Free Tracie Peterson - [Land of Shining Water 02] by The Quarryman's Bride Page A

wee bairns. Gunnar is four and Lethan just a little over a year. They’re sleeping just now, but you’ll meet them when they wake. They’re precious lads.”
    “And where is Fenella?”
    His mother glanced toward the staircase. “In her room. She is seldom anywhere else. I’ll take you up in a while. She might be glad to see you, but it’s hard to say.”
    Tavin saw his mother’s worried expression and sat down again near her. “Is she all that bad?”
    “Aye. I wish I had something braw to say.”
    “Good things to say don’t change the bad that’s going on,” Tavin said, reaching out to put his hand on hers.
    “’Tis true. The loss of her husband has caused her such grief. She’s not been able to care for the wee ones, so I’ve found myself watchin’ over her and the boys. Poor little Lethan thinks I’m his mother.” She wiped tears from her eyes once again. “I fear Fenella will never recover.”
    “Is that what the doctor says?”
    “He doesn’t know what to say or think. None of them do. She’s seen several, and they all say the same thing. They think she’s become tetched from the loss. Fenella may well be lost to us forever.”
    Her sorrowful words left Tavin wondering what he might do for her. “So,” he began in an effort to change the subject, “do you have a room for me in this new house? I thought I might stay on for a while.”
    “Oh, but ’tis joy to my soul,” she said, looking over at him with an expression of great happiness. “And of course we have room for you. There’s a nice empty room at the top of the stairs. It used to be Gillam’s, but now it can be yours. I’ll show you if you’d like.”
    “In a while. There’s no rush. Why don’t you show me around down here, Ma?”
    She nodded, and they both stood. His mother looked at him with such love and rejoicing that Tavin felt a pang in his heart that he had not returned sooner. She gave him another hug, then led him through an arched entryway into the dining room. “We can seat twelve if need be,” she told him.Running a hand along the highly polished surface of the oak table, Morna MacLachlan seemed thoughtful. “Although we seldom have company these days.”
    “It’s a lovely room, Mother.”
    “Your father gave me the furnishings as a gift for my fortieth birthday. Of course, that was some long years ago, and we could barely squeeze the table into our other place. Here it fits quite nicely.” She gave a little chuckle. “I told him I’d be expectin’ even better things when I reached fifty.”
    Tavin smiled. “And what did he say?”
    “He told me he was already hard at work to figure out exactly what that might be. He threatens to get me one of those newfangled horseless carriages. Said he could just imagine me driving it around the countryside.” She chuckled once more, then paused and looked at her son again. “He’ll be so happy to see you, Tavin. He’s missed you and worried about you for as long as you’ve been gone.”
    “I’m sorry to have caused you all to worry after me,” he said, his voice low.
    “’Tis no matter now. You’re home, and that will warm his heart. I wish I could get word to him at the quarry. ’Twould be good for Gillam, too. He and Irene could join us for supper.”
    “Perhaps another evening, Ma. I’m fairly spent from the journey.”
    She looked at him as though seeing him for the first time. “But of course you are! Here I stand, bletherin’ on like you’ve just risen from a sleep. Let me get you settled upstairs, and you can take a rest. Your father winnae be done for another two hours at best.”
    “I think I’d like that,” Tavin replied. He’d not slept muchin the last seventy-two hours, and the thought of stretching out in a real bed sounded most inviting.

    His father’s expression was more than enough to make Tavin certain he’d done the right thing in coming home. Robert MacLachlan had aged as much or more than his wife. Tavin didn’t like