Chapter 1

"Oof" Claire landed flat on her back.

In tears.

In pain.

Alone.

She was still a moment, staring at the back of her eyelids. Slowly she sat up, and promptly vomited. Claire wiped her mouth and closed her eyes as the dizziness overwhelmed her and she lay back down.

Claire stood up, wiping her mouth and looked around...definitely not where she came from, no Jamie, no sounds of war starting. She started walking down the hill and saw the road. An ugly blacktop that covered the ground. She made it out the road, picked a direction and started walking.

And crying.

Get it together Beachamp. You're doing this for the baby. Focus on having a child.

After what felt like miles and many reminders of why she was here instead of tending to the wounded at Culloden Moor she hears a motor and freezes.

Slowly she turns and looks at the car, the driver of which stops, gets out and stares at her.

"What year is it?" Claire asks the driver.

"What?" He turns his head sideways and looks at her.

"What year is it?" Claire asks as loud as her painful head allows.

"1948. Are you okay?"

Claire sits on the road and starts crying. Thick heavy sobs that tug at the little energy she had left. Jamie is gone.

The driver managed to get her up and in the car. When his question of where he could take her went unanswered, he drove her to the hospital. Claire managed to thank him and got out of the car by herself. She thought about the tiny bit of Jamie and herself growing inside her and went into the hospital to get checked out.

"You're about 2 months pregnant." The doctor is telling her. "Did you know?"

Claire sighed with relief, the baby made it through the stones, thank God.

The Doctor was still talking. "How can I reach your husband?" She stares at him, then he nodded at the ring on her left hand. Claire thought that only Mrs. Graham would understand and gave the information to reach her at the manse.

"You have a visitor." Nurse Drever led someone through the hospital room door. Claire saw Mrs. Graham smile at her.

"You need to stay put." The nurse got to her bed just as Claire was getting one foot to the floor.

"Okay, okay." Claire put her foot back under the blanket just as Mrs. Graham settled in the only chair.

"Thank goodness you got the phone call from the doctor, I was worried the Reverend would get it and call Frank." Mrs. Graham looked at the floor.

"I'm sorry dear, the Reverend did get the call. You have about a day and a half before Frank gets here."

Claire sat up straighter in the bed, "That's fine, let me tell you what happened and I will tell you my plan."

Mrs. Graham was an attentive audience and asked all the right questions while Claire told the story of what happened.

"Oh Claire, what are you going to do?"

"Mrs. Graham,-"

"O dear, call me Violet."

"Thank you, that's such a nice name, Violet." Claire sighs and smiles looking directly at her, `` I'm going back." Claire proceeds to tell her the plan

Two hours later Mrs. Graham left the hospital with a new to-do list smiling to herself at the energy of young people.

-1 week later-

"I can't believe you really want a divorce. I thought when things settled down you would come back to me." Frank didn't know what he felt...anger...relief?

Claire sat down and sighed, "Frank, whether you believe me or not about traveling I am pregnant and I do love another man. You deserve the freedom to find someone who loves you like I used too." Claire needed the divorce, scandal or not.

"But don't anymore?" Frank looked very angry.

"A part of me will always love you, just not like I used too and not like you deserve. All I ask is to have whatever money is left from Uncle Lamb."

Frank opened his wallet and tossed money at her. "Take what you want, but give me another chance. We have a marriage, we had a life together, and you are pregnant. Can you throw it out so simply?" He was pacing now.

"You don't understand, I lived with another man as husband and wife for 3 years Frank. I love him." It sounded cruel, but Claire had to make him see they were no longer suitable.

Frank stormed out yelling "Fine, break up our family!"

Two weeks later Claire is having their weekly tea with Mrs. Graham while the Reverend is out.

"I got the papers this morning, you are having tea with a divorced woman." Claire smiles.

"I know dear, it was actually in the local paper. Mr. Frank Randel divorces the pregnant fairy woman"

"I wish I could lose that name, fairy woman. I want to leave the hotel but no one will rent to the fairy woman." Claire shakes her head.

Roger runs into the kitchen and asks for a cookie which Claire gives him. "He is so sweet."

"Aye, when he wants something." Violet ruffles his hair and shoos him out of the kitchen.

"Will you reconsider moving in here?" As Claire starts to shake her head Violet rushes on, "Frank left again 3 days ago and is not planning to return anytime soon."

"The hotel is fine, it suits me." Claire reassured the older woman. "It's a block from the grocery store and 2 blocks from the hospital. I did get the job so I will be a part time nurse at the hospital and the walk does me good." Claire put her cup down and looked at the clock.

"Speaking of which I need to go, I have a doctor's appointment."

"Please let me drive you."

Claire looked back at the clock then smiled at Violet and nodded. "Thank you, that would be great."

"TWINS?!"

"Mrs. Randel please lower your voice. I suspected twins, this is why I requested you bring your husband." The doctor was looking at her from across the desk like she was a child.

"It's Beachamp thank you, I am divorced in case you didn't see today's paper."

"Yes, well…" The doctor mutters something then really looks at her, "Yes, Mrs. Beachamp twins. You are 3 months pregnant with twins." He paused to let that sink in.

"I understand you are working at the hospital?"

"Part time, yes" Claire's brain is starting to understand the word twins. Two of Jamie's babies instead of one. She smiles.

"I want you to plan to stop work at 7 months. Everything looks perfectly fine but twins are at higher risk. Will you stop working in four months?"

Thank you Uncle Lamb she thought, and not for the first time. "Yes, that won't be a problem."

Claire walks slowly back to her hotel, stopping in the shops where she has become a regular. In the fabric and dress shop the clerk tells her of a new high quality wool they received and Claire purchased 32 yards. At the antique shop she was able to secure more 200 year old coins. She smiled to herself as the hotel came into view. She had time. She would be ready the next time she went through the stones. Claire got into her room and laid her bags on the table next to the sewing machine. She would have two babies. She smiled as she lay on the bed for a nap full of pleasant dreaming.