Page 48 of A Promise Through Time

“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.”

“You’re digging yourself a deep hole,” she said, vindication in her anger.

“I’m nae digging a hole. I’m telling ye the truth.” He turned back to her, outstretched hands pleading with her.

“Why should I believe you? You’ve been lying to me all along. All those things you said yesterday about opening your heart to me were lies. I am nothing but a bit of fun to you.”

“I wasnae lying!” he shouted.

Elena stirred and began to cry. Tina tore her eyes from Donal’s lying face and went to her. “Come here, sweetie. It’s alright.”

“I wasnae lying,” he said in a softer tone. Tina felt her resolve threatening to crack at the pain in his voice.

Tina kissed Elena’s forehead. She was not going to listen to another word he said, no matter what. She would focus on seeing Elena better. It was her only project now. “Youarevery warm. I’m going to give her some medicine. It should make her fever go down.” She lay Elena on her back and filled the dropper from the medicine bottle with the red liquid. “Here you go, baby.” She slipped the dropper between Elena’s lips and was surprised she took it without a fight. Her brother’s kids were much more difficult to medicate. They had to physically hold them down to get anything into them. “Now, shall we try some broth?”

Donal took the broth from the basket and retrieved her little spoon. Tina didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. She was so hurt and disappointed that she wanted to cry, but she wouldn’t. She’d save that for later when she was alone in her room. Elena refused to eat. And began to whimper weakly. “I’m concerned. Something’s not right.”

“What could it be?” Donal asked.

“I don’t know, but there’s not much left for us to do. Let the medicine take effect. I’m going back to my room. If you need me, come get me.” She put Elena back in the cradle and gently rocked her, she fell immediately back to sleep. Tina wasn’t sure what was wrong with her. It could be the flu, which should be manageable, but with a young child like Elena, it could be disastrous. She wasn’t sure she should leave Elena alone with Donal, but so far he’d proven to at least be a concerned father even if he was a lying cheat of a man. Tina would need her sleep if, as she suspected, she would be awakened in the middle of the night to take care of her.

“Tina, please, stay. We have much to speak of. Please dinnae be angry with me.”

“It’s a little late for that.” She closed the door behind her before slumping against the wall feeling as though her heart had been ripped from her chest.

Chapter 11

She had no idea how long she’d been asleep before the sound of Elena crying woke her, sending her running to Donal’s room. She opened the door to find him walking the floor with her.