The Strength of a High and Noble Hill (An Outlander Story)

Chapter 42: Romeo and Juliet

Brian blinks in surprise when Mama shows him that it is a newborn that she has been rocking in her shawl.

Brian bends over and frowns with curiosity as he takes a closer look. "A baby?"

"Mrs Beardsley's, she left her with us." Mama explains.

Da and Mama had arrived that night with the good news that they'd secured the Beardsleys twins' papers. Josiah wants to continue with the militia, but Jamie insists he's too young and that they should go back to the Ridge tomorrow and provide for all there by hunting.

"But her..." skin is what he meant to say before he stopped himself. He shouldn't be judgemental about it.

"The baby urgently needs milk. Are there any nursing mothers here?"

Before Brian can reply, a voice interrupts them. "Captain Fraser."

It's Richard and Meg Brown who nod in greeting. Brian and his parents do the same.

"Mr Brown. May I introduce my parents, Colonel Jamie Fraser and Claire Fraser." Brian introduces. His parents express their hellos.

"Will you stay the night with us?" Richard asks politely.

"If it's no' a problem." Da replies.

"What kind of man would I be if I let a lady sleep outside in the night and the cold, with militia?" Richard responds.

Mama thanks him for his hospitality.

Meg Brown, looking proud of her husband's hospitality, turns curiously to Claire. "What's this?"

"If it's no trouble. The baby needs milk." Mama tells them, revealing the newborn.

The Browns look on in surprise at the baby's appearance before Meg nods. "Follow me."

——

It is only later on when Brian is able to pull his father aside, does he explain what has happened.

"It looks like ye convinced 'em." Da compliments Brian proudly. Brian smiles happily that he'd made him proud.

"There was a small problem." Brian quietly tells him.

"Wha' this problem?" Da questions, frowning.

"A small misunderstanding when we arrived." Brian explains. "It's Alicia Brown, Lionel Brown's daughter, wants to marry Isaiah Morton."

"And, wha'? He hasna? He dishonoured her? He needs te marry her! Ye ken kno' weel tha' is how we do things around here." Da berates.

"I know!" Brian snaps irritably before calming himself. "I know, I tried but..."

"Wha'?"

"He's already married."

Brian wouldn't be surprised if his Da collapses in shock considering how he stagers back in shock. "I dinna kno' why he's still here? Ye should've sent 'im away!"

"I will, just not yet. I'm helping them escape." Brian retorts, now feeling irritable at being treated as naïve.

"But he has a wife." Da counters in disbelief. "Ye shouldn't let 'im dishonour the girl like tha', how can he stand by her?"

"Because he and his wife are separated, they are not happy, they didn't chose each other." Brian explains.

"How can ye believe 'im—"

"Because I have seen an unhappy marriage!" Brian cries in frustration and now that the dam has broken, he doesn't stop. "I saw Mama and Dad, I could see how unhappy they were with each other. I would often hear them yelling at each other about their unhappiness, that Dad didn't want me when they thought me and Ellen were asleep!"

"Oh..."

Da and Brian soon around to find Mama standing there, shifting uncomfortably and looking hurt.

Brian looks down as Da clears his throat uncontrollably. "Claire?"

"There's something you should know." She tells them quietly.

——

Alicia Brown is pregnant.

It throws a wrench into the works. Not for Brian though but for his Da who has to backtrack on his plan for Isaiah to simply leave and now has to jump on to Brian's original plan, which is to get the two of them out of here.

That night, Brian sneaks into where Isaiah is to tell him the news. Isaiah is stronger than ever in his belief that Alicia is the true love of his life and Brian isn't one to argue.

Early the next morning, Da leads a horse with Alicia and Isaiah on it out of town, while Roger is on the lookout at the other end of the hamlet. Wrapped in a wool plaid, Mama stands in front of the window of the general store, looking down and nervously waiting.

At first, everything is fine. But the horse walks too close to one of the hitchposts. When Isaiah straightens the reins, the horse slides on a big stone and kicks into a pile of empty barrels, which then roll, hitting everything they touch. Brian breathes with difficulty. It's not good. It will wake up all of Brownsville. Roger lunges forward and hastily clears the barrels out of the way. It's no use as Brian can hear murmurings of noise and confusion in the houses around them.

Isaiah and Alicia need to go now.

Da controls the horse and gives it a pat to send Isaiah and Alicia at a gallop before slipping into a neighbouring house. The alarm begins to sound while Lionel and Richard Brown along with the other men emerge, searching, having heard the noise but Brian is prepared. He lets the other horses, about twenty in total, loose to create a distraction. None of Brownsville's men suspect anything as they jostle to catch up with the horses on the left and right, sending the men of Brownsville chasing after them in the opposite direction from the star-crossed lovers. Lionel scratches his head, baffled at how the horses managed to escape from their enclosure. Lucinda Brown, Richard and Meg Brown's daughter-in-law, who had been the one who took in the Beardsley baby since she'd lost a baby herself and has the milk needed, emerges from her home with her husband Hiram to check what is wrong.

In the middle of this chaos, Brian emerges with Da popping up beside him with a goat he holds by some rope. They share a grin, prior argument is forgotten before they call the attention of the Brownsville men.

"This wee demon, while prowlin' around, will ha' scared the horses: they dinna like our wee friends wi' split hooves." Da remarks to them all. He receives a varied amount of baffled, stressed and frustrated.

——

A/N: Please leave comments on how you're enjoying this story and what you think.