Chapter Thirty-One
A s Finn helped Lily into the gig, he continued muttering.
“You promised. You said, ‘If you allow me to go along, I promise not to go into labor.’ But here you are going into labor.”
If her first pain had not hit her then she might have laughed at his grumbling. When the pain subsided, she patted his leg.
“And as you so rightly said, I have no real control over the situation, so you were aware my promise was empty.”
“I see that now.”
He set the horses to motion and then gave the reins another slap when she groaned with the second pain not long after the first.
“Lily? I’m sorry for complaining about breaking your promise, but if you could just hold on until we get back to the castle, I would very much appreciate it.”
“I’m not going to promise anything else.”
The horses were hurried along again.
Lily wanted to point out that he was about to shake the babe out of her if he didn’t slow the horses from bouncing along, but she knew there was nothing that would keep him from making haste to the castle.
“Hold on. We’re almost there. Just over this rise and we’ll see the castle and then perhaps two minutes longer. You can wait two minutes, can’t you?”
“I’m sure I can. I can’t say for the babe.”
“Just do your best.”
“Yes. I’m doing my best.”
“That’s my lass.”
Lily didn’t see the castle because her eyes were clenched shut as she tried to breathe through the pain. The child certainly didn’t seem to be very impatient now that he or she was set on coming.
A groom must have seen them and come out to meet up with them.
“Is something amiss?” she heard the man ask as he rode beside them.
“Go for the doctor at once. The duchess is in labor.”
“Right away.”
It seemed to be only two minutes later she heard the sound of wheels on gravel. Finn had been right about how long it would take to get to the castle. But if that had been two minutes she should not be having another pain again so soon.
The horses stopped and Finn hopped down to come around to her side, all the while yelling.
“The bairn is coming. I’ve sent a rider to the village to get the doctor. Help me get her inside.”
“I can walk,” she said before another pain grasped hold and she bent over.
Lily was swept up into Finn’s arms as Oliver opened the doors and ran ahead up the stairs to her chamber.
As they passed the foyer, Mrs. MacDougal was shouting orders to the maids to bring water to the duchess’s chamber. It seemed like everyone in the castle had been called upon to assist. But Lily knew the bulk of the work would fall on her.
Finn settled her into the bed she’d never slept in. It had already been stripped to the sheets. Mrs. MacDougal came into the room and took charge, removing Lily’s half boots and letting down her hair to pull it aside into a sturdy braid.
Annabelle arrived and helped to get her out of her gown.
Finn’s face had paled as he clenched her hand in his. He no longer looked like the formidable Duke of Granton, but in his frantic amber eyes she saw the young boy who had, one by one, lost everyone he’d loved.
She wanted to reassure him, but another pain, stronger than the others so far, gripped hold of her and she could only manage a loud scream.
*
“Time for ye to leave, Your Grace. We’ll take care of the duchess from here.”
“I just need a moment with her. Alone.”
Mrs. MacDougal frowned but waved everyone out.
Finn sat on the edge of the bed and took Lily’s hand. She looked up at him, her smile shaky.
He wondered if his own father had felt this same level of panic and fear when Finn’s mother was delivering. Birthing bairns was a dangerous business.
“I know we’ve been having some bit of trouble when it comes to promises today, but I’ll ask you for one more,” he whispered.
“What is it?”
“Don’t leave me, Lily. I know these things can go wrong and you’ll tell me you’ve no control over such things. And, of course, I know that. But please promise you will be here after.”
“I will do my best.”
“That’s my lass.” He kissed her and then bent to kiss the lump of her belly. “Please be kind to your mother, lad. I am excited to meet ye, but let’s not rush things, hmm?”
“It could be a lass,” she reminded him.
“We shall find out soon enough.”
He kissed her and gave her hand a squeeze before turning over the room and her care to the battalion of people who came surging in at Lily’s next scream. Thankfully the doctor had been one of them.
Finn looked about the corridor to find he was all alone to wait this out.
If there was something closer to the misery of hell here on earth, Finn didn’t know of it and never wanted to learn of it. For standing outside the room where his wife lay screaming in pain was pure torture.
His mind flitted briefly to Lily’s father who had done this very thing on five occasions. But then thought a man as callous as the Marquess of Devon had probably made use of the time with his mistress instead of worrying over his wife.
It probably wasn’t polite to think such uncharitable things of his child’s grandfather, but Finn doubted there was any hope for the man.
Finn wished his own father was here to wait with him. How excited the former duke would have been in anticipation of his grandchild.
Oliver came closer carrying a tray that held a bottle and a glass.
“I thought ye may want to drink to the duchess’ good health.”
“I hope you brought a glass for yourself as well,” Finn said.
The butler winked and pulled a second glass from behind his back.
“I would never let the duchess down,” the man said.
After filling both glasses higher than was proper, he held up his glass.
“To the bonny duchess, may her pain be quick and may she bear the fruit of the Granton duchy with ease.” The man didn’t even wait for Finn to raise his glass before throwing the whisky back.
Finn smiled and raised his own glass. “May my wife win this battle, and she and babe be hale and hearty when it is done.” He drank his own whisky.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace, but I can’t think of anything worse than this,” Oliver said when Lily screamed again. “Surely it would be better to wait on the other side of the castle where you wouldn’t be able to hear this.”
Finn shook his head.
“My place is here as close to her as I can be. If she can bear to face this pain, I will bear hearing it.”
“You care for the lass.”
Finn didn’t bother to answer. He hoped his actions proved how very much he cared for his wife.
“We all hoped she would stay here. We saw how lonely you’d been after Junie died. When we got word you were returning to Scotland last spring, I believe all of us considered the idea of finding work elsewhere so not to see you and feel your pain. When you arrived with Lady Lily, we were relieved that you’d found someone so you would no longer be alone.”
Finn nodded and stared into the depths of his empty glass. Was that what he’d done? Found someone to fill the void in his life? Had he used Lily’s situation to keep her with him?
He rested on knowing he’d made her a fine offer and given her a happy life when she otherwise would have faced scandal. But he couldn’t avoid the truth. He’d needed her. Maybe even more than she’d needed him.
Oliver returned to his post an hour later, leaving Finn in the hall alone.
Hours later Finn noticed Lily’s screams had grown weary. She must be exhausted. He’d noticed the sun had long gone despite having not shown much of itself for the greater part of the day.
Finn looked up at the ceiling thinking his family might be up there looking down at him.
“Any help would be appreciated. Please, help her,” he begged.
As if in answer, a loud scream came from the other side of the door at his back. Louder than any before it. Finn worried this was her last effort. He was about to pound on the door and demand to be let in so he might say something to give her the strength to keep fighting. But what were words when she’d been at battle for most of the day.
But then he heard it. A quiet snuffling followed by a louder wail.
Hearing the babe crying brought tears to his eyes. The child had a healthy set of lungs as they continued to shriek their indignation to the world.
Finn reached for the handle and froze. It wasn’t that he felt he should wait until he was allowed in. It was his castle and he could do what he wanted. What had stopped him was fear.
He could hear the babe and knew the child was fine. But what of his wife? Had Lily survived the ordeal? Memories of his mother, pale and lifeless in her bed came to him and he took a step back from the door.
He considered taking another and another until he was away, but the door opened and Mrs. MacDougal came out holding a bundle of sheets in her arms. It wasn’t until she held out the bundle that Finn realized it wasn’t sheets. It was his child.
“You’ve a son, Your Grace. May I introduce to you, the Earl of Haliday.”
“Lily?”
“She did well, she did. They are seeing to her now and you’ll be able to go in. Just give them a few minutes to finish things up.”
Finn reached out and took the babe who looked up at him with dark blue-gray eyes. Lily’s eyes. His tiny head was covered with blond hair that seemed too long for such a small bairn. Finn took in all the other features, seeing his wife in each one.
It wouldn’t have mattered. Finn did not know what the other man looked like, and didn’t care.
“Hello there, lad. I’m your papa. I’ll see that you have a happy life.”
“Your Grace, you may come in now.”
Finn stepped into the room on wooden legs and took the seat in the same place on the edge of the bed where he’d extracted Lily’s promise.
“How are you?” he asked her.
“I’m well enough. I kept my promise.”
“Well, it’s about time.” He winked at her so she would know he spoke in jest.
She reached for the child and he placed their son in her arms.
Looking about the room, he noticed everyone had left them alone. He took advantage by leaning down and kissing her.
“Thank you for giving us a new Earl of Haliday,” he said. “It was a fine title when I held it. I’m happy to give it to him and hope he’ll keep it for a very long time.”
“I hope so as well.”
“He’ll need another name,” Finn said. “My father’s name was William. What do you think of it for him? We could call him Willie until he grows old enough to hate it.”
Lily smiled and then a crinkle formed on her brow. He almost knew what she was going to say before she said it.
“Are you disappointed it is a boy? Your heir? Your father’s name?”
He shook his head and traced a finger over the infant’s tiny bump of a nose.
“Nay, I could not be happier, Lily. We have a son.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she nodded.
“Yes. We do.”