Page 41 of One Bed for the Bluestocking
Kit resumed his sketching.Pulling a notebook out of his rucksack, Nathaniel settled in to observe the eagles.
They were right about the eggs.
Although the female eagle showed a preference for sitting on the eggs herself, she would occasionally allow her mate to take a turn, presumably so she could stretch her wings.From what Kate could observe, there wasn’t a need for her to seek food because the male eagle was a solicitous partner, bringing her fish and, occasionally, small mammals throughout the day.
When they switched places on the third day, Nathaniel’s gaze was fixed on the nest through his spyglass.Suddenly, he seized Kate’s thigh and squeezed.“Three eggs!”he hissed, the excitement palpable in his voice.
“You’re certain?”Kate asked eagerly.
Lowering the spyglass, he turned to her, eyes bright.“At least three.What if?—”
“They hatch?”Kate asked, completing his sentence.
He nodded, biting his lip.
She didn’t answer.She didn’t need to.They both knew that to observe such a thing up close, to provide detailed documentation of such a miraculous process, would be the making of both of their careers.She also knew that their time observing the eagles would be relatively short, and that they might have to leave before the chicks emerged.
Well, it was outside of their control, which meant that there was no use worrying about it.
Although Kate would have been thrilled to sketch the eaglets, she was having a wonderful time regardless.The golden eagles were perhaps the most magnificent creatures she had ever had the privilege of drawing, and she could have happily sketched the breeding pair for months without growing bored.
She sketched the eagles together in the nest.She sketched them in flight.She sketched them launching themselves from the cliffs, and she sketched them skimming over the surface of the loch.
On the tenth day of their observations, the female seemed agitated.She had moved off the eggs and was standing on the rim of the nest, shifting anxiously from foot to foot.The male made frequent trips to the loch and brought back several fish, but she seemed distracted and showed no interest in his offerings.Kate and Nathaniel waited with bated breath, wondering if a chick was about to emerge, but there were no major changes.At last, when they knew they had to depart if they did not wish to make their descent in total darkness, they set out for the shieling.
They rushed back at the break of dawn, but there were no eaglets in the nest.The female was still pacing its rim.Kate and Nathaniel settled in to wait.
The eagles were usually silent, and when they did make sounds, they were not the majestic calls Kate had imagined, but rather a feeble, high-pitched set of squawks and squeaks.When the female began emitting these, Kate and Nathaniel exchanged a pregnant look.
The male rushed back and perched anxiously on the edge of the nest.Suddenly, one of the speckled eggs visibly trembled, then split.Kate watched in awe as a fluffy, white chick emerged from the shell.
Without thinking, Kate reached out, took Nathaniel’s hand, and squeezed.She immediately realized that this was probably an odd gesture for a man to make toward another man.
She was trying to figure out a way to subtly withdraw her hand when Nathaniel turned to her, a soft smile on his handsome face.“Isn’t it incredible?”he whispered, then squeezed her hand in return.
Kate could feel her cheeks burning, but she returned Nathaniel’s smile.It felt so natural, sitting here, holding his hand, and she admired the fact that he hadn’t shrunk from the moment of affection, even if it was with another man.
They sat admiring the eaglet in companionable silence for a moment.Then, Nathaniel pressed Kate’s hand a final time and released it.He shot her a lopsided grin as he flipped open his notebook.“I know you want your hands free to sketch.”
Kate bit back a smile.Of course, it was true.Flipping to a fresh sheet of her sketchpad, she settled in to draw the newest member of the eagle family.
Chapter20
When they arrived at the overlook the following morning, a second chick had appeared in the nest.Two days later, they watched as the third chick hatched.The eagle parents were as proud as they were protective, and Kate delighted in documenting their growing family.
Thus were she and Nathaniel able to observe those first few precious days for the young eaglets.They were nowhere near flying, but it was fascinating to watch their development, and the way their parents cared for them.
Everything went smoothly until one week after the first chick was born.It started with a minor inconvenience.As they settled on their observation ledge, Kate managed to knock over her canteen, spilling her entire day’s supply of water.
Nathaniel glanced up at the sound of the canteen clattering against the rocks.“Let’s run down to the loch and refill that.”
Kate’s cheeks flamed.“That won’t be necessary.”
He frowned.“I’m sure it’s necessary for you to have water.”
Kate waved a hand.She was embarrassed enough about her clumsiness.The only thing that could make the situation worse was for Nathaniel to lose an hour’s observation on account of her carelessness.“I’ll be fine.”She forced a chuckle.“As damp as it is here, sometimes I feel like I could drink the air!”
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow and glanced pointedly at the sky, which was currently a brilliant, cloudless blue.“Not today, it would seem.”
