She decided she couldn't waste any more time. She soothed the horse with honeyed words of praise as she mounted him, then nudged him into a trot back down the hill. She made one wrong turn, had to backtrack, and reached Isabelle's cottage a few minutes later. There was a crowd gathered outside the door. Winslow stood on the doorstep. He looked furious… until he spotted her. Then he looked quite stunned.
Didn't he believe she would answer the priest's summons? She decided he didn't. That chafed her pride a little, which really was a ridiculous reaction, she told herself, because Winslow didn't know her well enough to form any kind of opinion of her.
The stallion didn't like the crowd any better than she did. He tried to rear up and sidestep at the same time. Judith's concentration was focused on calming the stubborn beast.
Winslow took over the task. He grabbed hold of the reins and forced the horse to stop misbehaving.
'Iain actually allowed you to ride this mount?' he asked, his voice incredulous.
'No,' she answered. She adjusted the shawl around her neck, then dismounted. 'Brodick was riding him.'
'Where is my brother?'
'He went inside the keep to fetch Iain. I did wait, Winslow, but neither one came back out.'
'Only Iain and Brodick have ever been able to ride this spirited horse,' he said. 'You'd best be prepared to catch hell when they hunt you down.'
She couldn't tell if he was jesting with her or giving her a worry. 'I didn't steal the horse, I just borrowed him,' she said, defending herself. 'Am I about to catch hell from the priest as well?' She added her question in a low whisper.
'It appears someone's going to,' he answered. 'Come inside. Isabelle will worry until this is resolved.'
The warrior took hold of her elbow and escorted her through the silent crowd of onlookers. The group was openly staring at her, but they didn't seem hostile to her, only curious. She kept her expression as serene as possible. She even managed to smile.
She had trouble maintaining that cheerful facade when the priest came into the doorway. He was frowning at her. She prayed his irritation was due to the fact that she was tardy and not because he had already made up his mind to make trouble.
Father Laggan had thick silver hair, a hawklike nose, and a complexion that had weathered into deep creases over his years of outdoor living. He was as tall as Winslow, but as thick as a board. He wore a black cassock and a wide strip of plaid across one shoulder. The material was secured by a rope belt around his waist. The colors of his plaid were different from the Maitland colors, indicating the priest hailed from another clan. Didn't the Maitlands have their own cleric in residence? Judith decided to put that question to Frances Catherine.
As soon as the priest appeared in the doorway, Winslow let go of her elbow. She rushed forward and stopped at the bottom of the stoop. She bowed her head in submission and made a curtsy. 'Pray forgive me for taking so long to get here, Father. I know how valuable your time must be, but I had difficulty finding my way here. There are so many pretty cottages along the hill and I took a wrong turn.'
The priest nodded. He looked pleased with her apology. He didn't smile, but he quit frowning. Judith took that as a good sign.
'Winslow, perhaps it would be better if you waited outside until this is finished,' the priest suggested in a voice raspy with age.
'Nay, Father,' Winslow replied. 'My place is with my wife.'
The priest agreed with a slow nod. 'You will try not to interfere,' he ordered.
He turned his attention to Judith again. 'Please come inside with me. I would like to ask you a few questions about what took place here last night.'
'Certainly, Father,' she answered. She lifted the hem of her skirt and followed him through the doorway.
She was surprised to see how many people were gathered inside the cottage. There were two men and three women seated at the table, all elderly, and two more women standing together in front of the hearth.
Isabelle was sitting on a stool next to the bed. She held her son in her arms. Judith hadn't been too worried about her audience with the priest until she saw the look on Isabelle's face. The poor woman looked terrified.
Judith hurried over to her. 'Isabelle, why are you out of bed? You need your rest after the ordeal you went through last night.' Winslow stood right beside Judith. She took the baby from Isabelle and then moved back a step. 'Please help her get back into bed, Winslow.'
'Did Isabelle go through an ordeal, then?' Father Laggan asked.
Judith was so taken aback by the question, she didn't soften her reply. 'She bloody well did, Father.'
The priest raised his eyebrows over the vehemence in her tone of voice. He lowered his head, but not before Judith detected a look of relief on his face.
She didn't know what to make of that. Was the priest on Isabelle's side? Lord, she hoped so. Judith looked down at the beautiful infant in her arms to make certain she hadn't awakened him, then turned her gaze back to Father Laggan. In a much softer voice she said, 'I mean to say, Father, that Isabella should really be resting now.'
The priest nodded. He quickly introduced Winslow's relatives seated at the table, then motioned to the two women standing side by side in front of the hearth.
'Agnes be the one on the left,' he said. 'Helen stands next to her. They are your accusers, Lady Judith.'
'My accusers?'
She'd sounded incredulous. She couldn't help that. She was incredulous. A slow anger began to seethe inside her. She was able to hide that reaction, however.
Judith turned to look at the two troublemaking women. Helen took a step forward and gave Judith a quick nod. She wasn't a very attractive woman. She had brown hair and eyes to match. She seemed nervous, if her fisted hands were any indication, and she couldn't meet Judith's stare long.
Agnes was a surprise to Judith. From the horror stories she'd heard about the midwife, she expected her to look like a shrew, or at the very least an old hag with a wart on the end of her nose. She wasn't either of those, however. In truth, Agnes had the face of an angel, and the most magnificent green eyes Judith had ever seen. The color was as brilliant as green fire. Age had treated her kindly. There were only a few paltry wrinkles on her face. Frances Catherine had told Judith that Agnes had a daughter ready to marry Iain, and that meant the midwife had to be as old as Judith's own mother. Yet Agnes had been able to retain a youthful skin and build. She hadn't spread at all around her middle the way most older women did.
Out of the corner of her eyes Judith saw Isabella reach up and take hold of Winslow's hand. Her own anger intensified. A new mother shouldn't have such turmoil.
Judith carried the baby over to Winslow, transferred him into his father's arms, and then turned and walked back to the center of the room. She faced the priest, deliberately giving her back to the midwives.
'What are these questions you have for me, Father?'
'We didn't hear any screaming.'
Agnes blurted out that announcement. Judith refused to acknowledge her outrageous remark. She kept her attention on the priest and waited for him to explain.
'Last night,' Father Laggan began. 'Both Agnes and Helen have let it be known they didn't hear any screaming. They live close by, Lady Judith, and believe they should have heard something.'
He paused to clear his throat before continuing. 'Both midwives sought me out to voice their concern. Now then, as you most certainly know, according to the teaching of our Church, and your Church as well, as your King John still follows the rules set down by our holy fathers-'
He suddenly stopped. He seemed to have lost his train of thought. Several minutes passed in silence while everyone waited for him to continue, and finally Agnes stepped forward. 'The sins of Eve,' she reminded the priest.
'Yes, yes, the sins of Eve,' Father Laggan said in a weary voice. 'There you have it, Lady Judith.'
She didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about. Her confusion was evident in her gaze.
The priest nodded. 'The Church holds that the pain a woman endures during the birthing is a necessary and a fitting retribution for the sins of Eve. Women are saved through this pain and suffering. If it is decided Isabelle didn't have sufficient pain, well then…'
He didn't go on. His pained expression told her he didn't want to expound on that point of Church law.
