Page 44 of To Charm a Highlander

“I doesna matter.I doona want ye outside the castle walls.‘Tis dangerous times, and I doona want anything to happen to ye.”

She shrugged.He was probably right and after what had happened to her, she should ken better.But she’d been so anxious to see him, learn about his day, tell him about hers, that she dinna think about it.

‘Twas her favorite part of marriage.Kenning someone cared to hear about what she did all day and then share his time apart with her.

When she shared that with Ainslee, she told her while that made her happy to hear, she would one day find another thing about marriage that was her favorite time.She blushed, kenning exactly what her sister-by-marriage meant.

She was trying truly she was, and Callum was being verra patient with her.However, seeing him come out of the loch without any clothes dinna frighten her as it generally did, but brought a strange tingling feeling to her woman parts.

Tonight, she promised herself, she would try harder to let Callum do things to her she hadn’t been comfortable with before.If she wanted to have a bairn or two—which she did—she would have to move beyond her fears.

The great hall was as noisy as ever as the warriors poured into the space and took their seats as the serving lasses carried out trays of food and placed them on the tables, bantering back and forth with the men.

Callum and Donella joined the family on the dais.Holding Finlay in her lap, Ainslee filled a trencher for Susana and Alasdair as Haydon wrestled with Grace who sat on is lap and was trying to grab everything within her reach.

“Can I help ye, Ainslee?”Donella asked.

“Aye, if ye can take Grace from Haydon, that would help.He’s no’ paying enough attention to her and look at the mess she’s making.”

“I take it Nancy is still ill?”

“Aye.But Dorathia visited with her this afternoon and said the lass will be back on her feet tomorrow.Canna be too soon for me,” she said.“I love my bairns, but four of them at the same time, trying to feed them here instead of the nursery is a challenge.”

“My lady, as soon as I am finished serving, I can take them upstairs to the nursery for the rest of the evening and get them ready for bed.”

With a bright smile and a deep sigh as she grabbed Grace’s hand, Ainslee said to Dana, one of the young servers, “Thank ye.I would appreciate that verra much.”

Callum began to fill their trencher with the roasted venison and stewed vegetables.Loaves of warm bread, hard cheese, and boiled eggs were also laid out on dishes the lasses placed before them.

“Ye seem distracted tonight,” Donella said.

“Aye.I’m still confused by the missive I received.”

“Do ye ken this midwife?What did the missive say her name was?”

“Old Marta, the note said.Nay, I dinna ken her.When I lived at the Gunn Castle we had a healer by the name of Ceit and she did the midwifing.I doona ever remember anyone by the name of Marta.”

“Will ye go to her, then?”

He shrugged.“Since she’s on Gunn land, I’m a tad leery about going there.Remember, I was banned, which means if I am caught, Fraser has the right to have me executed.”

Donella sucked in a deep breath.“Nay!He wouldna do that!”

Apparently overhearing their conversation, Conall turned to Donella.“The mon set yer husband up as a fumbling warrior, which I ken no’ to be true, and then banned him from the clan.I would say, aye, he would have him executed.”

She shivered, thinking about Fraser Gunn.What a terrible mon he must be.Callum and Conall had begun to discuss the note Callum had received and Donella turned her thoughts inward.With the love and support she’d always had from her brothers and her sisters-by-marriage, she couldna imagine a sibling doing to Callum what Fraser had done.

She liked the fact that both Haydon and Conall trusted Callum and admired his skill with a sword.The fact that Conall said he kenned that Callum had been set up meant a lot to her.

“I think tomorrow after I leave the lists, I will go to see this midwife.”

Donella shook her head.“Nay.”

“Why no’?I’m curious to see someone I donna ken.A midwife.”

“I’m no’ saying ye shouldn’t go, I’m sayingwewill go see this woman.Both of us.Together.”

“Nay.‘Tis too dangerous.This could be some sort of a trap.”