Epilogue
Gregory’s face scrunched up as he held Megan’s hair away from her face while she brought up her dinner from the night before.
When she was done, she leaned back on her heels.
“Husband, I think I must see Emma. This stomach issue I’ve had almost since we returned from Edinburgh should be gone by now. ”
He looked at her carefully. “Aye I agree. I think ’tis time to see what Emma says about this.”
They both rose and he gave her a glass of water to rinse her mouth. “I would go with ye, but I’ve missed so much time with the new warriors that I need to concentrate on them. See what Emma says and mayhap she has a tonic or tisane ye can take to feel better.”
She nodded. Once Gregory left the room to break his fast and hurry to the lists, she sat on the bed. She felt so weary lately.
Sometime later, she opened her eyes and realized she had fallen back to sleep after Gregory had left the room. Based on the sun’s position, she’d been asleep for a couple of hours.
She didn’t mind missing her morning meal because her stomach was still a bit tender. But Beth must wonder where she was. It was her job to assist the Lady of the Manor in various jobs.
She quickly dressed, and reminded herself to see Emma sometime during the day, then she left her bedchamber and looked for Beth.
“There ye are,” Beth said with a smile as Megan found her in the kitchen.
“I’m so sorry, Beth, I fell back to sleep after Gregory left. I’m just no’ feeling too well lately.”
Beth narrowed her eyes. “Is yer stomach still giving ye trouble?”
“Aye. I think I ate something along the road on the way back that my stomach dinna care for.”
“Have ye seen Emma?”
“Nay. I thought it would just go away, but I think ’tis time to see if she has something I can take to make me feel better.”
Beth grinned and rubbed her swollen stomach. She gave Megan a slight shove on the shoulder. “Go see our healer.”
Megan took the short walk to the healer’s room and was greeted by shouting.
“Ye doona ken what ye’re doing or I would be fixed by now and back in battle.” It was obviously the grumpy patient.
She opened the door to see Emma bent over the warrior who had been brought in during the Gunn and Sinclair skirmish.
The healer sighed. “Ye are an ejiit, Gunn. How many times do I have to tell ye the battle’s been over for weeks.”
He growled. “The Gunns are always in a battle.”
She shook her head. “And I have also told ye many times that I’m not sure ye will regain the use of yer legs. ’Twill take time.”
The glower on the warrior’s face had her stepping back, but she shook her head at Emma. The woman had the most patience of anyone she’d ever known.
Emma placed her hands on her hips and took several deep breaths. “If ye keep this up, Morgan Gunn, I will place ye in the dungeon.”
The man narrowed his eyes. “Ye wouldn’t do that. The laird would no’ allow that since I am no’ a prisoner. And I would kill anyone who tries to do that.”
“With what? Ye canno’ walk and ye have no sword. Do ye think ye can chase me around the room to get a weapon?”
Morgan Gunn reached out and pulled Emma close, but Megan heard him say, “If I chase ye around the room, lass, it won’t be to get a weapon.” He released her and smirked.
The healer turned from the bed and her eyes grew wide when she saw Megan standing there. “’Tis sorry I am ye had to hear that.” She shook her head and linked her arm with Megan’s. “Let’s take a walk in the garden and ye can tell me what ye came for and I can regain my self-control.”
As they stepped into the garden, Emma took a deep breath.
“Are ye well, Emma?”
She smiled. “Aye. I just need to get away from my patient every once in a while.” She looked at Megan. “’Tis the mon who came in during that short battle when ye were taken. He is improving, but I canno’ tell if he will completely heal and walk again.”
She stopped to look around the garden. “I doona like when the summer ends and all the beautiful flowers die.”
She was quiet with her thoughts for a minute, then turned to Megan. “I am so sorry, I dinna even ask ye why ye came to see me. Are ye having a problem?”
Megan nodded as they sat on a large tree branch that was used as a bench. “Aye. I’ve been feeling sick since Gregory and I returned from Edinburgh.”
Emma’s brows rose. “That long? Why dinna ye come to see me before now?”
Megan shrugged. “I’ve been busy and kept thinking whatever food I ate that started this would eventually leave me.”
“Tell me what yer suffering from.”
“My stomach has been troubling me. I even bring up my dinner from the night before each morning.”
Emma nodded. “Go on.”
“I am so weary and weepy that I think Gregory is going to find a different bedchamber for himself.”
By now, Emma was grinning. “When was the last time ye had yer women’s courses?”
Megan frowned. “I doona ken. I’m sure it was before I was taken by the men and brought to Edinburgh. Maybe a week or so before that.”
“Megan, I am sure ye are pregnant.”
Megan stared at her, a blank expression on her face. After almost a full minute, her eyes filled with tears. “Nay, Emma. I am barren.”
“Who told ye that?”
“One of the maids at Sinclair Castle Girnigoe.” She wiped the tears that had fallen on her cheeks. She started to laugh. “Do ye see what I mean, Emma? I’m weepy all the time.”
Emma tapped her chin with her finger. “What made her tell ye that?”
Megan cleared her throat and looked away, sure she couldn’t say this in front of Emma after having gone through it with the maid. “I asked Maggie who seemed to enjoy the attentions of men what my problem was with the marriage bed.” Her face grew so hot she thought she would explode.
“I assume ye doona mean the mattress was uncomfortable.”
“Nay.” Megan took a deep breath. “After a year of marriage, I decided to finally ask someone who I was certain kenned a lot about it.”
“Which was…?”
“Robert had a hard time entering me.” She knew her face must be as red as a Fall apple, and she waved her hand in front of her face.
Emma reached out and took Megan’s hand. “Was it painful for ye?”
“Aye! If ’twas no’ my duty as a wife to allow my husband to do that, I would have moved to a different bedchamber, or even to my own bothy in the village.”
Emma gave her a small smile. “So where does the being barren come in?”
“She said the reason I was having a problem was because I must be barren.”
Emma shook her head in confusion. “There is no connection that I am aware of between difficulty in the marriage bed and the lack of ability to conceive a babe.”
Megan turned on the tree stump so she faced Emma. “But the whole time Robert and I were married, I ne’er became with child.”
“First of all, if there is no child in the marriage, ’tis no’ always the woman’s fault. Sometimes a man’s seed is no’ strong enough.” Before Megan could comment, Emma added. “Can I ask ye a personal question?”
Megan took in a deep breath. “Aye. I’ve already told ye more than I had even told the maid.”
“Do ye have the same problem with Gregory?”
“Nay!” She shook her head. “Not at all.”
“There is no problem with him entering ye?”
She grinned. “Nay, in most cases he slides right in.” She began to fan her face with her hand again and gulped. “I canno’ believe I just said that.”
Emma took her by the hand and drew her up, once more linking their arms. “What yer friend the maid told ye was wrong. Some women’s bodies take a little bit longer to be ready for their husbands. There is nothing wrong with that, just the way she is.
“However, if the man is anxious and thinking only of his pleasure, he might no’ take the time to prepare his wife. And then it could be painful, which would make the wife tense up every time, making it worse.”
Megan said nothing for a few minutes as they strolled, enjoying the lovely Fall day. Then she turned to Emma. “I’m with child.”
Emma laughed. “Aye, I am sure ye are. I will want to see ye every couple of weeks. But in the meantime, eat a lot of healthy food—this stomach issue will clear up soon—get plenty of rest, and take long walks in the garden.”
*
Gregory dumped a bucket of water over his head and dried his hair with one of the linens the maids left next to the water for the warriors to use when they were finished training.
He was anxious to get back to the keep and see Megan. He was a little concerned about how she’d been feeling lately. Hopefully, she hadn’t picked up some illness from all the bad air and garbage in Edinburgh.
He found her sitting on their bed, just staring into space. He dropped his sword and other implements and joined her. “What did Emma say, my love?”
She looked at him with wonder in her eyes. “I am with child.”
“I thought…”
Megan nodded. “I thought so too, but before we speak more about it, I want ye to hold me in yer arms while I cry again.”
And he did.
And she did.
THE END