Wee William's Woman, Book Three of the Clan MacDougall Series (38 page)

“Good day to you!” she called out to them, the smile never leaving her face.

Wee William had been watching the exchange between his wife and his new brother and sister-in-law. The love Nora felt for them was evidenced in her smile, the way she smothered Elise with kisses, and the way she’d not allowed John to get away without a hug. Wee William’s heart swelled with pride, as it had done so many times in the past days. He found himself looking forward to the day Nora gave him children. She would be a very good mother and he knew their home would be full of love and laughter.

Nora went to greet the women, while Wee William made another attempt at gathering wood. The men soon surrounded him, their faces filled with concern and a bit of confusion. Rowan was the first to speak.

“I take it yer wife did no’ like yer advances toward her?”

Wee William raised an eyebrow, not knowing what Rowan was referring to. “What are ye talkin’ about?”

“Ye’ve a black eye and I can see where yer lip has been cut. My God, man, what did she hit ye with?”

The concern in Rowan’s face was genuine. Wee William’s face burned red for a moment before he laughed at his friends. “Though it be none of yer business, lads, me wife did no’ spurn me advances, nor did she beat me about the head with a pot!” He cast them a wink before adding another log to his arms.

“Then how did ye get the black eye and the fat lip?”

Elise chose that moment to chime in. “He had to fight a faerie who wanted my room!”

The group of men cast curious looks at one another.

Wee William actually burned deep red with embarrassment. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice to a whisper. “’Tis no’ something I could explain in front of the children or the women, lads.”

The men eyed him suspiciously for a moment before sudden awareness came to them. There was much clearing of throats, devilish smiles, and winking passed about the small group of men. Wee William was suddenly very glad the children were present for the men would not needle him while they were there. The needling, he knew, was inevitable, but it would wait for a more proper time and place.

Aishlinn was miserable. Her back ached, her feet were swollen to the point she could barely get her shoes on, and she was not able to sleep comfortably at night. “I do not think I will last another day!” She said as she let out a heavy sigh and stretched her back. “I feel as though I’ve been with child for ten years!”

Nora smiled as she poured tea into cups. They were sitting in Nora’s kitchen and enjoying each other’s company. “I’m sure it is positively uncomfortable, Aishlinn. But think about the bonny babe you’ll soon be holding in your arms!”

“It better be bonny, after all this kicking and rolling around he’s doing in there!” she said playfully as she rubbed her hand over her belly.

“You think it’s a boy then?” Nora asked as she took a sip of tea.

“Aye, I do! A stubborn, energetic boy, just like his da. A girl child, I am certain, would
not
be causing her mother this much grief. She’d be a quiet lass, like me.”

Nora snorted but immediately pulled her lips inward when Aishlinn glared at her angrily. “You do not find me quiet?”

“Nay, Aishlinn. You’re as quiet as a church mouse on a winter’s eve.”

They looked at one another for a moment before Aishlinn burst out laughing. “Even I know I’m not
that
quiet!”

After the giggling subsided, Aishlinn asked the question she’d been dying to ask for days. “So, Nora, how do you like being married to Wee William?”

Nora’s lips curved into a very bright smile. “He’s a very good husband! He is so kind and patient with John and Elise.”

Aishlinn nodded her head and sipped on her tea. “I did not doubt that he would be anything but good to you and the children,” she said. “How is his eye?”

Nora burned red from head to toe. She was hoping no one would ask how her husband came to have not one, but two black eyes. “Um,” she stammered, trying to find the right words. She and Aishlinn had become such good friends that Nora felt she could talk to her about anything. “Well, it really was entirely his own fault.”

Aishlinn sat forward in her chair with great anticipation. Duncan had refused to tell her how the black eyes came to pass. “How exactly was it his fault?”

Nora cleared her throat and took another sip of tea. “Well, you see, he has this thing he does to undo me.”

Aishlinn raised an eyebrow, “
Undo
you?”

Nora nodded her head and looked at Aishlinn as if she should readily know to what she was referring. “You
know. Undo
me.” When she saw that understanding on Aishlinn’s part was not immediately forthcoming she went on to explain it. “Its this thing he does. With his tongue,” she continued to blush and stumble over her words. “It undoes me.”

Aishlinn searched her mind for the term undone and then, it suddenly dawned on her what Nora was speaking of. She could not help but laugh, for she herself had some close to blackening Duncan’s eye the first time he’d sprung
that
little surprise on her.

“But you needn’t worry over any more black eyes on my husband,” Nora offered with a sly smile.

“No? Why?” Aishlinn could barely contain her excitement.

“Well, you see, he came up with a rather inventive way of keeping my feet in place.”

Aishlinn’s eyes grew as wide with curiosity while her mind raced, wondering what on earth she meant.

Seeing her friend’s curiosity piqued, Nora leaned in. “You see, he made these scarves out of silk,”

Just as Nora was beginning to explain the proper applications of the scarves, Elise came crashing through the front door, with John following on her heals.

“Aishlinn!” she shouted as her eyes fell on Aishlinn’s large belly. “You haven’t had the babe yet?” she asked looking disappointed.

Nora admonished her for her poor manners. “You do
not
come crashing into the house, Elise!”

“I’m sorry, Nora,” Elise said as she climbed up on the bench with John taking a seat next to her.

Aishlinn willed her burning face back to its natural color before answering Elise’s question. “Nay, Elise. I’ve not had my babe yet. It won’t be long now.”

Elise nodded her head as if she understood. “They take a long time to make, don’t they?”

Nora and Aishlinn laughed and agreed.

Elise was apparently done talking about babies. “Do you have any biscuits left, Nora? John said that if we asked very nicely we might have one.”

Nora shook her head and rolled her eyes. “The both of you are incorrigible.” She stood and went to the shelf where she kept the biscuits. There were only four left!
William
, she said his name as though it were a curse. She could not keep the tin completely filled for more than a few hours. His appetite was as large as he. With her back thankfully turned, she smiled and bit her lip.
Aye,
he had very large appetites for things other than biscuits!

She composed herself and brought the biscuits to the table. She gave one each to Elise and John and the remaining two to Aishlinn, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Elise. “Why does Aishlinn get two?” Elise asked, taking a bite of her biscuit.

“One for her, one for the babe. Now don’t be rude.”

Married life, in itself, was a wondrous thing as far as Wee William was concerned. His love for Nora grew with each passing day. In his eyes, she was perfection.

It was the children that were making his head pound.

Elise questioned everything. Why must we sleep at night and not the day? Why are you shaving? How do whiskers grow? Why don’t women have whiskers? Why can’t I sleep in bed with you and Nora? How do seeds turn into apples? How did Aishlinn get the baby in her belly? Will Nora get a baby too?

His favorite question in the past week from the curious child was why did he and Nora sleep without any clothes on. He nearly choked on his breakfast when she asked that particular question.

Wee William was finding it rather difficult to find time alone with his wife during the day. With the children waking at the crack of dawn, all the chores that needed to be done around their home, taking them to their morning lessons with Isobel, and Nora working in the castle in the afternoons, there was little time nor energy left at the end of the day for making bairns. Still, he relished that time of the day, when he would climb into bed with his wife and hold her closely. He had been given heaven on earth and he would cherish these small moments all the rest of his days.

As he donned his tunic and trews, someone began knocking loudly at the cottage door. Soon his home was filled with excited voices. Wee William raced into the kitchen only to find Duncan standing next to the table. Nora was smiling as she pulled her shawl from the hook.

“William!” Elise squealed with delight as she sat breaking her fast. “Aishlinn’s is having her babe!”

No wonder Duncan looked as though he were about to pass out.

“Isobel has asked that I help her, William,” Nora explained as she blew him a kiss. “I’ve never helped deliver a babe before, but I think I should get along well enough.” Nora tried to sound far more excited about the prospect of helping deliver a babe than she actually felt. Truthfully, the thought terrified her to no end. But she had promised Aishlinn she would be there when the time finally arrived.

Wee William smiled down at his wife and grabbed her in his arms before she could leave. “Ye’ll no’ be getting’ away without a proper kiss, wife,” he murmured into Nora’s ear. “It could be hours before I see ye again.”

Nora giggled and stood on her tiptoes and waited for him to bend toward her. He gave her a proper kiss that left her momentarily breathless. Elise giggled and John grunted, much like the Highlander men he’d been surrounded by.

“John,” Nora said as she tried to regain her composure. “Please, keep Elise out of trouble while I’m gone. If ye need anything, just come to Aishlinn’s cottage, but
knock
before you enter!”

Nora laughed when she finally turned her attention away from her husband. Duncan hadn’t moved from his spot by the table and he looked just as pale as when he had first arrived.

“Duncan! For heaven’s sake, you best sit before you faint!” she told him as she headed for the door. “William, I think you might want to keep Duncan away from his wife for a time.”

Wee William crossed the room, laughing at his friend. He took his arm and helped him to sit at the table.

“Are you ill?” Elise asked.

Duncan could only shake his head.

“He’s just a bit unsettled, Elise. This be his first babe,” Wee William tried to explain. Duncan hadn’t said a word. His eyes were focused on something that only he could see and his skin seemed to grow paler by the moment. Wee William hoped that if he and Nora were blessed with babes of their own, that he wouldn’t come apart like Duncan was doing.

“John,” Wee William said. “Take Elise to the keep and ask Bree or Eilean to watch over her.”

“But I don’t want to go to the keep. I want to help Aishlinn have her babe,” Elise protested.

Wee William chuckled. “Nay, lass, ye be a wee bit young yet to help. Now do as yer told, or I’ll make ye help Auld Phillip in the stables for the next sennight.”