Song of the Highlands: The Cambels (The Medieval Highlanders) (31 page)

Rising up, he walked over and settled on his
knees in front of her, reached out his palm, and placed it on the
small mound of her belly. “How is my son?”

She smiled and smoothed his cheek with her
hand, mouthing, “He is well, worry not.”

“But he needs his rest and, so wife, do
you.” Rising to his feet, he lifted her to hers at the same time,
making her drop what e’er she had been working on. Tho’ she tried
to bend down to retrieve it, he would not allow it, and tugged her
toward their bed instead.

He rolled her to her side and curled around
her, stroking her hair from her forehead and cheek before dropping
several soft kisses from her temple to her chin, then pulled her
more snugly into him, with his hand resting lightly o’er their
babe.

‘Twas not long before Morgana heard the
deep, slow breathing that indicated Robert had fallen back to
sleep. She tried to sleep as well, she truly did, and she did know
that Robert was right: She and their babe needed rest. So, on the
advice that Modron had given that the sleeping draught she had
begun to need so oft in the past sennight, for precisely such
times, would not harm the babe, Morgana took just a drop or two in
a cup of water, weakening the dose—just to be safe.

In moments, and tho’ the babe was making her
stomach churn a bit, she was sound asleep.

* * *

The next morn, Morgana’s queasiness had not
lessened, so she only nibbled on a bit of stale bread to break her
fast before beginning her duties for the day, with Modron beside
her.

As they walked together across the courtyard
toward the weavers’ chamber with Modron chatting pleasantly about
tidings that the blacksmith’s son was to wed the alewife’s
daughter, a sudden sharp pain in Morgana’s head together with her
already churning stomach made her halt her steps.

Modron made a fuss, trying to turn her about
and walk them back to Morgana’s bedchamber, saying she should rest
a while longer.

But the initial flash of pain in her head
had already settled into a bearable, dull ache, so she shook her
head, and continued toward the weavers’ chamber.

After only a small hesitation, Morgana was
pleased to find Modron once more at her side, tho’ the woman
insisted that Morgana at least try to eat a bit of something more
than the stale bread she’d had earlier, as the babe was no doubt
telling her ‘twas time to feed him something more substantial.

* * *

Robert, drenched with sweat from the morn’s
training session, took several long swallows from the ladle of well
water before picking up the bucket and pouring the remainder o’er
his bare head and shoulders. Tho he’d still not found any evidence
of malignant intent in regard to Vika’s tumble, he’d come to the
decision that ‘twould be best to inform Grímr of his suspicions.
For, tho’ the two had little liking for the other, Grímr was still
her husband’s kin, and would be bound by honor to aid in her
protection. In addition, and after much thought, he’d also decided
‘twas best for Grímr to know of Vika’s childing state, and that
Robert was the sire. But, before he did so, he must verify all was
well with his wife. Morgana would be about her duties now, so
Robert headed toward the weavers’ chamber, did a search and scan of
the exterior, peeked in on the women, saw that his wife and Modron
had their heads together working on something or other, then turned
back toward the keep, feeling much more settled now that he’d
confirmed his wife’s safety.

* * *

A knock sounded on the door to Grímr’s
bedchamber, and he hurriedly pulled his shirt the rest of the way
down as he strode over and opened it. “Robert,” he said with some
surprise, “is aught amiss?”

“Aye, mayhap. But I see that you are
readying to leave on your journey to the next shire, so I will ask
that you and I have a bit of time to speak later this eve, after
you’ve returned.”

Surprise turned to alarm, and Grímr pulled
the door open further as he took a step back, saying, “Nay, my
business there is not pressing. Come inside, we shall speak now, if
you will.”

With a nod, his host strode through the
doorway and, after a quick glance around, found a stool by the
window and brought it over to place it next to the other by the
hearth. After they were both seated, Robert said, “I have a
suspicion that someone—I’ve yet to find out who—pushed Vika down
those stairs.”

Grímr’s stomach lurched. “How know you
this?”

“ ‘I’ve no proof as yet, only a suspicion
stemming from the look in Vika’s eye, the loss of color in her
countenance, the first time I asked her to tell me how she fell.
‘Twas as if a glimmer of memory passed within her, but ‘twas gone
again before she could hold it.”

“Could it not be merely a reaction to
recalling the terror she must have felt as she tumbled?”

“Aye, I have thought of that, but…. Nay,
‘tis something else, I’ve a feeling in my gut, tho’ she assures me
‘twas merely a badly placed foot on her part.”

Grímr rose from his stool and walked several
paces away. “I think….” He swung back to face his host. “I believe
you. I confess, I’ve been wondering at the oddity of Vika’s fall
since I’ve learned of it. She has always been so sure-footed. I’ve
ne’er known her to trip, to take any misstep. She is pure grace
when she moves.”

Robert’s eyes narrowed on him, and he knew
he’d said too much, revealed too much, with that last
observation.

“Aye.” Robert’s gaze continued to penetrate,
and ‘twas all Grímr could do to remain stoic in the dark quiet that
followed until his host at last broke his silence, saying, “There
is something more. Vika bears my babe in her belly.”

A shock of rage, of virulent jealousy seared
Grímr’s gut. “You!” he bellowed, thundering toward Robert with
hands outstretched, ready to throttle.

Robert leapt up, but stood his ground,
prepared to fight, but clearer thinking prevailed, and Grímr halted
his motion, his lungs blowing. He would not care. He would
not.
She would not have that power o’er him e’er again. And
besides, he’d not be thrown out before he could take her with
him—back to their daughter.

“Forgive my ill reaction, ‘twill not happen
again, I assure you.”

His host gave him a short nod. After a
brief, but weighted pause, he said, “So, ‘tis as I thought. You
were lovers.”

He hesitated, not sure if he should respond
with truth or falsehood. “Aye,” he said finally. Turning, he moved
several paces away and crossed his arms over his chest. “But, that
was long ago, before she left
Leòdhas
.”
And we’ve a bairn
together as well.
Nay, he’d not reveal it. Not yet. Mayhap, not
ever. And certainly not until after he’d had another talk with Vika
about the one she carried now.

Robert sat down again. “Vika’s father must
not learn that she is breeding.”

Alarm ran down Grímr’s spine, his pulse
increased. He walked over and settled on his stool once again as
well. “Nay, he must not. ‘Twould not be good for Vika if he
did.”

“We’ve kept it a secret thus far, and
believe we can continue to keep it from reaching her father’s ear,
even after the fact of it can no longer be hidden.”

“Fear not, I shall keep the secret as
well.”

Robert rose to his feet. “Good. And you will
aid me in watching o’er Vika while I continue my search for the
culprit behind her fall?”

“Aye.” And ‘twould give him the excuse he
needed to be seen studying the design and daily workings of the
keep to find the best time and means of whisking her back to their
daughter, when she was well enough to travel again...if, as he
suspected, she would not go willingly.

* * *

‘Twas not until Robert was back in the
courtyard that he was struck with a sudden realization: ‘Twas
Vika
that Grímr had gone to court to retrieve all those
moons ago. And, clearly, he’d not been successful, else she’d not
be here with them now. Nay, she’d be off on that island, but still
with Robert’s babe in her belly. A babe, he wondered now, if he’d
e’er have learned of.

He wondered as well, if Grímr’s reason for
being here had more to do with Vika and less with any real duty he
was bound to in the next shire. ‘Twas more than likely the case,
and Robert would do well to watch closely the man’s actions in the
coming days, for he’d not allow him to away with her before the
babe was born. Tho’ by the waspish words she stung the man with
when e’er they were within a foot of each other, he also believed
he had very little to worry about on that score. For, Vika, ‘twas
plain, would ne’er agree to return to that isle with Grímr, nor,
either, e’er give him purchase ‘tween her thighs.

* * *

Grímr only waited long enough for Robert to
get to the bottom of the stairs before taking them himself to
Vika’s bedchamber below. He swung the door wide and strode in, but
a shriek of indignation, and a flying pewter cup that grazed his
temple and brow before landing with a crash against the doorframe,
halted his forward motion. And, the sight of familiar passion-hued
bare flesh spun the hot ire in his gut into a blaze of unwanted
lust before he controlled the impulse, turned his back to her, and
shut the door, giving both of them time to recover.

“Leave!”

“Where is your maid?”

He heard a feminine growl, then the stomp of
a foot. “LEAVE!”

He turned to face her and was both relieved
and dismayed to find she’d covered her nakedness in a crimson robe.
“Where is your maid?”

He could see her jaw working as she gritted
her teeth before she gave her back to him and walked over to the
table that held her comb. She pulled the tines through the dark
locks several times before finally answering, “I left her at my
manor.”

“And the healer?”

She sighed and rolled her eyes, facing him
once more. “She was needed in the village. What do you here,
Grímr?”

“Is the babe truly Robert MacVie’s?”

* * *

Vika’s breath caught, formed a mass of dread
that constricted her throat. Robert, the vexing villain, had told
him her secret (her lie)! She swung around and walked to the
window, folding her arms over her chest as she gazed, unseeing, at
the courtyard below.
Aye! Aye! Aye! ‘Tis Robert’s!
She
opened her mouth, the words forming on her tongue, and said
instead, “Nay, ‘tis yours. You are my babe’s father, Grímr.” She
released a loud sigh and pressed her fingers to her lids to stem
the tears that threatened to pour forth.
“Again.”

“He is certain ‘tis his, so I must ask: How
do you know for certain that I am the sire?”

“Because, with...”
...with the
others
. Nay, she’d not test his anger with that confession.
“...with Robert, there was something used to hinder childing.
And...I had...” She sucked in a breath to bolster her courage. “I
had not been with Robert—or anyone—for near to a fortnight, as I
had my flowering. With you...with you there was no time,” she said
the last with some bit of renewed fire. “There was no barrier. And
after….” She swallowed and took in another deep breath to gain
control of her trembling voice. “Well, after
you
, I did not
again flower.” Her voice cracked on the last.

“And you took no other to your bed?”

Oh, how she craved to lie—to tell him there
had been many others after that night—but ‘twould only make it
impossible for her to give their babe o’er to him later, when ‘twas
time, after its birth, for he’d ne’er believe her then. So, in
answer, and because she found her throat too tight to make sound,
she simply gave a shake of her head.

“Vika….” There was such pain, such longing
in his voice, and she tensed, shut her eyes against it. Then
because he’d surely realized his folly, a low, angry growl erupted
from him.

After a moment, he said, “Why have you
allowed him to believe the lie?”

She heard the disgust in his voice, which
always managed to work on her desire to please him—as well as her
conscience—and whirled around, allowing him to see the tears she
could no longer keep in check, and wailed, “B-Because I’m a vile,
wicked woman! ‘Tis what you believe, is it not?!” She swung back
around and dropped her face in her hands. “And I am! I
am
all the things you said I was before I left
Leòdhas
.”

She heard him take a step toward her, then
halt just as quickly.

“What I said that day...I said in anger and
frustration that I could not change your mind.”

“Well, they are true.”

“Nay, I think they are not. And, now you
must tell Robert the truth about the babe.”

She couldn’t form sound, her throat was too
clogged with tears, so she simply nodded as she swiped them from
her cheek with the back of her hand.

He strode up to her and placed his large,
protective hand on her arm, saying firmly, but gently, too, “And
there will be no further resistance. You
will
return with
me, once you are healed enough to make the journey.”

She would not, but, ‘twould only taunt him
into taking her away by force, if she did not give her assent, so
she said in a grudging voice (tho’ she did not lift her gaze to
him), “Aye. I will.”

* * *

Morgana was still suffering with a dull ache
in her head, and her stomach had still not settled, by the time she
came down for supper later that day, even after the rest she’d had
at Modron’s insistence after the nooning meal. But, she was
determined to be a good hostess to her guests (and, besides, she
had come to enjoy the sharp, and witty, exchange of words between
Vika and the handsome warrior), so she took in several deep
breaths, positioned a smile upon her lips, and took Robert’s
outstretched hand, so that he might lead her to her place at the
table.

Unfortunately, her evening’s entertainment
was not to be. Vika had sent word down that her head was aching
again, and she would take her meals in her chamber for a day or
two. Morgana had little doubt that the true reason for her cousin’s
sudden aching head had more to do with the blond warrior knight,
and less to do with the fall she’d taken. But, Morgana was still
worried about her, so determined that she would visit her on the
morrow, and see if there was aught she might do to ease her
suffering.