"Good. Now, did ye send for the doctor?"

Ho-Sing shook his head sadly. "Doctor no come."

Sheridan meant to press Ho-Sing for answers, but noticed Jules staring upat her with frightened eyes. Sheridan didn't want to concern her friend, soshe took Ho-Sing out of earshot.

"What do ye mean the doctor's not coming?" she asked in a low voice. "Yedid send for him, didn't ye?"

"Try to send stable master, but the storm send stable master back."

Sheridan closed her eyes. She had never delivered a baby by herself, onlyhelped her mother on a few occasions. Sweet Lord in heaven, what was she goingto do?

Sheridan's thought was cut off as the bedroom door flew open. Her heartlodged in her throat at the sight of the huge, black-clad man framed in thethreshold, his eyes hard, his expression menacing.

Without thought for her safety, Sheridan hurried across the room andblocked his path, as if her actions might possibly stop this hulking giantshould he want to enter.

"I don't know who ye are, ye ill-mannered lummox, but ye had better leavethis room at once!"

Piercing, black eyes settled on Sheridan. "Who the hell are you?"

Sheridan tilted her chin up, trying to still her trembling. '"Tis notimportant who I am. I want ye out of this room right now, or I'll ..." What?

"Or she'll clobber you with a wine bottle." Nicholas appeared behind thehuman brick wall, an amused expression on his face. "Or perhaps a shoe. She'sparticularly handy with rocks. And a single glare has been known to disembowela man more effectively than hari-kari. You had best watch out, William. Thisgirl is all action and very little talk."

Sheridan blinked. William? "Ye're--"

The man cut her off with a single glance. "Where is my wife?"

"William?" Jules called from across the room, her voice weepy.

The hulking giant swept past Sheridan like a black blur, rushing to hiswife's side. He kissed her sweetly on the lips and then scooped up her smallhand in his huge one and pressed it to his chest.

Sheridan smiled to herself. Her friend would need all the support she couldget in the hours to come, and there was no better medicine for a woman inlabor than to have the man she loved by her side.

Nicholas stepped up beside Sheridan, the amused grin still riding his face."You do realize that man is six-five if he's an inch and more than twice yourweight, don't you?"

Sheridan cocked a brow. "And yer point?"

Nicholas shook his head. "I've known William for twenty years and I don'trecall one female--other than Jules--having the brass to tell William what hecould or couldn't do. Most full-grown men wouldn't have the nerve. Yet youfelt bold enough to not only do just that, but to call him an ill-manneredlummox in the process. You are something else, my girl."

Sheridan refused to let the warmth of Nicholas's smile or the charm of his words affect her. She had to be strong.

"The doctor is not coming," she told him matter-of-factly.

"What?" Nicholas frowned. "Why the hell not?"

"The storm. Jeremiah tried to go for him but failed."

"Well, the damned fool didn't try hard enough," Nicholas returnedferociously, his concern for Jules evident. "I'll get the bloody doctormyself."

Sheridan knew that if Nicholas loved no other woman, he at least loved hiscousin very much. Deep down, Sheridan envied that love even as she toldherself it was wrong to be jealous.

" 'Tis a dangerous night."

Nicholas slanted a wry look at her. "Dare I hope that is worry for mywelfare in your voice?"

A retort sprang to Sheridan's lips, but she couldn't voice it. Shouldanything happen to him, she would never forgive herself. He had told her shecould not turn her love on and off like a spigot, and he was correct.

Even with all Nicholas had put her through, she still loved him. Sheprobably always would. Over time, she would learn to live with it, to accepther feelings for him as part of her.

She turned away from him and moved to the bed. A moment passed, and shewondered if Nicholas intended to say something. Then she heard the bedroomdoor open and quietly close. He was gone.

"Thank you, Miss Delaney."

With a start, Sheridan turned to the speaker. William. The menacing lookedno longer etched his face. Love and concerned had replaced it.

Sheridan refused to let her own concern show. "The name is Sheridan, andwhat are ye thankin' me for?"

"Jules told me you came back to help her." Emotion resounded in his voice."You're a true friend. I can see why my lady wife left me to wallow in despairin the country, leaving me to wander our big lonely house and miss herterribly."

Tears formed in Jules's eyes. "Did you really miss me, William?"

"Night and day, precious girl. When you were gone, I realized how little mylife means without you in it."

A tear rolled down each of Jules's cheeks. "Oh, William." She looped herarms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

Sheridan felt like an interloper watching such an intimate scene, even asshe wished, as she had so many times before, that she would be blessed withsuch a love as William and Jules shared.

Sheridan intended to leave them alone for a few minutes, but Jules's groanforestalled her.

"The babe?" William questioned.

Mutely, Jules nodded her head.

William swung worried eyes in Sheridan's direction. "What should I do?"

"The same thing as yer wife. Try to remain calm." Sheridan turned toHo-Sing, telling herself to take her own advice. Her stomach had twisted intofive knots and her palms were sweating. "Ho-Sing, please get me fresh sheets,clean towels, a knife, and warm water."

Looking as pale as Jules, Ho-Sing nodded and hurried from the room.

"Ooh!" Jules moaned, one hand clasping her stomach, the other wrapped sotightly around William's hand his fingers were turning blue.

For a moment, sheer panic rifled through Sheridan. She closed her eyes andthought of her mother's face, how she always remained calm. "Breathe."

Jules's face contorted in pain. "What?"

"I said breathe. Deep breaths, in and slowly out, until the pain recedes."

Jules did as Sheridan asked. The contraction began to ebb, but Sheridanknew the pain would only intensify in time.

Once Jules's body had relaxed, she turned her gaze to her husband, a frownpuckering her brow. "What are you doing here so late, William? And in a storm,no less?"

"I knew you needed me."

"You did?"

He nodded. "It was the strangest thing. I was exhausted by the time Iarrived in London, falling into bed as soon as my boots bit the floor. Iintended to start out for Silver Hills in the morning, but I was jarred awakeby the sound of your voice."

"My voice?"

"Yes, I heard you calling me. So I rode here hell bent for leather."

More tears coursed down Jules's cheek even as she slapped her husband inthe chest.

"What was that for?"

Jules sniffled. "For riding so fast. You could have killed yourself!"

"Lady, you amaze me."

Jules blinked, and then threw her hands over her face and sobbed.

William immediately wrapped his arms around her. "Jules, honey, don't cry.Whatever I did, I'm sorry."

Jules wailed louder.

William shot a petrified look in Sheridan's direction. "What did I say?"

Sheridan gave him a reassuring smile. " Tis just the way of a pregnant woman. All the changes in her body are making her, well, a wee bit crazy."

Jules went utterly quiet and still. "Ooh, here comes another one!" Herfrightened eyes locked with William's. He whispered soothing words as anothercontraction, more intense than the last, rocked Jules's small form. The efforttook its toll. Her face began to pale and glisten with sweat.

Ho-Sing returned with Sheridan's requested items just as Jules's waterbroke. Quickly and efficiently, Sheridan and William changed the bedsheets andput Jules into a clean nightdress.

The hours progressed, childbirth weakening Jules, making Sheridan wish shecould do more for her friend, take some of Jules's pain onto herself. But thiswas one battle Sheridan couldn't help her friend with. The best she could dowas to be strong for Jules.

With each strike of the hour on the ormulu clock, Sheridan grew more andmore concerned about Nicholas. Where was he? What was taking so long? Was heall right?

The storm had grown worse, the cold wind creeping in behind the ancienttapestries hanging on the walls. Tree branches scraped at the window as ifdemanding entrance. The tempest seemed to be keeping pace with Jules'scontractions, escalating with each pant, whimper, and shout.

"I have to push!" Jules cried, her hair plastered to her head, her eyeswide and dazed. "Please, dear God!" A contraction ripped through her. Shethrew her head back, the veins standing out in her neck.

William turned to Sheridan, his gaze pleading with her to do something.

"Don't push yet, Jules," Sheridan instructed, keeping her voice low andcalm. "Keep breathing. Just a few more minutes." Sheridan knew Jules's birthcanal had to dilate more than it was if she didn't want the baby ripping herto shreds.

Sheridan breathed with Jules, trying to keep her friend focused. "Do yeremember my story about the wee people?"

Jules nodded weakly.

"Well, picture yourself in the land of Tier na Nog."

Jules rocked her head back and forth on the pillow. "I ... can't. Mustpush."

Sheridan sat down on the side of the bed. "Ssh. I know. Just try toconcentrate. Think about blue skies and an endless beach of white sand and a beautiful castle that reaches unto the heavens."

Jules gritted her teeth, and Sheridan knew her friend was near to passingout with exhaustion. The babe was large and Jules was very small. Dear Lord,where was Nicholas?

Jules body arched off the bed with the force of the next contraction, andSheridan knew she could delay no further. She positioned herself at the end ofthe bed.

"Hold her hand tightly," she instructed William. "And keep her breathing."

He nodded, his face almost as white as his wife's.

"All right, Jules. I want ye to bear down."

Jules squeezed her eyes shut and pushed, holding her breath.

"Breathe, Jules," William ordered.

"One, two, three, four ... relax."

Jules released her breath in a whoosh. Barely a minute passed before thenext contraction.

"Come on now, Jules. Push!"

Jules had to push four more times before the baby's head crested.

"Good girl, Jules. The babe is coming. At the next contraction, I want yeto push as hard as ye can."

"I can't," she whimpered, her eyes closed. "I just can't."

"Ye can and ye will! Do ye hear me, Jules? Ye're almost done. Now, push!"

Jules scrunched up her face, a scream ripping from her as she gave a heartypush, sending out the rest of the baby's head and shoulders.

Just then, a limb crashed against the window, shattering the pane andsending glass flying.

Sheridan covered Jules as best as she could as wind and rain came rushingin. William leaped to his feet and ripped one of the pictures off the wall tojam in front of the window.

Jules cried out again. The babe was coming whether Sheridan wanted it to ornot.

Alarm rifled through Sheridan as she noted the umbilical cord was wrappedaround the baby's neck--and the baby was blue!

Oh, dear God, no. No! Not this baby!

Quickly, Sheridan unwrapped the cord and pulled the baby out the rest ofthe way, hurriedly cleaning out its mouth.

"Danny?" Jules's voice was weak. "My baby?"