Or Mistress Katie Stirling herself.
Seven hours had passed since Evan had arrived with Katie. Women had come and gone, and poor young MacDuff was passed out on the stable floor after drinking almost a full bottle of whisky. ’Twas not a bad idea, since the screaming coming from the bedroom of the tiny cottage made Evan want to pull his hair out.
Finally, Mrs. MacCabe stumbled out of the house and rested on a tree stump by the rain barrel. She slumped and ran the heels of her hands over her eyes. Was the old midwife crying? Almost afraid to hear the news, Evan walked slowly up to her. She raised her eyes and his breath hitched. “Is it over?”
She nodded. “Aye.”
“And the babe?”
“A fine strapping lad.” She smiled, the lines of her aged face increasing.
“How is Mrs. MacDuff?”
“Were it not for yer Mistress Katie, we’d be burying the poor lass tomorrow.” She shifted on the stump, and he sat alongside her on the ground, his wrists braced on his knees.
The woman looked off into the darkness. “Mistress Katie would not give up. She worked on massaging Mrs. MacDuff’s stomach, trying to turn the babe. She soothed the mother, rubbing her back. Even with all my years of experience, I never saw someone so determined to have her way.” She grinned down at him. “She was not going to let that woman or her babe die.” She shook her head again. “Aye, yer Mistress Stirling is a remarkable lass.”
Yer Mistress Stirling.
Just then Katie appeared at the doorway, holding a small bundle. The glow on her face would light the Great Hall. “Where is Mr. MacDuff?”
“I’m afraid he’s feeling a bit under the weather.”
Her brows rose to her hairline. “Indeed? And what makes him feel so ill? Or need I ask, since I’m sure he spent his time visiting with the whisky bottle while his wife suffered.”
“Now, lass,” Mrs. MacCabe said. “’Tis frightening to listen to someone ye love suffer and not be able to do anything about it. Remember, ’tis a man’s nature to fix things. This he couldn’t fix, so he turned away from it. Most men do the same thing. Then they swear that is the verra last bairn they will put into their wife. Until the next one.” She chuckled. “’Tis just the way it is, lass.”
Evan climbed to his feet and approached Katie. “Ye look weary. I think it’s time to go home.” Just then two women he didn’t ken but had seen going into the house earlier joined the group outside.
“Ach. ’Tis verra cold out here. Better bring that bairn back inside.” The older of the two women gestured to the babe in Katie’s arms.
“Aye. I thought I would show the lad to his father, but he’s sleeping off his whisky.” She brought the babe back inside and joined him a few minutes later. “I’m ready to go home. ’Tis been a long night.”
He removed his tartan and wrapped it around her shoulders. She shivered and he pulled her close against his side. “Ye did a good job tonight.”
He helped her onto her horse, and they made the trip back to the castle. The sun was just making an appearance on the horizon as they drew up to the stable. They rode the horses inside, and he helped Katie down. MacDuff sauntered over. Obviously the man never slept. “I’ll take care of these; it looks like ye had a long night.”
“Aye.” Evan said, handing the reins to the stable master.
MacDuff looked from Evan to Katie. “How is the MacDuff lass?”
“Fine. The mother of a fine lad.”
MacDuff nodded. “Good.”
With his arm wrapped around her once more, they headed toward the castle. Katie’s feet moved, but otherwise, she seemed almost asleep. It took him a few minutes to realize she was holding in a sob and tears were slowly rolling down her cheeks, dripping like spring raindrops on his tartan.
“What’s the matter, lass?”
A full minute passed, and he thought she would not answer him. Then she stopped, pulled the tartan snug around her body, and looked up at him. “We almost lost her.” She covered her eyes with her hands. “If I didn’t get the babe out when I did, she would have died.”
“But ye did get the babe out. And she didna die.”
She shook her head back and forth, a slight wailing coming from her. “I thought she would die. She was so still at the end, hardly breathing, like she’d given up.” She swallowed and looked up at him with tortured eyes. “I slapped her in the face to wake her. I had to make her push.”
Katie turned and continued to walk. “All my efforts to turn the bairn failed. I pulled him out feet first. That was when Freya passed out, but she awoke after we cleaned her up.”
Evan pulled her close against him again as she continued to shiver. Once they were inside the very quiet castle, he led her to the library, where he poured them both a glass of whisky.
Katie swayed on her feet. “’Tis too early in the day for whisky.”
“Nay. Consider it the end of the night.” He raised the glass and saluted her. “S math a rinn thu.” Well done.
Katie took a sip and closed her eyes as the liquid slid down her throat. She moaned slightly, and he watched the muscles in her throat work. She was tired, her clothes wrinkled and dirty, her hair a tangled mess. Yet she looked beautiful.
He set his glass down and reached his hand out, his heart pounding in his chest. “Come here, lass.”
Her eyes never leaving his, she placed her glass on the table and took his hand. “Aye?”
With one quick move, he pulled her into his arms and covered her mouth with his.
Chapter Fifteen
Katie’s fatigue immediately fled as Evan pulled her
