Page 16 of The Secret (Highlands' Lairds 1)

  He couldn’t stay away from her. The woman hadn’t even settled in his brother’s cottage and he was already looking in on her.

  Judith really wished he’d say something to her. His expression didn’t give her a hint of what he was thinking. She was suddenly feeling very nervous. She told herself it was only because lain was such a big man, he seemed to swallow up all the space around him. Standing so close to him didn’t ease her discomfort, either.

  “I did ask you to please give me a private moment of your time, and you were most abrupt in your denial. Yes, you did provoke me first.”

  lain couldn’t make up his mind if he wanted to strangle the woman or kiss her. Then she smiled up at him, a sweet, innocent smile that made him want to laugh. He knew he could never touch her in anger, never ever raise a hand against her.

  She knew it, too.

  She wished she knew what he was thinking. She never should have started this baiting game, either. It was dangerous to tease a mountain wolf, and in her mind lain, for all his gentle ways, could be even more dangerous than a wild animal. The power radiating from him was nearly overwhelming to her.

  She turned her gaze to the floor. “I’m most grateful for all you’ve done for me, lain, and I apologize to you if you believe I was trying to rile your temper.”

  She thought she’d sounded properly contrite. When she glanced up to see his expression, she was surprised to find him smiling.

  “You were trying to rile my temper, Judith.”

  “Yes, I was,” she admitted. “But I’m still sorry.”

  She realized, then, she was clutching the satchel in her arms. Before lain realized her intent, she skirted her way around him and walked out the doorway.

  “She’ll knock on every door along the path until someone tells her where Isabelle lives.” Frances Catherine made that prediction. “Patrick, would you please go and—”

  “I’ll go,” lain muttered.

  He didn’t wait for an argument. His sigh was as loud as the slam of the door when he pulled it closed behind him.

  He caught up with Judith just as she was starting down the hill. He didn’t say a word to her, but took hold of her arm to force her to stop.

  “I made a promise to Margaret, lain, and I’m going to see it carried through.”

  Her bluster wasn’t needed. lain was already nodding agreement. “You’re going the wrong way. Winslow’s cottage is on the other side of the courtyard.”

  He took her satchel from her and started walking back up the second hill. Judith walked by his side. Their arms brushed against each others, but neither moved apart.

  “Iain, now that we’re alone—”

  His laughter stopped her question. “Why are you amused?”

  “We aren’t alone,” he answered. “I would wager at least twenty of my clan are watching us.”

  She looked around but didn’t see a single person. “You’re certain?”

  “Yes,” he answered in a clipped voice.

  “Why are they watching?”

  “Curiosity.”

  “Iain, why are you angry with me? I’ve already apologized for trying to provoke your temper.”

  She sounded upset to him. He let out a sigh. He wasn’t about to explain his reasons for being angry. Hell, her nearness was damn disturbing to his peace of mind. He wanted to touch her. He wasn’t about to admit that, either.

  “I’m not angry with you. You place too much importance upon yourself if you believe I would feel anything other than duty to my brother when I watch out for you.”

  He might as well have struck her. She didn’t know what to say in response to his cruel piece of honesty. She realized he was right. She had placed too much importance upon herself to think he would be concerned about her. A puny attraction was one thing; caring was quite another.

  Tears filled her eyes. Thankfully, the fading sunlight hid her expression from him. She kept her head bowed and deliberately edged away from his side until there was enough room for two horses between them.

  lain felt lower than a snake’s belly. He damned himself for sounding so harsh, even as he wished to God she wasn’t so tenderhearted.

  He started to apologize, then immediately discarded the idea. Not only was he sure he’d muck that up, too, but also, warriors didn’t apologize. Women did.

  “Judith . . .”

  She didn’t answer him.

  That quickly, he gave up trying. He had never told anyone, man or woman, he was sorry for his actions, and by God he wasn’t about to start now.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  He couldn’t believe he said the words until he’d muttered them. He had to shake his head over his own inexplicable behavior.

  Judith didn’t acknowledge his apology, and he was thankful for that consideration. She must have guessed from the strangled sound of his voice how difficult it had been for him.

  But Judith didn’t believe he meant one word of his apology. There wasn’t anything for her to forgive anyway, she told herself. He had hurt her feelings, yes, but he had been telling her exactly how he felt.

  lain was acutely relieved when they reached their destination. Yet he hesitated at the threshold. Both he and Judith could hear Isabelle weeping. They heard Winslow’s voice as well, and though the words weren’t clear, his soothing tone of voice certainly was.

  Judith thought they should come back in the morning, but before she could suggest as much, lain had already knocked on the door.

  Winslow opened it. The look of irritation on his face indicated he wasn’t happy with the interruption. As soon as he saw lain, however, his surly look vanished.

  Brodick’s brother didn’t look at all like him, save for the color of his eyes. They were the same intense shade of blue. He was shorter than Brodick, and not nearly as handsome. His hair was a darker blond, unruly with curls, too.

  lain explained his reasons for the visitation, and when he’d finished, Winslow shrugged, then opened the door wide to invite them inside.

  The cottage was similar to Patrick’s in size, but was filled with clutter of clothes strewn about, and forgotten treachers stacked on top of each other on the table.

  Isabelle wasn’t much of a housekeeper. The pretty woman was in bed, propped up by a mound of pillows behind her. Her eyes were swollen from crying.

  Judith thought she was ill. Her brown hair hung limp around her shoulders and her complexion was as pale as the moon.

  “I don’t wish to disturb you,” Judith began. She took the satchel from Iain and was about to put it on the table when she realized there wasn’t room. Since the two stools were also covered with clothing, she settled on placing the satchel on the floor. “Your mother sent a gift for you, Isabelle, messages too, but I’ll be happy to come back when you’re feeling better.”

  “She isn’t ill,” Winslow remarked.

  “Then why is she in bed?” Judith asked.

  Winslow looked surprised by that question. She thought it was because she’d been impudent asking.

  “She’s going to have my son any time now,” Winslow explained.

  Judith turned back to Isabelle. She saw the tears in her eyes. “Are you in labor now?”

  Isabelle vehemently shook her head. Judith frowned. “Then why are you in bed?” she asked again, trying to understand.

  Winslow couldn’t understand why the Englishwoman was asking such foolish questions. He forced a patient voice. “She’s in bed so she can conserve her strength.”

  The midwife Judith put such faith in would have had palpitations over that twisted bit of logic. She smiled at Isabelle before turning to look at her husband again.

  “Then why doesn’t a warrior conserve his strength before going into battle?”

  Winslow raised an eyebrow. Iain smiled. “A warrior must always train for battle,” Winslow answered. “He becomes weak and ineffective if he doesn’t constantly train. Don’t the English follow this dictate?”

  Judith shrugged. Her attentio

n had already moved on, for she’d just spotted the birthing stool in the corner near the door. She immediately walked over to get a better look at the contraption.

  Winslow noticed her interest and was reminded of a duty he needed to complete. “Iain, would you help me get this outside? It’s upsetting to Isabelle,” he said in a low whisper. “I’ll take it back down to Agnes’s home in the morning.”

  Judith was intrigued by both the design and the craftsmanship. The birthing stool was actually a horseshoe-shaped chair. The circular back was tall, sturdy-looking. The seat of the stool was only a narrow ledge fashioned to support the woman’s thighs. Both the wooden handles and the sides were inlaid with gold, and the craftsman had used a clever hand to draw angels along the sides.

  She tried to hide her curiosity. “Would you like to see what your mother sent to you, Isabelle?” she asked.

  “Yes, please.”

  Judith carried the satchel over to the bed. She stood by the side, smiling over Isabelle’s pleasure.

  “Both your mother and your father are feeling well,” she said. “Margaret wanted me to tell you your cousin Rebecca is marrying a Stuart in the fall.”

  Isabelle mopped at the corners of her eyes with a linen square. She made a grimace, clutched the covers with both hands and then let out a low sigh. Beads of perspiration appeared on her brow. Judith picked up the linen cloth she’d dropped, leaned over the bed and mopped the sweat away.

  “You aren’t feeling well, are you?” she whispered.

  Isabelle shook her head. “I ate too much of Winslow’s supper,” she whispered back. “It was terrible but I was very hungry. I wish he’d let me out of bed. Why are you here?”

  The question, asked so casually, caught Judith by surprise. “To give you your mother’s gifts and tell you the news from home.”

  “No, I mean to ask you why you’re here in the Highlands,” she explained.

  “My friend, Frances Catherine, asked me to come,” Judith replied. “Why are you whispering?”

  The pretty woman smiled. Then Winslow inadvertently ruined her budding good mood.

  lain had opened the door, and Winslow was carrying the birthing chair outside. Isabelle immediately got teary-eyed again. She waited until lain had pulled the door closed and then said, “Frances Catherine’s afraid, too, isn’t she?”

  “Isabelle, every woman becomes a little frightened before the birthing. Does the chair upset you?”

  Isabelle nodded. “I won’t use it.”

  She was getting as worked up as Frances Catherine had been when she talked about the birthing. Judith barely knew Isabelle, but she still felt terribly sorry for her. Her fear was so apparent.

  “The chair isn’t used for torture,” Judith said. “Maude says the birthing mothers are happy to have such comfort. You’re fortunate to have one here.”

  “Comfort?”

  “Yes,” Judith replied. “She says the chair is made in such a way that the woman’s back and legs are nicely supported.”

  “Who is this Maude?”

  “A midwife I know,” Judith answered.

  “What else did she say?” Isabelle asked. She quit twisting the top of the quilt.

  “Maude stayed with me for a good six weeks,” Judith explained. “She gave me a great deal of advice for Frances Catherine.”

  The clutter in the cottage was driving Judith to distraction, and while she repeated some of the midwife’s suggestions, she folded the clothing and put the garments in a neat stack on the foot of the bed.

  “You should be up and about,” Judith said as she turned to tackle the mess on the table. “Fresh air and long walks are just as important as a peaceful mind.”

  “Winslow worries I’ll fall,” Isabelle said.

  “Then ask him to walk with you,” Judith suggested. “Being cooped up inside all day long would make me daft, Isabelle.”

  The sound of Isabelle’s laughter filled the cottage. “It’s making me daft too,” she admitted. She pulled back the covers and swung her legs over the side.

  “Are you a midwife in England?”

  “Good heavens, no,” Judith answered. “I’m not even married. I just made it my purpose to get as much information as possible from experienced midwives so I could help Frances Catherine.”

  “Do you mean to say that in England an unmarried woman can openly discuss this intimate topic?”

  Isabelle sounded stunned. Judith laughed. “Nay, it isn’t discussed at all, and my mother would be most unhappy if she knew what I was learning.”

  “Would she punish you?”

  “Yes.”

  “You took quite a risk for your friend.”

  “She would do the same for me,” Judith answered.

  Isabelle stared at Judith a long minute, then slowly nodded. “I don’t understand such friendship between women, but I envy the trust you have in Frances Catherine. You put yourself at risk for her and tell me she would do the same for you. Yes, I do envy such loyalty.”

  “Didn’t you have friends when you were growing up?”

  “Only relatives about,” Isabelle answered. “And my mother, of course. She was sometimes like a friend to me, when I was older and more of a help to her.”

  Isabelle stood up and reached for her plaid. The top of her head only reached Judith’s chin, and her middle seemed to be twice the size of Frances Catherine’s.

  “Do you have friends here?”

  “Winslow is my dearest friend,” Isabelle answered. “The women here are kind to me, but we’re all kept busy with our chores and there really isn’t time to socialize.”

  Judith watched in amazement as the woman deftly wrapped the long narrow strip of material around and around herself. When she was finished, she was wearing a plaid from shoulders to ankles, with perfectly even pleats that widened over her swollen belly.

  “You’re very easy to talk to,” Isabelle remarked in a shy whisper. “Frances Catherine must be happy to have your company. She needs someone besides Patrick to talk to,” she added. “I think she’s had a difficult time making her place here.”

  “Why do you suppose that is?” Judith asked.

  “Some of the older women think she’s uppity,” Isabelle said.

  “Why?”

  “She keeps to herself,” Isabelle explained. “I think she’s homesick for her family.”

  “Are you homesick for your family?”

  “At times I am,” Isabelle admitted. “But Winslow’s aunts have been most kind to me. Would you tell me what other suggestions this midwife had? Does she believe in using the birthing hook?” Isabelle turned to straighten the covers on the bed, but not before Judith saw the fear in her eyes.

  “How would you know about such a thing?”

  “Agnes showed it to me.”

  “Good God,” Judith whispered before she could stop herself. She took a deep breath to rid herself of her anger. She wasn’t there to cause trouble, and knew it wouldn’t be at all appropriate to criticize the methods the midwives used here. “Maude doesn’t believe in using the birthing hook,” she said. She kept her voice even, almost pleasant. “She says it’s barbaric.”

  Isabelle didn’t show any reaction to that explanation. She continued to ask Judith questions. Every now and again she’d bite on her lower lip and sweat would break out on her brow. Judith thought the discussion was upsetting her.

  Winslow and lain still hadn’t come back inside. When Judith made that mention to Isabelle, she laughed again. “My husband is probably enjoying the peace outside. I’ve been difficult to get along with lately.”

  Judith laughed. “It must be a common affliction, Isabelle. Frances Catherine said the exact same thing to me not an hour ago.”

  “Is she afraid of Agnes?”

  “Are you?”

  “Yes.”

  Judith let out a weary sigh. God’s truth, she was beginning to be afraid of the woman, too. Agnes sounded like a monster. Did she have no compassion in her heart?

&nb

sp; “How much time do you have before your laboring begins?”

  She wouldn’t look at Judith when she answered. “A week or two.”

  “Tomorrow we will talk about this again. Would you come to Frances Catherine’s home? Perhaps the three of us can find a way to solve this worry about Agnes. Isabelle, I’m completely without experience. I’ve never even seen a birthing, but I do know that the more information we have, the less chance fear has to catch hold. Isn’t that true?”

  “You would help me?”

  “Of course,” Judith answered. “Why don’t we go outside now? The fresh air will do you good.”

  Isabelle was in full agreement. Judith was just reaching for the door when Winslow opened it. He nodded to Judith, then turned to frown at his wife.

  “Why are you out of bed?”

  “I have need for some fresh air,” she answered. “Have you taken the birthing chair back to Agnes yet?”

  He shook his head. “I will in the morning.”

  “Please bring it back inside,” she requested. “It will be a comfort for me to have it near.”

  She smiled at Judith when she gave her husband that explanation. Winslow looked confused. “But you didn’t want to look at it,” he reminded her. “You said—”

  “I’ve changed my mind,” Isabelle interrupted. “I’ve remembered my manners as well. Good evening, Laird Iain,” she called out.

  Judith had already walked outside and now stood next to lain. She refused to look at him. She bowed to Isabelle and Winslow and then started walking back to Frances Catherine’s cottage.

  lain caught up with her at the crest. “Winslow and Isabelle both want you to know they’re thankful for bringing Margaret’s gifts. You cleaned their cottage, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “It needed cleaning.” Her words were clipped, cold.

  lain clasped his hands behind his back and continued to walk by her side. “Judith, don’t make this more difficult than it already is,” he said in a harsh whisper.

  She was walking so fast she was almost running. “I don’t mean to make anything difficult,” she replied. “I’ll stay away from you and you’ll stay away from me. I’m already over this insignificant, puny, inconsequential attraction. I don’t even remember kissing you.”