
‘I need you, Zander.’ He needed no further invitation. There was an urgency in their loving and a surging passion which carried them into a heaven of their own. They were young and they loved each other; they would soon be parted. Their passion was like an ever rolling tide throughout the night. Neither of them wanted to waste precious time in sleeping.
‘The twins usually waken early for their morning feed,’ Isabella whispered reluctantly many hours later. ‘Nell will bring them in to me.’
‘Then I must leave at once, my dearest Isabella. I had intended to set out on my travels today,’ Zander said, ‘but I cannot tear myself away from you.’
The moon was bright and clear for two more nights and when Henry left Zander entered the dark tunnel leading upwards to the crumbling secret stairway and Isabella. On the third night they talked a lot and loved each other in a gentler manner, knowing they might never meet again.
‘I shall miss you so much, Zander. I shall be lonely knowing I cannot even glimpse your tall figure in the distance.’
‘You know I would not go if I thought it was safe to stay, my darling, Isabella. It is too dangerous for all of us. I could never resist coming to you and there are always enemies like Snodd to cause trouble. Two nights ago Henry saw him prowling within the high walls, near the pig pen. You heard the questions Uncle William asked at dinner.’
‘Yes, I wondered if he suspects?’
‘I think he might. You must visit Anna and put me out of your mind.’
‘Nell and I are afraid to walk up the hill past Snodd’s forge. He is evil, even though he believes Henry has magic powers.’ Zander was quiet for a few moments.
‘You need someone you can trust to accompany you, someone not yet required for guard duty. I think I know who would be loyal and reliable. He is still young, but I shall ask Walter to train him to shoot with a bow and arrow and then with a pistol. If he is armed Snodd will keep his distance.’
‘What is the young man’s name?’
‘Duncan McTurk. He helps Snodd so he knows his ways, and his weaknesses. He treats the lad like a slave but his mother is a widow and needs the money. It was Duncan who warned me of Neb Truddle’s arrival and his plan. I will tell Henry and he will recompense the lad instead of Snodd. He may even teach him some of his own tricks with the whip. Perhaps you could find other work for him, helping you with your garden, or the bees perhaps, when you are not visiting Anna. I’m sure he will watch over both you and Nell. They were children together.’
Although Isabella knew of Zander’s plans to set out on his travels she was dismayed to discover he had already left when she and Nell carried the twins downstairs.
‘You seem surprised by Zander’s departure, Isabella,’ Sir William remarked watching her closely. ‘I see the news saddens you.’
‘I knew Zander planned to leave us,’ she said striving to control her guilty flush. ‘I didn’t know he would leave so -so soon.’ She had almost said so early, which was true. They had bid each other good-bye several times over and in every way they could find to express their undying love.
‘I hear Zander talking with Henry before he left. He seems to think you should have a young guard of your own. He has even asked that Walter should train the lad, but you must come to me, Isabella, if you encounter trouble with Snodd, or any other man.’
‘Thank you,’ she replied dully. She felt dejected and weary now. She had spent several wonderful nights when sleep had not seemed important. Tears sprang to her eyes and she left the table before Sir William could ask more questions.
***
Anna and Henry missed Zander too. The three of them had grown up together and they regarded Zander as a beloved elder brother. Anna came down to Moyenstane Tower more often, bringing her baby son to visit her father and Isabella. Nell was delighted when she brought Jeannie, her young maid and Glossie the pup, who was now big enough to walk but needed some restraint. Six weeks after Zander’s departure Walter offered to escort Isabella and the twins to visit Anna for a change.
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