In Scot Water - Caroline Lee Page 0,61

propensities lurking in this very region?”

Rocque glanced around, looking uneasy, while Kiergan began to chuckle.

And Tomas chose that opportune moment to spit up.

“Oh, fook me!” Finn yelled, yanking the bairn away from his shoulder, holding him at arm’s length. But it was too late.

“I told ye so,” Malcolm said with a nod. “Ye have to get used to that sort of thing, if ye’re going to be a da.”

Finn was scowling at his shoulder, while the bairn kicked his feet and burbled happily. “Oh, like ye’re suddenly an expert?”

“I do have two sons, ye ken,” Malcolm said in a haughty tone, as he reached for the bairn. “Come to Da, wee laddie.”

Rocque, apparently over his confusion, peered down at the happy bairn with a smile. “He’s a fine-looking son, Mal. He’s got yer eyes.”

Quietly, Malcolm agreed. “Aye, but Evie says her mother’s eyes were the same color as ours. Her husband, Tomas’s first father, looked naught like the lads. They both take after her.”

“Ye willnae let them forget him, will ye?” Alistair asked solemnly. “Her first husband?”

“I dinnae ken him, but he will always be their first father,” Malcolm promised.

Over Finn’s shoulder, he saw Liam charging toward their little group; Nanny hot on his heels.

“Da!” the lad called, skidding to a stop. “Da, did ye hear me? The drummer let me pound on his drum! He said I was a natural!”

Chuckling, Malcolm nodded. “I’m sure ye were. Have ye been eating lots of treats?”

“Aye! Moira gave me two cakes, and then Granda slipped me another one!” The evidence of the boy’s gluttony was visible on his cheeks and chin when he grinned. “And Aunt Agatha told me about the ghost!”

“The drummer?” Rocque squatted beside the lad. “Have ye heard him?”

“Nay, but Aunt Agatha says I’ll no’ hear him until I’m old enough to fall in love. She says he dooms whoever hears him to fall in love! Doooom!” Liam turned to Malcolm. “Did ye hear him, Da?”

To Malcolm’s surprise, all of his brothers turned to look at him.

“Aye, Mal,” Duncan asked blandly. “Did ye hear him?”

Malcolm shrugged. “Ye ken I dinnae believe in such nonsense as ghosts.”

Finn was still wiping at the spit-up on his shoulder. “He met and married Evelinde before he had a chance to be bothered by the bloody nuisance, remember? And she’s only been in the castle a sennight!”

Malcolm’s grin grew as he realized what Finn meant. If Evelinde had fallen in love with him before they reached Oliphant Castle, then she wouldn’t have had the chance to hear the drummer.

Yesterday, they’d spoken of the folktale, and she admitted to him that—on her first night here in the castle, when she’d been so angry with him—she heard the drumming. And he, in turn, had admitted he’d heard the damnable noise as well.

But there was no need to tell his brothers that and ruin such a good reputation for logic.

Liam was tugging at Malcolm’s hand. “Can Nanny sleep in my bed tonight? I dinnae want to hear the ghostly drummer!”

Chuckling, Malcolm patted his son’s head. “Dinnae worry, laddie. Nanny will protect ye.”

At that moment, he saw Evelinde working her way through the crowd toward him, and he suddenly wanted to talk to her about more than just the drummer. Distractedly, he handed wee Tomas to Rocque. “Here, brother.”

It was almost comical, the way Rocque held the bairn at arms’ length with a confused expression. “What am I supposed to do with him?”

“Cradle his head,” Kiergan offered. “Are they no’ floppy at that age?”

His twin elbowed him. “That bairn is too auld for that. Only newborns are floppy.”

Rocque was looking downright terrified as he pulled Tomas against his chest, then up to his shoulder. “Am I doing this right?”

Tomas burbled and reached for Rocque’s beard.

“Dinnae pat his bottom,” Finn warned with a scowl, “or he’ll vomit on ye. ‘Tis part of his propensity.”

Rocque’s eyes widened. “I’ve got to worry about snakes now too?’

Patting Nanny’s head, Liam smiled. “Dinnae worry, Uncle Rocque, me and Nanny will protect ye from snakes.”

Malcolm chuckled, his attention still on his approaching wife. “Liam, dinnae eat too many more cakes or ye might be sick. Rocque, pass Tomas back off to Lara when ye tire of practicing fatherhood. Tell her we’ll be up to the nursery later to tuck in both lads.”

Kiergan began to chuckle as he understood Malcolm’s intentions.

As Malcolm stepped away from his brothers, he heard Finn say, “Hey, Liam, do me a favor? Call Duncan ‘Uncle Duncle’ would ye?”

This was followed

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