Page 59 of The Highlander's Alluring Spy
Uncle William snorted. “I cannae argue wi’ ye there, lass. Tell ye what, why dinnae ye and Magnolia and Betty here ride wi’ Abbie back to the village? Ye can see yer cousins before ye go off to meet yer other friends.”
Elaine instantly brightened. She loved spending time with the Candlish children, from the oldest, who was nine, right down to the wee bairn who had just learned to walk. “Tha’ sounds like fun!” she said excitedly. “What dae ye think, Betty?”
Betty smiled. “If the Commander is kind enough to let us ride rather than walk, I’m hardly gonnae refuse.”
Auntie Abbie touched her husband’s arm. “I’m happy to have ye all, o’ course, but if I’ve got three women in the wee wagon wi’ me, how are ye makin’ it back?”
“Och, I’ll walk later,” Uncle William told her. He kissed her cheek, and Elaine pretended to find it off-putting, but it was actually fine. She liked seeing her aunt and uncle being in love. “I’m gonnae visit the kirk first.”
Auntie Abbie raised an eyebrow. “Aye? Ye turnin’ pious on me, husband? Wish someone had told me that before ye placed a fifth bairn in me belly.”
Elaine glanced at Abbie’s stomach. She knew that her aunt was with child, but she had very little idea of what Uncle William had done to begin the process.
I’ll ask Magnolia later. Or Dadaidh, he’ll ken for sure.
Uncle William let out a loud belly laugh. “Nay, I’m nae goin’ for a service. I’m just gonnae visit me cousin in yonder kirkyard.”
Then he and Auntie Abbie exchanged one of those looks that Elaine never understood, filled with meaning, before Abbie nodded.
“If ye’re gonnae visit Mamaidh, can I give ye some flowers to take along? The wild purple primulas are out, and I’d like to give her a wee present,” Elaine said. “Can ye wait ‘til I gather some?”
“Aye, o’ course,” William agreed. “Now, eat yer breakfast. Sounds like ye’ve got quite the day ahead o’ ye.”
* * *
Magnolia, Betty, and Elaine traveled with Abbie down to the village, stopping in briefly to meet her children and her sister. After some conversation and a little play between the little ones, the three of them headed towards the small house on the outskirts where Greta and Bernie lived.
Bernie was as enthusiastic as ever when he saw the three of them approaching, and he ran out of the house to greet them as usual. He hugged Elaine excitedly and politely bowed to both Magnolia and Betty.
“Och, Bernie, I’ve kenned ye since ye were in yer napkins. None o’ that bowin’ to me, I’m just a maid,” Betty told him.
“Aye, but the prettiest maid in the whole world!” Bernie said sweetly. “Just like Miss Maggie is the prettiest nanny in the whole world!”
Greta stuck her head out of the window opening. “Stop botherin’ the girls and bring them inside, Bern,” she called. “Hail, Betty! Ye’re lookin’ fresh as a daisy! Would that I had yer youth.”
“Oh, don’t,” Magnolia called back, laughing a little. “Ifyouare old, what does that make me? I have three years on you!”
“I’m nearly five!” Elaine said brightly, making everyone laugh as they finished the walk up the path and entered the house.
Once the greetings and niceties were complete, the children went outside to play, leaving the three adults to drink ale and gossip together. It was precisely what Magnolia needed, and the whole reason she’d engineered this trip in the first place.
“So,” Greta said. “Why dinnae ye tell me what’s happened?”
Magnolia blushed bright pink at her friend’s directness, trying to think of a way to put it into words. Before she could, though, Betty saved her the effort.
The maid started to giggle and said, “Ye’d never ken, Greta,” she said. “But this morn’, when I’m on me way to wake Magnolia, guess who’s in her bed?”
“Betty!”Magnolia protested, but she was grinning. She had missed this kind of girlish talk. In her regular life, only Lizzy was ever there to have such conversations.
Lizzy. What would she have to say about all of this? Have I betrayed our friendship now?
Greta nodded with a small chuckle. “So ye and Me Laird finally got to the business, did ye? How was that?”
Magnolia cackled, banishing the maudlin thoughts of her other life. “How vulgar! Greta, you’re a Mother!”
“Aye, and a woman widowed, and Betty here still half a bairn.” The farmer winked. “It’s been a while since the two o’ us have had a man in our lives. Now, I gave ye me ale, and ye’re gonnae give us the details in exchange.”
“That hardly seems proper,” Magnolia laughed.
