by Fiona Faris
“And she would know because…?”
“Well, she says it isna the first time she’s seen a woman sufferin’ like this. I expect its one of yer woman things. Havena ye seen it yersel’?”
Georgiana shrugged, “I’m an only child. My mother hasn’t told me about any woman things.”
“Weel, I suppose the physician will ken.”
“Yes, I suppose he shall.”
* * *
Lachie and Barclays arrived in Edinburgh three days later. As they walked out of the port, they passed a group of men in a loud debate.
“All we’ve ever kenned is the sea. Are we going tae just leave it?”
“The pay’s better. And we havena worked for months. We can always come back if it isna something we want tae keep doing.”
“Fergus is a guid man. He wouldna lead us astray apurpose.”
“Aye but working for some new laird? He probably doesna ken anything aboot working the land.”
Lachie stopped short, exchanging a glance with his father before walking towards the men. “Excuse us, gentlemen, we couldna help overhearin’. Ye say a new laird is looking for men?”
The men surveyed them, suspiciously, “Who wants to ken?”
Lachie lifted his hands to demonstrate how harmless he was. “We’re just here in search of a new laird, and it seems like ye ken where he is.”
Chapter Twenty
Fergus well knew how anxious Ethan was about his wife and urged the physician to travel ahead on the fastest horse Fergus could find. He arrived in Eastcairn in two days rather than three and was welcomed with much relief.
“She is in here,” Ethan showed him to the bedchamber where Georgiana was waiting. She looked up and smiled at the doctor.
“Hello.”
“Lady Buchanan.” The doctor bowed.
Georgiana nodded. “Thank you for coming.”
“It is my pleasure. Now would you like your husband to explain the nature of your ailment to me, or are you comfortable doing so?”
Georgiana looked to Ethan who was hovering anxiously by the door. “I can explain,” she said quietly.
“Good. Good.” He took a seat opposite her and removed a notepad, “Now explain everything to me.”
Georgiana drew a deep breath and went from her fall in the lake to the subsequent fever that seemed to be healed by the medicine Ethan had obtained. But now, she was vomiting almost every morning and at least once in the middle of every meal.
“Ah, and when is the last time you were unwell?” the doctor asked, the significance of his stare letting her know he was not speaking of her fever. She tried to think back but couldn’t quite recall.
“It was in France.” Ethan spoke up, “You remember those three days…?”
Georgiana’s eyes lit up. She could not believe she had forgotten. “Yes!”
“And how long ago was that?” the doctor asked, looking from one to the other.
Georgiana frowned, “About two and a half months? It was close to the beginning of our honeymoon, that’s why it slipped my mind.”
“Ah. I see.” The doctor nodded and then cleared his throat. “Er, forgive me, but…can you tell me anything about increased sensitivity in your…bosom area? Perhaps some engorgement?”
Georgiana looked down, staring critically at her cleavage. “Yes, I suppose there has been some sensitivity.”
“And they are definitely bigger.” Ethan chimed in.
Georgiana narrowed her eyes menacingly, but he smiled impishly back.
“Well then, I shall need you to er…urinate for me, and then we shall do the frog test.”
“Frog test?”
“Yes. I am fairly sure what the problem is but that will confirm it.”
“W-what’s wrong with me?”
The doctor took a deep breath. “I believe you are with child, Lady Buchanan.”
Georgiana gasped. “Really?”
“Yes. I do believe so.”
“Oh,” Georgiana breathed, staring at Ethan with shining eyes.
He smiled back, but then he frowned, “But she has been sick. Are ye sure that it isna-”
“Never fear Mr. Buchanan, I shall check that too. But I do believe that the infection was dealt with, and now you are contending with a baby.”
Ethan nodded, but the frown did not leave his face. The doctor got to his feet. “Well…I shall leave you to..uh…”
“Yes, thank you, doctor.”
Ethan led the doctor down the hall and into the little sitting-room. He wanted to return to Georgiana, but he knew she would not want him there. Misty would be on hand to help if needed.
As if the thought had summoned her, Misty walked in with a covered cup, avoiding both their eyes. “Your sample doctor.”
“Thank you.” He took the cup and then picked up his briefcase. “I shall need some privacy for this next part.”
Ethan got to his feet. “You’re welcome to use this room. Misty will be outside the door if you need anything. I shall be in our bedchamber with my wife.”
“Very well.”
They walked out and left him to his experiments.
* * *
Ethan knocked softly on the door and let himself into the bedchamber. Georgiana sat up from where she had been lying on the bed. They stared at each other.
She took a deep, shaky breath. “So…”
“Aye.” He replied.
“How are you, uh…what are your thoughts on this development.”
Ethan shrugged and then came to sit on the bed beside her. “I’ve always wanted a family.”
Georgiana nodded. “Me too.”
He reached out and gently cupped her belly. “I want tae be happy, but…I’m afraid.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“Yer sickness, that something will go wrong. That I shall lose ye both…” He drew in a shuddering breath, squeezing her hand hard.
She smiled. “Now that I know what the problem is, I feel somewhat better. I was worried that it was something incurable.”
“A baby is a gift, but first, we mun birth it.”
Georgiana grinned. “We?”
“Alrigh’ then…ye. But I shall help ye as much as I can.”
“Of course, you shall.”
He put his arms around her. “How d’ye feel the noo?”
“I feel…quite hungry, actually.”
Ethan laughed, and pretty soon, Georgiana joined him. He got to his feet. “I shall get ye some soup and bread. Will that do ye?”
“For now.”
“For now? Good. I expect dinner will be ready soon.”
He walked out, making his way to the kitchen. “Mrs. Campbell? I need some soup and bread for Georgiana.”
“Oh, aye? What did the sawbones say?”
Ethan patted his stomach with a grin. Mrs. Campbell’s face lit up. “I kenned it! I’m happy I was right.”
“Aye, tis definitely better than the alternative.”
Mrs. Campbell patted his elbow. “A bairn of yer’n. Ye must be so pleased.”
“I am…” his voice trailed off as the color drained from his face. “I’m also afeared.”
“We shall say ten novenas for her. Every day. It’ll be alright.” She patted his arm.
* * *
The doctor walked into the parlor, where they were all gathered for dinner. “We shall have a definitive answer tomorrow,” he announced.
Georgiana nodded, “That is good. Meanwhile, I hope you’ll join us for dinner.”
“I thank you for the hospitality, Lady Buchanan.”
Mrs. Campbell entered the room. “Dinner is served.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Campbell,” Ethan nodded to the doctor to precede them. Dinner was relatively quiet. Ethan’s mind was occupied with the possibilities ahead, Georgiana’s fears, and the alternate delight and disbelief of an approaching baby. Georgiana was turned inward, waiting for nausea to hit so she could hurry out quickly if need be. The doctor ate happily, quite pleased to have nothing more pr
essing to deal with than a woman’s pregnancy. He could foresee that they might want him to stay for the duration, a prospect he was quite pleased with as there was nothing much holding him in Edinburgh. Over here, he could have a cushy job, a bed to sleep in and food to eat.
* * *
Early the next morning, the herald woke them, announcing a large group of horses approaching. Ethan grabbed his loaded musket and set out to see who it was flanked by Monroe. He let out a shout of delight when he saw Fergus at the head of the large group.
“Ahoy!” he shouted with gladness.
Fergus raised a hand in greeting, returning Ethan’s smile. He spurred his horse into a canter, and the group he was with did the same. Ethan and Monroe waited by the gate to welcome them.
Fergus came to a stop, alighting from his horse as he drew next to Ethan.
“It’s fine tae see ye in guid health,” Ethan said.
Fergus laughed. “Ye as weel. I got ye some men. Not many…”
Ethan surveyed the group, “I think ye got enough.”
“At least tae make a start on the wheat, eh?”
‘Aye.”
Fergus turned to the men. “Let me introduce ye.” He beckoned the men forward.
“This one’s Abner. ‘e was a loader on the docks. Pay’s been puir fer a while.” He pointed at a dark-haired blue-eyed man.
“Oh, aye? Welcome Abner. Here ye shall at least get a roof over yer head, food in yer belly, and a few pennies in yer pocket.”
“I hope fer more than a few, sir,” the man said.
“Indeed. Ye’ll get a chance to own a croft of yer own. Does that do yer?”
Abner inclined his head in agreement. “Aye. Tis a start.”
Ethan smiled. “I like an ambitious man.”
Fergus took him down the line. “Next, we have Roy.” A curly-headed redhead with shaggy hair nodded his head and smiled widely. “He asked to join us as we were leaving. He used tae live on the street in Edinburgh.”
“Oh, aye? Welcome, Roy.”
“Thank ‘e,” the man answered shyly.
“This is Lachlan.” Ethan turned and froze immediately. “He joined us at the docks. ‘e’s from London.” Fergus continued to introduce him, as Ethan stared, eyes wide.
“What are ye doing here?” he whispered.
Lachlan smiled, “Ye didna think ye’d escape me forever, did ye?”
Fergus frowned. “Ye ken, this man?”
Ethan nodded slowly. “Aye. He’s my stepbrother.”
* * *
Ethan stumbled backward as Lachlan hit him in the jaw. Fergus lunged for Lachie, who suddenly had a pistol in his hand, aimed point-blank at Fergus’ face.
“No! Stop.” Ethan cried, righting himself.
Lachie narrowed his eyes at Ethan, “I’m here for my wife.”
“She’s not your wife, Lachie. She’s mine.”
“It’s my name on the marriage certificate! Ye were just a proxy.”
Ethan sneered, “My name is Alasdair Buchanan too.”
“Ye’re no Buchanan,” Lachie hissed, “And ye shall give me what’s mine.”
“She isna a piece of luggage to be changed from hand to hand! She chose me.”
Lachie laughed loud and cruel. “That doesna mean bollocks. She was promised tae me, and I shall have her.”
“Oh, aye? Weel she’s pregnant wi’ my child, and I’m nae lettin’ her go.”
Lachie’s eyes widened in shock before narrowing, “Oh ye wasted nae time, I see.”
“Nae, I didna.” Ethan smiled triumphantly.
Lachie suddenly lunged at him, hands reaching for his neck. Fergus leaped to stop him as the other men hummed in excitement at a potential fight. Even as Fergus pushed him aside, Lachie unsheathed a knife and buried it in Ethan’s thigh.
Ethan screamed with pain, falling on one knee, and the men Fergus had brought with him, seeing that he might be seriously wounded, surged forward, getting between him and Lachie. His stepbrother turned on his heel, grabbed a horse and took off at a fast trot.
“Get ‘im!” Fergus cried racing for his own horse.
“No!” Ethan called, breathing hard from the ground, “Let him go.”
* * *
“Are you angry?” Ethan asked, his voice rough and strained.
Blood soaked his pale skin; his face and hands were colored in crimson. He winced as Georgiana directed him to the bed, urging him to sit as she went to collect her sewing kit and alert the doctor as to Ethan’s condition. Unfortunately, he had left for London already, to collect his belongings and equipment now that he had confirmed that Georgiana was indeed expecting. When she returned, Ethan’s piercing gaze shadowed her every move.
“What happened?”
As she began to work on the cuts on Ethan’s thigh, dabbing the water infused bud on his injuries to clean them, Ethan told her. He skipped over some crucial details, important ones that would explain the depth of his injury and the reason behind it. He saw no reason to worry her needlessly, especially in her delicate state.
But Georgiana listened, letting him speak. Using a cotton rag to keep his torn skin closed, she tightened the knotting, saying a prayer for healing as she sealed the bond.
To compel the truth out of him would result in an argument that Georgiana couldn’t stomach. Especially not now, after finding out she was pregnant, and all the worry about her illness shifted to worrying about surviving the pregnancy. Not that arguing ever worked. Ethan was nothing if not stubborn. He wouldn’t let Georgiana coerce a single breath from his lungs if he was not ready to tell her everything.
Once the story was narrated, and Georgiana had cleaned and bandaged his injury, rubbing salve on the bruises knowing that they would stain horrifically, she didn’t speak. Instead, she examined Ethan’s knuckles - her fingertips soft but firm - paying attention to every morsel of skin and moving his wrist gently to ensure there were no other injuries When Ethan flinched, she stopped, pressing down to check for swelling or bruising. She was relieved to find that nothing seemed broken.
Small mercies.
“I'm just going to soak these in saltwater for a while, and then I’ll bandage them,” Georgiana said, already standing.
Gathering the pan and filling it with water from the pitcher, she sighed quietly to herself, slumping against the table, hiding her face from Ethan’s observant eyes. Truth be told, she needed some time on her own.
Just a second, if that.
Seeing Ethan getting injured in such a sudden and brutal way really brought home to her the dangers they were facing. It seemed that her brother-in-law would stop at nothing to get his way. If this was the first thing he did, then heaven knew what they were in for in the future.
She couldn’t fault Ethan for being as righteous as he was, after all, there was nothing wrong with him being empathetic, but she worried that he was setting them all up for more heartache rather than resolution. Having to bandage Ethan in such a way only brought home to her their fragile mortality. Nothing was promised, and all they could hope for was today.
“Put both of your hands in.”
Obediently, Ethan did as Georgiana ordered without question, a devoted soldier to his captain.
She loved him. God she loved him so much it hurt. Her northern star, the configuration of her favorite constellation. He was a wish come true. How could a man so poetically beautiful exist? He was as vital to Georgiana as words were for a poem. Without him, she couldn’t exist, and that was just the beginning of her devotion.
“You should probably sleep for a while; let your body rest.”
“Will ye come with me?” Ethan questioned, voice low and eyes calculating.
Of the two of them, Ethan was clearly the one who could always make the most significant leaps and land on his feet, not always fine, but usually without a scratch. Except that Georgiana wasn’t so sure that this time it would be like that. Georgiana swallowed tersely and nodded. “If you want to, then, of course.”
�
��I do.”
Gazing into his eyes, she thought to herself, whatever happens, I am not leaving him.