Grant Clan 06 - My Desperate Highlander (22 page)

“Desperate? You are always desperate, Diana.”

She scowled at him, raising her voice with indignation. “I am
not
.”

“Aye, you are.” He still held his lance out, awaiting her favor.

She crossed her arms and flounced away from him, settling down on her bench.

“Were you not desperate when we left the Gow keep in the middle of the night through the kitchens wearing lad’s clothing?”

Thankfully, the entire field couldn’t hear what he said to her, but those around her could. She ignored him and stared off into the distance.

“Were you not desperate when we traveled from Falkirk to Edinburgh in the dark of night, just the two of us?”

She turned back to huff at him. “We were not alone. Alex’s men surrounded us.”

“I’ll give you that one. Were you not desperate the night you dragged me to the courtyard at the royal castle searching for any English knight who would take you as his wife?”

She turned her back to him again.

“And were you not desperate, my beautiful Highlander, when you stayed up all night to sew a used gown so it could fit you? And from what I now know about you and your gowns, that was true desperation.” He rolled his eyes.

“Enough. I have been desperate before, but I beg you now. Please, Micheil. Do not do this.” She tried to remain strong, to stop the flow of tears again, but to no avail.

“Diana, I will be fine. This is all in fun, for show. ‘Tis not a competition. You must learn to trust me.”

Lily ran over and said, “Here, Uncle Micheil, I’ll give you my favor.”

She tied her ribbon on his lance and Micheil said, “My thanks, my lady.” Lily giggled as she skipped back to her spot.

His mother stood and said, “I must give my son my favor, for safe travel.”

Micheil bowed to his mother. Diana could feel him staring at her from the corner of his eye, but she was not willing to budge.

Avelina leaned over. “I must give my brother a token.” She tied a hair ribbon on his lance with the other favors.

Micheil held up his lance for all to see, then circled the perimeter of the field, showing off his lance while all the lassies applauded him. Before he passed her again, he brought his horse over and lowered his lance to her.

Diana wanted to throw something at him, but she finally conceded and yanked a ribbon from her hair to tie on the blunt end of his lance. “Micheil, I will never forgive you for this.”

As soon as she took her hand away, he raised his lance in celebration while the crowd roared. Then he did the oddest thing. She had expected him to ride across the field again in triumph. Instead, he dismounted and knelt before her, placing his lance on the ground in front of her. “I’ll not joust. For you, my love.”

He strode over to the bench and wrapped his arms around her. “I wanted to be your knight,” he whispered in her ear. “I set this whole festival up for you. I wanted to give you the knight of your dreams.”

Tears pooled in her eyes. “Micheil, you are my knight. I do love you so.”

He settled her on his lap and said, “I love you, too. No more desperation. I want my bride happy.”

Several months later

“I’m desperate! Please, Micheil.” Diana’s shout shook the rafters of the Drummond keep. “Get out. Look what you’ve done to me. I never want to see you again. Get out, get out. I hate you!”

Micheil closed the chamber door behind him, his face ashen. He heard a clunk against the door, which he judged to be another shoe flung across the room. He stood there confused, unsure of his next steps.

Logan chuckled and clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I told you to stay out. Women giving birth are not the same. They’re overtaken by wee gremlins, I swear it.”

“But I did not wish to be there,
she
wanted it. She asked me to stay because Alex Grant always assists his wife. Now she’s changed her mind.” Totally perplexed, he did not know what to make of the situation. “Thank goodness you all came. I could not have handled this alone.”

“Pregnant women have that prerogative, especially if they’re in the middle of delivering the bairn. ‘Tis a difficult job. Stop and think about what they go through. I never did appreciate it until I saw my Gwynie struggle with it, and she’s tougher than most.” Logan ushered him through the passageway and down the stairs to join the rest of the family in the great hall, patiently awaiting the arrival of the two’s first bairn.

Micheil glanced at Quade, “Were you at Brenna’s side when she had your bairn?”

“Hell, nay. ‘Tis no place for me. Perish the thought. Never stepped into the chamber.” His eyes widened. “And I won’t be the next time either.”

“Brenna’s carrying again?” Micheil asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Quade answered, “Aye, ‘tis still early. You have enough on your mind.”

Logan found a goblet and filled it with ale. “Actually, Diana seems to be faring well. Gwynie told me she was going to cut my bollocks off.” He guffawed as he looked at his wife. She was seated in the chair by the hearth, feeding their new son, Gavin. “Once she holds the bairn in her arms, she’ll forget everything she just said. ‘Tis a verra painful process. Tell him, Gwynie.”

“Aye, ‘tis true, Micheil. It hurts so much, it makes you daft. She didn’t mean it, and she won’t be angry with you once she delivers the babe. She’ll be her old self in a week or two.”

Micheil sat and wrung his hands. “I hope so.” He downed his first ale in two swallows, all the time glancing over his shoulder to check on the balcony above stairs. He did not like this one bit. Diana was completely daft with pain. What was he to do? Was it possible she would be like this forever? How could he care for the bairn if she stayed that way?

After finding himself unable to sit in one spot, he strode over to the door and swung it open, only to be pelted with sheeting rain outside.

“Close the door, Micheil. It’s storming out and I have a bairn in here,” Logan yelled.

He closed the door and leaned against it, his gaze searching the Drummond Great Hall. Every pair of eyes watched him, every Drummond servant, each member of the Ramsay family, even Diana’s steward.

Lily ran over and tugged on his hand. “Come, you may play a game with Molly and Maggie and me. We’ll dress you up.”

And he did not care one bit.

***

The storm continued outside, blustery winds along with thunder and lightning that lit up the gloomy midday sky. Diana screamed as she gave the last push to finally end her labor. A sigh escaped her as the bairn slid out of her body and into Brenna’s capable hands. Lady Ramsay sat in the chair next to her mopping her brow, soothing her in any way she could.

“What is it? Is it hearty? Is it sickly?” Diana stared at the reddish purple bundle in Brenna’s hands.

Brenna fussed with the bairn’s face, cleaning it with a damp cloth, Diana’s maid and Avelina peered over her shoulder in anticipation. The bairn let out a loud yelp, followed by a long guttural cry. “It’s a laddie. Congratulations, Diana. You and Micheil have a strong son.”

Diana sat up as tears sluiced down her face. “We do? A laddie? Och, where’s Micheil? I want him to see him. May I hold him?”

Brenna cleaned him up a bit before she set the lad on her belly, his cord still attached. She reached for her clamp, then said, “Avelina, why don’t you get Micheil for us? Don’t tell him that it’s a laddie until he comes inside. We’ll tell him. Diana, as soon as your maid and I clean him up a bit more and I cut his life cord, you may hold him. But you need to stay just as you are now, there’s more to do.”

Diana stared down at her son as Brenna cut the cord, then cleaned him and swaddled him up tight in a plaid. She held out her arms, and Brenna placed the babe in the curve of her arms while he still bellowed his dissatisfaction with his new status in life.

The door flew open and Micheil appeared. “Diana, are you all right?”

“Micheil, come see our son.”

“A lad? ‘Tis a lad?” He rushed to her side and stared at the bundle in her arms. His mother got up from her spot, kissed his cheek and stepped outside. Kissing his wife, he settled on a stool next to her and stared at the bairn enfolded close to her heart.

“Micheil, look how beautiful he is. Do you not think so?”

He nodded, a look of sheer wonder and awe in his gaze. “Aye, he is.” The lad’s wee fist popped out of the plaid, and he reached for his sire, his fingers outstretched. Micheil put his finger against the palm of his hand, and he grasped on tight.

He continued to wail, so Brenna said, “Why don’t you put him to your breast, Diana? ‘Twill calm him.”

Diana stared at Brenna. She had no idea how to go about it. Aye, she had seen it happen many times, but how did one manage such a thing?

Brenna set her tools down and said, “Here. I’ll assist you.” She helped Diana adjust her gown to free up her breast, then brought the laddie close to her nipple, teasing it against his cheek.

Diana looked on in wonder as he opened his mouth, searching for her, and with just a wiggle of repositioning from Brenna, latched onto her nipple and suckled. She peered up at her husband as their son quieted, his hand still grasping his father’s finger.

Neither spoke as they watched the new joy in their life discover his mama and papa. A few moments later, Brenna sent Avelina and the maid out of the room.

Micheil kissed Diana’s brow. “I love you.”

Diana clutched his hand. “I’m so sorry I yelled at you. You know I love you so.” Tears slid down her cheeks. No matter how she tried to stop them, she could not.

“Have you thought of a name yet?” Brenna asked.

Mother and father both shook their heads before staring at each other.

“Micheil, I know what I wish to name him.”

A light flashed through his eyes, and he nodded. “David,” he said. “David after your father.”

Diana sobbed, “‘Tis exactly what I wanted. David Micheil Ramsay Drummond.”

Micheil smiled and kissed her wet cheek before leaning in to kiss his son’s head. “David Micheil it is.”

She whispered, her gaze hopeful, “Do you think he knows? Do you think Da can see his grandson?”

“Aye, I think both your mama and papa are looking down on us right now, mayhap with my sire. And I am verra sure of something else.”

“What?”

“There is naught you could do to make them more proud than they are at this moment.”

Diana buried her face in her husband’s shoulder and sobbed as she held wee David at her breast, but then she straightened to stare, her finger pointing out the window. Brenna walked over and pulled the fur back, standing to the side with a smile on her face.

The sun shone bright, illuminating the most beautiful rainbow they had ever seen.

THE END

Dear Reader
,

Thank you so much for reading MY DESPERATE HIGHLANDER. I hope you enjoyed Micheil and Diana’s story. I haven’t decided yet which story will be next. I thought Jennie’s, but now I think it may be Avelina’s. There are a couple of lads who made promises to the two lassies. Which one will act on their promise first? Hmmm…

As always, let me know what you think! It’s usually the readers who help me determine what I’m writing next.

Here’s how you can reach me or let me know what you think:

1.
Write a review:
Please consider leaving a review. They can really help an author, particularly one who is self-published as I am. I don’t have a marketing department or an advertising team backing me. These reviews are also helpful for other readers.

2.
Send me an email at [email protected].
I promise to respond!

3. Go to my Facebook page and ‘like’ me:
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4.
Visit my website:
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:
Another way to contact me is through my website. Don’t forget to sign up for my
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You’ll see how I envision Micheil and Diana, along with the additions to Logan and Gwyneth’s family—Sorcha (the cutest EVER), Molly (with her dark curls), and Maggie.

The next Clan Grant series novel will be a surprise to both of us! You can also expect Jake’s story from Summerhill sometime soon.

Keep reading!

Keira Montclair

The Clan Grant Series

#1-
RESCUED BY A HIGHLANDER
-Alex and Maddie
#2-
HEALING A HIGHLANDER’S HEART
-Brenna and Quade
#3-
LOVE LETTERS FROM LARGS
- Brodie and Celestina
#4-
JOURNEY TO THE HIGHLANDS
-Robbie and Caralyn
#5-
HIGHLAND SPARKS
-Logan and Gwyneth
#6-MY DESPERATE HIGHLANDER-Micheil and Diana

The Summerhill Series

#1-
ONE SUMMERHILL DAY

Regency

THE DUKE AND THE DRESSMAKER