Chapter 2
“ E gads, Evan what is the matter with you?” Daegel spoke from atop his horse as he and Evan rode to the tiltyard to engage in the joust. “You can’t be giving commoners you don’t even know a home at Saltwood, not to mention a job. That just isn’t done. You might be a knight now, but you have no authority to do that.”
“I told you, we took vows today to help widows and orphans. I felt it was necessary.”
“I’m sure the castle courtyard is filled with both widows and orphans right now. Are you going to make that offer to all of them?”
“Nay, of course not. But I knocked into the little girl and she fell in the mud. I feel bad about it.”
“Just leave it be. The child most likely knocked into you.”
“Nay. I don’t think so.” Evan looked out at the cheering crowd. He waved his hand in the air as they made their way to the lists, feeling grateful that so many seemed so happy to see him knighted. “I know it is odd, but for some reason I find the little girl’s mother intriguing.”
“There are more than enough pretty lightskirts at the castle if you need a good bedding,” said Daegel. “Why on earth do you want to saddle yourself with one who has so much baggage? The little girl alone will prove to be quite an unwanted distraction, not to mention her unruly brother.”
“Calm down, Daegel. I didn’t say I was going to marry the wench, did I? I just want to show that I am loyal to my vows. And that I’m a good knight.” They stopped their horses inside the tiltyard, and their squires ran over to greet them.
“Oooooh, so that’s what it’s all about. I see it clearly now,” said Daegel with a slight chuckle. “You are trying to make the people think you are a far better knight than me, aren’t you?”
“Nay. Of course not. It’s not a competition.”
“You say that, but somehow I don’t think you really mean it. Besides, isn’t the joust just that? A competition? Get in the spirit of it all, Evan.” Daegel slipped his helm over his head. The long white plume atop the helm moved back and forth in the breeze. Then he retrieved his jousting lance and shield from his squire. “I’ll stop any rumors about you being better before they even start.”
“What does that mean?” asked Evan.
“As soon as I beat you at the joust, like we both know I will, everyone will see who is the better knight, after all.”
“We are both knights now, and there is no reason to prove that either of us is better,” ground out Evan, not wanting any problems today of all days.
Evan knew Daegel would probably best him in the joust, since he truly was better at it. That was no secret. Still, he didn’t really care. Or so he thought. His eye caught Maggie making her way to the front of the crowd, and suddenly his pride made him want to impress her. She slid onto one of the benches of the viewing stands, pulling her daughter atop her lap. Her brother munched on an apple and squeezed in next to her.
“Giles,” Evan summoned his squire.
“Yes, my lord? I mean, Sir Evan?”
His new squire was a boy who looked not much older than Maggie’s brother. He was tall and lanky with dark hair. Evan knew him as the son of one of his father’s noble friends. The boy was fair with a weapon in his hand and lithe on his feet. Still, Evan had a lot to teach him, since he knew the boy often got much too anxious and lacked any amount of confidence. His being Evan’s squire was a favor to a friend. Still, his squire needed to be skilled enough to protect Evan on the battlefield. Plus, he didn’t want the boy to lose his life. He had a lot of training to do. Evan remembered his first days of being a squire and how nervous he was, hoping not to do anything wrong. He couldn’t even imagine how Giles felt right now.
“Giles, if I start losing too bad to Sir Daegel at the joust, do me a favor. Stand in front of that woman holding the little girl and block her view.” He nodded to Maggie.
“Pardon me, my lord?” Giles looked up with a puzzled expression and then followed Evan’s gaze over to where Maggie sat watching. “You want me to do what?”
“Never mind,” mumbled Evan, putting on his helm and slapping down the visor. Atop his helm were three plumes. One red, one gold, and the other blue. These were the colors of the Confederation of the Cinque Ports’ coat of arms. Evan hoped to one day follow in his father’s footsteps and become a baron of the Cinque Ports as well. He took his lance, couching it under his right arm and positioning the grapper, the small ring that was right behind the handguard, over the lance-rest. The lance-rest was a hook attached to Evan’s breast plate. This secured the lance during the charge and helped to maximize the force of the impact. Next, he took his shield from Giles in his left hand, making certain the lance passed through the notch cut out atop the shield. His squire secured the shield to his arm. Evan looked back once more to Maggie, hoping she wouldn’t think he was naught but a fool by the time this joust was finished. He wasn’t sure why he felt this way. But after knocking into the little girl and making her mother angry, he wanted to show the girl’s mother that he was honorable and deserving to be respected.
Maggie held Emma on her lap, placing her basket filled with her midwife instruments at her feet. The blanket tied around her carrying their belongings stayed in place, but felt bulky and in the way with so many people crowded around her. Her muscles ached from having to carry their things as well as her child most of the way on their journey here. Her gown was now muddied from her daughter, making Maggie feel like a dirty, homeless peasant around so many nobles and people dressed fancily for the day’s occasion. Tiredness gripped her, consuming her so much that she no longer even felt the hunger pangs of not having eaten in a few days.
“Mama, I want an apple too, like Charlie has,” whined the little girl, frowning at the boy.
“Charles,” said Maggie, always calling her brother by his full name. She wasn’t sure why she did it, but mayhap it was because it sounded like she spoke with more authority when she called him by his Christian-born name. After all, Maggie had taken the place of Charles’s mother, and she almost felt as if he were more her son than her brother. Their age difference was seven years apart. “Where did you get that apple?”
“I didn’t steal it, if that’s what you mean.” Charles took a big bite, making a loud crunching noise. Juice ran down his chin as he slurped it up and proceeded to lick his fingers.
“We don’t have any food,” Maggie pointed out. “So if you didn’t swipe it, where did it come from? You don’t have any money.”
“Nay, but I didn’t need it. I just smiled at a cute apple vendor girl and she gave it to me for free.”
Emma started crying, probably from being overtired and famished.
“Share it with Emma, please,” Maggie instructed, not even paying attention to the joust. “Once the feast starts, there should be more than enough food to fill your bellies.”
“Fine,” said the boy, giving the little girl the apple. “When does the feast start? I’m starving. I want to be the first one in line.”
“I would imagine it will be right after the joust,” said Maggie. “I saw some of the servants starting to set up trestle tables in the courtyard.”
The crowd cheered loudly, gaining her attention. When she looked up at the jousting field, Sir Daegel was riding proudly with his lance held high in the air. However, it seemed to be broken. Sir Evan’s lance wasn’t broken or splintered at all. He, on the other hand, wasn’t urging the crowd on. Matter of fact, he didn’t ride as if he were happy, like Sir Daegel.
“Sir Daegel’s lance looks broken,” said Charles. “That’s not good, is it?”
“I don’t know. Probably not,” said Maggie, not really caring. “I would imagine it is better to keep their lances intact.”
The second pass came and Sir Evan’s lance broke. Evan raised the pole in the air and got the crowd to cheer for him now. But then the herald announced that Sir Evan would not receive points, since the lance had broken crosswise and not from striking with the point. Some of the crowd cheered while others booed. Maggie remained confused about the rules of this silly and violent game.
On the third pass, Sir Daegel’s lance splintered again. Sir Evan looked over at her, and even though his face was covered by his helm, Maggie got the impression from his body language that he wasn’t happy.
“Sir Daegel looks happy that his lance splintered,” said Charles, trying to understand the joust as well, and not being able to make much sense of it. “Mayhap it is a good thing after all.”
“That’s ridiculous. Why would breaking one’s weapon be good?” asked Maggie. “This whole joust is just too violent. I don’t want Emma watching it any longer. Let’s go back to the courtyard and wait for the feast to begin.” She stood up with Maggie in her arms. Charles, wanting food, was more than happy to follow.
Evan glanced over to see Maggie getting up to leave. Why did this bother him so much? Probably because he was losing the joust to his cousin. He wanted to look good in her eyes, but since she was leaving, it was obvious that she was already disappointed by his performance. Damn. All he needed on this last pass was to unseat Daegel, and he could still have a shot at winning. Determined to do so before she left the joust, he charged his horse down the field toward Daegel, leaning forward and giving it his all.
Once again, Evan felt the tip of Daegel’s lance smash against his shield and heard the sickening sound of splintering wood. With all his might, he leaned into his thrust, managing to hit Daegel, but not break his own lance. However, his lance slid upward. Before Evan knew what happened, he saw Daegel almost falling off his horse as his helm fell from his head and hit the dirt.
Evan turned and looked back to see the herald raising his hands in the air and announcing the result of the joust as being a tie. This was because Evan had luckily managed to unhelm his competition.
“Yes!” Evan ripped off his helm, and immediately his gaze shot over to the stands as he searched for Maggie. He might not have won the joust, but being a tie was the next best thing. Now he wouldn’t look like a loser in her eyes. He raised his hand in the air and acknowledged the crowd, making his way back to his squire.
“Good job, my lord,” said Giles, rushing forward to take his helm.
“Squire, where is that woman I pointed out to you earlier? I don’t see her anywhere.” He continued to search the crowd but could not find her.
“Oh, the woman with the little girl on her lap who was sitting in the front row?”
“Yes, that is she,” answered Evan.
“I believe she left, my lord.” Giles took the lance from Evan and helped him to unbuckle the shield.
“She left? Really?” he asked. “When? Do you know if she saw the end of the joust?”
“I’m not really sure, my lord. However, I don’t think so. She seemed uninterested in the joust. I saw her stand up before your final pass.”
“Uninterested?” Evan’s heart dropped. How could anyone be uninterested in the joust and actually leave before it was finished? Maggie Whitlock was only a commoner, but something about her was different from anyone he had ever met. She didn’t seem to care much about things like praising nobles, being in the presence of knights, and doing whatever it took to be noticed in the eyes of titled men and women. This intrigued him even more, and also made him more than determined to get her to notice him and admire him like everyone else. The wench was very pretty, even with the mud on her gown and all the dust from the road. Her eyes were bright-blue and piercing, reminding him of a bird. Her hair was so light that it almost seemed to glow like a halo around the head of an angel. However, this woman certainly didn’t act like an angel. She’d stood up to him, becoming as fierce as a lion when it came to protecting her daughter. Nay, Maggie Whitlock the widow was strong and the furthest thing from frail. The girl was also sassy, and somehow that seemed to him to be refreshing. He didn’t want her walking out of his life so soon when she’d just wandered into it. “Find her, Giles. I need to talk with her.”
“My lord?” His squire looked confused. “I need to tend to your horse and weapons and help you remove your armor so I can polish it.”
“I’ll manage for now,” he said, dismounting. “Find the girl and her brother and the daughter. When you do, bring them directly to me in the great hall.”
“Are you sure, my lord? I mean, I wasn’t told hunting down wenches was to be part of my training.”
“Are you questioning a knight?” he asked, not meaning to scare the boy, but training him to serve him without asking questions, since it was an important aspect of being a squire.
“Nay, my lord. I’m sorry. I’ll go anon.” Giles bowed and ran off to carry out his orders.
“Well, Cousin, you lucked out when my helm fell off,” said Daegel, riding up to join him. “But don’t think you’ll be so lucky in the sword fight tomorrow.”
“It wasn’t luck, it was skill,” scoffed Evan. “However, you’ll need all the luck you can get when we fight with our blades ,since we both know I’ve got the upper hand with that.” His eyes roamed over once again to where Maggie had been sitting. She really had left although he couldn’t imagine why.
“You’ll need luck too, Evan.”
“Huh?” He turned back and made a face. “Nay, I won’t. We both know I’m better with a blade than you are.”
“I wasn’t talking about sparring. I meant with the wench. I am talking about that widowed midwife who has seemed to besot you.”
“Besot me? I am not besotted,” he said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t bother lying to me, because I know differently. I saw the way you kept looking over at her during the joust. If you’d been paying more attention to me instead of her, you might have actually had a slight chance of winning. Slight.”
“It is time for everyone to join us for the celebration feast,” came Evan’s father’s voice, as he stood upon the dais, shouting so everyone could hear. “The knights and nobles and the occupants of Saltwood Castle will dine in the great hall. All others will eat in the courtyard. Enjoy.”
“Did you tell your father yet that you’ve hired a midwife and are allowing the wench and her family to actually live at the castle?” asked Daegel with a smirk.
“Nay, not yet. But don’t worry about it. I’ll tell him,” said Evan, unbuckling his arm-plate and looking over at his father, who was making a beeline straight for him with Daegel’s father, Lord Corbett, at his side.
“Hmmm. Now, might be a good time for that,” said Daegel with a chuckle. “Before we get to the great hall and he finds out for himself.” Daegel stopped to talk to his father while Evan’s father joined him.
“Good job, Son.” Lord Garrett hit Evan on the back.
“It was a tie, Father. I didn’t win.”
“I know that. I’m talking about taking your vows today, not the results of the joust. I believe you’ll be a good knight, Evan. Just the way you showed that poor widow a little courtesy tells me you understand what it is to be a knight, after all. Come, let’s get to the great hall for the feast.” Garrett looked around. “Where is your squire? Doesn’t he know he’s supposed to be tending to your horse and helping you out of your armor?”
“Giles is on an errand for me,” said Evan, bending down to unclip the armor plates from his legs. “I told him to meet me in the great hall.”
“What kind of errand can be more important than helping a new knight out of his armor?” asked Garrett, not happy at all. “I will have him replaced at once.”
“Nay, Father, don’t do that. It was what I wanted. Giles is just following orders.”
Garrett motioned to another squire who ran over to help. Once Evan was out of his armor and the squire had tended to his horse and equipment, they walked together to the great hall.
“So. Do you want to tell me what is going on?” asked Garrett, smiling and nodding to the other nobles as they walked past even though Evan knew his father was feeling bothered by Evan’s decision regarding his squire.
“I hired a midwife,” Evan blurted out before he lost his nerve.
“What are you talking about? We already have a midwife at the castle,” said Garrett.
“I thought since Martine will be birthing her baby here at Saltwood and since David is back home running the tavern, Martine should have a companion. You know, for extra care.” He spoke of his cousin Martine’s husband, who was a commoner and once an innkeeper. Now, David ran the tavern in the courtyard of Blake Castle that was built with him and his family in mind.
“You make no sense, Evan. Your sister Eleanor is Martine’s companion. That is why Martine is here. Besides, there are plenty of handmaids to tend to her needs. Your cousin doesn’t need extra care.”
“All right, I’ll be honest with you. Maggie—the widowed midwife whose daughter I knocked down—is in need of a job.”
“I see. Well, I’m sure she can find a job in town,” said his father as they walked. “Midwives are always in demand.”
“She is homeless, Father. With a young daughter as well as an adolescent brother to support.”
Garrett stopped in his tracks and crossed his arms over his chest. “Evan, it isn’t your choice or your responsibility to make such decisions. It is mine. And I say Martine will be fine. We don’t need another midwife.”
“Couldn’t Maggie just stay here for a while?” asked Evan, not willing to give up so easily. “I mean, I feel I owe it to her after knocking her daughter into the mud.”
“You are a noble and she is a commoner, if I must remind you. Evan, you don’t owe her a damned thing.”
“Well, I did take the vow today to help widows and orphans, right?”
“Yes. And I appreciate that, truly I do. But there are too many orphans and widows to be favoring just a few.”
“This is different. This one is skilled,” Evan pointed out to his father. “She’s a midwife. Surely midwives are much sought-after. You just said yourself that they are in great demand.”
“The good ones, yes,” agreed his father.
“Then she can stay?”
“Evan, what do you even know about this girl?”
Evan looked down and brushed dirt from his sleeve as they continued to walk. “Well, nothing really.”
“If her help was truly needed by Martine, then mayhap I’d agree to your crazy idea. However, I don’t see the need for it.”
“Well, I do.” Evan would not give up.
His father sighed. “Let her stay for the feast, and she and her family can sleep in the great hall tonight. Come morning, she’ll have to go.”
“Yes, Father,” said Evan, disheartened. He didn’t see how he could fix this dire situation.
Once Evan got to the great hall, he spotted Giles talking and laughing with Maggie. A tinge of jealousy swept through him. Somehow he wished it was he who was talking with the girl and making her smile. Maggie’s brother Charles was flirting with every kitchen maid who walked past with a tray of food. His eyes were on the food and not the wenches. Little Emma was running around the great hall with two other children, seeming to have a great time as they chased one of the castle’s hounds.
“Oh, there you are, Sir Evan.” Giles took Maggie’s hand and headed toward him. “I brought the midwife here as you instructed.” Their hand-holding seemed to linger and Evan didn’t miss it.
“Thank you, Giles. Now get out of here. Go help the other squire tend to my armor and horse.”
“Other squire?” Giles released Maggie’s hand and his smile faded. “What other squire?”
“Don’t worry, your position is not in peril. Or at least not yet, it’s not,” Evan told him. “However, if you stall any longer I might be finding myself with a new squire.”
Giles’s face reddened as he became flustered. “Nay, my lord. I mean, yes, my lord, I’ll go at once,” said Giles, running off to do his work and keep his job.
“Thank you, Sir Evan, for giving me a job and also a home for my family.” Maggie seemed tired, but her words were sincere as she smiled widely at him. Her teeth were straight and white and beautiful. Her smile was like no other. “I want you to know that my brother Charles already likes it here. So does Emma. My daughter has always wanted friends, and already she seems to have made some.” Her gaze roamed over to the little girl across the room.
“Yes,” said Evan clearing his throat, the sight of the happy little bedraggled girl about melting his heart. “About that …”
Maggie turned to look at her daughter. “Emma, no, don’t pull the dog’s tail!” Maggie called out. “Excuse me, Sir Evan, but I need to stop my daughter before she gets bit.” She hurried away, leaving Evan standing there by himself.
“Well, Brother, you and Daegel are finally knights. So tell me, how does it feel?” His sister, Eleanor, walked up to greet him, with their very pregnant cousin, Martine, at her side. Eleanor was a vision of beauty, her flaming red hair catching the eye of every man she’d ever passed by. Martine had dark hair and dainty features. Except for her overly large midsection right now. Still, she was a true beauty.
“It feels fine,” said Evan, noticing that Martine was rubbing her belly and there was a grimace on her face. “Are you ill, Martine?”
“She’s pregnant, not sick,” snapped Eleanor, with a roll of her eyes. “If you ever get a wife of your own mayhap you’ll start to understand the ways of women.”
“I doubt it,” he mumbled under his breath, never understanding why women always became so irritating at certain times of the month. His sister seemed to be the worst.
“Actually, Eleanor, I didn’t want to say anything, but I have been feeling ill lately,” answered Martine, continuing to rub her belly.
“Do you think the baby is coming?” asked Evan.
“Nay, silly,” said Eleanor. “Martine is not due for another month yet. It is much too early. I often felt ill when I was pregnant, too. I am sure it is only natural.”
“Mayhap she should be looked at,” said Evan. “I can call a midwife.”
“I met with the midwife this morning,” said Martine. “She said it was just discomfort from carrying the baby’s weight, but I’m not sure. Oh, I wish David were here right now.”
“Your husband will be here closer to the time of your birthing,” Eleanor reminded her. “He is busy at the tavern. He’ll be here soon, don’t worry.”
“To me, it feels like it’ll be years,” Martine answered, sounding extremely sad.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough to keep my daughter from pulling the hound’s tail,” said Maggie, holding Emma in her arms as she approached. She couldn’t see well past the child and obviously didn’t realize Evan was talking to other nobles. The proper thing to do would be to wait off to the side until she was acknowledged by a noble before she even thought to speak.
Evan cleared his throat, causing her to peer around her daughter. “Oh, excuse me, I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation.” She put her daughter down and curtsied.
“Maggie, this is my sister, Lady Eleanor and my cousin, Lady Martine,” Evan introduced them. “Girls, this is Maggie Whitlock and her daughter, Emma, whom I almost ran over earlier.”
“Hello,” said Eleanor with a nod. “Are you here with the villagers for the celebration today?”
“Well, yes and no,” she answered, sounding cautious. “I mean, this is my new home now, thanks to Sir Evan.”
“What?” both the girls said together, staring at Evan.
“Maggie is a midwife,” explained Evan.
“Yes, that’s right,” said Maggie, continuing to speak, not waiting to be spoken to. “Sir Evan hired me to take care of his pregnant cousin,” said Maggie, her gaze dropping to Martine’s waist as the woman continued to rub her belly. “Oh, I’m sorry, I believe that is you, Lady Martine. Am I right?”
“Yes, that’s right,” answered Martine.
Maggie walked closer. “You are carrying so low. You’ll be giving birth very soon, no doubt.”
“Soon?” Martine looked horrified.
“Nay, you’re wrong. She isn’t due for another month yet,” interjected Eleanor.
“Another month?” Maggie’s eyes remained on the pregnant woman’s belly and her brow furrowed. “Who told you that?” Maggie’s eyes flashed up to Martine’s face and then down to her midsection again.
“It’s what the midwife told me,” Martine answered. “However, I have been feeling odd lately. The midwife said it is natural but I am afraid that something might be wrong,” Martine’s voice held great concern.
“Odd? How so?” Maggie wasn’t afraid to ask questions.
“I feel … heavier … down there,” she said in a whisper, seeming embarrassed to be speaking about this in front of Evan.
“Has the baby been moving a lot?” Maggie stepped right in, ignoring everyone but Martine.
“Oh, yes. Too much, actually,” Martine told her. “The babe never seems to sleep.”
“I see.” Maggie put her hand to her chin. “Have you been feverish at all?”
“Feverish? I—I don’t know,” said Martine. “I don’t think so.”
“May I touch your forehead to check for fever?” Maggie asked permission. “I need to rule out internal infection.”
“That is not a proper thing to do,” scolded Eleanor.
“Nay, it’s fine,” said Martine in a shaky voice. “Yes, please do, Maggie. Check me for fever. I need to know that my baby’s life isn’t in peril.” Martine held her chin up and brought her head closer to Maggie.
Maggie gently laid her hand on Martine’s forehead and smiled as she quickly removed it. “I am happy to say there is no fever.” Her gaze shot over to Evan. “Sir Evan, I would like to examine Lady Martine closer, because I believe her baby is coming much sooner than she believes. I have an idea why this might be so, but don’t want to say anything until I am sure.”
“Who are you to say our castle midwife is wrong?” Eleanor became haughty, and Evan didn’t like that.
“She is just trying to help,” he told his sister. “Perhaps a second opinion is worth considering.”
“What are your credentials?” asked Eleanor, becoming suspicious. “We don’t know anything about you except for your name. With whom did you train and where did you work? Why don’t you have a job now? Who is your mother?” Eleanor fired one question after another at Maggie without even giving her a chance to respond.
“Eleanor, stop it,” warned Evan. “You are treating her like some sort of criminal, and I don’t appreciate it.”
“Nay, she has a right to know. You all do,” said Maggie, suddenly seeming sad or mayhap nervous. “I trained with my mother, Margaret Whitlock, before her death. She was a respected midwife who was known for never losing a baby or a baby’s mother. It was in … in Ashenden.” Maggie quickly looked up at the nobles as if she were expecting some sort of reaction.
She played with a crystal pendant hanging from a cord around her neck as she spoke. Evan realized that the girl was acting odd all of a sudden, and had seemed to lose her confidence.
“I’ve never heard of your mother,” stated Eleanor. “Have either of you?” she asked the other nobles.
“Nay,” said Evan with a shrug. “Then again, I don’t really know any midwives, since it never takes my concern.”
“I haven’t heard of her either, I’m sorry,” answered Martine.
Maggie’s jaw dropped open. She had been sure these nobles would have heard of her mother and what happened four years ago in Ashenden. After all, didn’t nobles all know each other and talk things over? She had thought so. Maggie highly expected them to know that her mother was executed for losing a noblewoman and her baby because she’d neglected them to help Maggie’s baby be born.
They hadn’t. None of the three had any idea, and it was a stroke of good luck for her. She wanted to be honest with them and so she’d told them the truth. Or part of it, anyway. Right now she didn’t think she wanted to point out the doomed fate of her midwife mother and how she’d died.
“Well, I suppose we’ll have to ask around and find out more about you, won’t we?” asked Eleanor, making Maggie’s heart drop once again.
Maggie’s fingers clutched the crystal even harder. “Of course,” said Maggie with a curtsy.
“Ooooh. I really don’t feel well. I am having spasms.” Martine held on to Eleanor and put her other hand on her belly.
“You need to lie down and rest,” said Maggie. “I have an herbal ointment that will help ease the spasms. However, you need to get off your feet. It is crucial. Right now, until I can determine the cause of your discomfort, it is important that you stay in bed.”
“Do you really think so?” asked Martine.
“Yes. Yes, I do,” said Maggie. “And it is crucial that I examine you. It is for your own safety and for that of your baby.”
“We will call for the castle midwife,” Eleanor told Martine.
“Nay, you can’t. She’s gone and won’t be back for a few days,” explained Martine. “She had a family member giving birth in a neighboring village and I told her to go. After all, family is important.”
Maggie liked to hear this coming from a noble. Most nobles thought their lives were the only ones important, and that commoners’ lives and families didn’t matter.
“Sir Evan, if you’d be kind enough to tell me where I’ll be staying, I’ll put my bags in my room and quickly get cleaned up. Then I will examine Lady Martine.”
“Oh, I’d appreciate that,” said Martine, her breathing labored. “I only want the best for my baby. We need to be sure. I cannot wait for the castle midwife to return.”
“I … don’t know,” said Evan.
“What don’t you know?” asked Evan’s mother, Echo, walking over with a smile on her face as she joined them. She leaned over and kissed Evan on the cheek. “Congratulations, Son, on being knighted.”
“Thank you, Mother,” said Evan, returning the kiss and giving his mother a quick hug. Maggie liked the way he treated his mother. That said a lot about a man. “Mother, this is Maggie. She’s a midwife,” said Evan with a nod. “She’s offered to help Martine who isn’t feeling well.”
“Hello, Maggie. Welcome,” said Echo. “Martine? What’s the matter?” Echo asked in surprise.
“I’m not sure, Lady Echo,” answered Martine. “The castle midwife says I am not due for another month yet, but Maggie said my baby is coming much sooner.”
“Do you really think so?” Echo asked Maggie.
“Yes, I do,” said Maggie. “I have been attending births since I was six, and have finished my training as a midwife at sixteen.”
“That’s amazing,” said Echo. “Then mayhap you should take a look at Lady Martine.”
“Yes, I’d like to examine Lady Martine to insure her baby is fine,” agreed Maggie.
“Evan has already hired the midwife and offered her a room in the castle, yet he knows nothing about her,” Eleanor relayed the information to her mother.
“Martine, do you want Maggie’s help?” asked Echo.
“I do,” answered Martine. “I would feel better knowing someone as skilled as she is by my side.”
“Then we will make it so.” Echo raised her hand and summoned the castle steward. “Stefan, please take Maggie and her things to one of the empty servant’s rooms off the kitchen.”
“Aye, my lady,” said Stefan with a bow.
“Thank you, my lady,” said Maggie in relief, taking the hand of her daughter. “I’ll just call to my brother to bring the rest of our things.”
“Oh, you have family here,” said Echo. “I didn’t realize that.”
“I hope it isn’t a problem.” Maggie hoped the woman wouldn’t change her mind, knowing there would be three of them to house and feed instead of just one.
“Nay, of course not, my dear.” Lady Echo was a true joy to be around. “We welcome you and your family to Saltwood Castle and hope you will enjoy your time here.”
Maggie found herself still clutching her crystal, believing that this truly was a lucky charm after all. She went from being homeless, hungry, and jobless one minute, to having the best offer ever the next. Now, she just hoped no one would ever discover who her mother had truly been or it might ruin Maggie’s reputation. If so, all her luck could change quickly, and this time not for the better.