“They wouldn’t eat me, Da,” Bearnard assured him on a laugh. “They like me.”
“Are ye sure? It looked to me like they weren’t tasting ye,” he teased with a grin.
“Nay,” Bearnard said seriously, and then cast an arm around the nearest dog and started talking to it instead.
Shaking his head, Cam glanced toward the stairs and then back to the men and said, “I think Jo is with child again.”
“Congratulations,” the group said pretty much as one.
“But what do ye mean, ye think she is? Don’t ye ken for sure?” Rory asked.
“Nay. She’s trying to hide it from me, but is showing all the signs she did each time she was with child,” he said, and then muttered unhappily, “If she is, she most like won’t tell me until she gives birth or loses it like she has the last two.”
“She’s just trying to save ye worry,” Rory said quietly. “And many women lose a bairn or two between the ones that live. She’ll give ye another healthy bairn, I’m sure.”
“I don’t care about another bairn. I mean, I do, but I’m more worried about Jo,” Cam growled, and then added, “Which is why I suggested the surprise visit with Saidh and Greer. I knew at one point or another the women would insist on visits to Murine, Edith and Jetta.”
“Aye,” Dougall murmured. “Murine would be terrible upset if she found out Jo was in the south and had no’ stopped to see her.”
“Exactly,” Cam said, and then turned to Rory and admitted, “I kenned we’d go to Buchanan at some point if we were in the south, and was hoping ye could take a look and be sure she is well.”
Rory’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Jo and her aunt Annabel are fine healers, Cam. She no doubt has already—”
“Aye,” Cam interrupted. “But ye’re better, Rory. Ye’ve traveled far and wide to learn fancy tricks and such. I want the best care for me Jo.”
Rory let his breath out on a sigh and nodded. “I’ll speak to her while ye’re here, and if she is with child and is willing, I will examine her to be sure all is well.”
“Thank ye,” Cam breathed, and then glanced around at his son again as he released another chuckle. The boy had an arm over the back of each hound and was hanging between the beasts, with his feet drawn up, letting them carry him. Cam smiled faintly and shook his head. “At least he’s no’ rolling around in the rushes.”
“Afraid Jo would be froth?” Conran teased lightly.
“Damned right I am. That woman may look small and sweet, but when she gets her temper up, she kens how to turn the thumbscrew.” He shook his head.
Conran smiled faintly, but knew the man was only half joking. From what he’d seen with his sister and brothers and their relationships, that was the problem when you loved someone. They knew you as well as you knew them, and knew how best to make you sorry if you angered them. Conran certainly wasn’t looking forward to finding out how Evi would punish him if he made her angry now that she’d agreed to marry him. Not that he loved her, he added quickly with a frown. He liked the woman, thought her quick-witted, kind and brave. He’d even go so far as to say he loved lovin’ her. But love her ? Nay, he assured himself, and wondered why it sounded so much like he was trying to convince himself of it. It was a simple truth that needed no convincing. Wasn’t it?
“There,” Tildy announced, stepping back after helping with her lacings. “Ye’re all ready, m’lady. Now ye ladies go below and break yer fast and I’ll prepare the room the lads were in for Lady Jo and Lord Sinclair and their son.”
“Son?” Evina asked with interest as they headed for the door.
“Aye.” Saidh grinned. “Bearnard. He’s such a little cutie, and he’s betrothed to the eldest of our triplets, Rhona.”
“The eldest?” Evina queried with amusement. “They’re triplets. They’re all the same age.”
“Aye, but Rhona came out first,” Saidh explained. “She is the eldest by three hours.”
“Three hours?” Evina asked with alarm. She hadn’t really considered how triplets would be born, but would have thought they’d have come out one right after the other like plop, plop, plop.
“Aye,” Saidh said with a grimace. “But Sorcha, the second oldest, dallies about doing everything. Once she was out though, little Ailsa followed almost on her heels.”
“Oh,” Evina said weakly as Tildy opened the door for them to exit.
“Ladies,” Dougall greeted them as they filed out of the room. “Are we heading below stairs now?”
“Aye, husband,” Murine said with a smile, and leaned up to kiss his cheek in passing.
“Good. I’m hungry,” he commented, slipping an arm around her and holding her to his side.
“So am I,” Murine admitted.
Dougall narrowed his eyes. “Ye did no’ eat, did ye? I suspected ye had no’ been down there long enough to break yer fast ere ye were rushing back up with Saidh, Jetta and Jo.”
“Jo and I wanted to meet Evina. I will eat now, I promise,” she said soothingly.
“Aye, ye will,” he growled, and then narrowed his eyes. “Did ye take yer tincture this morn?”
Evina didn’t know Murine well, but even she could tell from her expression that the answer to her husband’s question was no. The guilt on the woman’s face was priceless.
“Murine,” he groaned. “Lass, ye have to take care of yerself. Beathan and I love ye to distraction. If ye faint and fall and hit yer head and die on us—”
“I’ll get it right now,” Murine said quickly, and then turned to smile apologetically at the other women. “Ye ladies go ahead below. I’ll catch up in just a minute.”
“Nonsense, we’ll accompany ye,” Saidh said at once, and then paused to glance to Evina. “Unless ye’re weary and wish to head straight below? I ken ye’re still healing.”
“Nay. I’m fine,” Evina said at once. She did hate being thought weak. Besides, she was doing okay at the moment. Of course, she knew that probably wouldn’t last long. Still, she’d done all right last night with Conran. Although they hadn’t really walked anywhere, and he’d done all the work, she supposed.
“Oh, good,” Saidh said cheerfully. “Just tell us if ye weary and one o’ the boys can carry ye.”
Evina snorted at the suggestion. There was no way she’d ever be so weak that she’d willingly allow a man to carry her. Well, not unless it was Conran. He’d already carried her around a few places. But she wasn’t going to look weak in front of his brothers unless she was gushing blood, or on death’s door, she decided as they moved away from her door.
“How is me nephew doing, Murine?” Saidh asked suddenly as they started along the hall. Turning to Evina, she quickly explained, “Murine and Edith both have one child each. Both are little boys.”
“Really?” Evina asked, glancing at Murine.
“Aye, we named our boy Beathan after me father,” the woman murmured with a smile, and then glanced to Saidh and added, “And he’s very well. Gaining weight every day.”