"Just walk slow," Annabel advised as they began to walk her to the door. "We can stop if you need to. There is no rush."
Joan nodded, but was still determined to get to the bedchamber before another contraction hit, and found herself pulling at the hold the two women had on her arms. They were in the hall and halfway to the bedchamber when the next cramp hit. Joan stopped walking at once, her hands instinctively reaching for her stomach. She didn't know if it was because she was standing or not, but it felt like someone was kicking her front, her back and her innards all at once and she staggered, dropping to her knees before Annabel and Saidh could stop her. That was when her water broke.
"What happened?" Saidh asked with alarm as the liquid puddled on the wooden floor around Joan.
" 'Tis the water the baby grows in," Annabel said calmly and assured her, "Do not fret. 'Tis normal. It has to come out so the babe can."
"Oh."
That faint cry drew their attention in time to see Murine slumping to the floor just outside the solar door. It seemed she'd regained herself . . . briefly.
"Honestly, one o' these days she's going to hit her head so hard when she falls that she'll no' get up," Saidh muttered with a shake of the head. "She really needs to wear some kind o' cushioned cap that covers her whole head. Mayhap I should make her one," she added thoughtfully.
"I'll help," Joan said on a pained laugh.
"Aye, well, mayhap we could get through this first," her aunt suggested, kneeling beside her. "Can you still walk or shall I call Cam to come carry you?"
"Nay! Don't tell Cam."
Lady Sinclair frowned. "He should ken. 'Tis his child."
"Aye, and he'll know once it's done, but I won't have him worrying in the meantime," Joan said at once.
"But if you need help getting to the bedchamber we shall have to call on him," Annabel said apologetically.
"I can walk," Joan said determinedly and started to push herself to her feet just as another contraction hit. This one came on hard and fast, and--unexpected as it was--tore a startled scream from Joan before she could stop it. Which caused an immediate commotion amongst the men seated at the trestle tables in the great hall below.
"What's happening?" Cam shouted. "Joan?"
" 'Tis all right!" Lady Sinclair called quickly, "Joan is--" She paused when Joan caught her arm and squeezed, then sighed and finished, "Lady Murine fainted again."
"But I heard Joan scream," Cam called, sounding closer. He was coming up the stairs.
"Stop him," Joan hissed through gritted teeth.
"She screamed because Murine dropped her drink as she fell, spilling it all over Joan's gown," Lady Sinclair lied. "Go on back to what ye were doing. We're fine here."
There was a pause and then the men began discussing the unfortunate Murine and her constant fainting, their voices growing fainter as they headed back downstairs.
Joan closed her eyes with relief, both that Cam wouldn't worry, and that the contraction had ended. "Thank you," she whispered, managing a smile for her mother-in-law, and then on a burst of gratitude said, "I think I must be the most fortunate of women. I have the most wonderful husband, a beautiful home, amazing friends, and lovely family." She squeezed Lady Sinclair's arm again and smiled. "If I die on the birthing bed, I certainly can not complain that God did not gift me with much first. Including a good and kind woman for mother-in-law." She added solemnly, "Thank you, Lady Sinclair. You've been an angel, teaching me how to run Sinclair this last year, and doing so with the patience of a saint."
"Do no' thank me dear, it's been me pleasure," Lady Sinclair said, hugging her. Then, dashing away the tears that had sprouted in her eyes, she added sternly, "But no more talk o' dying. Ye won't die, ye can't. Cam would ne'er forgive me and I would ne'er forgive meself."
"Don't be silly, even if I don't survive the birthing bed, it won't be your fault. You've nothing to feel guilty for," Joan said, and lowered her head as another contraction started.
"Bearnas?" Annabel said uncertainly. "What did you do?"
Struggling with the pain building in her, Joan raised her head to glance at her mother-in-law, frowning when she noted the guilty expression on Lady Sinclair's face.
Cam's mother hesitated, but then blurted, "My maid learned from Jinny about the wild carrot seed and I had her switch it out for--"
"You interfering bitch!" Joan was as shocked as everyone else when she shrieked that. It was a combination of betrayal and the pain suddenly ripping through her that propelled it, and then she was too consumed with the agony overwhelming her to pay much attention when Annabel patted Lady Sinclair's arm and tried to soothe her.
"Joan does not mean that. She is just in pain."
"Aye," Lady Sinclair sighed. "But she's right. I am an interfering old . . . er . . . woman, and if she dies I'll never forgive meself."
"I kenned it!"
Joan blinked her eyes open with alarm and cursed rather volubly when she saw Cam stepping off the stairs and rushing toward them.
"Ye're havin' the baby!"
"Well you needn't sound so accusatory. 'Tis not as if I snuck around behind your back and got with child without you. You helped make it," Joan snapped, pain and frustration making her cranky.
"She does not mean to snap, Cam," her aunt said at once, turning to pat his arm now. "She is just in pain. You must not pay attention to anything she says."
"Aunt Annabel," Joan began, and then cried out with surprise when Cam scooped her up and started quickly down the hall.
"If ye're going to shout at us and call us names, ye'll do it from our bed," Cam said, sounding a little snappy himself.
" 'Tis perfectly normal, Cam," Annabel said reassuringly as she hurried after them.
"Aye. Ye should ha'e heard what Annabel called me when she was birthing Payton," Ross MacKay said, appearing at the top of the stairs. As Cam carried her past, the man pursed his lips and added, "And Annella. And Kenna too, come to think on it." He shook his head. "My sweet little Annabel shrieked like a fishwife and cursed like a warrior."
"Thank you, husband," Annabel snapped, looking embarrassed as she followed on Cam's heels. "Why do you and the other men not go below and wait? And take Cam with you."
"I'm no' going anywhere," Cam announced firmly, continuing up the hall.
"Well, if ye need a break, yer father and I'll be in the solar," Ross announced.
"With uisge beatha," Artair Sinclair added, a pitcher in hand as he reached the top of the stairs.
"Good thinking," Saidh said, taking the pitcher from him as she passed. Smiling she added, " 'Twill help Joan with the pain, I'm sure."
"Damn," Artair muttered and then turned to peer below and bellowed, "Bring more uisge beatha, Aiden. That sassy Buchanan wench stole ours."
Joan heard Saidh chuckle at the words as Cam carried her into their room and set her on the bed.
The moment he released her he began gathering furs and bolsters and pilling them behind her back. Then he sat down on the side of the bed and took her hands in his.
Joan took in his expression and frowned. He was looking at her as if it might be the very last time he would. Sighing, she turned to Saidh, a breathless laugh slipping from her lips when she saw that she'd poured some uisge beatha into a goblet and was downing it. "I thought that was for me."
Saidh lowered the goblet and peered to her with surprise. "Did ye want some?"
Joan rolled her eyes and said dryly, "It could no' hurt."
Saidh nodded and looked about, then moved to the table by the fireplace where another goblet sat. Joan watched her start to pour the liquid, but then was hit by another contraction and lowered her head, staring at their entwined hands as she tried to concentrate on breathing until the pain had passed.
"Squeeze me hand if ye want to," Cam said quietly. "It may help."
Joan forced a smile and opened her mouth to assure him she was fine, but instead a long, loud scream came out.
Saidh stopped dead at the sound a
nd stared at her wide-eyed, then raised the goblet to her mouth to gulp some down.
"Give me that. 'Tis fer Joan," Lady Sinclair snapped with exasperation. Taking the drink from Saidh, she moved to the side of the bed, but then simply stood there and stared helplessly as Joan screamed. When the contraction ended and she finally stopped screaming, Lady Sinclair held out the goblet, but Joan just shook her head and sagged against Cam's shoulder, panting.
Lady Sinclair hesitated, but then raised the goblet to her mouth and chugged down the contents.
"Where's my aunt?" Joan asked wearily as she suddenly realized she wasn't there.