by Adams, Alisa
Mairi looked up and saw them and her face broke into a wide grin of delight.
"Graham! Lorraine!" She came forward to hug them both, "it is sae nice tae see ye! Tae whit dae I owe the pleasure?"
"It is always wonderful to see you, my treasure!" Lorraine laughed. "We came to see you because we would like to adopt another child, or children if they are brother and sister."
Mairi took in a deep breath, then clasped her hands and looked up to the sky as if she were praying.
"Thank you, Lord," she said fervently, then she looked back at them. "One of these bairns will noo hae a family an' loads o' love! Thank ye Graham, Lorraine. Ye've made me so happy. Come an' meet my assistant."
She led them over to the woman who was sitting with a baby on her lap and one standing on each side of her, holding on to her legs.
"This is Kenna, an' she helps me wi' the wee yins," she said proudly, "This is Milady an' M'laird Drummond, Kenna.”
Kenna smiled at them. Like Mairi she was dark but her eyes were pale gray. "Pleased to meet you, Milady, M'laird," she inclined her head in greeting, "I would stand up to greet you, but as you can see I am slightly encumbered."
They were somewhat surprised at the young woman's upper-class accent but said nothing.
"Likewise, Kenna," Graham replied. "I see that you love children."
"I love them because they are honest and have a sense of the ridiculous," she laughed, "we lose it as we get older but they are so fresh and new."
"They love her an' a'," Mairi smiled and tucked a strand of Mairi's hair behind her ear, a gesture of affection which did not go unnoticed by Graham and Lorraine. Suddenly she became practical. "Ale? Milk? We dinnae keep the strong stuff roon here, Lorraine, sorry."
Lorraine flapped her hand, smiling. "Pfft! Ale is fine for both of us, Mairi. Where is your baby? Donald, isn't it, after his uncle?"
"He's at hame the day," Mairi answered, "Davie is takin' a day aff, so he's lookin' efter him. I dinnae think goat's milk will dae him ony harm for a wee while an' I think wi' my Maw around the wee yin should jist boot survive."
They walked inside the newly built house to a huge room that was both a kitchen, a sitting room and a nursery for a dozen or so tiny infants who were lying swaddled in cribs, sleeping.
Mairi bade them sit down then smiled at both of them in a knowing way.
"I knaw whit ye're gaunnae say first," she said, "who is that young wummin who speaks sae nice an' whit is she daein' here?"
Graham laughed. "You know us so well!" Then he became serious again, "there must be a story here. Tell us."
Mairi sighed, walked over to the window and looked out for a moment.
"She is like me," she replied dully, "she grew up bein' battered by her faither, although there was nane o' the ither kind o' harm, thank the Lord. But, jist like me, she needs a wee bit time tae heal. Her mother wis abused an' a' an' she hanged hersel', an' her brither ran away years ago. She is no' fae the aristocracy - her faither is a merchant, but she made her livin' as a ladies' maid till her mistress died an' she couldnae get anither position.
She heard aboot me an' this place an' came tae offer her services lookin' efter the bairns in exchange fer room an' board. I needed somebody tae help, an' she needed a place tae stay, so it suited the baith o' us. She is given a bit money as well, o'course. I widnae grudge her a wage."
"Who is her father?" Graham asked, "perhaps I know him."
"Peter Haldane," Mairi answered, her tone grim and disgusted. "An he sounds jist like my faither! An' I'll tell ye whit - a finer young lass you couldnae hope tae meet, she laughed, "if I wis a man I'd marry her mysel'!"
Graham looked grim. "He is a tweed merchant, and is not well-liked," he remarked, "he has a bad reputation for dishonesty."
Lorraine said sadly, "There are so many men like this. What happens to them to make them so cruel? Look at the Baron and Craig." She sighed, and Graham put his arm around her.
"It's Satan," said the devoutly religious Mairi, "I should knaw better than anyone else. The day they hanged my faither I swore nae man like that wid ever come under my roof again, an' if they try my Davie will see them aff quicker than ye can say: 'clear aff'! Lorraine laughed softly, then Kenna came up behind her, carrying a drowsy toddler in her arms.
"Would you keep an eye on the others for a moment, Mairi?" She smiled, "this one is just about to nod off, thank goodness."
Lorraine laughed and stood up. "Give the wee one to me," she whispered, receiving the little bundle into her arms. "Boy or girl?" She asked, looking down at the little face.
"Girl," Kenna replied, "she is a year old and one of our quiet ones."
"What is her name?" Lorraine asked, her eyes not leaving the cherubic little face with its chubby cheeks and rosebud lips.
Kenna led her to one of the cribs where Lorraine gently laid her down and tucked her in.
"Her name is Coira," she whispered, kissing the little head.
"Is she one of your favorites?" Lorraine asked.
Kenna looked up from the baby. "They are all my favorites," she replied. "I love them all - every single one of them. Do you have children?'
"I have one - we adopted him, and now we are looking for a brother or sister for Gabriel," she smiled. "You know them. Perhaps you can help us."
Kenna hesitated for a moment, then said: "of course. What can I do?"
Lorraine noticed that a fleeting sadness had crossed Kenna's face. "what have I said?" She asked, concerned, "you looked upset for a minute."
Kenna shook her head. "I'm being silly," she replied, "but every time one of them leaves they take a piece of my heart with them, yet I cannot begrudge them the chance of a better life."
Lorraine could find no answer to this. She patted Kenna on the shoulder and went out to find Graham again, but just as she got to the door a little child-shaped missile cannoned into her legs. She looked down into of pair of bright blue eyes surrounded by a mischievous face with a riot of bright red curls around it.
The little girl looked shocked for a moment, then gave her an ear-to-ear grin. She looked about two years old, and Lorraine fell instantly in love with her. Leaning down, she picked her up and the little girl cuddled into her neck, giggling.
"What is your name?" Lorraine asked.
"Lexie," she replied, studying Lorraine's face intently.
"Short for Alexandra," Kenna informed her, "and definitely not one of the quiet ones!"
"What is her history?" Gregor asked.
Kenna sighed. "A very familiar story, I'm afraid. A young mother who was unmarried and died in childbirth. The midwife attended her out of the goodness of her heart because no-one paid her, but there was nobody to look after the baby. She brought her to us, and we named her. She is a lovely little thing - so good-natured. Father Columba baptized her—I am so sorry he's gone."
Lorraine looked up at Graham.
"We have not seen any more children yet," he pointed out, knowing that the decision had been made and he might as well admit defeat and accept it.
Lorraine gave him a look that plainly said: keep your mouth shut. You're only a man.
Mairi saw Lorraine holding Lexie, and, seeing the joy in her face, knew that there was no more to say.
"We will have a pair of matching redheads," Gregor remarked, smiling.
"Would you like me to come and visit you again?" Lorraine asked the little girl. Lexie looked into her eyes and nodded. "Can I give you a wee kiss?" Again, Lexie nodded and Lorraine kissed her on the forehead, gave her a little squeeze, and put her down. "I will be back soon," she said, laughing as Lexie gave her a big grin. Then the little girl turned away and headed for one of the tree-swings.
"I like the way ye did that. I aye tell people tae adopt bit by bit," Mairi said, "so that ye can get used tae each ither."
"I can't wait for next week to come," Lorraine breathed.
Gregor hugged her. "It is so good to see you so happy, and I know we are going to be a very happy
family with our new daughter."
Lorraine smiled, her face alight with joy.
Extended Epilogue
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Alexa
Alexa Montgomery had been madly in love with Graham Hamilton since she was six years old and he was ten. She first saw him when he had been fighting with a wooden sword against one of the stable boys who had a long wooden stick. Of course, the stable boy lost the duel and fell down dead, mortally wounded by a stab through the heart. The young groom got up and gave Graham a friendly pat on the back.
"Aye, wee laird," he said, laughing. "Ye'll make a fine swordsman one o' these days!"
Alexa, standing on one of the walls looking over the courtyard of her uncle's castle, felt her heartbeat quicken and her cheeks flush. What a beautiful, big strong boy Graham was! He had long golden-brown hair, but she could not see the color of his eyes, only that they were light in color too. He was sturdily built with strong calves and shoulders that were already broadening into manhood.
Why can't I be grown up? she thought with fury.
Just then he looked up and gave her a beaming smile and a low bow. She gasped, suddenly overcome with shyness, and ran along the parapet, downstairs, and all the way to her bedroom where she dived onto her bed and grabbed her doll, Aggie, to whom she told all her secrets.
"Oh, Aggie!" she said rapturously. "One day I am going to be a lady. Then I will get married to that beautiful boy down there. Look how big and strong he is! I will make him fall in love with me, and we will have ten children."
At six years old, Alexa had no idea of the sheer size of a family of ten children, but it sounded wonderful. She had but one sister, fifteen years older than Alexa and married to the most boring man in the world, or so it seemed to a child of six who wanted nothing more than to run around the courtyards and corridors, play with the village children, and ride horses.
Nanny Joan said she was a tomboy.
"What does that mean, Nanny?" Alexa asked one day.
"That means ye're a lassie that wants tae be a boy!" Nanny laughed.
"But boys have short hair and wear kilts or hose," she replied, puzzled. "They have a lot more fun than I do!"
Then she thought for a moment.
"Nanny, if I put on a kilt and cut my hair, will I be a boy too?"
Nanny looked alarmed.
"Naw, lass!" She shook her red head vehemently. "Ye'll never be a boy. Ye'll grow up tae be a lovely young lady an’ one day a handsome laird or even a baron will come an' ask for yer hand in marriage."
"I only want to marry Graham Hamilton," Alexa said, her voice firm. "And I want to be a boy."
Nanny again looked at her in astonishment.
"I think ye're tae young tae be sayin' things like that, Miss Alexa! An' if the good Lord had wanted ye tae be a boy, he'd a' made ye one!" She laughed. "Onyway, how can ye be a boy an' marry a boy?"
"I will turn back into a girl before then, Nanny," Alexa said airily. These complications were as nothing to a six-year-old. "I am going to marry him, Nanny. You wait and see!"
Alexa stuck her nose in the air, which was usually a sign of trouble.
Alexa did not believe Nanny Joan, but she waited patiently to prove her wrong – since she wanted to grow a bit taller before her transformation.
One day when she was eight, and she was supposed to be taking her afternoon nap (for which she was far too old!), Alexa stole Nanny's sewing scissors and cut her hair up to her ears in a ragged crop. She took all the excess hair and tossed it out of her window where it landed on some astounded stall holders in the courtyard. She had bought some hose and a shirt from one of the stable boys and put them on, even though they were ragged and dirty.
When Nanny Joan saw her, she was speechless.
When she recovered her voice, she wailed: "Oh, Miss Alexa! What have ye done tae yersel'?"
"I'm a boy now, Nanny." Alexa wore a smug smile. "Now I can go and have sword fights and ride ponies!"
Nanny shook her head. "Hen..." She sighed. "Ye will never be a boy. I have told ye before."
"But I've got short hair! And I'm wearing hose!"
"Yer uncle will kill ye!" Nanny Joan groaned. "An' then me!"
When Moira Drummond saw Alexa, she was horrified.
"Oh, my God, Alexa!" Her eyes were wide in horror as she looked at her younger sister. "Who did this to you?"
"I did it myself!" Alexa replied indignantly. "I want to be a boy!" She stamped her foot on the floor in a tantrum. "And I want to marry Graham Hamilton!"
"But a man cannot marry another man," Moira pointed out, trying not to laugh.
"I only want to be a boy for a while – then I will turn back into a girl again," Alexa said reasonably. "Nanny can make me some new dresses, and I can be a girl again."
"Mistress, I am so sorry." Nanny was practically in tears. "But I thought she wis sleepin'. If I had kent she wis gaunnae dae this—"
"I think we need to tell her some things," Moira said, matter-of-factly. "About why girls cannot be boys. I have been dreading this day." She sighed.
Moira was Alexa's guardian. Their mother had died when Alexa was two years old and their father a year later, leaving them penniless and alone. Fortunately, Laird Drummond, a handsome widower in his early thirties, was looking for a suitable second wife. With a young sister to look after and no means of support, Moira was glad to accept his offer of marriage. He was a fairly quiet, dull man, but he was kind to them and treated them well, accepting little Alexa as his own. Even though he was her brother-in-law, she called him 'Uncle' because he was so much older than she was.
So Moira and Nanny Joan went on to explain the different things that happened to boys and girls as they grew up, and Alexa's eyes grew wide.
Eventually, Moira said, "Do you understand all that, Alexa?"
Alexa considered it for a moment.
"You're not joking, Sister?" she asked, somewhat anxious.
"No, wee lass, I'm not," Moira answered affectionately.
She tucked what was left of Alexa's fair curls back behind her ears, then she laughed, suddenly seeing the funny side of it.
"Bath – now!" she commanded. "Nanny, I think we had better take her to the barber in the morning to cut this mop into shape – or mayhap I will get the shepherd to attend to it with his shears!"
Alexa squealed in mock-terror and ran along the corridor back to her bedroom.
"I am sorry, mistress," Joan repeated. "The master—"
"Pfft!" Moira flapped her hand. "Don't worry, Joan. I will handle him. Just get those rags off her back before she infests the whole castle with fleas!"
Graham had paid little attention to Alexa while she was growing up. She was a familiar figure at Mass on Sundays, and sometimes she accompanied her father to his own father's castle when they had business to do, but he said very little to her unless it was to pass the time of day. The only unusual thing about her was her habit of wearing boys' clothes sometimes. He had never seen a girl do that before and thought it was very odd. But he had plenty of male friends to play with and his choice of fine horses to ride. He was becoming tall and muscular, and at the age of sixteen was already sporting a little beard.
When Alexa was twelve, she suddenly became self-conscious. Boys and young men were beginning to pay attention to her, giving her compliments, offering to help her mount her horse and opening doors for her. They talked in a way that seemed to her disrespectful yet all
uring, and she found it confusing in the extreme, so she asked Moira about it.
"It's called 'flirting'," Moira said, sighing, "and it means they find you attractive. They just have a funny way of showing it."
"Aye," Nanny Joan said gloomily. "Noo's when all the trouble starts!"
"What trouble?" Alexa asked, frowning.
"Ye'll soon find oot, lass," Nanny replied, sighing.
Graham was trotting his dappled gray mare, Esme, toward Castle Drummond one morning when he saw in the distance a teenage boy shooting a crossbow at a target on a big pine tree. He decided to stop and warn him about the outlaws that infested the nearby mountain since there was a notorious ambush spot nearby.
However, as he drew nearer, he realized there was something not quite right about the boy, and as he came alongside, he realized that the figure he had thought was a boy, in fact, was a girl, and a very pretty one.
Alexa Montgomery had grown up to be a beauty, with shining blonde curls and huge blue eyes. Her figure was as slim as a boy's except for her breasts which were full and womanly. She was almost eighteen, breathtaking, and suddenly Graham wanted her very much indeed.
"Miss Montgomery!" He dismounted and strode up to her, smiling. "I did not recognize you."
Alexa gave him no answer for a moment but loosed another bolt into the dead center of the target, where it joined three more, all within a fraction of an inch of each other.
"Mr. Hamilton."
She was wearing a tunic over her hose with leather boots on her feet. Around her hand-span waist, she wore a thick leather belt from which hung a vicious-looking sheathed dagger. He could see a tartan cloak draped over her horse's saddle, with a sharp shape underneath it which looked suspiciously like a claymore. The combination of beauty and wildness was arousing in the extreme, and Graham could not keep his eyes off her.
