Caught Between Brothers

Chapter 7

Elle walked slowly back to her room. Thoughts of her husband’s brother filled her mind. He was much kinder than his older brother and genuinely seemed to care for her. Her stomach fluttered with a nervousness that made her weak. She should not be having this reaction to any man other than her husband. Yet, she couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t her fault that her husband was such a brute. Maybe if he showed some compassion or love, she would not wander from him. She changed quickly into a modest gown that curved over her hips and flowed outward from her legs. She tried to convince herself that she was wearing it for her husband and not because she was attracted to his brother. Whatever the reason, she was stunning as she went back out her bedroom door and through the castle to the dining hall.

It was clear that everyone in the dining hall thought she looked as gorgeous as she felt. Every head turned her way, including her husband’s. He raised his brow at her and actually got up from his seat to escort her to the table. Out of the corner of her eye, Elle could see the disappointment cross Kevan’s face. It seemed he had wanted to escort her himself. Clutching her husband’s arm, she followed him their seats, keeping her gaze as far away from his brother as possible. Aedan was showing her attention and she would not ruin that by staring at another man. Their meal came shortly after she sat down, but Elle could barely eat a bite. She felt uneasy in her stomach and weak in her head. Get it together, Eleanor! She chastised herself mentally. This was no way for her to be acting. She managed to eat enough food to keep Aedan from noticing something was wrong.

 Soon after, the men all rose and held out hands to their wives to follow. They walked in a silent group to the gates of the castle. The men suited their horses and bid their farewells to crying children and stony faced wives. Some of these women had seen enough heartache to make them strong, or maybe they were like Elle and happy to see their husbands leave. Once again, the weak, churning feeling roared through her stomach. Was this her punishment for not loving her husband? She stood with her hands clasped tightly, a slight sweat glistening on her forehead. Aedan stood in front of her and put a hand on her shoulder, steadying her for a moment. Then, he quickly mounted his horse and with a swift kick sent it galloping off. The other men followed suit and soon the entrance was nearly empty of horses and carts, left only with wives, children and servants. As the gates began to close behind them, Elle could barely see the iron. Her vision had begun to blur and shift. Her feet were unsteady beneath her, though she didn’t move them. Her last sight was the ground moving up to meet her face.

- - -

Muffled voices tugged her out of her foggy sleep. Her brow furrowed with an ache in her temple. She could feel a soft bed beneath her and thick blankets covering her body. It was suffocating, weighing her down making her unable to move. She panicked and began to weakly thrash her arms and legs. “Elle, don’t move. Yer gonna ‘urt yerself an’ the babe.” Her movement stopped and her eyes flew open at the strange man’s voice. It wasn’t the fact that there was a strange man in her room that caused her such alarm. It was what he said. “B-babe?” she croaked out at the gray haired man standing at the edge of her bed. “Aye. Yer fairly early yet, but ‘avin’ a babe nonetheless.” He smiled at her as if giving her wonderful news. He continued to ramble to her in a happy bubble, but she had stopped listening. She was pregnant. Her first child with Aedan. Her hand moved up and touched her sweat covered forehead. So it wasn’t nerves that had stirred in her belly. It was a baby. A small smile graced her lips. At least there would be no more miserable nights with her husband. He would leave her be now that she was carrying his child.

A short knock at the door interrupted her happy thoughts. Rose, whom Elle hadn’t even noticed until now, crossed the room and opened the door, letting Kevan enter. Worry was evident all over his face. “'owe ya feelin'? Oi tried ter catch yer but yer still ‘it yer ‘ead.” He crossed the room quickly and rested his hand on her arm. She smiled up at him, surprised he had attempted to catch her when she fainted. She patted his hand lightly. “Thank you, Kevan. I suppose the busy day was too much for me. I had been feeling weak all day but thought nothing of it.” She paused for a moment, wondering how he might take her next sentence. “I’m going to have a babe.”