Page 37 of Bride Takes a Charmer
Sorsha despaired at what to do about it. Gillian had witnessed her father being killed and Sorsha hadn’t been allowed to console her. Then the child had been taken from her and probably left on her own without a tender hand to guide her. Was there a way to bring her daughter back from that traumatic chaos?
Luthor stuck his hand into his bowl of pottage and quickly swiped a handful of it across Gillian’s face. He laughed andwiped his hand over his tunic. Sorsha picked up a cloth and tried to clean up the mess, mostly on Gillian’s face. Her daughter made no sound or showed any shock.
“Luthor, why…? Why would you do such a thing?”
The lad shrugged his shoulders, picked up a spoon, and dipped it into the bowl, intent on eating whatever remained of his pottage. Sorsha wasn’t sure if she should punish him or even what the punishment would be. The last thing she wanted to do was to frighten the lad.
What was obvious was that Gillian paid no attention to the lad. Perhaps he was trying to incite her to speak. If that was so, it was a kindhearted thing to do though his actions weren’t very kind at all.
The kitchen door opened and Niahm entered. “Good morn, Milady.”
“Please, Niahm, we said we would not be so formal. You are my dear friend now and shall call me Sorsha.” She paused, “Right now, I need your favor.”
Niahm pressed her long red strands of hair behind her shoulder and smiled. “Of course, I shall be gladdened to help ye.”
“Will you watch the children whilst I go and retrieve Shaw’s mamo from the graves? Clovis told me that he was unable to get Shaw to do it before he left and he is stuck at the gate on duty.”
Niahm nodded but as she peered at the children, her expression crumpled. Before Sorsha knew what was happening, her friend broke down into a mass of tears. Sorsha wasn’t sure what she’d said to upset her but the lass was troubled. She hurried to her friend’s side and guided her onto a vacant stool.
“Sit and be calm.” Sorsha looked about for a clean cloth and found one draped over the side of a bucket of what appeared to be fresh water. She dampened the cloth, then pressed it to her friend’s face to wipe away her tears and over the back of herneck. “That should make you feel better. Tell me! What’s wrong? Are you ailing? Why are you weeping?”
“The children…” Niahm pressed her hands over her face and continued weeping.
Sorsha set her arm around her to offer comfort. “What about the children?” She glanced at them but Gillian and Luthor paid no attention to them while they ate their pottage.
“I… How can this be happening? I thought I’d done what was needed, but now…Oh, I cannot be a mother! What am I to do?”
A dawning struck her. “Oho…you are going tobea mother.”
“That is what the midwife tells me.”
She hugged Niahm and pressed her hand over her pretty hair. “I am sorry, Niahm. Have you spoken to Walen?” She knew that he was the child’s father.
“No. There is no reason to. He will not marry me.”
“How can you be sure if you don’t speak to him?”
Her friend sniffled. “I don’t know.”
Sorsha frowned. “I know you love him and he loves you, doesn’t he?”
Niahm shrugged. “He says he does.”
“Well then, ’tis easy enough. We shall make sure he marries you…” Sorsha gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “I am pleased by this and we shall talk more about it. Right now, I must go and get Mamo from the graves. Can you watch the children until I return?” When Niahm nodded, Sorsha turned to the children. “Be behaved and do not give Mistress Niahm any trouble. Finish your morning fare. I shall return quickly.”
Sorsha hurried out of the kitchen and practically trotted to the gate; her dash shortened her breath and made her heart pound. She waved to Clovis as she passed. By the time she reached the graves, she was gasping and had to bend over with her hands on her knees from the exertion of running so far. As she did, she noticed that there was a guard trailing her andreasoned that Clovis must have sent him for her protection since she had left the gates.
As she straightened, she scanned the cemetery for the elder woman and spotted her lying on the ground, her long hair spread like a splash of silver against the new green grass covering the graves. With slower steps, Sorsha approached Mamo and knelt next to her. For a moment, she thought she might not be breathing. She touched her lightly on the shoulder and Mamo’s eyes fluttered open and Sorsha gasped. Shaw’s grandmother appeared briefly confused before she stretched a little and yawned.
“Good morn, Mamo. Here, let us get you warm. ’Tis a chilly morn.” Sorsha placed her fur-lined cloak around the old woman’s shoulders, noting her frailty. Shaw was right to be concerned; it wasn’t good for her to be lying on the cold ground in the night air. “We should get you back to the fief.” She helped the lady to rise by gently taking her hands and pulling her upright.
The guardsman stood a good distance from them and couldn’t overhear what they said. Sorsha was gladdened because she hoped Mamo would confide in her.
“I…I am sorry to trouble ye, lass. Somehow… Well, I sometimes end my nights here.” Mamo appeared embarrassed.
“You did not trouble me at all. Why do you come here? This is such a sad place.” Sorsha stuck out her arm. “Hold on to me whilst we walk back.”
“This place is dear to my heart. ’Tis where all those I love are resting. They await me.”