Forget Me Not, My Scottish Love by Allie Palomino
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Cameron, let go! I am not going to break!” Abby snapped in annoyance.
In true form, the family sat back, looking at the Laird and his Lady bicker again. Despite her annoyance and demands, Cameron carried her down the staircase.
“Ye will not be exerting yerself, Abby. Ye’re soon to give birth and need to preserve yer strength.”
She sighed and crossed her arms awkwardly over her gigantic belly.
“It’s your fault that the bairn made me grow to the size of a large cottage!”
He laughed and she threw him a disgruntled look. He couldn’t help his reaction to her- her irritation made her so endearingly cute. He was worried about her, if he was being truthful. His bairn was indeed very large. Male pride abounded within him, but it still left room for worry and doubt even though the last several months had been tranquil for her. She exuded light from within.
Abby had relished eating everything and anything her heart desired, and he had enjoyed seeing to her needs. She had grown plump quickly, and her face and belly filled out fully. He hadn’t thought it possible, but aye, she had grown more beautiful carrying his bairn, and he loved her more deeply than ever.
Her skin radiated luminosity and life. Her eyes fairly sparkled every moment of every day. She laughed dozens of times a day- he knew because he’d heard her. The clan stopped what they were doing every time, and he emphasized every time, they’d heard her sultry, bubbly laughter. Cameron saw them smile along with her.
She was absolutely delightful.
The clan was high-spirited as well, with the anticipation of their laird’s heir. Many brought Abby gifts and she sat with each of them, talking and learning about them and their families. When Abby first arrived, the clan had been amiable, but now, they adored her. Even Old Man Kressyl brought her cooked vegetables. She had moaned at their delectable taste and he brought her some every week since.
Cameron had instantly informed Alexander that the terms of the marriage arrangement had been satisfied- specifically that his wife was expecting his heir. Alexander responded in a subsequent message, that Henry said Haynsworth had heart pains at the news and had fairly thrown tantrums.
He remembered when they’d felt the bairn kick for the first time. Abby had gasped loudly and placed his hand over her belly. They’d shared that unique, precious, and private moment. Their eyes had locked while they smiled intimately at each other. It had been amazing and glorious.
All was well within their world. Cameron had been strutting on air. His family was safe, he had his adoring wife, and he eagerly anticipated the birth of their bairn.
Now standing in front of the large table, Cameron placed her gingerly on the floor. She gave him a disgruntled look while adjusting her dress. She wobbled over to the table, where the family sat looking at her.
“Would you please stop staring at us? Instead, tell him,” she said, indicating Cameron with a nod of her head, “to stop treating me like a delicate flower.” She sat down at the table to eat.
The family looked back at Cameron, who was still standing biting into a piece of fruit. He smiled back at them. The family looked at Abby again and grimaced.
She was doing it again.
The women were wise not to say anything, and Cameron and Keith had already properly learned. Aidan and Patrick, however, hadn’t had one of life’s most important lessons- never fiddle with or comment upon an expecting woman’s food.
Abby paused for a moment and looked up at them. “What?” she asked, stuffing her mouth with the food. “Doona look at me that way. How am I to deny the bairn what he or she,” she said, looking at Cameron as she stressed the words, “wants?”
They looked to Cameron who was finishing the fruit. Abby kept stuffing her face.
“Love, must ye put that on everything?” Aidan asked, grimacing.
The women groaned. Keith and Cameron smiled. Patrick and Aidan still had a mask of disgust on their faces.
“If the bairn craves honey on everything I eat, I am no one to deny him or her,” she snapped, bring a piece of honey-coated mutton to her mouth. “When you have wives and they crave something because the bairn so desires it, then you shall, too, understand,” she responded, but her voice began deteriorating towards the end. Tears began to slip down her face. She placed her hands on her lap and began to cry softly.
“I’m sorry, Abby. Really. I havena had that particular…uh…combination of delicious foods and that is perhaps why I said what I did. I wouldna have said what I…uh…said…unless perhaps I would have tasted what ye’re eating…” Aidan’s voice trailed off. He stopped and scratched his head, hoping that explanation meant something to her, because he hadn’t the slightest idea what he’d muttered. He and Patrick looked to Keith and Cameron, who were knowingly grinning at them. Aidan made a face and looked to his mother and Amy, who were glowering at him.
“Thank you, Aidan, for your apology. I honestly cannot help it. It is quite normal you know, and delicious,” she said as she dipped a piece of carrot in honey and ate it. Patrick and Aidan shuddered.
“Here, taste this.”
She handed over honey-covered mutton, and he looked around to find some eyes filled with horror, others filled with glee, and Cameron’s filled with humor. Aidan hesitantly placed the meat in his mouth. He noticed his family leaning forward, watching him carefully. Abby didn’t take her eyes off him, so he was careful to school his reaction.
“Mmmm,” he said, and flashed a smiled that looked more like a grimace. He chewed slowly.
“Ye have to swallow, brother,” Keith said, smiling.
Aidan’s swallow was audible, and Abby smiled.
“Good, no?”
Aidan thought about it for a moment, and nodded his head. “Actually, Abby, I think ye have the right of it. It’s quite tasty.” He grabbed a piece of meat and covered it in honey. He nearly laughed at the look of horror that crossed the faces of his family. He laughed as he chewed.
Abby spent the next several days eating, snapping at those who annoyed her, and sleeping. On the fourth day, Abby awoke and didn’t want to go downstairs. Cameron thought that was odd. She loved to walk with him and hated to be within the walls for too long a time.
“My back hurts,” she said grumpily, punching the support behind her.
He sat next to her not saying a word. For the last couple of days, she’d managed to snap at him for the slightest comment, even concerning the climate.
She looked up at him and studied him. “Are you nay going to say anything?”
His lips thinned out and he shook his head. He was damned if he would take that bait. She looked at him a moment longer and couldn’t help but erupt in a fit of laughter.
He smiled at her, but cleverly remained silent.
“I have behaved terribly towards you, Cameron, I’m sorry,” she said, her laughter slowing down.
He leaned over to her and caressed her face lovingly. “My love, ye carry our bairn. For ye, I would walk through purgatory, sacrifice my life, and do anything to keep ye safe and happy. And if carrying our bairn makes ye nasty and snappy, then I’ll gladly suffer through it.”
She smiled up at him, and sighed. “Mmmm, you’re so wonderful, Cameron.” Her eyebrow lifted and he wasn’t left wondering long what she was thinking. “Could you massage my feet, Cameron, and rub my belly?”
He gave her a sinful smile. “Anything, my Queen,” he said mockingly, and she laughed.
After massaging her feet, he began to rub her round belly. He was struck again by how large his bairn had made her. He looked to her face, but her eyes were closing. He knew that his child drained her of energy and she grew tired more frequently. Still, she was so loving and gentle, despite her unusual irritable behavior. She looked so peaceful resting. Her breathing was even and all was calm.
She bolted up in bed, shrieking.
Her breath was faster and harsher. She placed her hands over her stomach and groaned.
“I’m wet, Cameron,” she whispered in pain. “The bairn…” she said but couldn’t finish as another pain consumed her.
“Breathe slowly, angel, slowly.” He caressed her cheek, forcing her to breathe with him. “Look into my eyes, Abby. That’s it,” he said. “Breathe with me.”
After a couple of moments, she smiled at him, nodding.
“The pain is easing a bit?” he asked, running his hand through her quickly dampening hair.
“Yes. But the bairn’s coming and quickly.”
“I’ll send for Bess and Mother. I doona want to leave ye, but…”
“Hurry, Cameron, but once they’re here, I don’t want you to leave my side,” she said, now panting again. “I don’t want to do this alone, without you,” she said, trying to breathe more slowly.
He kissed her damp forehead. “Never, angel. Wild horses couldna keep me away from ye and the birthing of our bairn. I’ll be but a moment,” he said, and left the room.
A few short hours later, through the screaming, snapping, and Abby’s outbursts vowing to never let him touch her again, she gave birth to their son-
Trystan Robert MacPherson.
“He’s beautiful,” she said, touching his nose as Trystan yawned. “He fed well and Bess said he learned quickly.”
“He’s perfect,” Cameron said, his throat thick and voice hoarse. Seeing his Abby birth their son had been miraculous- an event he’d never thought he’d witness.
His small son, was in fact, very large. Pride filled him when he’d first seen Trystan. Ye wouldn’t know it by the way Abby was smiling and exuding angelic light that she had indeed suffered through tremendous pain.
She already had a motherly glow.
His son was plump. Cameron smiled. It must have been all the honey he wanted his mama to have. He had a full head of dark hair, like Cameron’s. When Trystan had opened his eyes, they’d been green, but Bess was quick to say that a bairn’s eye color changed as he matured.
“We make beautiful babies, don’t we?” she whispered, sliding her finger down his plump cheek. “Think he’ll stay with his green eyes, or have stormy silver ones like his daddy?”
Cameron kissed Abby on her forehead. “I hope he has his mother’s eyes, spirit, intelligence, and gentle, caring soul.”
She raised her tearful eyes and smiled at him. “With his father’s strength, heart, generosity, and love.”
“Lord I love ye, Abby,” he said, near breathless. He shook his head. “How did I become so fortunate?” He cupped her face and slid his thumb over her cheek. “My love,” he said, choking with emotion. His silver eyes were pools of moonlight. “How sweet our life is.”
“Aye. Sweet indeed,” she whispered, letting the tears of joy fall down her cheeks.
And the new family spent the night together, warmed by the intensity of their love.