The Hellion and The Heartbreaker (28 page)

“I know
sweetheart, I know.  If I could take it all away I would.”

“Stay with
me.  Please.”

“Of course
I’ll stay with you,” he said, squeezing her hand as tears welled in his
eyes.  “I will always be here for you, Minx, I promise.” 

As the
last wave of pain slowly began to fade, her grip on Colin’s hand gradually relaxed,
and after a while, she drifted into semi-consciousness.

When Mr.
Harris finally returned with the physician, Scarlett was scarcely aware of his
arrival.  Her pain no longer came in waves, but instead, in a constant
succession of agonizing torrents.

Despite
his protests, Colin was swiftly ushered out of the room as Dr. Mallory, a tall
middle-aged man with a shock of snow-white hair and beak like nose that held up
a pair of small wire-rimmed spectacles, immediately took charge of the
situation.

Thirty
minutes later, Colin who had been regulated to the downstairs parlor, lifted
his weary head from his hands as Scarlett’s tortured screaming abruptly
ceased.  Anxiously leaping to his feet, he strode purposely toward the
staircase.  He’d gone only two steps when the sound of a baby’s cry halted
him midstride.  He sucked in a deep, ragged breath, and then quickly
continued on.
 
When he reached the upper
landing, the door to Scarlett’s room opened and Tess stepped into the hall.

“You have
a nephew.”  Her slight smile was reassuring, but her face was utterly
weary.  She looked as if she had aged ten years since yesterday
morning. 

“Scarlett?”
he uttered, his voice filled with trepidation.

“She’s a
fighter.  We both know that.  She’s going to be fine,” Tess
replied.  Her voice held the conviction of someone who would accept no
less.  Her pale blue eyes were misty with tears, but the fear appeared to
have faded.

“Can I see
her?”

“Give the
doctor a few minutes first.”  She grasped his arm and turned him back
toward the stairs.  “I think we could both use a drink.”

Approximately
twenty minutes later, the doctor appeared in the doorway of the parlor. 
He took in the sight of the Earl of Kenston, and the woman sitting next to him,
each of them holding an empty brandy glass, both looking as though they had
just been to hell and back.

“Excuse
me.”

Both heads
snapped up at the sound of his voice, the earl immediately rising to his
feet.  “How is she?”

“She’s a
strong young woman.  Though it was a difficult birth, I am confident that
your sister will have a full recovery,” he replied with a reassuring nod. 

“And the
child?”

“A robust,
healthy boy,” he said with a smile.  “He’s been through quite an ordeal as
well, but he appears to be doing just fine.”

“May I see
my sister?”

“Of course
My Lord.  I’ll wait down here.”

He made to
quit the room, stopping to offer his hand to the physician as he exited. “Thank
you for saving my sister’s life,” he said with absolute sincerity.  “I owe
you more than you will ever know.”

As Colin
slipped silently into Scarlett’s room, his gaze went immediately to the
bed.  The relief on his face was almost tangible as he gazed lovingly at
his sister.  Scarlett’s face was no longer twisted in agony, her body no
longer writhing in pain.  He stepped closer to the bed, visibly relieved
to see that a bit of color had returned to her cheeks and perspiration no
longer soaked her skin.
 
Bending over
her, he placed a light kiss upon her cheek.

As he
straightened, Sarah, the midwife, walked up beside him holding a tiny, blanket
wrapped bundle in her arms.  “He’s well-enough for now My Lord, but if
your sister isn’t strong enough to feed him by morning, you’ll need to hire a
wet nurse.”

“Oh…yes…of
course,” he stammered, clearly taken aback by the awkwardness of discussing
such a personal matter.

Sarah
smiled kindly, but a touch of amusement was evident in her eyes.  “Would
you like to hold him?”

Colin took
an involuntary step back, his expression wary.

Her smile
widened.  “He won’t bite My Lord.”

“No, no,
of course not.”  Colin said somewhat sheepishly, and then awkwardly held
out his hands.  “I suppose I could manage it.”

“Perhaps
you should sit down,” Sarah suggested, nodding toward the chair next to the
bed.

He did, and
the midwife carefully placed the sleeping baby in his arms. 

“I’ll give
you some privacy.”

“Wait,” he
said, a look of abject terror crossing his features.

“I won’t
be gone long.  You’ll be fine,” Sarah assured him as she turned and left
the room.

Once the
door had closed behind her, Colin let his gaze drop to the tiny bundle he held
in his arms.  His cheeks were plump and pink, and though he didn’t cry,
his small rosebud lips made tiny mewing sounds.  He was a beautiful baby
with a tiny little button nose and long dark eyelashes.  He stared at the
sleeping baby for a long time.  “You’re going to have us all wrapped
around your little finger, just like your mother, aren’t you my boy?” 

When he
heard the sound of the door opening minutes later he turned, expecting to see
the midwife, but it was Tess who entered the room.  “She’s still
asleep.  Actually, they both are,” he clarified, glancing down at the
slumbering baby.”

“I expect
so.  They both had quite a rough time of it these past hours.”

“We could have
lost her Tess.  We could have lost them both.”  Colin shook his head
slowly from side to side. 

“But we
didn’t.” Tess said softy, placing her hand reassuringly atop Colin’s shoulder.

For a
moment they both seemed lost in thought as their gazes drifted back and forth
between Scarlett and the sleeping infant.  It was Colin who finally broke
the silence.  “So, does my nephew have a crown of fiery red curls like his
mother?” he asked.

“See for
yourself.”  Reaching out, Tess pushed the blanket back from the baby’s
tiny forehead, revealing a thatch of hair as black as night.

Astonished,
Colin started in surprise, slightly jostling the baby in his arms.  His
little nephew made a faint cry and his lids slowly blinked open to reveal eyes
the color of brilliant emeralds
. 

An
unfamiliar sound gradually penetrated the fog in her head as Scarlett fought to
awaken from the deepest slumber she had ever known.  She struggled against
the overwhelming feeling of exhaustion that engulfed her and threatened to
carry her off to oblivion once again.  The sound grew louder, beckoning
her to awake, to open her eyes.  The sound, she recognized it, it was a
baby’s cry.  Her eyes flew open.  She blinked once, twice, and tried
to focus.  She saw a figure standing near the window.  It was Tess.

“Tess?”

The sound
of Scarlett’s voice spun the woman around and revealed the precious bundle she
held in her arms.  Her baby!

Tess’ eyes
lit with pure joy at the sight of Scarlett struggling to sit up.  However,
her expression quickly turned to one of concern as Scarlett grimaced in pain.
 Instantly she was at her side.

Scarlett
fell back against the pillows as a wave of pain coursed through her body. 
She gasped and fought back the tears that instantly spiked her lashes. 
“What happened?” she managed, as she fought to remain alert.  Her memory
of the night before was a vague, tangled mixture of pain and voices.  Pain
so intense she’d thought surely she would die, and voices encouraging her to
hang on, to not give up, and to fight for her life and for her child’s.

“Your poor
body has been through the ringer my dear, that’s what happened,” Tess replied
gently.  “And you gave us all quite a scare, I might add.”

“The
baby?”

“You have
a son, Scarlett,” Tess told her, as she gingerly sat down upon the side of the
bed.  She adjusted the baby in her arms so that Scarlett could get her
first look at the child she had fought so hard to bring into the world.

Scarlett
caught her breath as her son’s face was revealed to her at last.  His face
was red from crying, his eyes scrunched shut, and a small, clenched fist rested
against his cheek.  Even so, he was by far the most beautiful thing she
had ever seen.  Slowly she reached out to touch him.  She stroked his
tiny little hand and watched mesmerized as his fingers curled around her
own.  Her knuckle brushed softly against his lips and his gentle crying
ceased, as his mouth began to suck upon her finger.

“Your son
is hungry.” 

Scarlett
was instantly concerned.  “He is?”

“He’ll be fine
dear,” Tess assured her.  “Your brother has already sent to the village to
find a wet nurse.”

“What? 
No, I don’t need a wet nurse,” she uttered in dismay.  She was his
mother.  She would take care of him.  The thought of someone else
feeding her child made her feel weak and useless.   “Please, give him
to me.”  She winced as the dull pain in her body suddenly intensified, as
she once again struggled to sit up.  Losing his hold on her knuckle, her
son’s sweet little face once again scrunched up in frustration.

“Scarlett,
you need to rest.”  Tess spoke calmly but firmly.

“I’m fine
Tess.  “Please, give him to me,” she said again, reaching out for her son,
her voice stronger now and more determined. 

The woman
who’d raised her and loved her like her own daughter, hesitated for but a
moment, and then nodded.  “All right.  Let me help you.” 
Placing the baby in Scarlett’s arms, Tess quickly propped another pillow behind
Scarlett’s back and then helped her untie the laces of her nightgown.

For a
moment, Scarlett could only gaze upon her son in absolute wonder.  Her
secret hope of having a boy had been realized and she couldn’t have been more
thrilled.  Cradling him gently in her arms, she drew him to her
chest.  The first touch of her son’s lips against her breast was a bit
disconcerting, but after a few moments, his tiny little mouth closed around her
nipple and he began to suckle.  Before long, she realized that nothing had
ever felt more right.  Feeding her young son felt like the most natural thing
in the world.  She raised her eyes and met Tess’ gaze.  “He’s
perfect,” she breathed. 

“He is
indeed,” Tess replied with an affectionate smile.  “Ten fingers, ten toes
and a healthy set of lungs, not to mention a healthy appetite.”

Returning
her attention to her son, Scarlett’s eyes fell to the white knitted cap
covering his head.

“I’ll go
and let your brother know you’re awake,” Tess said, turning away.  “He’s
been worried sick.” 

The gentle
rustling of Tess’ skirts faded away a moment later, and then Scarlett was left
alone with her child.  Reaching toward the little cap that she had knitted
herself, weeks earlier, she gently pushed it back.  His hair was jet
black, just like Alec’s.  The sight of it instantly brought tears to her
eyes.  What would Alec think of his son, she wondered?  Would he be
proud, excited, indifferent?  She couldn’t be sure.  But of one thing
she
was
absolutely certain, that she would love her son enough for the
both of them.  Ever so softly, she rubbed her thumb across the baby’s soft
cheek.  “My sweet, sweet boy,” she murmured.  At the sound of her
voice, he stopped nursing for a moment and slowly opened his eyes.  They
were the exact shade of green as his father’s.
 
Scarlett stared in wonder as tears began to fall slowly down her cheeks,
dripping lightly onto the soft blanket that swathed her son.

Shortly
after she had finished feeding her son, a soft knock sounded upon the door to
her room.  She had laid the baby on the bed next to her where he now slumbered
contentedly, and for the past several minutes she had been simply staring at
him as he slept.  “Come in,” she called softly, glancing toward the door.

Scarlett’s
eyes widened as Colin entered the room.  Her brother looked as though he
hadn’t slept in a week.  His clothes were rumpled, his face unshaven and
his hair was a tousled mess.  “Good heavens, Colin, you’re a sight.”

“What did
you expect when you nearly had me frightened to death, young lady,” Colin
reproached, nearing her side.  “Are you alright?” he asked gently.

“I’ll be
fine, Colin; you don’t need to worry anymore.”

“I will
always worry about you, Minx.  I cannot help it.”  His gentle smile
was filled with love. 

In many
ways Colin had been more like a father to her than a brother.  “I love
you, Colin,” Scarlett said, reaching for his hand.

“I love
you too,” he replied, grasping her hand in his as he bent to plant an
affectionate kiss upon her forehead.

Pulling a
chair up to the side of the bed, Colin sat down and heaved a weary sigh.

“Poor
dear, you do look awful,” she told him, with a teasing little smile.