Page 94 of The Moonstone Governess
Cain laughed. “Yes, although I understand how hard it is to do. I’ve been through this before. Follow me. I’ll take you to your wives, but you cannot stay beyond a few minutes. They’re going to be in pain, and you will not be able to bear it.”
“Oh, Lord,” Daire muttered. “We won’t bear it? How about them?”
“They need to push and sweat and cry out. They won’t do it while you are hovering beside them.” Cain motioned for them to follow him up the grand staircase. “I will personally remove each of you if you are not back downstairs within five minutes.”
“I’m not leaving her,” Jax insisted.
“Yes, you are. We’ll wait in my study. Just be prepared—this may take a while.”
“How long?” Daire asked, his heart in his throat as Cain led them down the hall of bedchambers.
“I have no idea. Could be a few hours. Could be thirty hours.”
Daire was sorry he’d asked.
Could Brenna hold out for thirty hours of pain? She was his little dove, so delicate and refined. She might be carrying a boy who was going to be as big as him.
He could tell by the fear in Jax’s eyes that he was thinking the same thing of Felicity.
Cain knocked at one of the doors along the hall.
Hen popped her head out. “Oh, excellent. Daire, you’re here. Come in, but you mustn’t stay long.”
Daire nodded and entered. “Cain gave me the warning.”
Hen nodded and quietly left the room. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Daire strode straight to Brenna, who was lying in bed and looking remarkably beautiful despite her discomfort.
“Look, Daire. This is the peach room. Did you notice the wall color? And the draperies?”
He laughed despite the turmoil in his heart. “Did you ever tell Hen about sneaking up here the day of their annual village tea?”
“No, should I confess it now?”
“Dear heaven, no. It shall remain our little secret. How are you feeling, love?”
“I’ve had better days.” She smiled up at him. “You are allowed to kiss me. I won’t break.”
He leaned over gingerly and kissed her softly on the lips. “I love you, little dove.”
“I know. I love you too. I’ll see you when our little boy cries out with his full set of lungs.”
“A boy? Are you sure?”
She shook her head. “No, but the midwife lore is that if you carry up front as I have done, then you are carrying a boy. But if your weight is spread across your waistline, as Felicity’s was, then you are carrying a girl.”
He knelt beside her bed and took her hand in his. “Another piece of lore? Do we not have enough of them in Moonstone Landing?”
“We’ll soon find out if this midwife tale is accurate. How are Matthew and Juliana?”
He ran his thumb in a slow circle over her hand. “They are fine. Phoebe is taking Matthew home with her so that he can play with her boys and the visiting nieces. He won’t notice a thing. Juliana is on her way back to Stoningham Manor to prepare the nursery.” He let out a ragged breath. “Brenna, how can I leave your side?”
“I know it is hard, Daire. But I don’t want you to see me in pain. You will suffer worse than I will because there is nothing you can do to help me, and it will drive you mad. Go downstairs and have a stiff drink while I do what I need to do.”
He heard the click of the door and saw Hen slip back inside.
“Brenna, I love you.” He hugged her as gently as he could manage and left before she noticed his tears. When had he ever cried in his life? Not ever that he could remember, not even after his father’s brutal beatings. Despite the open sores and welts, not a single tear had ever fallen.
