From the village came the faraway sputtering of the first fireworks.

A thought came to Martha and she spoke it before she could stop herself. “What if it’s all a lie? What if she’s not really sick at all?”

Daniel might have tried to calm her fears by reminding her that Hannah would not be so easily fooled. Instead he said, “What would that gain her?”

Martha lifted a shoulder. “She might want us off guard. She might have come for Nicholas and known we wouldn’t give him up. Maybe it’s got something to do with the Bleeding Heart and the orchard. Maybe she plans on kidnapping Nicholas and holding him until she gets what she wants from Callie.”

Daniel said, “Would you feel better if I went to make sure Nicholas is safe? I’ll take Abel and I can be back in an hour or less. Maybe Callie and Ethan will let me bring him back here, if that will keep him out of harm’s way.”

For a long moment Martha tried to convince herself that to send Daniel back to the village after such an exhausting day would be self-indulgent and selfish, but the truth was, she was uneasy. And something else she hadn’t said, and could not say, was that she would be glad of the hour alone. An hour of quiet to try to make sense of the image he had put in her head, of her mother weeping in the deep of the woods on the day she was conceived.

So many of her memories of Jemima had to do with her mother’s determination to get what she needed and wanted at any cost. Curiosity had asked if maybe that wasn’t the worst thing you could accuse a woman of, fighting to survive. But Curiosity didn’t know about what had happened on the bridge that winter.

“Martha?”

“It would be very good of you, if you aren’t too tired.”

Daniel kissed her on the brow, his hand resting lightly on the nape of her neck. “I’ll be as quick as I can.”

She was sitting on the porch when he came around from the stable a few minutes later, leading Abel. Daniel’s smile was like a balm, and for a moment she thought of changing her mind and telling him that she was being silly; he needn’t go back to the village again. They could sit together and listen to the fireworks, and then later there was their bed and sleep. She would sleep for a day, and when she woke up her head would be clear. Answers would present themselves.

Instead she said, “Could you bring Hopper home with you too?”

“Whatever you need, darlin’.”

“I need you,” she said, and she managed a smile. “Don’t dawdle.”

He winked at her, her beautiful husband who knew the worst, and who loved her nonetheless. When he was gone, she went inside to wait for him.

Lily’s suspicions about Jennet were proved true just past dark when the fireworks began in the village and Luke came through the door.

He took one look at her and said, “When did the pains start?”

Jennet put out her hands and he pulled her out of her chair. “Och, dinnae fret. I’ve done this before, after all.” She turned her head to wink at Lily over her shoulder.

“I thought you might have started,” Lily said.

“And you kept your questions to yourself, for which I thank you. I’ll be as happy as the next woman when I’ve got this child on the outside of me, but there will be no peace for months to come. This afternoon meant a great deal to me.”

Luke was in the hall calling for Curiosity.

Jennet said, “You could come along, if you like.” And then, in response to the look on Lily’s face, “Aye, and why would you?”

“If you would like me there, I will come and gladly,” Lily said.

Simon came galloping, bursting into the hall like a boy with an excess of energy. He had taken the time to wash at the pump, so that his hair was damp, his face was new scrubbed, and his expression alarmed.

“Lily,” he said, trying not to scowl and failing, “where is it you think you’re going?”

“She’ll stay right where she is, Ballentyne,” Jennet said, one hand supporting her belly. “I’m away to split myself in two. And here’s Curiosity, to help me along.”

“You are very calm,” Lily said to her.

“For the moment, aye. I’ll do my fair share of shouting by morning.”

“You’re going to walk to Downhill House?” Simon looked aghast. “Why not stay here in your own chamber?”

“Don’t look at me,” Luke said. “I’ve got no say in any of this.”

Curiosity said, “That’s right. This is women’s business. Come, Jennet, a walk will move things along nicely and my guess is, the shouting will be over long before morning.” Then she turned and gave Simon a pointed look. “You go on ahead and tell the story that has got to be told.”

Then Lily was alone with Simon, who collapsed next to her on the chaise longue.

“So, my blueberry. Can you tell me why Jennet’s been taken off to Downhill House?”

“Because that’s where Hannah has all her supplies and medications,” Lily said. “That’s where she’ll want me to be when my time comes.”

“And the bairns?”

“They’ll send them all over here for the night,” Lily said. “So they can distract one another from worry about Jennet.”

“And distract us too, forbye.” He put a hand on her belly.

Recently Simon had taken to patting her and waiting for a response, which often came in the form of a solid thump or two. The first time this happened his surprise and delight told Lily that he had been afraid to hope. With that soft thump, he finally realized that this child was coming. Tears had filled his eyes, and that alone made all the worry and discomfort worthwhile.