I found Lizbeth in the nursery. “What is it, Kaitlyn?”

“I’m sorry, I keep rushing to you in a state of despair, but—”

She said, “Nae matter in it, tis my family that is causin’ it all. If I can help ye, I will do it gladly. Turn around, your bodice is undone.”

“Magnus is injured — I have no one to help me dress.”

“Magnus usually helps ye? Tis verra handy of him. I will have a woman attend tae ye in the morning from now on, I believe Magnus can stick tae the undressin’.”

She laughed until she noticed I wasn’t. “Tell me of it, Sister.” She tightened the laces across my lower ribs as I pulled my breasts up to the top of the bodice.

“Magnus has taken another woman.”

“Oh.” She worked on the laces and got them tied. She turned me around, put her hands on my waist, and her head to my forehead for a moment. Then she released me, stepped away, and looked me over. “Twas nae what I expected of him.”

“Me neither.”

She led me to the hallway. “I am glad of an excuse tae leave, now that I am carryin’ a bairn everyone thinks I be necessary in the nursery.” She sighed. “I try tae be a terrible mother, yet they keep thinkin’ tis my station in life.” She chuckled.

Once in the hall she turned to me and held my chin in her hands. “What will ye do about it?”

“I don’t know. Everything he says sounds like an excuse. Everything he promises sounds like a lie. I don’t know what to do. If I leave him—”

“You canna leave him, Kaitlyn, tis nae possible.”

I opened my mouth to argue but remembered the year and closed it.

She said, “You have vowed tae live your life with him and he is a good man, I ken tis true. I have grown up with him. I watched him with Sean and he has always had a loyal heart, and a patient soul. I daena ken what he is about with this, but I daena believe he has it in him tae be the kind of man who would break his vow tae ye.”

“I don’t think he meant to, it just—”

“Well, it all weighs on ye the same. When a man is lyin’ tae ye tis like having a squirmin’ pig in your arms. You have tae carry it about with ye all the live-long day when all ye want tae do is drown it in the laundry water.”

I winced.

“This is the path ye must walk, Kaitlyn. The path ye chose. You are his wife and he is your husband. Ye have a family now in us, he has a family in yours. You’re tied tae each other until death.” She smiled sadly.

“What if this is the man he is?”

“What does your heart tell ye?”

“That he means it when he says he’ll pick up the pieces, that he loves me.”

“Tis much more like the young Magnus I helped tae keep out of trouble. Och, he and Sean were always in the thick of it. Twas nae easy tae keep them alive some days. Sean has reformed himself by marryin’ a God-fearin’ woman and doing what she makes him do. But Magnus, I think he was provin’ his worth in devotion tae ye. I think he has made a grave mistake in it, and I would believe he is verra afeared about your forgiveness.”

“I think so too.”

A loud crying sounded from inside the room.

“Sounds much like Jamie,” she said and we entered the nursery again. Her son toddled up and she brought him to her lap.

I sat beside her. “When you call Magnus, Young Magnus… Is there an Old Magnus?”

“We have always said it. Old Magnus used tae be around but he haena been here in a long long time. I daena ken if I’ve seen him since I was a wee bairn. But Young Magnus had the name stick tae him because of it.”

A toddler padded by with an unsteady waddle and fell over and stood back up looking adorable and a lot like Baby Ben back home. “Who was Old Magnus related to?”

“I daena ken. He was alone I think.”

I smiled at her son and played a round of peekaboo with him. “Enough about me, you have a new husband and you haven’t talked of him at all.”

“Aye, he was the one I was dreamin’ on.”

“And by my calculations it took you almost five months to get him to marry you!”

“Five months!” She jokingly exclaimed. “Twas so long!” She laughed merrily. “A few months after the funeral I said tae him, ‘I ken what ye need tae have in a wife.’ And he said, ‘What do I need?’ And I said, ‘Ye need a young woman who has recently lost her husband and will need a man such as ye tae comfort her.’ And he said, ‘Och, I should comfort her, should I?’ And I said, ‘Och aye, ye should comfort her and if ye are willin’ ye should let her comfort ye as well,’ and he smiled at me, such as this…” she showed how he tilted his head and sized her up, then she said, “and we were married a month later.” She grinned.

“That’s an awesome story. And are you happy?”

“Verra. Remember how my last husband was nae handsome, or had many wits, or wasna at all kind tae me? My new husband is handsome and kind.”

“You didn’t mention his wits!”

“He haena got much, but I daena fault him for it. He takes my word on most everythin’ so he suits me quite well.”

“That does sound perfect.”

We quieted and watched the children for a few moments. Then she asked, “How come ye haena had a bairn yet, Kaitlyn?”

“I was pregnant.”

“Ye were?”

I nodded. “I lost it.”

“That is the history of it then. Young Magnus has lost his way because of it. Tis a hard thing tae lose a bairn. Have ye recovered from it, Sister?”

“A little bit.”

“Men are afraid of the mysteries of our bodies, Kaitlyn. They daena ken tae protect us and they feel mighty lost when all their strength and power is for naught. Ye have tae gentle him back tae ye, tell him nae tae be afraid for ye. Show him your strength and comfort each other. Twill be better in time.”

“Thank you. That’s good advice.”

“With my bairn comin’ in the winter season plus my husband’s, my bairn will number four. I will need tae apply m’self tae bein’ capable of it.”

“I heard Magnus and Sean talking about your midwife.”

“Why were they speakin’ on it?”

“It was a while ago, Sean was wonderin’ if I might also be a—”

She set her jaw. “Sean Campbell should ken better before he wonders such a thing, I have a half a mind ta—” She took a deep angry breath. “My midwife was accus’d. Twas the physician who started it and a few hateful souls who added tae it. There was nae speakin’ on her behalf once the idea had taken root. It began with a word, Kaitlyn, twas all it took. She was a gentle heart and verra wise. I will regret her nae attendin’ me this birth.”

“Who will be your midwife now?”

“There is one in the village. She will attend me.”

“Is she good? I mean, do women make it through…?”

“As ye ken, Kaitlyn, tis a tough journey nae matter the midwife. She is nae my first choice. It is whispered that she daena ken tae be kind. But…” She shook her head. “Twill be fine and I have done so twice already, tis nothin’ tae worry on.”

“Still I worry.”

“I ken, we all do.” She squeezed my hand and gave it a nice but not quite comforting pat.