Was there a part that bored you or that you didn't really like in the book? *

Even a character, a scene, or anything. You could say no if nothing bothered you.

What moment from the book you enjoyed the most? *

Something you liked, a specific scene, a character's quality, some detail that caught your eye.

Did you enjoy the mystery around the murderer of Murdoch's last betrothed? *

• I loved the tension! A little mystery makes every Scottish romance better!
• Not so much. I prefer to read more about the romantic relationship between the MCs.

For me the detailed descriptions of the surroundings are... *

• Much needed! I love to know with details how places look, especially in a Scottish romance where the ambience is so important.
• Depending how detailed they are. Sometimes it gets a little boring and I skip such paragraphs, looking for action.

Is there something else you'd like to share? *

Something you noticed, frustrated you, left you confused, etc.

Submit

A few months later

“Argh!”

Such screams erupted from the top of the tower that everyone looked at one another. Eloise stood at the side of the group with Aila and Fiadh on either side of her. They all looked up to the window of the chamber above them.

“It must be soon,” Avery said, from where he stood between all of the men in their group. Laird Chattan clapped him on the shoulder in comfort as Ian sighed, shaking his head.

“It can drag on, my friend,” Laird Chattan said in a low tone. “Trust me, Scarlett was just the same with our little one.”

“But it has been hours!” Avery hissed in panic.

“Ye need distracting.” Murdoch took Avery’s other shoulder.

“I am nae leaving this spot.” Avery thrust his hands down at the cobbled ground, refusing to go anywhere.

When another almighty cry erupted from the top of the tower, Avery tried to launch himself forward, but Eloise stood guard with Fiadh and Aila.

He cannae see. Callie told us specifically nae tae let him in until the child was born.

“Take him away,” Eloise urged Murdoch and Laird Chattan.

“Eloise!” Avery hissed, trying to claw his way back.

“All of ye,” Scarlett urged, moving to Fiadh’s other side. “Take him away until we send fer him.”

“Ye two are my sisters!” Avery snapped, but it got him nothing.

“Then trust we ken best, big brother,” Scarlett called after him with a deep laugh as he was swept away.

Murdoch and Laird Chattan each had a shoulder, and Ian followed, threatening to pull out a crossbow. Clyde and Elliot followed behind, laughing about how it took so many men just to hold Avery back.

“It has been hours,” Aila murmured after Avery was far out of earshot. “Even fer normal labor.”

“Aye, it has.” Eloise agreed with a nod.

They all exchanged nervous glances, then Aila led the way up the tower with Fiadh close behind. Eloise followed with Scarlett at her heels.

They were in the towers of Laird Chattan’s castle, heading toward the chambers that Callie used for healing, though today, she was the patient rather than the healer.

As they stepped into the chamber, Eloise swallowed around a lump of fear in her throat. Callie sat upright in the bed, sweating profusely with her chemise disarrayed and her stomach heavily rounded. She breathed heavily, her nostrils flaring every few seconds. Beside her was a healer woman, holding her arm and trying to get her to breathe easily.

“How can one breathe through this pain?” Callie hissed angrily, with her dark hair wild behind her. “This is obscene.”

“Ye can dae it, Callie.” Scarlett hurried toward the bed. “If I did it, ye can too. Ye are much stronger than me.”

“I dinnae feel strong. Nae at all. I feel weak.” Callie bent forward, shifting to her knees on the bed. “Argh!” Another almighty cry of pain came from her.

Eloise laid a hand to her stomach, rather gladdened that no one had seen her reaction, for everyone was too focused on Callie.

“We need tae get her tae the birthing stool,” the healer woman, Theodora, urged. “Quickly. Help me.”

Eloise took one of Callie’s hands, as did Scarlett, pulling her out of the bed. Fiadh and Aila urged Callie to move her feet, practically walking her toward where a stool with part of the base had been cut out.

“That thing, it looks nae better for pigs tae give birth in.” Callie practically kicked the stool away, so strongly that Eloise hastened to right it again.

Is this how much pain it is? Oh God…

Eloise chewed the inside of her mouth, not wishing to say anything as they put Callie in the stool.

“Ye told me it was the best way tae give birth,” Scarlett reminded Callie as she stood before her, with her hands on her hips, her face betraying her outrage.

“Aye, aye, I ken. It’s rather different when ye actually have tae sit in this uncomfortable thing. Argh!” Callie squealed at the pain.

“Out of me way.” Theodora brushed them all to the side and dropped to her knees in front of Callie, reaching for her chemise. “Well, as there are so many of ye here, ye can make yerselves useful. I’ll need something tae swaddle the child, linens, towels. I need fresh water too. Fetch me some spiced caudle, as that will help soothe Callie too.”

“I threw the last cup of caudle at the wall.” Callie motioned to where a cup had been smashed against the wall, the damp patches still apparent.

“I shall bring ye another then,” Eloise said, attempting a smile as she hurried to the adjoining chamber full of Callie’s usual instruments and herbs. She hastened to prepare the caudle in a fresh cup, the water steaming as she took it off the fire to add to the spiced mixture.

As she stirred the ingredients together, she paused and glanced back into the main chamber.

Aila and Fiadh both held onto their sister, as Scarlett brushed her dampened hair back from her scalp.

“Ye can dae this, Callie,” Aila urged. “Ye ken ye can. Nay one stronger.”

“Come on, Callie.” Fiadh kissed her on the cheek. “All of this will be over in minutes, and then ye’ll have that bairn in yer arms. It will all be worth it.”

“God, I hope ye’re right,” Callie muttered sharply. “If this is how painful it is every time, I’m thinking of banning Avery from coming near me ever again.”

“Well, may I volunteer first that I shallnae be the one tae tell him that,” Scarlett jested, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Once more, Eloise laid a hand to her stomach, thinking of the pain that Callie was going through.

Will it be this bad?

“Right.” Theodora paused as she kneeled in front of Callie, looking up from the edge of the chemise. “It is time.”

“He’s a mess,” Clyde remarked quietly to Murdoch as they picked up their weapons again.

“Aye, he is. Laird Chattan was just the same.” Murdoch jerked his head in Laird Noah’s direction, impressed by the calmness that the laird was showing now.

“This hardly seems like a wise way tae keep Avery calm though, does it?” Clyde laughed as he gestured to the broad sword he now carried.

“Can ye think of another way?” Murdoch chuckled as he watched Ian and Laird Noah each parry with Avery. Every time Avery tried to attack with his sword to get past them to the tower, they got in the way.

“Come on, yer sword skills will have tae get better than that. Ye’ve grown slack these last few months,” Laird Noah said with a deep laugh.

It summoned new energy from Avery, who launched himself at Laird Noah.

“Me turn, I think.” Clyde swiped his sword through the air.

“I thought ye’d had enough of being a soldier?” Murdoch reminded his brother.

Clyde had finished his commission for the king and had confessed to Murdoch that he had no wish to return. The last few months, Noah had seen sometimes in the dark moments just how haunted Clyde was from what he had seen in the war, then he’d smile and brush it off as nothing.

“I’m done fighting fer the king,” Clyde said with ease. “I’ll fight for causes I believe in now.” He winked before striding forward and joining Ian in parrying with Avery, driving him further back.

Murdoch caught sight of Avery’s footwork, noting something he’d learned long ago about Avery’s fighting style. He was good at drawing men forward, thinking he was on the back foot, where in fact, he wasn’t. Sensing the danger, Murdoch circled the group and adjusted the sword in his hand.

Avery did just as Murdoch predicted. He drew Ian and Clyde toward him, then swiped out suddenly, lunging and pressing his sword toward the both of them so that they were forced to back up into Laird Chattan and knock him from his feet. The three ended up bundled on the floor.

As Avery turned, ready to sprint back to the tower, Murdoch stepped in the way, with his sword lifted.

“In the name of the wee man,” Avery cursed loudly. “Ye were ready fer it, werenae ye?”

“Fought ye often enough tae ken yer tactics,” Murdoch said with a small smile. “Eloise said ye were just the same when ye fought as a child too. Ye like to lull people intae false feelings of security.”

“It worries me how much ye ken about me now after being married tae my sister.” Avery shook his head and laughed. “Ye are quite a changed man.” He gestured to his face, and Murdoch knew exactly what he was referring to.

I smile more these days.

“Avery? Avery!” Eloise’s voice was sudden.

Murdoch lowered his sword and turned to face his wife, warmth spreading through him as she ran across the cobbled courtyard, the skirt of her gown in her hands.

“Eloise? What is it?” Avery walked around Murdoch, sudden panic in his voice. “Is it Callie? The child? What has happened?”

Eloise stopped walking, bending forward as she caught her breath.

“Eloise!”

“Hold yer horses, Avery.” She breathed deeply and stood straight, a sudden smile erupting on her features. “Both are well. The bairn has just been born. It is a girl.”

Avery smiled at once, the relief so apparent that his shoulders softened.

“Dinnae try tae stop me now,” he said playfully over his shoulder to Murdoch and the others before he ran off, hurrying toward the tower.

As Laird Noah, Ian and Clyde gathered the weapons together, Murdoch moved toward Eloise. Despite the happiness of the movement, he could sense some uncertainty in her features.

Murdoch reached for her cheeks, gently cupping them as he kissed her softly.

“What is it? Is it…” He glanced down at her stomach. They were keeping it a secret for the time being, as Eloise wished to be certain everything would go well with their own child before she told others, but plainly, something was bothering her now. “Are ye well?”

“Aye, aye, I’m perfectly fine.” She smiled suddenly, her expression transforming as she laid her hands on her chest. “It was so emotional,” she said with a wistful tone. “I was so scared when I saw the pain Callie was going through, the frustration of it taking so long too, but then suddenly…” She sighed heavily. “It was as if none of that mattered anymore. The moment her bairn was in her arms, it was all worth it.” She stepped forward, curling herself into his chest.

Murdoch raised his arms around her, holding her near.

“I am nae afraid of what will happen when we have our own child now.”

“Good.” Murdoch kissed her through her hair. “I’ve seen how strong ye are, Eloise. With ye as its mother, that child will survive anything.”

She laughed softly and tipped her head up. Murdoch bent down and kissed Eloise, holding her to him for as long as he could.

I shall be a father.

An image entered his head of a small boy, perhaps with the wildness of Eloise’s red hair, but one with his eyes. It was such a thrilling image, as he taught the boy to ride a horse with Eloise watching on, perhaps holding another bairn in her arms, maybe even a girl this time. That image made Murdoch hold their kiss for longer still.

He thought back to the moment that Eloise had appeared on that loch bank and he couldn’t have been happier for the turn of events. Eloise’s presence that day had changed the course of his life. He would forever be grateful to her for it.

The End.

If you want to know what lies ahead in our story, you may want to get the sequel…

Elliot Sutherland, forced unwillingly into an arranged marriage to save his father’s life, forms a deep connection with Fiadh Mathieson. However, when she discovers this, their world crumbles. Struggling with the consequences of his choices, Elliot is torn between choosing Fiadh or saving his father’s life …

Laird of Desire