Elizabeth English - The Borderlands 02 by Laird of the Mist

Author:Laird of the Mist [Mist, Laird of the]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-11-21T05:00:00+00:00

"Lie down, my lady," Maggie ordered firmly, straightening from the bed where Jemmy lay. "I can tend to this well enough."

Deirdre put a hand on Alyson's arm. "She's right. Come and rest—" She could feel Alyson shaking beneath her hand, and added very quietly, "'tis not only yourself you have to care for now."

Alyson gave in without further protest and allowed Deirdre to lead her to the tower chamber, where Maeve played happily on the floor with the sweet-faced lady who had been set to tend her. "Mam," the child cried. "Look!"

"Come, bairn, let's go see the garden," the lady said, taking one look at Alyson's face and scooping Maeve into her arms.

"Go on, love," Deirdre said, kissing the child's upturned face. "I'll be down soon."

Alyson lay down upon the bed. "How did you know?" she asked.

"I can't say I did know," Deirdre answered with a shrug. "From time to time I make a lucky guess. Do you have any pains here—or here—"

Alyson put one hand on her belly and shook her head. "No, I think all is well." She closed her eyes and leaned back against the pillow. "We've wanted this," she murmured. "But now—" her eyes flew open and she struggled to sit upright. "Deirdre, you mustn't tell anyone! Promise me!"

"I promise," Deirdre said, puzzled. "But whisht, lie back, you must rest now. I'll send for someone—who would you like?"

"No one."

Deirdre's puzzlement deepened. "Surely there is some woman—a friend?"

"No," Alyson said in a small voice. "They all—oh, Deirdre, you don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"About how I came here."

"Well," Deirdre said cautiously. "There was some talk. They said your father tried some trick and it all went wrong."

Alyson's pale lips curved in a smile. "That's what they're still saying here. But I think it all went right—at least for me. And Jemmy. Though lately I've wondered...I've brought him nothing but trouble from the first..."

Deirdre took Alyson's cold hand in hers. "Tell me," she said. "If you want to."

"Yes. I do want to. Better you hear it from me..."

Deirdre listened with astonishment as Alyson's tale came out, of the deception she'd been forced to undertake, her growing love for Jemmy and his for her. When Alyson reached the part where Jemmy had defied his clan and father to wed her, Deirdre wiped her eyes and laughed.

"I knew from the first he was mad with love for you," she said. "Oh, Alyson, if you could have heard the way he spoke of you—he doesn't regret it. Don't ever think it."

"He should regret it. It turned the clan against him—and he had enough to overcome as it was. We could have won them over, though, I'm sure of it, if not for—"

"For Alistair?"

"Aye. Once he was gone, they all started to talk of him as if he was a holy martyr. The laird could have stopped it, but he didn't. It was the guilt," she said quietly. "He looked at Alistair like his own son, the only one he had once Ian was gone.

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