Page 28 of A Highlander's Bride

“I doona ken.” His voice cracked. “I went to her bothy but she wasna there.”

One of the serving maids who carried in a platter of food said, “Emma is off to visit her sister. She said no one was due to give birth for another three weeks.”

Poor Malcolm grew even paler and looked as though he was going to faint. “Three weeks? Gertie is having pains now.” He looked toward the dais where the women sat. “Can her pains last three weeks?”

Beth left the table and walked up alongside him. “I can help ye, just take a couple of deep breaths.”

Despite the serious situation, Daniel could not help but smirk at the lass. “I am sure ye can help.”

Beth immediately took over. She grabbed one of the passing maids and said, “Go to Emma’s bothy and gather as many linens as ye can.” Next she looked over at Daniel. “Have the horses readied.”

Lady Chisholm stood, aghast. “Ye are an unmarried lass, Lady Beth. Ye cannot possibly go near a woman giving birth. ’Tis no’ allowed.”

Lady Munro also stood. “I will go with ye. I assisted at many of my grandchildren’s births, plus I had a few of my own.” She rounded the table and joined the maid. She turned back to Beth. “I will help the young maid gather the necessary medicants for the lass.”

Malcolm appeared a combination of relieved and confused. He didn’t seem to know where to go or what to do. Daniel took him inhand. “Come with me to the stable, lad. We will ready the horses so they will be available when the women join us.”

Lady Chisholm was not to be quieted. “My Laird, I canno’ believe ye are allowing yer guests to get involved in the birthing of a bairn. Especially to one of the farmers. ’Tis unheard of.”

Lady Munro had already left the great hall with the maid, their two heads together. Daniel, Malcolm, and Beth made a quick exit from the keep to the sound of Lady Chisholm’s bellowing and fanning herself, insisting she was about to faint. Daniel sincerely hoped so; he was ready to knock the vile woman unconscious himself.

As he looked back, he saw that Lady Alice continued to sit still, studying her trencher of food.

Chapter Ten

Beth had neverdelivered a human baby, but she’d assisted in plenty of animal births in the stables at home. She’d thought about asking her da to join them since he’d also helped with many parturitions, but her mam gasped in horror when she suggested it.

“Ye canno’ have a man help deliver a strange woman’s bairn, Beth. Whatever is wrong with ye? They doona even allow the husband to be there.”

“I was just thinking about all the animals Da had participated in birthing.”

“Beth! He would need to look between this woman’s legs!” Mam was so discombobulated, she blurted that out without thinking she was speaking to her unmarried daughter. But then again, her unmarried daughter was, herself, going to view the birth of a baby and her mam suddenly seemed to realize it.

“Now that I think about it, ye shouldna be here either. Unmarried lasses are no’ allowed to see this.”

Beth raised her brows. “I was there for Patrick’s birth when we were visiting Alisa’s keep.”

“Aye, something I would have chased ye from but yer sister insisted ye stay there to hold her hand.” Her mam was still breathing deeply, and Beth, feeling soundly chastised, remained quiet for the rest of the ride, realizing that yes, birthing a human was certainly differentfrom birthing an animal.

They arrived at the bothy right behind the Mackenzie, who had summoned them. She really must learn these people’s first names since everyone she’d met so far had been a Mackenzie.

Why do you need to know if you’re going home?

The screams coming from the window drew Beth and her mam to the poor woman’s home. As they walked towards the door, Daniel wrapped his arm around the husband’s shoulders and moved him off. “Come, I brought some whisky with me.”

The man stopped in his tracks and shook his head. “Nay. I doona want to be too far from Gertie.”

Just then another loud bellow came from the bothy. Malcolm winced and looked over at Daniel. “I think maybe a bit of liquid might be just the thing right now.”

Beth grinned as he turned and hurried away, Daniel on his heels.

*

Hours later, Bethand her mam walked from the front door of the bothy and wiped the sweat from their foreheads. Gertie, whose name Beth had found out during their long session was resting peacefully, along with the healthy lad she’d delivered.

Right after Beth and her mam had arrived, the three bairns the new mother already had were taken home by Gertie’s sister. Then two neighbors came to help as well as another of Gertie’s sisters.

With all the women present, Beth and her mam really weren’t needed, but the others seemed to look toward her mother for guidance, most likely because she was an older woman and told the group she had birthed four bairns herself with no problems.