Page 34 of Highlander’s Claim

The words were like an arrow shot straight through his heart. “Oh.” He felt like he’d swallowed a handful of gravel, and he cleared his throat. “So do I.”

She stopped stirring and met his gaze. Time stopped around them. He forgot he was in the middle of the inner bailey with dozens of people walking, training, talking, working around them. He knew that need. More than anything he wanted a child of his own to care for, to love and protect and spoil.

“I’ve always wanted one,” she said.

“Why didna ye have one?”

“Well… While I was working on building the clinic…the practice…I had no time. And then my husband was gone, and there was no one left to have them with. What about you?”

“Um… My wife…Leitis…she got pregnant seven times. But none of the children survived. And the seventh pregnancy killed her.”

She stopped stirring and laid her hand on his forearm. He stared at her hand, the warmth of her seeping through his veins. “I’m so sorry, Aulay. I’m so terribly sorry.” Her eyes glistened with tears. “I admire your strength. Something like that can destroy a person forever. But you’re still strong.”

He nodded curtly. Nothing would return his seven dead babies or Leitis, but her compassion was palpable, and it soothed the ache in his chest.

“Listen,” she said as she returned to stirring. “I know you didn’t believe me when I said I was from another time. But you also asked me to tell you the truth. And the truth is”—she picked up another long stick and put it into the water, then with two sticks lifted the steaming, almost boiling pieces of linen and carefully laid them in a large, empty basket—“that I did.”

He watched as she returned the sticks the water to get more of the steaming cloth and put it into the basket. Was she lying again? Or was she really insane to keep insisting on this?

“I’m nae so sure ’tis a lie anymore.”

“I became a pediatrician…a children’s doctor…because I love children and always knew I wanted them. But I worked hard, first studying to be a doctor, going through my residency, then building my clinic. When my husband cheated on me, I asked for a divorce. I’m sorry I lied about him being dead.”

He listened, not really believing his ears. It all sounded so incredibly outrageous. She was lying, his reason cried. Women didn’t study to be physicians. Women didn’t build their own practice. And women certainly didn’t divorce.

“It’s very difficult for me to have my own baby,” she said as she now put dry linen cloths into the boiling water. “Because of my age… And my body just decided it was done, I guess. I still have a chance to have a baby with the help of other physicians. But I need to return to my time for that. I only have ten days left to return home.”

Aulay’s mind reeled. “How does that work?” he asked through a dry throat.

“Um…” She put more dry linen into the cauldron. “They will extract my eggs. Then fertilize them with a sperm in a glass plate and then put the embryos back inside.”

“Yer…eggs?”

Her face was blank for a moment as she looked at him, then her cheeks flushed. “Gosh, that must sound odd to you.” She shifted uncomfortably, and her hand shot to her throat. “Yeah. Eggs. Well, they’re not like…chicken eggs…or goose eggs… You can’t see them, let alone make an omelet with them. They’re—”

Rage boiled inside him. He was a fool to even try to believe her. “Women have invisible eggs? What are ye talking about?”

Her face blushed even more. “Um…it’s science. My body will never be able to bear a child without modern medical help, so they will implant the embryo into my sister, and she will carry it for me.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. That wasn’t possible. “’Tis witchcraft! How dare ye!”

She gaped at him. “Aulay!”

“I’ve been protecting ye, asking for the benefit of the doubt from my people. I’ve given ye my wife’s clothes. But even I have my limits.”

She put the sticks aside. There was a hurt in her eyes. “Aulay—”

“Such outrageous lies wilna get me to let ye go. Ye have eggs that need to be taken out and then put into yer sister? And ye’ll make a child out of that? Ye must be mad if ye think I believe it. Nae a word of this. Another laird would be already trying ye for witchcraft. If ye tell me one more word of this, I will put ye back into the dungeon.”

CHAPTER 14

As Jenny walked out of the main keep the next day, she saw Aulay, Colum, and a band of twenty or so men walk down towards the gate of the castle. They were all armored from head to toe, wearing leather and iron plates and chain mail coifs, and carrying spears and swords. The fierce, unyielding faces were hard as they walked past a group of about fifty men and some women from the village who trained with wooden swords.

Her heart beating faster, she followed about ten steps behind them thinking maybe she could sneak out and go with them. But as she approached the gates, the guards stopped her. “Dinna take me for a fool,” said one of them, blocking her way with a spear. “The laird warned every warrior about ye.”

With a heaviness growing in her chest, she watched the warriors leave down the slope. Aulay looked at her over his shoulder. Their gazes met and something tore and exploded in her chest. She’d hoped he’d forget their stupid conversation about eggs and how disgusted and disappointed with her he’d been. But on the other hand, she didn’t regret speaking the truth. She’d had enough of Tom telling her their whole marriage that she should change and be more submissive and let him provide for her. The Bhatairs, Aulays, and Toms of the world wouldn’t have power over her. Even if she sometimes needed to pretend that they did.

She’d never let another man make her feel bad about herself, her passion, and what she thought was the right thing.