The Bairn of Brianag

But gently was, in the end, enough; when my release came I cried out with joy and completeness. Robbie continued for a moment longer, then he, too, was satisfied, and lay down beside me.

"I love you, Robbie, I love you," I said, the emptiness of the past weeks dispelled, filled with him again.

"Yes, lass, yes," he said, kissing my hair, his breath ragged.

"Please do not leave me alone so long again," I begged him. "I am not whole without you. I shall die without you near me."

"You! Never. You are the equal of a Highlander chieftess. You will endure-and triumph-whatever comes our way."

"I will die without you," I repeated, "and your son with me."

"Ah, there will be no need, for I will not leave you, lass," he said.

_________________________

I was coming down the path from the big house two days later when the Indian woman stepped in front of me so suddenly that I shrieked with fright. My heart bounding, I stared at her, my hands at my breast.

Her face was smooth and expressionless; her eyes were like jet. I glanced around, trying to see if the babe was on her back; she took a step to the side as if to shield it from me.

"Robert Stew-art," she said.

"He-he is away," I stammered. "But the master is at home if you wish to speak with him-"

She turned and as swiftly as she had appeared, she vanished into the woods. The baby was not on her back.

My heart still thudding, I hurried to the cabin and went inside. Rabbit looked up from her sewing. I collapsed into a chair. "Madam? Are you well?" asked Rabbit.

"Yes, yes, I am well," I said breathlessly. "There was an Indian-"

"An Indian?" she repeated, her voice rising to a squeak.

"No, no, and Indian woman," I said. "She startled me, that's all."

"It's not good for you to get frightened," scolded Rabbit, and she put aside her sewing and stood up. "I fetch you tea."

"Thank you, Rabbit, that will be lovely," I said.

That night I could not sleep for thinking about the woman. Why had she asked for Robbie? And where had her baby been today? Was it indeed the same woman I had seen speaking to Pete?

Perhaps it was a different woman.

That must have been the case. I must have assumed that it was the same woman. It was a different woman. But still the question burned in my mind: What did she want with Robbie?