A CHRISTMAS WISH

Chapter 43: The Fair, Part 2

It was early days yet, Sarah told herself reasonably, it could just be late, but something in her gut told her that wasn't the case. No, something told her she was going to have her own little bundle of joy to play with soon enough. And far from scaring her, the thought made her want to laugh. She loved children, Iain told her often enough she acted like one, but that was beside the point. To have one of her very own, one to love and to hold and to pamper and dress up, to spoil rotten, well that was a very different feeling altogether. The emotions those thoughts evoked in her heart were almost overwhelming. It was all she could do to hold them all inside and not let the dam burst.

Which was another reason this current impasse with Iain was so much harder to bear.

Sarah yearned to reveal her suspicions to him, yearned to tell him that they would be having their own little mite soon enough, but she couldn't, not just yet.

Not until this fight was settled.

Hard as it was, Sarah felt an obligation to all the Mclaughlin women who had stood by her, even if they had done so off their own accord, completely uninvited to do so by her.

"Lady Sarah, did ye 'ear me?"

Sarah jerked, snapped out of her reverie with a jolt, "Sorry Briggitte, I was busy daydreaming,"

"Not tae worry Lady Sarah," Briggitte said smiling kindly, "I wis just remindin' ye of the meetin' this evenin' the women should be 'ere any moment naw",

"Oh right," Sarah exclaimed, "The meeting,"

She tried to muster a semblance of enthusiasm but failed miserably.

Sarah was really not in the mood to have another gathering right now. But the women had taken to these so called meetings like ducks to water. Every week there was one, and the older women in the village got together for them like it was a session in the house of commons. It was becoming a bit ridiculous, but Sarah didn't have the heart to rain on their parade.

Truth be told all she wanted to do was capitulate and screw Iain to within an inch of his life, but then learning she was going to be a mother did very strange things to her errant thought processes.

As if on cue, the door to the cottage creaked open, to let in a deluge of chattering women, noisy as bunch of magpies.

Sarah stood up and welcomed the ladies in, smiling broadly. 

Pleasantries and hugs were quickly exchanged and it seemed every woman who had come in rushed straight towards the baby ooing and aahing before settling down to talk business.

Morag was the first to pipe up, "So what dae we 'ave on the agenda today, Lady Sarah?

"What would you suggest we discuss Morag?" Sarah asked in return, " I leave the floor to you,"

Sarah could not help but smile as the battle axx of the Mclaughlin village raised her heaving bosom at that honour and immediately launched into an enthusiastic diatribe against the village men. The assenting murmurs of approval by the other ladies assembled in the room as they listened seriously to everything Morag said made Sarah grin. To think she would be this comfortable with women from a time and place not her own, still surprised her.

Sarah let Morag hold fort as she drifted again into her own musings. Her thoughts turning yet again to the miracle developing in her belly and her smile turned wistful.

Sarah surreptitiously surveyed everyone in the small room, she looked unseeing at the rapt faces of all these lovely women, young and old, this unlikely sisterhood, this happy gaggle of mothers and grandmothers, daughters and wives, sisters and friends, Clanswomen. And for the millionth time in the last few days Sarah felt her heart fill with gratitude. They had truly accepted her into their fold, embraced her as no one else ever had before and Sarah finally felt content, she belonged.