Chapter 11
She wasn’t nervous until she saw Malmuira.
Baile sat next to her on the little bench in the garden.
She wondered how Baile would react if Malmuira wasn’t enthusiastic about their match, or if she disapproved outright.
Mazey respected and cared for Malmuira, and until this moment, didn’t realize how much she valued her approval.
Malmuira’s hand rested in her husband’s as they approached leisurely.
Garia took Siusan to the kitchens to help with supper, and Gilla watched her boy sleep in his cradle.
It was the perfect opportunity to talk to Malmuira.
Mazey hugged her dear friend. “Malmuira, it’s so good to see ye.”
Malmuira pulled back with a smile, but Mazey could see a hint of confusion on her face. “It’s good to see ye too. What are ye doing out here with Faither?”
Baile stood as well clapping his hand against Oidche’s shoulder in a welcoming gesture. “Oidche, ah hope ye’re taking good care of my daughter.”
Mazey shifted her feet uncomfortably and played with the hem of her sleeve while she looked at the ground. She tried her best to come up with a way to say anything. Hello, good friend. I love your father. That wouldn’t work.
Baile saved her the trouble. “Malmuira, Mazey and ah have some good news we would like to share with ye.”
Malmuira looked back and forth between the two, a light slowly dawned in her eyes.
Baile cleared his throat and spoke in a confident voice. “Over the past year now, ah have grown close to Mazey. We fell in love, truth be told. Ah plan to marry her and ah ask ye attend the wedding as our guest of honor. It would mean the world.”
Malmuira’s eyes grew large as saucers and her mouth hung open, as did Oidche’s.
She quickly recovered and threw her arms around Mazey and Baile’s neck.
“Oh Faither, ah’m so happy for ye. Ah’ve been hoping ye would find the right woman and Mazey is just the sweetest. Ah’m so happy.
” She pulled back away from them with tears in her eyes.
She wiped at them with the corner of her sleeve and held out her hand to Mazey.
“Ah know ye’ll be a wonderful maither to Siusan.
And ah can’t wait to meet yer son. He will be my brother then?
” She laughed at the thought and everyone else joined in the lightheartedness she exuded.
“Aye, ah guess that would be it.” Baile’s smile was sweet and genuine.
“Ah didn’t get to hear his name? What is it?” Oidche asked curiously.
Mazey looked at Baile and smiled sweetly. “His name is Desmond. After yer great grandfaither.”
Baile beamed with pride and kissed Mazey sweetly on the cheek. This elicited a fresh wave of tears from Malmuira who hugged Mazey again.
“Actually, we would share some news with ye,” Oidche said after the women calmed down.
Malmuira nodded, putting her hand to her belly. She looked at both her father and Mazey. “Ah’m with child.” She sounded so excited and happy that Mazey was almost overwhelmed by the wave of joy that washed over her.
“My sweet daughter,” Baile choked out. He wrapped Malmuira in a hug and then grabbed Oidche to hug him.
Mazey and Malmuira wandered off together to chat.
“So when did ye and my faither court?” Malmuira asked curiously.
Mazey didn’t know how to answer. “Ah guess we never officially courted. He asked me to marry him right after Desmond was born.” A realization hit Mazey.
She promised Siusan she would tell her as soon as she figured out her son’s name.
“Mal, we have to go see Siusan. Ah have something important to tell her.”
Mazey grabbed her hand, and they dashed towards the kitchens in search of the little girl. They found her at a low counter, covered from head to toe in flour. She pounded a small piece of dough with a rolling pin. She looked up just in time to see Malmuira and her eyes went wide.
“Mal!” she shouted with excitement. She dropped the dough she was working on and sprinted to see her sister. Her chubby hands, flour and all, wrapped around Malmuira and she kissed her cheek.
“Siusan, ah missed ye. Ah’ve got some good news to share with ye too, but first, Mazey needed to tell ye something.”
Mazey put her arms out and Siusan jumped over into them. “Ah wanted ye to know ah thought of a name for my son.” She paused for dramatic effect and waited until Siusan could hardly contain herself. “His name is Desmond.”
Siusan squealed. “Ah love it!”
Malmuira patted the wee’un’s head and then told her the wonderful news she had to share. “And just to get ye even more excited, ah’ll tell ye my news. Ah’m gonna have a bairn of my own.”
Siusan pushed herself down out of Mazey’s arms and jumped around the kitchen, bursting with excitement.
She got so excited, she accidentally knocked a pot over.
The contents of it spilled out onto the floor.
She ducked out of sight, knowing how much trouble she was in.
Garia came over and scolded all three for knocking the food off the table and shooed them out of the kitchen without hearing their excuses.
Siusan led the way. “Let’s go see Desmond. Did ye tell him his name yet?”
Mazey giggled. “Nay, maybe ye should be the one to tell him.”
Siusan stopped short and stared at Mazey with jaw slack and eyes wide. “Ye’d let me tell him?” she whispered.
Mazey nodded and Siusan whooped in excitement.
They ran to keep up with her, but by the time they got back to her room, all three were giggling and trying to be the first person to touch the door.
It was Siusan. Once inside, Mazey took her sweet son from Gilla and handed him to Malmuira.
He was wide awake and cooed at her. She held him close, bouncing him gently.
It warmed Mazey’s heart to see her friend holding her baby.
Siusan pulled on Malmuira’s dress. “Ah wanna see him.”
Bending down, Malmuira held the baby for her to see. Siusan whispered ever so sweetly in the baby’s ear, “Yer name is Desmond. It’s a good name. A strong name. Ah think ye’ll grow up good like yer mama wants.”
Prior to dawn the next day, Mazey heard a knock on the door. She was in the middle of feeding Desmond, so couldn’t answer. Siusan opened the door.
“Mal!” Siusan yelled. She tried to tackle Malmuira and almost knocked her over.
Desmond startled. He went stiff and threw his hands up. Milk sprayed his face and then he cried.
“Hush little one. Siusan is just excited. It’s okay.” He was fine once he nursed again.
“Siusan, ye’re gonna knock me over one of these days.” The dress Malmuira wore was flattering. A beautiful emerald green made up most of the dress and accents of gold embroidery wound flowers around neck and cuffs.
Siusan laughed and ran circles around the room.
Today would be one of those days. Siusan didn’t stop until she practically passed out at day's end.
Her sister and the impending wedding were too much for the girl to process.
Garia might help, but with how wound up she was, Mazey doubted that would stop her.
“Mazey, ah will help ye get ready for the wedding. Faither sent something for ye.”
Something draped over her arm. She held it up for Mazey to see.
It was a brand new, beautiful dress. The clan plaid trimmed the dress.
Small dainty lace and a beautiful sash adorned the top of the dress.
Mazey tried to catch her breath, but a tear fell out of her eye.
She was marrying Baile today. She wondered if she deserved such a man, but he chose her and that was what really mattered.
She would love him until the day she died.
Desmond finished eating and pulled off her breast, his little mouth formed a perfect ‘O’ shape.
His eyes fluttered open and closed. With a sigh, he fell asleep, content in his mother’s arms. She handed him off to Malmuira.
She grabbed the blanket she recently finished and put it around her son.
It was a small quilt she stitched with little flowers and leaves.
Each stitch helped her work through emotions, the things that weighted her.
She hoped, for her son’s sake, the stitches held none of the anxiety she worked through while making the blanket.
“Here’s the blanket, ye put that just under his mouth and put him over yer shoulder.
Aye, like that and then just pat his back here.
” She took the dress from Malmuira and stripped down so she could try it on.
“Ye’re a natural,” she beamed at Malmuira.
Her sweet baby boy rubbed his nose into her shoulder, sleepy and satisfied.
“Thank ye, ah love holding…” Desmond burped loudly and out came half of what he ate, all down the front of Malmuira’s dress. It missed the blanket Mazey gave her.
Siusan almost fell on the ground in giggles.
Mazey had a hard time not giggling herself.
This happened all the time. She seemed to always smell of sour milk thanks to her son.
Desmond saw that both Baile and Siusan were on the receiving end of his spit up.
Malmuira joined in on Siusan’s laughter.
Oblivious to everything, Desmond snoozed on Malmuira’s shoulder.
Mazey hurried to clean up the mess before she took Desmond to his cradle.
Gilla entered her room. “Ye’ll be needing a bath,” she announced quietly, so as not to wake the bairn.
Mazey nodded. It would be best to smell good on her wedding night and she hadn’t taken a bath for a while. “Siusan, ye’ll bath after me.”
Siusan crossed her arms over her chest and stomped her little foot. “Ah don’t wanna.”
Mazey just gave her a look that said she better do it, or else. Siusan’s expression softened and her shoulders hunched forward in defeat. She went to find her needlepoint, crawling around the floor in search of the ever lost article.
By the time Malmuira returned, both Mazey and Siusan bathed and dressed for the wedding.