Keeley smothered a smile at the obvious flirtation between Christina and Cormac. Neither could keep their eyes from the other but both fiercely pretended disinterest.

They circled to the back of the keep where a group of children were valiantly trying to scrape up the smattering of snow on the ground. The flakes had stopped falling for now, though a look at the sky told Keeley they would begin falling again at any moment.

One of the boys looked up and when he saw Mairin, he left the crowd of children and ran straight toward Mairin and Keeley.

“Mama!”

The child threw his arms around Mairin while Mairin hugged him close. Keeley watched with interest. Mairin looked far too young to have birthed a child of this age.

Mairin scrubbed the top of the boy’s head and then turned to Keeley, an indulgent smile on her face. “Crispen, I’d like you to meet Keeley. She’ll be staying with us for a while and lending us her healing skills.”

Keeley extended her hand in a solemn gesture. “ ’Tis wonderful to meet you, Crispen.”

He cocked his head and looked up at Keeley. Keeley was surprised to see anxiety flashing in the boy’s eyes.

“Are you here to attend my mama when her time comes?”

Keeley’s heart softened at the worry she heard for Mairin. What a sweet boy. She wanted to gather him in her arms and hug him tight. Mairin looked close to doing the same.

“Aye, Crispen. I’ve delivered many a babe. I’ll be attending your mother when ’tis her time to deliver.”

Relief washed through the child’s eyes and he grinned broadly. “ ’Tis good, that. Papa and I want her to have the best. She’s carrying my brother or sister!”

Keeley smiled. “Indeed she is. Do you have a preference as to boy or girl?”

Crispen wrinkled his nose and then glanced back at the group of children who were shouting for him to return. “I wouldn’t mind a sister as long as she wasn’t like Gretchen. But a brother would be nicer to play with.”

Mairin chuckled. “I think we’ve established that Gretchen is one of a kind, dearling. Run back and go play. I must finish showing Keeley around the keep.”

Crispen gave her another quick hug and then bounded back to the noisy pack in the distance.

Keeley shot Mairin an inquisitive look, not knowing where to start with the questions. Mairin shook her head. “Gretchen is a strong-minded young lady who will no doubt rule the world one day. She is the bane of Crispen and the other boys’ existence. When she’s not besting them in mock war play, she insists that she will one day become a warrior.”

Keeley grinned, easily searching out the girl named Gretchen in the group. She was sitting astride one of the boys, holding his arms to the ground while he shouted his protests.