“Aye. He left me knowing.”
A brief silence fell before Saerla said, “If the child be a boy, that means ye carry the heir to MacLeod.”
“The child is a boy.”
“By God, Rhian!”
“I ken.”
“Ye will ha’ to tell Moira.”
“If ’tis known, if ’tis known I carry a MacLeod child, ’twill stir hatred. The bairn will be hated. As will I.”
“Ye need not tell everyone, not yet. But Moira maun know. And Farlan.”
“If the council find out, they may wish to use the child in a bid for power, the way they wanted to use Leith.”
“Aye, ’tis a measure o’ power, holding MacLeod’s heir.”
Rhian looked at Saerla and blinked away tears. “That is why I think I canna stay here.”
The words fell like the droplets of the mist, settling soft and separate.
“What?”
“I canna allow this child to become a pawn in the struggle that should no’ be. Besides, I do no’ think I can live wi’out him, Saerla.”
“Him?”
“Leith. I canna live wi’out Leith MacLeod. I maun go to him.”
Saerla gasped. Rhian could feel the protest rise inside her. “But sister, ye canna leave. We are the three sisters MacBeith. Iain’s daughters! Stronger always together.”
“Aye, I ken.” Rhian began to weep again. She had more tears after all.
“Ye canna go—go there! To live among strangers. Alone.” Horror filled Saerla’s face.
“Not alone. Wi’ him. The father o’ my child.”
“Alone! Ye ha’ no idea. We ha’ ne’er been so alone.”
Rhian tried to imagine it, the bonds between her and her sisters stretching over that distance that encompassed both land and emotion. Would those bonds break?
“This,” Saerla whispered, “this must be the terrible darkness I Saw. The event too awful to imagine.”
“I love him, Saerla.”
“As Moira loves Farlan.”
“Aye, and as Farlan loves Moira. He gave up everything for her. Can I do any less?”
“This is awful. It is deep and wide. But I will no’ dissuade ye, will I?”
Rhian shook her head.
“Then wha’ can I do but stand wi’ ye?”
Chapter Fifty-Two
