Page 136 of Promises to Keep

She laughed merrily. “Ye are always full of jests, Magnus, indeed, ye are tae ‘catch’ the bairn.”

He said, “I did! I did catch the bairn. I was at the birth.”

Lizbeth laughed again and wiped her eyes. “We hae clean sheets and water in the room, whenever ye are ready, Kaitlyn.”

“No, I need… I am…. I am waiting for….” I rolled my hand to show that I was waiting to go to my room.

Lizbeth said, “Och, I can see ye are verra competent, but ye ought tae get tae yer room longbeforeye give birth on the Earl’s rugs here in his gallery.”

Magnus said, “Ye ready tae go up, Kaitlyn?”

“No, one more time… around.” We started walking.

In the courtyard my water broke. “Shit, that was…” I meant to say, lucky, but lost my train…what?

Magnus’s face swam into my focus. “Kaitlyn? I’m takin’ ye upstairs.”

Magnus had an arm around my back and was carrying me up, my feet barely touching the ground as I floated. He got me halfway up the stairs until I grabbed the stair rail and… “Stop, hold on… oooooh…”

I pressed my forehead to the wall, holding the rail. Magnus held his arms around me protectively to keep me from falling. I had a doozy of a contraction there. “Baby… here…”

He said, “I daena think so, Kaitlyn, the last bairn was born in the closet, ye daena want tae hae this one in the stairwell, tis too common.”

I said, “Besides… stairwell where we… have sex.”

I thought it was funny, he chuckled, said, “Yes, we do and the hallways, we need to get you to the—”

He lifted me cradled in his arms. I was under a wave of a contraction, my head lolling. “Just want down.”

“I ken, just let me get ye there—”

“Down…”

“Almost in the room.”

He hustled me down the hallway to the door and pushed it open. Emma and Lizbeth were there, waiting. I said, “Hey, bed…we have sex… there, too.”

Emma laughed. “What are you talking about?”

“I can’t remember.” I dropped onto the bed as a massive contraction hit.

Lizbeth put her hands on her hips. “Young Magnus, ye are goin’ tae remain in the birthing chamber?”

“Aye, I missed all the rest of it, ye canna expect me tae be the last tae meet him.” He grinned.

Lizbeth said, “I will never understand ye, tis verra sweet, but ye will lose the magic.”

“How can I lose the magic when I am going tae see a bairn come clean out of her? Tis God’s majesty, ye canna make me look away.”

I said, “Magnus, stay…” I tugged at the tartan but it was wrapped and tucked into my skirt waist. I raised my hair off my neck and mumbled, “Off, this…”

Magnus untucked the tartan and unwrapped it.

Emma said, “The thing is, Lizbeth, last time she gave birth we didn’t even have to do anything but just let her carry on.”

I held my arms up while Magnus pushed my skirts down, leaving me in my long shift. He crouched down to untie and pull off my boots.

Another doozy contraction. I gasped, “Mountain. Ben Cruachan!”

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