Page 15 of A Promise Through Time

“Well and happy,” she answered, looking at the other three men with him. She knew Cailin was taken, so trying not to be too obvious, she snuck a peek at each of them.

Ashley must have read her like a book. “This is Dougall,” she said pointing to the blonde man. “He’s Helene’s husband. Cormac is Cailin’s brother, he’s married to Jenna and Logan is married to Sara.”

So, they were all spoken for, except the one holding the baby.

“And this is Donal,” she said, a note of disapproval in her voice.

“Ashley, would ye like to hold the wee lass?” he asked, holding the baby out to her. There was something in his voice that almost sounded like pleading.

“What’s her name?” Ashley wondered.

“I dinnae ken it. They didnae tell me. She was put in me arms and they walked away. Can ye believe it?” He placed the baby into Ashley’s outstretched arms, seeming relieved to hand her off to someone else.

The poor guy’s in shock,Tina thought. It tore at her heart that this baby was just abandoned like that. What kind of place was this?

“What’s her mother’s name?” Ashley asked.

“Her Ma has passed, but her name was Sionaid.”

“Then that’s what ye should call her.” She tickled the child under her chin, smiling at her. “Would ye like that, sweetie? She looks to be about ten months old.”

Donal shrugged. He apparently knew nothing, which didn’t bode well for this little one.

“Of course, if ye have another name you prefer, you could call her that,” Ashley said.

“I’ve not one.” He looked at Tina. “Not yet.”

“Well, think on it. And, Donal, don’t worry. We’ll help ye care for her. None of this is her fault.”

Again, Tina noted the tone Ashley was using with him and she wondered why this woman didn’t care for him.

“Cailin, he’ll need to sleep somewhere other than the soldier’s barracks. We can’t have this sweet little one sleeping with all those smelly men, can we?”

“We’ll find ye a room here in the castle for now. Ye’ll need a cottage of yer own so ye can raise her proper,” Cailin added.

Donal looked as if he might collapse right there on the spot. “He looks like he needs to sit down,” Tina noted.

“I’d have to agree,” Ashley said. “Donal, here, sit.”

“Thank ye, Lady Ashley.” Tina couldn’t believe that the grandparents would just leave a baby here like this. Tina’s mother and father would never have done that. She took a good look at the little one for the first time. “Hi, sweetie,” she said, placing her finger in the baby’s hand. “I’m so sorry about your mother.” She received a giggle for her efforts. “Aren’t you adorable?”

“Would you mind holding her for a minute?” Ashley asked.

“You don’t have to ask twice,” Tina took the baby and cradled her like a pro. “My brother has kids and Elle’s expecting.”

“Hamish will be a Da?” Donal said, a certain amount of astonishment in his voice.

“He will. Like you.” Tina’s heart ached for Donal. He’d lost his wife and now he found himself with a child to care for. He seemed ill-equipped. “This must be hard for you,” Tina said. “Losing your wife and all.” She had no idea how things worked here. She guessed because he was a soldier that he didn’t live at home with his wife. Maybe it was one of those arranged marriages she had read about. He looked so lost, her heart went out to him.

Chapter 4

Donal’s luck hadn’t been the best of late, but it seemed things might be changing a wee bit in his favor. This lass could be the answer to his as yet unsaid prayers. She seemed to know something about bairns and was quite sympathetic to his plight. Perhaps he could convince her to take the wee lass she held in her arms. A twinge of guilt hit him as he rose from the chair and approached Tina, but he couldn’t let that stop him. It was what would be best for the wee one and for himself.

“What would ye name her?” he asked, inhaling an unfamiliar perfumed scent as he lowered his head so it was right next to hers. He gazed down at the babe. He’d never paid much attention to bairns before, so it was with some surprise that he noticed how small she was. His large hand seemed almost too big to touch her wee face, but instead he reached out one finger as he’d observed Robert doing and traced her forehead, nose and cheeks down to her sweet, wee chin.

“Hmmm… I’d have to think about it. You don’t want to name her after her mother?”

The question was laced with pity and he thought it possible to use it to his advantage. “I couldnae possibly name her after her Ma, ’twould hurt too much to say her name.” He hitched his breath as if holding back a sob.