Chattan Bride

Chapter 11 - Part 2

"Isabel was very eager to keep Gillian here until the arrival of her baby. In one of her letters she had implied that Henry might have caused Gillian to lose her last child. Has she mentioned to you any of her plans?"

"It may have to do with the treaty she signed with Henry. She relinquished all intentions of inheriting Bamborough if he would withdraw from her. We would have been crushed against the two armies of Gilbert and Henry. It saved us at great cost to her future. I wondered if she would regret it."

"You think she wishes to go back on her word? It doesn't sound like Isabel," Alysandir considered.

"She's put her heart into this place and lost her father in the process. It wouldn't surprise me if she were planning a way to win her inheritance back. Her father made it clear that he desired her to claim Bamborough when he died."

"How did the treaty read?"

"All I know is that her father hoped for Lady Isabel's second son to inherit this place. If such were impossible, then succession would fall to Gillian's second son if Isabel raised him. Only she has truly cared for Bamborough. When Gillian seemed to take the lead in the race for succession, Gilbert interfered. He was seeking Isabel's annulment so that he could claim her and their heir could rightfully inherit Bamborough and the baronetcy. Henry's reasoning for withdrawing his hand seemed like watered down logic to Isabel. If Henry cared for Bamborough or the rights of his second son, he would never have fought against Isabel."

"Yet Gilbert convinced him to fight her by instilling fear of Scotland's infringement into England's territory by reason of marriage," he shook his head.

"So Lady Isabel's treaty with Henry was that she would relinquish her rights to Bamborough and vow to protect the placement of the border for its future heir," explained Andrew.

"And watch all she has worked for fall into disrepair," Alysandir lamented. "It would break her heart. So with the birth of Gillian's second son looming, Isabel may have changed her mind." He could not speak what he deduced her intentions were, but his mind shouted it. She was going to kill Gillian's newborn. When Henry came to fetch her, that opportunity was lost. Alysandir too had to fight for his inheritance, but it was against men that he battled, not helpless infants. He must convince her that her logic was cruel and mad.

A scratching at the door awoke Isabel.

"Isabel, you must hurry." It was Annie. She pulled the covers from her and unlatched the door allowing the old woman's entrance.

"What is it?" she asked with her unbound hair enshrouding all but her face down to her hips.

"You wanted me to tell you when any of the women we visited began to give birth. Well, the first of the seven began her labor an hour ago."

Isabel threw on a dress and the two women ran for the stables. Annie attended to the mother with utmost care and the happy result was a lusty cry from a baby girl. The mixture of myrrh that Isabel brought was unnecessary. She had to be glad that the child had survived. After all, Gillian was still three and a half weeks away from her own birth. Isabel did not believe that the myrrh would preserve the body for quite so long as her father's because of the heat of the summer. Six more women were yet due and in these she placed her hope, even though such hope rendered her heartless.

Evening was falling as the two journeyed back to the castle when the dairymaid ran to meet them. Revenge would have nipped her shoulder if Isabel had not reined him in at the first jerk toward the unsuspecting young girl.