Page 61 of A Highlander's Vow

She stopped to look around the garden. “I doona like when the summer ends and all the beautiful flowers die.”

She was quiet with her thoughts for a minute, then turned to Megan. “I am so sorry, I dinna even ask ye why ye came to see me. Are ye having a problem?”

Megan nodded as they sat on a large tree branch that was used as a bench. “Aye. I’ve been feeling sick since Gregory and I returned from Edinburgh.”

Emma’s brows rose. “That long? Why dinna ye come to see me before now?”

Megan shrugged. “I’ve been busy and kept thinking whatever food I ate that started this would eventually leave me.”

“Tell me what yer suffering from.”

“My stomach has been troubling me. I even bring up my dinner from the night before each morning.”

Emma nodded. “Go on.”

“I am so weary and weepy that I think Gregory is going to find a different bedchamber for himself.”

By now, Emma was grinning. “When was the last time ye had yerwomen’s courses?”

Megan frowned. “I doona ken. I’m sure it was before I was taken by the men and brought to Edinburgh. Maybe a week or so before that.”

“Megan, I am sure ye are pregnant.”

Megan stared at her, a blank expression on her face. After almost a full minute, her eyes filled with tears. “Nay, Emma. I am barren.”

“Who told ye that?”

“One of the maids at Sinclair Castle Girnigoe.” She wiped the tears that had fallen on her cheeks. She started to laugh. “Do ye see what I mean, Emma? I’m weepy all the time.”

Emma tapped her chin with her finger. “What made her tell ye that?”

Megan cleared her throat and looked away, sure she couldn’t say this in front of Emma after having gone through it with the maid. “I asked Maggie who seemed to enjoy the attentions of men what my problem was with the marriage bed.” Her face grew so hot she thought she would explode.

“I assume ye doona mean the mattress was uncomfortable.”

“Nay.” Megan took a deep breath. “After a year of marriage, I decided to finally ask someone who I was certain kenned a lot about it.”

“Which was…?”

“Robert had a hard time entering me.” She knew her face must be as red as a Fall apple, and she waved her hand in front of her face.

Emma reached out and took Megan’s hand. “Was it painful for ye?”

“Aye! If ’twas no’ my duty as a wife to allow my husband to do that, I would have moved to a different bedchamber, or even to my own bothy in the village.”

Emma gave her a small smile. “So where does the being barren come in?”

“She said the reason I was having a problem was because I must be barren.”

Emma shook her head in confusion. “There is no connection that I am aware of between difficulty in the marriage bed and the lack of ability to conceive a babe.”

Megan turned on the tree stump so she faced Emma. “But the whole time Robert and I were married, I ne’er became with child.”

“First of all, if there is no child in the marriage, ’tis no’ always the woman’s fault. Sometimes a man’s seed is no’ strong enough.” Before Megan could comment, Emma added. “Can I ask ye a personal question?”

Megan took in a deep breath. “Aye. I’ve already told ye more than I had even told the maid.”

“Do ye have the same problem with Gregory?”