“I know you will. You are and always have been my champion.”
*
Late December 1826
Galkirk
Lowlands of Scotland
It had beenhours. Hours upon hours, in fact. Duncan paced the length of the hallway, opening and closing his fists, warring against his inner demons and praying for Merry and the bairns’ safety.
Her sister, Serendipity, had come to stay with them after the village midwife and the pompous accoucheur from Edinburgh had both agreed that more than one babe was likely to arrive when the time came. Now, all of them were in there with Merry, on the other side of that door, and the not knowing was driving him mad.
“Duncan?”
He spun about to find his mother standing at the top of the stairs.
“Ye know as well as I that our Merry would not wish ye wearing out the floorboards with worry.” She joined him in the hallway, falling in step beside him. “These things take time, son. Especially the first time. I thought yerself and yer sister would never be born, but sure enough, when ye were ready, out ye came.”
“If anything happens—”
She cuffed him. “Haud yer wheesht!Dinna invite the evil in by speaking of it!”
Serendipity exited the bedroom and started for the stairs, then halted when she happened to spot Duncan. “She needs you.”
Without hesitation, he charged into the room, shoving his way around the accoucheur who tried to stop him. “Get out of my way!” His precious Merry needed him. “Merry?”
Held on the foot of the bed by one of the accoucheur’s attendants,her knees bent and her feet on a pair of tall stools far enough apart to allow someone in close to catch the babe, Merry reached for him. “I cannot do this anymore. I am so very tired.” She was pale as weak milk, and her eyes were red-rimmed from crying.
“Move!” Duncan roared at the attendant as he crossed the room.
“But my lord—” Alarmed, the attendant retreated.
Duncan took his dear wife’s hand and kissed it as he settled on the bed behind her, supporting her back against his chest and cradling her close. Ever so gently, he swept her sweat-soaked hair back from her face. “We can do this together, my own. My strength is yer strength, aye? I have no idea what to do, but by damn, we will do this together.”
Sagging back against him, she whimpered. “I have to push, but I am so very tired. These babies do not wish to come out.”
“My lord…” Dr. Crawford, the famed accoucheur from Edinburgh, pinned him with a disapproving scowl. “This is no place for a husband.”
“Oh, shut up, do!” Merry told the man. “I wish we had never called you here.” She clutched Duncan’s arms. “My husband was here to make these babies; by devil, he can be here when they are born.”
“Well said, my own.” Duncan pressed his cheek to hers and helped her squat there on the edge of the bed as if he were a living armchair made just for her. “We shall bring our bairns into this world together.” He had no feckin’ idea how to help her, but he could hold her and love her. That, he knew he could do.
“Yer wife must push, my lord.” Dr. Crawford settled back on the short stool between Merry’s knees. “She simply refuses to cooperate and do as she is told.”
“Talk to her like that again, and we’ll see how cooperative ye are as I dangle ye out the window by the scruff of yer neck.” Duncan had never liked this man. Merry was right. They should never have asked him to come. “Get out of here.”
The man’s jaw dropped. “Yer wife needs my expertise.”
“Get out,” Duncan repeated, then jutted his chin at the elderly midwife from the village, standing off in the corner as if the man from Edinburgh had shunned her. “Take over, Mrs. Danrahan, and do forgive us for not placing our full trust in ye.”
The midwife bustled forward, snapping her fingers at the accoucheur and his attendant. “Ye heard himself. Out of my way. And on yer way out, send me maids in. They ken well enough what needs to be done to get these bairns into the world.”
With a loud, haughty snort, the accoucheur packed up his things, shoved them into his attendant’s arms, and stormed out of the room.
Serendipity clapped her hands. “Well done. I did not like that man.”
Merry started sobbing. “But what if I endangered the babies by sending him away?”
