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He went into London to a tannery and commissioned the tanner to make two eye patches for his liege, both of black leather. One was plain but the second had silver studs on it. He thought himself quite clever for thinking of it, even though it was not an uncommon sight around London to see a man with an eye patch.

William had been reluctant to try the patch on at first, examining the things closely for quite a while, but finally relented. Gazing back at himself in the polished mirror, he immediately thought he looked like the devil himself and moved to tear the thing off when Jordan stopped him.

“Oh, English!” she exclaimed happily. “Ye look positively dashing. Ye look like a pirate!”

He looked at her, noticing her genuine delight. Then he looked at himself again. “Do I?”

“Aye!” she insisted, moving to get a better look at him. “Ye look…wicked. And mysterious. I love it.”

He grinned at her enthusiasm. He knew she would have told him that even had she hated it, but he could see from her expression that she was true.

“Then so do I,” he looked up at Kieran. “Hell, if I had known this would have been her reaction, I would have gotten an eye patch long ago.”

Kieran picked up the other eye patch, examining it before putting it on and looking at himself in the bronze mirror, too. “Hell, I look damn good with this thing on. Can I keep it?”

“No,” William snapped as he ripped it off Kieran’s head to gales of Jordan’s laughter. He looked at himself a moment longer before turning to his second again. There was warmth in his expression. “Thank you, Kieran.”

“My pleasure,” he replied modestly. “But I warn you, I am going to go have one made for me. Mayhap Jemma will think I look wicked, too.”

Jordan’s smile faded at the mention of her cousin. She missed her dreadfully and not knowing whether or not she had had the child, whether or not she was all right, tore at her. But it was worse for Kieran; he had stayed in London to aid William’s recovery unselfishly even though his heart ached for his little wife. William had insisted he return to Northwood several times, but he had refused.

Jordan went to sit down while the men finished toying with the eye patch. Deinwald entered the room a few minutes later and nearly ran off with the patch with the studs. Jordan’s depression was somewhat eased as she watched her husband, enthusiastic for the first time in a long while.

And she really did love the patch on his eye; it gave him a sort of devil-may-care appearance. She was so pleased at his recovery that she could now focus on bringing this child into the world. It was taking all of her strength, day after day, and she was weary of it. She prayed to God that it would be soon.

*

Jordan’s prayers were answered the very next night.

Her contractions had started as gentle twinges in her groin and quickly escalated into full-blown pains within a couple of hours. William was still asleep next to her and she was reluctant to wake him, for it could be hours yet but when the pains increased dramatically, she decided she should rouse him.

“English,” she whispered, jabbing him in the ribs.

He was immediately awake. His head came up, looking at her.

“What’s wrong, love?”

She smiled weakly. “I think, mayhap, that ye should fetch Byron and Analiese. I should not like to have yer son by myself.”

His eye widened, but only for a split-second and then he was in control again. Kissing her forehead, he swung his massive legs over the side of the bed and pulled on his breeches. As he was pulling on his boots, another pain hit her and she gasped before she could stop herself.

He shot off the bed, his gaze boring into her with concern. “Are you all right? How long have you been having them?”

She wished she hadn’t made any noise for he looked positively frightened. “A few hours. Go, now, and get them for me.”

He didn’t even put his tunic on. He threw open the door, bellowing for the nearest soldier to fetch Kieran to him and then turned swiftly back to his wife.

“I will be but a moment, I swear,” he said hurriedly, his urgency picking up speed.

She nodded, waving him on, knowing it was going to be sometime before the child arrived. She wondered if she were brave enough to bear this child. The thought of childbirth never particularly frightened her until this very moment.

But it did not take hours. By the time Byron and Analiese reached her rooms, her water had ruptured and she was in agony. Analiese tried to chase William away, but he staunchly refused.

“I will not leave,” he said firmly, although he was undecided as to whether or not he truly wanted to. Every time Jordan had a contraction he felt as if he were having one, too. “My wife needs me.”

“Your wife will do just fine without you,” Analiese said stubbornly. “Get out of here and let us work.”

He looked over Analiese’s head and sought out his wife. “Jordan, love, do you wish me to leave?”