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He shook his head. “She’s got me, hook, line, and sinker.”
“She might not have known that. She’s very smart, but after all, she just met you a couple of minutes ago.”
“I’ll make certain to reinforce it twenty-four hours a day.” He handed the baby to Eileen and bent down and kissed Jane. “She’s as beautiful as you are,” he whispered. “But maybe one child could be enough? I don’t know if I can go through another day like today.”
“Yes, you can.” She kissed him back. “Stop being a wimp. We did this great. Now get out of here. MacDuff is going to be here any minute.”
“I wondered why you sent Rodland to get him. It seemed a peculiar time to demand to see the laird. You intend to tell him about the spur?”
She nodded. “We’ve waited long enough. I thought I’d give MacDuff a special birthday present.” She grinned. “It will keep him busy plotting and planning how to find where that other treasure is located while I’m recovering. That way we’ll be ready to go on another treasure hunt by the time I’m totally well and functioning again.” She frowned. “Though it might not be as quick or efficient as we’d like. Remember? It took us all a while to find the other treasure trove in that cave.” She chuckled. “Our tiny baby daughter might be big enough to resemble theMist Childbefore we discover where this other treasure is hidden. But that might be fun. We could take her along and she’d probably love it.”
“You have it all planned.” He smiled. “How do you know that she won’t be a wonderful, ladylike little princess who won’t want to go after hidden treasure?”
“Because she’s our daughter. I just have a feeling that she’ll do what comes naturally to her.” She paused. “And MacDuff won’t let her totally leave these Highlands any more than he let me. But she’ll love MacDuff’s Run just as I do. It won’t be the prison that Fiona thought it because our child will make it her own, just as she’ll do with the lake cottage. She’ll have the personality and the guts to take what she wants from the world and make it her own.”
“Yes, she will,” he said gently.
“And that’s what I was thinking when I was sketching in that train that day. That things change, but they can remain the same if we have the strength to take the right steps.” She rubbed her temple. “I’m getting tired. Go see if you can hurry MacDuff in here before I fade away.”
“You’ll never fade away. You’ll always blaze your own path.” He was whisking Eileen out the door. “I’ll bring the baby back to you right away.”
“That’s what I want for our little girl,” Jane called after him. “That she’ll never fade away…That every move she makes will be bold and brave.”
“So be it.” He glanced over his shoulder. “But we’ve been talking in pronouns again. Isn’t it time you told me what name you’ve chosen? Eve?”
Jane smiled. “No, Eve is a supreme individualist. She wouldn’t thank me for naming our daughter after her. She will love her and take care of her, but she’ll want her to be on her own and independent.” She added, “But I did think it was time that we did honor someone who was totally independent, who started life as a slave but was strong enough to have made her mark on life and all the people who came after her.” She smiled. “And that mark has never faded away for the last two thousand years.”
“Ah, Cira?”
Her smile became brilliant. “You’ve got it. And we can only hope our child will blaze her own path just as boldly. We’re going to call our daughter Cira!”
