Luceo Non Uro || Outlander

Chapter 2

Fergus

"Un, deux, trois," I put one, two, and three fingers up for my son to see.

"Un, two, trois."

"Non, mon fils, deux. Deux," I repeated, holding two fingers up.

"Two!" I kissed my poor, confused son on the forehead. His mother must have tried teaching him his numbers before I had the chance.

"Fergus!"

"Yes, my love," I followed the sound of her voice into the kitchen where she stood gripping a piece of parchment so tightly that the paper began to wrinkle. I took it from her and read it over. I could tell right away from the sharp, slanted hand it was from her mother... and her mother was not happy about something. "What is this?"

"Ye tell me. Is there any truth to it?"

I scanned through the letter again, trying to understand the meaning behind Laoghaire's rambling words. "There is no doubt about her being the daughter of James Fraser... a witch just like her mother, speaking of a fire yet to come... I would have never taken her into my home, or allowed her near Joanie, if I had known she was that sassenach witch's daughter... see to it that I am paid the alimony he owes me... all of my love to you and Germain." Germain had wriggled out of my arm as I read, as if he too wanted to be as far away from the influence of his grand-mère as possible. 

"There must be some mistake, Milord and Milady do not have a daughter... she died in Paris. I was there after Milady lost her baby. I saw the grave." Marsali shifted her weight impatiently with her hands on her hips, not accepting my explanation. "Milord would have told me if he had a daughter, Marsali."

"Would he?" Her expression softened, but I shook off her words. She had not meant to sting me with her sharp tongue.

"Aye, Milord and I do not have secrets." I took her shoulders and pulled her into my chest. When my woman is angry, there is only one thing that can calm her. I set the letter on the table again, not wanting to pay it any more mind. The months I had spent as a guest of Laoghaire MacKimmie after her marriage to Milord were not happy ones, even though they had brought me to Marsali. I did not care to dwell on them. "And what if it's true? What would you do about it, hm?"

"I dinna ken. I just dinna want to think Daddy has lied to me all these years."

"Milord would never lie without reason. And this would not be something he would lie about. I am sure of it."

"Aye, I ken that."

"Ma cherie, I am angry with you," I said, wanting to change the subject. I paced across the room and placed my hand on Germain's head so that he would not bump the underside of the counter that he was nearly as tall as now. "Why is my son saying his numbers in English? I cannot get him to say deux now!" She rolled her eyes and swatted me with the towel she had picked up to begin wiping the table with. Germain was a messier eater than even me-- his peas were smashed into the wood grain.

"Allow me," I took the towel from her and began to clean the green mush. "You'd better teach your son how to count all the way to ten. He can only get to five in French," I waved my wooden hand at her mockingly with an exaggerated pout, earning another eye roll.

"Come on, Germain, while Papa's distracted." It soothed me to listen to their chatter from the next room and I quickly forgot Laoghaire's letter. So what if she has yet to acknowledge me as her son-in-law. I took my time cleaning the kitchen, giving Marsali time to put Germain to bed herself. He was so much my boy I worried he and Marsali were not bonded the way a mother should be with her child. I knew she craved this time alone with him.