“I fear I might not fare as well,” he said with a chuckle.
“I am confident you will survive.” She kissed his cheek. “I give you my word that I will never fear coming to you with anything. I know you will always be there with me deep in my heart as you will be the day I give birth to our bairn.”
“I do so love you, Elysia.” His heart filled with such joy that it pained him and fear rose up to poke at him. The curse would not allow him such happiness. It would soon raise its evil head and strike. If it struck his wife, the devil himself would not survive the horrific vengeance Odran brought down upon him.
“Not as much as I love you,” she said.
Joy brightened her green eyes and relief lifted off her shoulders. Her husband knew about the bairn and that was all that mattered to her. Now they could face everyone else together when the time came.
“I was so filled with concern for you I forgot to ask about Crissa,” he said.
“She does well, though how well a woman can do when she loses a bairn is difficult to say. The women who assisted Bliss with births often told the grieving mums that they were young and would have other bairns, not so Bliss. She thought differently and told the women that while they would have others bairns, they had a right to hold the lost bairn in their hearts and grieve for the one their arms would never hold, letting their hearts heal and grow full again in preparation for the next bairn.”
Odran couldn’t help but ask, “What if there was no next bairn? What if the woman is left childless?”
She tapped the spot between her husband’s eyes. “You think… what if this happens to me? What if I lose this bairn and never have another? But with how often we make love we will have many bairns.” She quickly pressed a finger to his lips, knowing what he was about to say. “We will not stop if for some reason I lost this bairn. We will have many bairns, Odran. Bairns who will fill this keep with love, laughter, joy, and, aye, sorrow, for sorrow is part of life. But we will share it together—you, me, and our bairns. The curse will not survive our overpowering love. It will die,” —she chuckled— “if Annis doesn’t kill it first.”
“I never would have thought our happiness—our survival—would depend on a courageous woman who battles fearlessly for her sisters.”
“I do hope Annis is doing well and I pray often for Brogan since finding out that he is with Annis. He needs all the prayers he can get.”
Odran chuckled. “Aye, wife, that he does.”
“I am going to look in on Crissa to see how she fares, then we can speak with Stiles or do you still need to speak with Cadell?”
“I’ve heard what I believe is necessary. My da can tell me anymore Cadell has to say. I will send for Stiles and I will see we are alone with him to talk.” His hand went to rest on her stomach. “All is well with you and the bairn?”
Elysia placed her hand over his. “We both do well. A little upset stomach now and then, but nothing more.”
“Good, and you will take no unnecessary chances now that you carry such a precious bundle,” he commanded.
Elysia smiled at his command issued with worry and love. “I will see us both kept safe.”
“I will hold you to that, wife, or you will chance turning my hair white with worry before its time.”
She laughed and kissed his cheek. “I believe you will look even more handsome with white hair.”
“Have pity on my heart, wife, and do not make me suffer,” he teased, though only half-heartedly.
“Never, husband, never would I do that to you,” —she kissed him— “intentionally.” She bounced up off his lap and reached for his hand to pull him up, not that she had the strength to do such a thing, but he bolted off the bed as if she did.
With a joy to his step and even deeper joy to his heart, Odran followed his wife out of their bedchamber.
“You are feeling well? No pain?” Elysia asked when she entered the room to find Crissa resting in Finch’s arms.
“Well enough and no pain,” Crissa said, holding tight to Finch’s arm.
“You’re drinking the brew I had made for you?” Elysia asked, her eyes darting to the full tankard on the chest next to the bed.
Crissa nodded. “Small sips.”
“Good. That and rest will continue to see you do well,” Elysia reassured. “I leave you in good hands, Crissa. Rest well.”
The woman glanced up at Finch and smiled. “He takes good care of me.”
Elysia was pleased to see Crissa smile and with a smile of her own, she walked to the door, stopping there and turning, remembering something she wanted to ask Finch. “By the way, Finch, did you get Lendra settled in her cottage.”