by Jennae Vale
“Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” She giggled at him and his heart took flight.
“Would ye like to come with me to get Elena?”
She nodded.
“I think it’s safe now.” He stood and they both glanced down.
Tina started to laugh and didn’t seem able to stop herself.
“Oh, I see. Ye ken ’tis nae something to laugh at.”
“I wouldn’t know,” she said, a teasing glint in her eye.
He leaned in close to get another whiff of her perfume and growled into her ear, “Mayhap I’ll show ye later and then ye’ll see why ye shouldnae laugh.”
He was surprised when Tina punched him in the arm and gave him a shove, continuing to laugh. He did the only thing he could think to do at that moment. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in. Tina wrapped her arm around his waist and together they walked through the courtyard until they came to Ashley McBain standing square in their way.
“Tina!” she said, with a disapproving scowl.
“Edna says you should mind your own business,” Tina said. “And she says hello.”
Ashley stood mouth agape, obviously struck speechless by Tina’s comment.
“Donal, I’m going to stay and talk with Ashley if you don’t mind. I’ll see you later.”
She kissed him on the cheek and he walked away with a lightness in his step and a warm hope in his heart.
Chapter 10
All the thoughts of wives and children that had been giving him a headache vanished magically when Tina forgave him. Once again, he could begin to imagine a new life, not just for himself but for Elena as well. The sound of a crying bairn caught his attention and as he scanned the courtyard he saw that Doreen was heading his way with a wailing Elena.
“I think she’s sick,” she said. “She feels warm to me.” Her wrinkled brow and a slight shake of her head worried Donal. “I must go. Ma is waiting for me.”
He was ill prepared to be a da, but he was even more lacking in this area. He had no idea what to do with a sick child. Doreen handed his daughter to him.
“I think her teeth are coming in,” he called to Doreen’s back as she walked away. He hoped that was all it was. He placed the back of his hand on her forehead, as he’d seen his mother do when he was a young lad. Elena did feel warm, but if she had a fever what was he to do? Her wailing continued as he held her close and went back to his room. Along the way he looked for the ladies of the castle, hoping for some help, but they were nowhere to be seen. If he could just get her to sleep, then he could go in search of someone who might know what to do.
He lay her on the bed and tried everything he could to get her to stop, but nothing he did worked. He picked her up, rocking her and pacing back and forth across the room. Nothing he had seen Tina do was working. Fear gripped him. What if she were to die? What if she had whatever illness had killed her mother? No. Fate would not be so cruel as to bring his daughter into his life and then snatch her away so fast. He would do anything to make her better. He held her closer. “Shhhh, sweetling. Go to sleep. Da is here. I will take care of ye.”
“Did Edna really say that?” Ashley asked, watching her daughter Emma plucking blades of grass along the roadside as they walked. Her son was contently cradled against her chest.
“She did,” Tina replied. She shouldn’t feel so happy about upsetting Ashley, but she’d had one of the best kisses of her life today so happiness was all around her.
“I’m not so sure I agree with her, but I’ll stay out of it and I’ll tell Jenna as well.”
“I really like him,” Tina said. “Don’t ask me why, because I can’t quite put my finger on it. There’s just something there.”
“Do you mind that he has a child?”
“No, not at all. Elena is a sweet little girl who needs a mother and I’d be happy to fill that spot. And before you say anything, Donal admitted to me that at first he only saw me as the answer to his prayers. Elena needed a mother and Donal had no experience being a father.”
“And you believe him.”
Why was she so skeptical? “Yes, I do.”
“Okay. I won’t say anything else about it.” Emma presented her mother with a bouquet of grass. “Thank you, sweetie. It’s beautiful.” Emma smiled and went back to work picking more grass. Ashley turned to Tina. “I want you to know I’m happy for you. I’m happy you found what you were looking for. How are you going to convince him to go back with you?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem, though.”
“Well, let me know if you need any help or if you need to contact Edna.”
“I will.”
“Tam will be disappointed when I tell him.”
“I think Donal got that all straightened out with them today.”
“He didn’t start a brawl did he?”
“I don’t think so. It looks like he got the raw end of whatever happened though.”
“Emma, let’s go back,” Ashley said, holding out her hand for her daughter.
Tina couldn’t wait to get back to Breaghacraig. She wanted to see Donal and Elena. They were going to be her family and she couldn’t wait to take them home with her to meet her mother and father. They would be surprised, but she knew they would also be welcoming. As they neared the gates, Tina noticed Doreen hurrying their way.
“Doreen!” she called.
“I must hurry. Ma is waiting.” She practically ran up to them. “I think Elena is sick. She has a fever.”
“Oh, no!” Tina said as Doreen ran past them on her way home. “I’d better hurry.”
“Go on. It’s going to take us a while to get there,” Ashley said.
Tina lifted her skirts and ran all the way through the courtyard, then the castle doors and up the stairs to Donal’s chamber. She tapped lightly and opened the door to find a sight that was so sweet it brought happy tears to her eyes. Donal lay on the bed with Elena on his chest. They were both sound asleep. There was something about seeing a big, tough guy tenderly holding a sweet little one that melted her heart. She found an extra plaid folded over the back of a chair and brought it to the bed to cover them both before seating herself by the fire and waiting for one or both of them to stir.
A short time later, Ashley tapped on the door before coming in. “Is she alright?” she whispered.
“I don’t know. They were sleeping when I got here and I didn’t want to disturb them.”
“I brought you something to give her in case she has a fever. You’ll have to keep close watch though. If it gets really bad, we’ll have to contact Edna. Dr Ferguson is on his way to deliver the babies, but I have no idea when he’s going to get here.”
“Where did you get this?” Tina asked holding up the bottle of liquid children’s medicine.
“Edna. It was in the basket of goodies you brought with you.”
“Goodness, she thinks of everything.”
Ashley headed for the door. “I’m going to keep my distance until we know she’s okay. I don’t want to expose my little ones to whatever it is that she has. Jenna will want to do the same. I’ll tell the others. We don’t want the pregnant ladies to catch anything either.”
“We’ll just quarantine her up here then.”
“I’ll make sure you have everything you need.”
“Thank you.”
“I love that,” Ashley said, pointing to Donal and Elena sleeping on the bed.
Tina’s heart swelled at the sight of them, “Me, too.”
Donal opened his eyes and was surprised to see Tina seated by the fire. “Tina, you’re here.”
“Doreen told me she thought Elena was sick.”
“I cannae tell. She was fussing and crying until I got her to sleep. She felt warm to me, but I cannae say if she’s sick.”
Tina came to the bedside and placed her hand delicately on Elena’s forehead, trying not to disturb her. “We’ll keep an eye on her,” Tina whispered.
“We? Ye mean
ye’ll stay here with us?”
“That’s what I mean. I’m not going to desert you when you need me.”
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “I do need ye, lass. I dinnae ken what to do for her.”
“Ashley gave me some medicine to give her. It might help.”
“Should we wake her?”
“No. We’ll wait. She seems comfortable there with you.”
He shifted Elena on his chest.
“Do you want me to take her?” she asked.
“I would like to sit up,” he replied.
Tina adjusted the pillows so he could sit up a bit. Despite the movement, Elena didn’t stir. “My brother has little ones and they get sick all the time, so don’t worry. She’ll be alright.”
“Do ye believe so? I lost more than one brother and sister to the fever when I was a bairn.”
“I hadn’t thought about that,” Tina frowned. “We don’t know what she’s sick with. Hopefully it’s nothing serious.”
“What will we do if it is?” She could hear the panic in his voice and knew he needed reassurance. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it.
“Ashley said there’s a doctor coming to help Helene and Sara give birth. Hopefully he’ll be here soon. If not, we can depend on Edna to help us.”
“The witch?”
“That’s the one.”
Donal didn’t know much about witches. The only thing he’d ever heard about them was that they were bad. Tina sat next to him on the bed and placed Elena beside him. “Don’t look so worried,” she said as she rubbed her fingers across his forehead. “Relax.”
He took her hands in his. “Thank ye, Tina.”
“Of course, you’re both important to me.”
He liked the sound of that. He was important to someone. He was important to her. He was happy to have a partner in Tina. Someone he knew would be there for him and for Elena. He’d always resented his parents because they had been too busy with all this brothers and sisters to notice him. In the short time he’d had a child of his own, he had seen how much work it took to care for a child, never mind eight children. They must have gone through so much worry. Where would their next meal come from, what would happen if they were sick? It had been so hard for them and he hadn’t realized it.
He had been so wrapped up in his own little world that he hadn’t seen the sacrifices they’d made for their children. When they’d fostered him out, he thought it was because they didn’t want him anymore, but now he understood it was to make sure he was well cared for and that some day he’d have a better life than the one they’d had. That’s what he wanted to do for Elena. He wanted her life to be a good one with much promise of brighter days to come.
“I’m going to go down to the kitchen. Maybe Mary has some chicken broth for Elena. I’ll bring something for you, too,” she said.
How his luck had changed. From nothing going right in his life to having everything good he could possibly imagine right here in this room with him.
“I’ll be right back,” Tina said.
“We’ll be here waiting for ye.”
Mary wasn’t in the kitchen when Tina entered, the only one there was Bethia. “Where is everyone?” Tina asked.
Bethia seemed quite unsure of herself, but managed to answer, “The great hall.”
“Where else would they be?” Tina smiled. She hoped to put Bethia at ease. She wasn’t sure why the young woman seemed so tentative around her. “I was wondering if I could get some broth for Elena. She’s not feeling well.”
“Aye. Mary made some today.” The girl kept her head down as she worked and Tina remembered Mary saying she was shy.
“And can you put together some food for Donal?”
Bethia gave her a sideways glance before nodding her head. “His luck’s nae been good of late.”
Tina was surprised to hear Bethia try to start a conversation with her.
“I know. It’s not bad enough that he’s lost his wife, but then to find out he had a child the way that he did.”
“Wife?” Bethia asked, fumbling with her apron.
“Yes. Sionaid. I think she used to work here.”
“They werenae married,” Bethia said as she puttered around the kitchen grabbing a basket, then a napkin to line it. “He didnae even ken her name.”
Tina was shocked. “Are you sure?”
“I am. Donal likes the ladies, but tires of them quickly. A few weeks after Sionaid spent time with Donal, she went home to her family.”
“Did she say why?” Tina asked to her back.
Bethia gathered a bowl and two cups from a high shelf. “Nae. She didnae tell any of us, but I’m nae surprised. He’d already moved on to someone else, a tavern girl from the village. Tara? Tilly?”
“Tess?” Tina asked.
“Yes, I think that was it. Then there was Isla, her father is a fisherman. And then Ava, she sells fabric and does sewing.”
“How do you know all this?”
“I’ve eyes in me head. Before ye came it was me he wanted. I knew he would get around to me eventually. He is sweet and verra handsome but everyone knows he isnae serious about anyone or anything, really.” She shrugged. “Nothing happened between us. I had to go home for a few days and I’m happy I did. I cannae afford to be with child. I feel terrible that Sionaid passed. She was a good friend and we laughed a lot.”
Tina didn’t know what to say. Donal had lied to her. The happiness she’d felt a short time ago vanished to be replaced by a gut wrenching feeling of betrayal. Donal was turning out to be the type of guy she’d avoid at all costs back home. She didn’t need a man who used women until he tired of them. Tina didn’t want to be another notch on his bedpost. She had some thinking to do. It was obvious to her now that she couldn’t be with a man who had not only lied to her about being married, but was the worst kind of womanizer. He’d had plenty of chances to tell her the truth and he’d chosen not to. She had no idea what Edna had been thinking. She could not be with Donal, not now. She would focus on Elena. It wasn’t her fault her father was a player. She would stick around to make sure Elena was going to be okay, then she was going home. Alone.
“Here ye are,” Bethia said, handing her a basket. “Be careful with the broth. Dinnae spill it.” She smiled at Tina and for the first time seemed to realize the impact her words had. She looked very uncomfortable.
Tina needed to stop her hands from shaking. She pulled in a long, slow breath, closed her eyes and willed them to be still. “Thank you, Bethia. I’ll be careful.” She seemed a sweet girl who’d obviously been caught in Donal’s web of deceit.
“I’m sorry that ye didnae know.”
“I do now. Thank you.”
She couldn’t remember her walk back to Donal’s room because her head was spinning. How many women had there been before she’d arrived? Were there anymore surprises about Donal that she’d discover? She took a deep breath before opening the door and entering his room.
“Yer back,” Donal said, popping up from the bed to take the basket from her hands.
“Be careful. There’s broth in there.” Her voice was devoid of emotion. She simply had to control herself or she’d start to yell and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Elena was tucked into the cradle with blankets. Her little cheeks were pink but she seemed to be sleeping peacefully.
“Is everything alright, lass?” he asked.
“No.” She took a moment to compose herself before speaking again. “No, it’s not.”
“What’s happened?” He put the basket down on the table and came back to take her hands, which she yanked away. She didn’t want him to touch her. If he did she might lose her resolve and she couldn’t afford that.
“You lied to me,” she said, stuffing down the urge to scream at him.
“What do ye mean?” He seemed honestly baffled by her accusation, but she knew better.
“You told me you were married and you weren’t.” Adrenaline pumped through her bo
dy and the shaking returned. She folded her arms across her chest and tucked her hands under her arms where they wouldn’t give her away.
“I… never said I was married. Ye assumed I was,” he said without raising his voice.
“You should have told me I was wrong, but you didn’t.” The words tasted bitter as she spoke them. This was too much, he was making excuses for his behavior.
“I needed ye to help me. I thought if ye felt bad for me it would be easier.” His eyes seemed to plead with her to believe him.
“Easier to what? To fool me into falling for you? To get me to marry you?” All the hurt and disappointment she was feeling were in those questions.
“I told ye I was desperate when I first met ye. I admit, I tried to take advantage of the situation, but I know who ye are now and I’ve already apologized.”
“Here I was feeling bad for you. You couldn’t even remember her name.” She bit down on her bottom lip hoping to disguise the hurt coursing through her body with every beat of her heart.
“Who’s name?”
“Sionaid!” she yelled.
“How do ye know all this?” He scrubbed his hands through his hair, all color draining from his face.
“Bethia,” she said.
“Och! Nae.”
“Och! Aye,” Tina said, purposely using the Scottish terms. “Maybe the reason Tess was so rude the other day is that she heard about Isla. Or maybe she and one of your many women had been talking. How many other little Donals are running around?”
He stared at her not speaking.
“I asked you a question. Do you have any other children?” She choked out the words through gritted teeth.
He shrugged his shoulders and turned away from her.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means I dinnae know.”
“You don’t know?”
“Nae. I didnae ken Sionaid was with child. She didnae tell me.” His voice was quiet, almost inaudible. “I never thought to check on the others. I havenae been an honorable man, I ken it. I thought we were having a bit of fun, is all. I didnae mean to hurt anyone.”
