Too Scot to Hold (The Hots for Scots #8) - Caroline Lee Page 0,33

could throw the small carved wooden figures his father had made for the lads to play with, and Liam was trying to read aloud from a sheet Malcolm had written.

Smiling broadly, Davina crossed to Tomas. “Thank the saints we’re here, eh?” she asked, as she plucked a horse from his small hands.

She thought she heard his mother mutter, “Thank the saints, indeed.”

Katlyn hummed and rubbed at her lower back as she moved to stand next to the older lad at the table. “Yer reading is coming along nicely, Master Liam. Can ye read me that second sentence?”

As Davina settled herself on the floor to play with Tomas, his older brother read haltingly.

“The…male of the… What’s that word?”

Bending, Katlyn squinted at the paper. “Looks like ‘species’ to me.”

“Of the species…has a…pro—protru—nae, protusi— Oh!” Liam perked up. “I ken this one! Protrusible! And the next word starts with a ‘c’ so it’s copulatory. The male of the species has a protrusible copulatory organ!” he read proudly, then said in an aside, “That’s my favorite sentence, Aunt Katlyn.”

Kat, for her part, hummed politely and shot a look toward Evelinde, who looked uncomfortable with the whole conversation. She shrugged apologetically as she shifted on her cushioned chair, her sewing sitting forgotten on her lap.

“ ’Tis the best way to get him to study. Malcolm writes out sentences for him to practice, and he claims Liam will learn more if they’re facts he wants to—” She broke off her words on a little moan she tried to swallow, even as she stiffened.

“Evie?” Davina asked from her place on the floor. “Are ye aright?”

“Aye, fine.” Evelinde’s voice sounded strained, but she managed a smile before relaxing. “Aye. Just…” She grimaced as she picked up her sewing again. “ ’Tis natural to feel some tightness.”

Davina exchanged a worried look with Katlyn and vowed to keep a closer eye on Evie.

As the afternoon wore on, the sisters were doing most of the interacting with the lads. For her part, Evelinde seemed happy to have them distracted, so Davina made a point to make Tomas laugh as much as possible. Thank goodness he’d already napped, but as the second servant came in to tend the fire, the lad’s eyes were beginning to droop.

“I think this little one’s getting ready for bed,” Davina murmured, as she scooped Tomas up.

He was rubbing his eyes, but dropped them to shout, “Nay!” His new favorite word.

Davina and Katlyn—who was trying to find a comfortable position on the bench beside Liam—chuckled. When they glanced at Evie to see her reaction, Davina was alarmed to notice her friend’s face had gone white and was pinched with pain.

“Evelinde?” she asked, already stepping toward the seated woman.

Evie’s breath burst out of her, and she sucked in another breath, her lips pressed so tightly together there were little lines at the corners. She was breathing too rapidly, her nostrils flaring, and her eyes closed.

“Evie!”

“I think,” the dark-haired woman panted, “ ’tis time.”

Davina glanced at Katlyn, whose eyes were wide with fright. “The bairn?”

When Evie nodded, Liam whimpered and slid from the bench. He threw himself into his mother’s arms and buried his face against her swollen belly. “Mama, I dinnae want ye to hurt.”

“Och, my sweet, ‘tis—” Evie broke off with a grimace, took a moment to breathe through the pain, then continued, “ ’Tis natural. I ken ‘tis hard to remember when Tomas was born, but I was fine, and ye had a wonderful baby brother after, aye?”

“Nay!” bellowed wee Tomas.

But Liam’s eyes were frightened. “I remember ye cried because it hurt.”

“Aye, it does, but ‘tis worth it.” Evelinde gathered her son’s cheeks in her hands, still breathing too quickly through her nose. “I love ye, Liam, and I’ll bring ye a new baby brother or sister soon, aright?” When the lad nodded, she kissed him on his forehead. “Now, be a good lad and run to fetch yer father, aye? He’ll ken what to do.”

‘Twas the pain in her voice, more than anything else, which jostled Davina into moving. As Liam ran out the door, she strode across the room and thrust Tomas into Katlyn’s arms. “Ye’re in charge of the little one, Kat. Keep him happy, and Liam too, when he returns with Malcolm.”

As Katlyn nodded mutely, Davina reached for Evelinde, helping the panting woman to her feet. She was surprised to see the cushion beneath where her friend had been sitting was soaked, as was the back of her skirts.

“ ’Tis natural,” Evie offered