“They arrive!” Leila cried when she spied the party approaching Killairic. She had remained in the solar that morning, simply to watch the road. “Fergus, they arrive!” she called again from the top of the stairs. She managed to take only three before he was before her, having run up the stairs from the foyer.

“Do not rush on the stairs,” he said sternly, then swept her into his arms to carry her down to the great hall.

“You fuss too much,” she chided him.

“We shall ask Radegunde about that,” he replied, then gave her a quick kiss. Leila had not bled once since arriving at Killairic. Her belly was rounding so that more than Margaret noticed the change—that woman had commented upon the change when fitting Leila’s new red kirtle with its fine embroidery. Leila felt like a queen when she wore it and she felt hale with the child. Calum was delighted by the promise of a baby, but Leila wanted Radegunde’s conclusions before she would be at ease.

There had been much activity at Killairic over the summer. A distant cousin of Isobel’s had returned from Iona with Murdoch and had taken Gavin back to the isles to be raised with his kin. Their family had a number of children and Gavin had been pleased to go with his relation. Gavin had learned a great deal while helping the miller which impressed his relation, too. The harvest was in and it was bountiful. Killairic did indeed seem like a paradise as well as a home.

Bartholomew had sent word that he had a missive from Duncan, and that Gaston and Ysmaine would escort Radegunde the north to rejoin Duncan. They intended to halt at Killairic, and Leila could not wait to see her friend again.

Given the flurry of messages that had been exchanged over the summer, she anticipated that her plan with the pigeons would be well received. She was excited by the prospect of sharing that, as well.

The Templar knights, Enguerrand and Yvan, had returned to Paris, after escorting Karayan back to Châmont-sur-Maine. It was only under protest that Enguerrand agreed to pretend the relic in his custody had been lost, and Leila hoped that Lord Gaston, with his experience of diplomacy, had been more persuasive. Fergus thought that knight would write to the Master of the Temple in Paris to ensure that the two knights did not believe they had failed in their duty. She hoped the party brought tidings of the Grand Master’s plan for the reliquary.

Bartholomew and Anna had arrived at Killairic the day before and they were already in the bailey by the time Leila and Fergus reached it. Lord Gaston shouted from the gates, waving from the back of his destrier, and Fergus cried a welcome in return. Leila wished she were taller and could see better over the crowd of villagers come to greet the arrivals.

Lady Ysmaine followed her husband through the gates on a mount of her own. Radegunde’s brother, Michel, was in the small party, which surprised Leila, then she saw Radegunde and shouted a welcome of her own. She ran and the two met in the middle of the village, each embracing the other with force.

Then Radegunde pulled back, her eyes wide. “You are with child!” she declared then hugged Leila again, but more gently. “Since when? You must tell me all.”

Leila smiled, anticipating the kind of discussion she had missed so much. “Since the end of April, I think. Fergus and I swore a handfast as soon as we arrived.”

“And when does your year and a day conclude?”

Leila smiled. “It matters little, for we were wed in June.”

Radegunde congratulated her, then kissed her cheeks in succession. Leila looked up to find Gaston smiling at the pair of them.

“I did not tell her,” he whispered with a wink. “Though Karayan told me.”

Radegunde gasped in outrage and Lady Ysmaine chuckled. “Gaston! How cruel!”

“How is a welcome surprise unkind?” that man protested. “It is Leila’s news and should be hers to share.” He shook a finger. “If she had sent a missive to Radegunde, that would be another matter.”

“I apologize that I did not,” Leila said, but Radegunde was not distressed. “And how can you speak of surprises, when you have planned one for Duncan?”

Radegunde smiled and blushed, her anticipation of their reunion clear. “How was he when last you saw him?”

“Missing you.” Leila seized her friend’s hand. “Come to the garden with me. I have a surprise for you all.”

“Before they even have a cup of ale?” Bartholomew said.

“It is not that far from Dumfries, which is undoubtedly where they halted for the night,” Fergus noted, his eyes twinkling at Leila. He knew her scheme, of course, for he had helped her in ensuring all was ready.

“Fergus is right in that,” Gaston acknowledged. “And I confess to be curious.”

Once in the garden, they all turned naturally to the dovecote. It was as if they guessed its import, though they still did not know why they were there. “I saw yesterday that you raised birds,” Bartholomew said. “Doves?”

“Pigeons,” Leila corrected, taking one of the adults from the dovecote into her hands.

“Ah!” said Lord Gaston and smiled, evidence that he had guessed.

Lady Ysmaine looked from her husband to Leila, clearly mystified. “Is there a reason why?”

“I will wager that they are homing pigeons,” Lord Gaston said.

Leila nodded. “They are. And I intend to give each of you a mating pair.”

“But why?” Anna asked, looking as if the last thing she desired was a pair of birds.

“Leila intends to share some wisdom from the east with us,” Lord Gaston said.

The others looked at her in confusion.

“It took some time for us to discern how the Saracens knew of our military actions, and did so faster than any man could ride to tell them,” Lord Gaston said. He took the bird from Leila’s hands gently, then showed its leg to his wife. Leila had tied a red cord upon it. “Red for Killairic?” he asked and she nodded.

“I do not understand, Gaston,” Lady Ysmaine said and the others concurred. The former Templar nodded at Leila.

“The homing pigeon is distinct in that it will always return to the place it was born. The distance does not appear to matter. They do not fail in this marvel, and so, they are used to send messages in Palestine and Syria.”

“How can that be?” Bartholomew asked. “If you release this bird, will it not return to the dovecote there?”

“Aye, it will,” Leila agreed. She showed the baskets that Fergus had ordered to be made. “But if I give it to you along with its mate and you take them to Haynesdale with you, when you release it, it will return here.”

“And you can tie a message to its leg when you do,” Fergus added.

“And the ones born at Haynesdale will return from here to there,” Leila said. “So, I thought that we could breed homing pigeons at all of our abodes and tie cords to their legs to indicate where they were born. When we visit each other, we can bring the birds.”

“And in between,” Fergus concluded. “We can send messages to each other as needed.” He smiled at Radegunde. “You can send us word when you rejoin Duncan.”

“I will help you write the missive,” Lady Ysmaine said gently to her maid, which pleased Radegunde.

“It is a scheme that is clever beyond compare,” Lord Gaston said with satisfaction, stroking the bird’s breast before returning it to Leila’s care. “Just think of how we could have conferred about Karayan before I revealed your location to him.” He lowered his voice. “I was right in that, was I not?”

“Aye, and thank you,” Leila said. The others had broken out into chatter, discussing how they could house the birds and how many they would need to breed. “Take two pair each when you depart,” Leila said. “Two for Haynesdale and two for Radegunde to take north. I have more breeding and will send two more pair to Haynesdale that you might take a pair to Châmont-sur-Maine upon your return, as well as a pair for Altesburg.”

“We will choose a color for each holding,” Fergus said. “And be able to share tidings.”

“This is a marvel of an idea,” Bartholomew said and all congratulated Leila on the notion.

Lord Gaston raised a hand. “I must tell you that we just had word from Wulfe. Christina bore twin sons at the end of May. Their names are Bertrand and Konrad. He waited until they were thriving until he sent word of the good news.”

“Twins,” Radegunde murmured with a shake of her head. “They can be so fragile.”

Lord Gaston smiled. “I sense that Wulfe is a protective father.”

“You mean Ulric and Juliana,” Lady Ysmaine corrected and Lord Gaston shook his head.

“They will always be Wulfe and Christina to me.”

“To me, as well,” Bartholomew agreed and the others laughed. Neither Bartholomew nor Fergus knew of the births, so they vowed to send congratulations. Leila was pleased to hear the news, as well. She was glad that Wulfe had found both the love and the home he desired—just as she had.

Fergus winked at her and claimed her hand. “Now, come to the hall and meet my father,” he said, ushering them back inside. “I wish to hear more of this missive you have had from Duncan and your plans for this journey.”

“Shall we go to the solar?” Radegunde asked Leila in a whisper. “I would put your fears at ease with all haste.”

“Thank you!” Leila said and embraced her friend once more. She caught Fergus’ gaze and nodded. “Perhaps you should keep your cloak tight around yourself,” she counseled Radegunde in an undertone. “As you will appear to be in similar state by the time we join the others in the hall.”

“I had forgotten,” Radegunde said, then smiled. “Your suggestion was most clever.”

“It was you and Lady Ysmaine who thought of it first,” Leila replied, as the two friends climbed to the solar together. The others had gone on to the hall, but Fergus lingered at the bottom of the stairs.

“Not too fast!” he cried and Leila smiled.

“He fusses so,” she whispered to Radegunde.

“For he loves you,” that maid replied. “And there is no better fate for any of us than that.”