A Highland Pearl (Highland Treasures Book 1) (14 page)

She genuflected then dipped a finger in the stoup of holy
water. While kneeling she made the sign of the cross, then rose and went to the
altar. She put a small coin in the alms box, lit a candle, and knelt at the
altar’s railing. The flagstone floor felt cold to her knees, but she was soon
lost in prayer for the safety of the chief, the tanist, and the warriors of Fàrdach
Castle.

A cold gust of air brushed against Maidie’s neck. She turned
quickly to see who entered the chapel. The candles flickered with the gust, but
she saw no one. Perhaps it was only a draft in the high-ceiling room, so she
continued with her prayers. Maidie wished for
Maighstir
Tam’s words of comfort, and decided to pay him a visit on
the morrow. Sometimes the
maighstir
read to her from the large, beautiful book of Psalms he kept locked in an
ornate chest in the abbey’s chapel. The words soothed her spirit bringing
comfort to her distressed soul. After Kenneth’s death, he read to her often.
Many days had passed since she had visited
Maighstir
Tam, and she missed his comforting guidance.

Footfalls sounded at the chapel door. A loud piercing scream
followed. Maidie turned quickly and thought she saw a shadow crunch between the
benches, but felt it must be her imagination. The scream came again. She rushed
toward the sound. The door opened before her. Alan stood in the doorway.

“Madam, Nellie is near frantic about your whereabouts. She
sent me to look for you.”

“What was that scream? It came in the direction of the
kitchen.” Maidie rushed past Alan toward the kitchen. He followed.

A scream reverberated through the kitchen, coming from the
servants’ chambers. “Anne’s giving birth to her bairn. She didn’t feel good
this morn.”

Alan took Maidie by the arm. “Best leave Anne to the other
maidservants. You can send Nellie to her. I’ll stay with you and the lad.”

“Nae, Alan. I must go to Anne. Sounds like she’s in a great
deal of pain.” Maidie pulled free of the man’s hand. “You go back to Sven and
send Nellie. I will have need of her this night.”

“Madam, the chief would no’ want thus. I canna watch you and
Sven in two different places. Nellie will help Anne with the birthing.” Alan
loomed over her.

Maidie stood her ground. “I’ll help Anne, along with Nellie.
The chief is no’ here to order me to stay away. You wanna be held responsible,
Alan. I am disobeying your orders.”

A cry of agony sounded through the great hall. Alan turned to
go back to Nellie and Sven while Maidie rushed to the sound. She hurriedly made
her way through the great hall, now dark and empty of life, trying not to fall
or stumble over the tables or benches. The scream came again, closer and louder.
Maidie hurried through the large kitchen where embers glowed in the great
fireplaces and the pungent smell of food from the evening meal lingered in the
air.

Following the sound of the next cry, she came to the chamber
where the maidservants slept. She opened the door of the large dormitory
chamber to find several women gathered around a thatch mat on the floor. Maidie
made her way through the servants to find Anne writhing in birth pangs. One of
the servants washed Anne’s face with cool water while another held her hand.

A hand reached out to stop Maidie. “We dinna need your help,
Cameron. We can manage without your black magic.”

Maidie looked into the narrow eyes and set mouth of a face
filled with animosity. The woman’s hand clenched Maidie’s arm until it hurt.

The maid washing Anne’s face looked up. “Leave her be, Gilda.
She’s a healer and Anne needs more help in this birthing than we can give her.”

Gilda continued to hold tightly to Maidie’s arm. “Nae, we
dinna need her black magic. She’ll kill Anne and the bairn. She’s a Cameron and
out to kill all Munros.”

The woman washing Anne stood and faced Gilda. “I say leave her
be. Anne needs more help than we can give. The bairn canna come forth, ‘tis
turned wrong in her womb.”

Another spoke, “Aye, Gilda, leave her be and let her tend Anne.
We’re here to see she uses nae black magic.”

Gilda held tightly to Maidie’s arm, causing the limb to ache
and burn. Maidie tried to pull free, but the woman squeezed tighter. All eyes
turned to Anne when she screamed with a piercing sound then whined pitifully.

Another maid joined the one facing Gilda. She spoke in a loud
voice, “Leave her be.” The woman began prying Gilda’s fingers from Maidie’s
arm. The other standing close by slapped Gilda on the face with a ringing blow.
Gilda’s head snapped backward and her hand released Maidie’s arm.

The injured maid put both hands to her face yelling, “You’ll
pay for this, you hussies. I’ll get every one of you.” She turned and went to
her sleeping mat, lay down, turned her back to the crowd, and cried. She yelled
between sobs, “I’ll get you, Sheena, I’ll get you.”

Sheena turned to Maidie. “Dinna fash yourself over Gilda. She’ll
get over it. I’ve had to slap her before. There’s nae reasoning with her. Come
now, Anne needs your tending. Her bairn canna come forth.”

“I must wash my hands before touching Anne. Is there a basin
nearby?” Maidie asked.

“Aye, follow me, but make haste. Anne’s in a bad way.” Sheena
turned with Maidie following, and walked to the end of the large chamber where
a small door stood ajar. Sheena held the door open. Inside Maidie found a privy
and basin supplied with a pitcher of water, soap and towel. She quickly washed
and dried her hands. The water was cold, but would have to suffice for the
present.

Maidie quickly walked with Sheena back to Anne. “I’ll need hot
water. Please fetch some from the kitchen. I need a stool also.”

Sheena motioned to one of the maids standing near, who quickly
left in the direction of the kitchen. She motioned to another who retrieved a
three-legged stool from a corner. Sheena, the head maidservant, seemed capable
of managing the others.

Anne writhed in pain, her hair wet and clinging to her face.
Maidie moved the stool close to Anne, pushed her legs and gown up then began to
examine the laboring mother. She felt the bairn’s buttocks in the birth canal. Anne’s
labor was too far along to turn the wee one. She would have a breech birth.
Maidie wished she had examined Anne before her labor began, but Anne didn’t ask
for her and may not have let her close after Randal’s death at Cameron hands.

Maidie turned and wiped her hands on a towel Sheena pushed
toward her. She wiped the blood off Anne then threw the towel into the pile of
bloody rags next to the mat.

Maidie turned to Sheena. “I’ll need a small dirk, boiling
water, soap and towel. Find Angus. Tell him I will need a needle and thread for
stitching. Also, I need chamomile tea for Anne to drink. It will relax her and
help with the contractions.”

“Aye, Madam. I will find Angus meself, and get the things you
need,” Sheena answered and turned to two maids hovering near, “You heard the
healer, make sure the water is boiling hot and fetch the soap and towels.”

The maids scrambled to carry out Sheena’s orders while the
head maidservant left to find Angus.

Nellie entered the chamber in a rush. She hastily went to
Maidie’s side. “Madam, you gave us all a scare. Please take me when you leave your
chamber.”

Maidie looked into the pale face of her attendant. “I’m sorry,
Nellie, but I felt the need to pray in the chapel and didn’t want to wake you.”

“I wouldn’t mind, Madam. The chief dinna wish you to be alone
in the castle.”

“How fairs Sven?”

“He still sleeps. Alan is with him.” Nellie’s fair face
wrinkled with angst.

Maidie patted the maid’s hand and then moved to Anne’s side.
She touched Anne’s cheek and the woman turned to face her. Maidie’s heart went
out to the lass. Her pretty plump face now distorted in pain, was pale with
large black circles under the eyes and wet with perspiration. Maidie took the
damp cloth from the maid and passed it over Anne’s face. She flashed Maidie a
faint smile, and then cried out in pain. Her cries grew weaker as her strength
ebbed.

Sheena returned with the articles from Angus. The others came
with boiling water, towels, and soap. Nellie brought the chamomile tea and gave
Anne a drink. Maidie put the small dirk, silk thread, and needle in the hot
water until she felt they were clean enough. She removed articles, placing all
on a clean towel. She set about washing Anne, but blood seeping from the birth
canal could not be completely washed away.

Anne was losing a lot of blood. She cried out, but now the
sounds were weak, without strength. Maidie’s concern for the laboring mother
soared. If Anne died, the bairn would be lost also. Maidie took the dirk and
cut the perineum to make the birth canal slightly larger. Anne cried with a
piercing scream, but it had to be done. The bairn needed more room to enter
this world.

“Go to Anne’s head and lift her up from under the arms, “
Maidie told Nellie. When Nellie had Anne in a squatting position, Maidie told
her to push. Anne pushed with the strength remaining in her pain-wracked body.
Maidie gave the order time and again. Finally, with a loud scream and a hard
push the buttocks of the bairn came from the birth canal. Maidie caught the
tiny buttocks and with Anne using all her strength for one last strong push,
the wee one came forth into Maidie’s hands. She slapped the buttocks and the
bairn cried. Maidie smiled at the red faced, wrinkled infant with a shock of
dark hair on his head. She quickly tied, then cut the cord, releasing him from
his mother.

Nellie gently laid Anne back on the mat, and Maidie placed the
bairn in his mother’s arms. “You have a fine laddie, Anne. Randal would be
proud of such a fine son.” She pushed the new mother’s wet hair from her face.

Gilda came from her mat to see the new bairn. She watched for
a moment, then gave Anne another sip of tea which she drank thirstily.

“Get some fresh water from the well in the kitchen and give Anne
a hearty drink,” Maidie told Gilda. The maid quickly left the room to fetch
fresh water. Anne smiled at her son and held him close, while Maidie put a few
stitches in the laceration. The other maids gathered around, commenting on the
little bairn and congratulating Anne.

“Do you want to wash your son, Anne? Or would you want me to?”
Maidie asked the mother, knowing she would wish to keep the little one close.

“I’ll wash him with your help.” The young lass watched her
newborn son with the light of amazement filling her eyes.

“Aye, I’ll help,” Maidie said, while moving the warm water,
soap and towel close enough for Anne to reach.

“What will you name this fine lad?” Sheena asked.

“His name is Randal, like his da’s.” Anne did not hesitate to
answer.

Gilda returned with the fresh well water and helped Anne drink
from the cup. “A fine lad, you have, Anne.” She looked around the chamber at
the glowing faces of her fellow maidservants. “He won’t lack for mithering.”

Anne smiled as she set about washing Randal. “Aye, he wanna
lack for attention to be sure. His da would be so proud.”

Maidie reached for Randal’s small hand. Tiny, perfectly formed
fingers wrapped around her own large one. Pride and love for the new infant
filled her heart. How she wished Andrew were here to welcome the newest member
of his clan. He would be proud. But would infant Randal share the same fate as
his father? Mayhap by the time he grows to be an adult, the clans will live
together in peace. Maidie determined in her heart to pray harder for peace.

Her neck ached, so Maidie rubbed the back of it and
straightened to standing as the first pink light of dawn broke through the
small slits of windows high upon the wall of the long chamber. The faint rays
of light shone on Anne’s damp russet hair. Dust motes danced merrily on the
morning beams. When a small bell rang, the maidservants began scrambling to
wash their hands and faces, don day clothing, and straighten sleeping mats.

“I must go and see to Sven, Anne, but I’ll come back and tend you
and the bairn later in the day. You must no’ try to rise, but rest.”

“I’ll be expected in the buttery, Madam.” Anne’s eyes, filled
with concern, looked into Maidie’s.

“I’ll send Nellie to tell the butler about your difficult
birth. He will understand.”

“Thank you, Madam.” Anne smiled into the face of her child.

Maidie gave the small hand one last pat. “Don’t wait too long
to nurse the wee lad. He looks hungry enough. You wanna have any trouble.”

Maidie left the maidservant’s chamber followed by Nellie. She
immediately told Nellie to report Anne’s absence.

“Nae, Madam, no’ until I see you safely to Alan.”

The two women walked briskly to Maidie’s chamber. Alan stood
at the door. He opened it for Maidie. Nellie related the night’s events and the
birth of the new bairn, Randal. Alan smiled broadly at his wife. He leaned down
and kissed her forehead. Nellie squeezed his arm.

Ah, such love between the two. Maidie stepped inside longing
for Kenneth. Sven still slept. She crawled into bed beside him and pulled her
son close, snuggling against his small shoulder. He smelled of pups instead of
dirty boy.

Chapter Twelve

Snorting, running horses, and shouts
awakened Maidie. She sat upright in bed and felt for Sven. He wasn’t beside
her. Hot fluid rose in her throat, but then she remembered Alan and Nellie.
Alan was gone from the chamber, surely with Sven. Nellie sat on a chair beside
the fire with needle and thread, the beautiful blue silk gown in her lap. She
put the garment aside and rose to go to the window.

Maidie jumped from the bed and rushed to the window to watch
the return of the warriors. They called to those on the barbican and the wall.
Thank you, Lord, they have returned already
.
She and the others in the castle expected them to be gone several days, mayhap
a week. She spotted the tanist’s red hair as the band made their way across the
practice field. The chief could not be seen.