Extended Epilogues

Five Years Later

Brandon leaped into the pool with a splash, and Evander shrieked, swimming as fast as he could across the water as Brandon chased after him.

“Mother, the monster, the monster,” he cried out, as Brandon caught him and tossed him up in the air so that he fell back int the water with a shriek, laughing so much that he swallowed a great mouthful of water, emerging spluttering as Brandon pulled him back to the bank.

“Ye need to learn to swim fast, Evander. Otherwise, the monster will always catch ye,” Marion said, smiling, as Evander pulled himself out of the water and rolled onto his back.

The sun was shining down through the trees above, the water in the pool sparkling, crystal clear, and deep blue, where the waterfall gushed down from the rocks. Marion and Brandon had come to spend the day in the canyon with Evander and his brother, Gregory—named in honor of Brandon’s old mentor who had passed away four seasons prior—who, at only four years old, was too young yet to swim.

“When will Gregory swim with me, Mother?” Evander asked, looking at his brother, who was sitting in the sun, pulling at tufts of grass and chattering to himself.

“When he is a little older, then we shall teach him to swim. But until then, ‘tis only ye the monster will chase,” Marion replied.

“I can swim faster than the monster,” Evander said, and he turned to Brandon, who was just hauling himself up onto the bank.

“Is that so? Well, we shall just see about that,” Brandon replied.

But Evander now leaped forward, pushing Brandon back off the rock and into the pool, letting out a triumphant cry as he swam strongly across the pool to the waterfall, leaving Brandon flailing in his wake.

“Well now, maybe the monster is defeated,” Marion said, laughing at the sight of Brandon, who now pulled himself back out of the water.

“‘Tis a brave lad who pushes his laird into the water. Few could get away with it,” he said, smiling as Marion handed him his shirt.

It was the middle of summer, and the canyon was blooming with flowers of every shade and color, filled with life. They had left the castle early that morning, riding through the forest on horseback, Evander riding his own stead, which Brandon had bought him for his thirteenth birthday. It was called Flash and was grazing happily next to Marion and Brandon’s horses at the edge of the clearing.

“Ye let Evander get away with anythin’—will ye be so forgivin’ to Gregory,” she asked, and Brandon smiled, reaching down and picking up the little boy, who smiled and patted him on the cheek.

“I dote on them both. This little lad will grow up to be just like, Evander, I am sure, and I shall be forever chasin’ after them both,” he said, hanging Gregory to Marion, who called out for Evander to swim back to the bank.

“Must we go, Mother? I want to swim, and I want the monster to come and swim, too,” he said, as Brandon reached out his hand into the water and splashed Evander, who shrieked and dived back in.

“We can come again later this week, or Allie will bring ye when she comes to gather herbs and plants. But we must go now, Evander. The feast for the harvest festival is tonight, and there is still much to dae,” she said, beckoning him out of the water.

The harvest festival was now an eagerly anticipated feast, the traditional celebration of the summer and the bounty of the fields. A great feast was held in the great hall, and all the clan came together in unity, and to swear their loyalty to the laird. There was dancing and merrymaking long into the night, and the festival had become one of Marion’s favorite times of the year. There had been much to organize, and now they returned through the woodlands, in eager anticipation of all that was to come.

XXX

“They have hung the banners as I wished,” Brandon said, looking up approvingly at the castle walls, where the colors of the clan hung fluttering in the breeze.

They had reached the castle gates now, and the soldiers had hurried to greet them, saluting the laird, who now climbed down from his horse to make inspection.

“Have the first guests arrived yet?” Marion called out, and the soldier nodded.

“Aye, mistress, they started to arrive an hour or so ago. Ye will see their horses tethered in the courtyard,” he replied.

Marion, too, slipped down from her horse, making her way through the gates, with Gregory in her arms. Evander was old enough to lead the horse himself now, and he hurried off the to the stables, as Marion followed Brandon into the keep.

“I shall put Gregory in his bed for an hour or so, Brandon. Otherwise, he will be too tired for the feast,” she said, and Brandon nodded.

“Aye, the guests shall want to see him, I am sure,” he said, and Marion made her way upstairs to their chambers, meeting Allie as she went.

“Did they enjoy swimmin’ in the pool?” she asked, putting her hand on Gregory’s head, and smiling.

“Aye, they did. Though Gregory is still too small for the water, he played at the side while Brandon and Evander swam,” she replied, and Allie nodded.

“And are ye all right, Marion? Ye look tired, lass,” she said, and Marion sighed.

“I have been feelin’ tired lately, aye. But ‘tis nothin’—only the feast, I have had much to organize. But now it has arrived, I can enjoy it. See ye later,” she said, opening the door into her and Brandon’s chambers and laying Gregory down to sleep on the bed.

He smiled up at her, chattering away as he was wont to do. He had Brandon’s eyes, and she smiled down at him, tickling him on his stomach.

“Mama, I go to the feast,” he said, and she nodded.

“Aye, ye shall go to the feast, and sit next to yer brother. Go to sleep now for a while. I shall sit her by the window,” she said, taking up her embroidery and sitting in a chair which gave a view down into the courtyard.

Allie was right. She was tired, and despite the excitement of the day, she found herself nodding off. She awoke to the sound of Brandon entering the room, startled, as he stood before her, smiling.

“Did I wake ye?” he asked, and she leaped to her feet in surprise.

“Oh, ‘tis the hour already? There is still so much to dae,” she exclaimed, but he raised his hands and shook his head.

“All is done, Marion. Ye need only splash yer face with water and put on yer shawl. Come now, the clan has assembled. The feast is about to begin,” he said, smiling at her as he shook Gregory gently awake.

A few moments later, Marion was ready, and carrying Gregory in her arms, she followed Brandon down to the great hall. She could hear voices long before they reached the doors—this was the most eagerly anticipated moment in the year, and it seemed that more so than ever, the clan had made an effort to gather as one.

“There are hundreds here,” she exclaimed, gazing around the great hall,” and Brandon turned to her with a smile.

“Aye, the whole glen must be the preserve of the animals tonight, for every MacInnes is gathered here,” he said, as the pipers began to play.

Marion took his arm, still with Gregory on her other, and they walked down the central aisle in procession to the high table, where Evander and Allie were already sitting.

“Hail our noble laird, master of the MacInnes,” Oren said, standing to welcome Brandon, who nodded and turned to greet the clan.

“My friends, welcome. ‘Tis an honor to have ye here, an honor for us to gather as one on this most glorious feast when we celebrate the good news of the harvest, and all that we have accomplished in this year gone by,” he said, and a cheer rang out from the assembled clan.

What they had accomplished that year had been considerable—new farms had been established on the far side of the loch, and a village was under construction a mile or so along the shore from the castle which would allow for boats to easily be put out on that side of the loch to fish. The castle’s defenses had been strengthened and alliances forged with several clans to the north, and a pact agreed to defend the border against English marauders. Marion was proud of Brandon for all he had achieved, and thankful for the part she had played in encouraging the women of the clan to make goods to sell at the market and establish a school in the village for the children.

“Ye have done much that is good, Brandon,” Allie said, as Brandon took his seat.

“Aye, but there is still much more to dae, I know that,” Brandon replied, as wine was poured, and the feast began.

There was all manner of good things to eat, and the clansmen tucked in hungrily, helping themselves from platters of meat, pastries, and sweetmeats, dishes of vegetables, soups, and breads. Brandon had ordered barrels from the cellars to be tapped, and wine flowed in abundance. It was a true celebration, and Marion looked around her with a smile on her face, pleased to see the unity of the clan there before her.

“‘Tis a grand gatherin’ and so good to see everyone comin’ together like this,” Marion said, after she had finished her meal and pushed her plate to one side.

“And the dancin’ to come. I hope ye have nae forgotten how,” Brandon said, and Marion laughed.

“‘Tis nae that long since I danced, Brandon. Be careful ye daenae step on my feet,” she said, winking at him.

When the guests had eaten and drank their fill, the long trestle table was pushed back and the fire in the hearth was kindled with a great log from the forest—a symbol of their strength for the coming winter. The minstrels filed in, ready to play a merry tune, and the guests joined together for the dance. Evander made a show of asking Allie to dance with him, and Marion laughed to see him escorting her down the steps from the dais.

“And what of ye, Gregory, will ye dance with mother and father?” she asked, picking Gregory up and following Brandon into the throng.

The minstrels struck up their tune, and there was much laughter and joy as everyone joined in the dance. Brandon and Marion joined hands with Gregory and danced in a circle, the great hall coming alive as the music echoed all around. Marion could not have felt happier than to be surrounded by her family and the clan she loved. To be its mistress was her privilege and honor, a duty she took very seriously, one she knew she had been destined for.

“Ye have nae forgotten how to dance, lass,” Brandon said, and she raised her eyebrows at him.

“And ye have only stepped on my feet twice, Brandon, ye… oh,” she gasped, clutching at her side.

A terrible pain had just shot through her, and she stumbled, fortunate that Brandon was there to catch her.

“Marion, what is wrong?” he exclaimed, as the music came to a stop and all eyes turned toward them.

“I daenae know…” she said, as another sharp pain coursed through her.

Allie now came hurrying up, and she and Brandon lifted Marion to her feet, Evander and Gregory looking fearfully on.

“Come now, we must get her upstairs to bed, make way there,” Allie said, and the way through the great hall was cleared, the clansmen looking anxiously on.

“Mother?” Evander asked, his voice sounding fearful.

“I will be all right, Evander. Take care of Gregory now, will ye?” Marion replied, but she felt far from all right, barely making it up the stairs without collapsing again.

Brandon brought her to their chambers and laid her on the bed, and Allie hurried to stoke up the fire before going to her workshop and returning with all manner of ointments and remedies.

“What is wrong with her, Mother?” Brandon asked, and Allie shook her head.

“I must examine her first, then we shall know better. But first, a little of this on the lips. It will take away some of the pain,” she said, and she applied some of the ointment to Marion’s lips.

It was sweet, and its effects were almost instant, the pain subsiding, as Marion breathed a sigh of relief.

“I could barely stand, I was in such pain,” she said, looking up at Brandon, whose face was anxious.

“Ye have done too much these days past in preparin’ for the feast and ridin’ out today. I should nae have suggested it. I am…” he began, but she shushed him.

“Nae, Brandon, ‘tis nae yer fault. I am just tired, I am sure of it,” she said, as Allie began to examine her.

“Have ye been feelin’ unwell these past few days, Marion? Ye would tell us if ye were?” she asked, but Marion shook her head.

“‘Tis the first time I have felt like this, truly, so,” she said, and Allie nodded, running her hands gently over Marion’s stomach, before looking up with a smile.

“When did ye last bleed?” she asked, and Marion thought for a moment.

“Oh, but I have nae—ye daenae think that…” she began, and Allie smiled.

“‘Tis a simple explanation,” she said, and Marion glanced at Brandon, who looked puzzled.

“She is ill, Mother,” he said, but Allie shook her head.

“Nay, Brandon, foolish lad. She is with child,” she said, and Marion gave an exclamation of surprise.

“Oh, ‘tis I who am foolish then,” she cried.

She should have known the signs, but in the busyness of their preparations, she had barely had time to think. It all made sense now—the tiredness, the change in mood, the pain in her side, that was surely only a cramp, brought on by the exertion of the dance, and now she smiled, filled with joy at the news which Allie had given her.

“Then this is a happy day, indeed,” Brandon exclaimed, and he embraced Marion, kissing her, before turning to his mother with a smile and doing the same.

“A brother—or a sister—for the other two. They shall be so excited,” Allie exclaimed.

“Have the castle bell tolled, it must be proclaimed. Oh, this is the greatest of days,” Brandon said, his face now filled with joy at the prospect of being a father once again.

Allie hurried off to spread the good news, for the rest of the clan were surely waiting anxiously for news of the mistress. Brandon sat down on the side of the bed, and leaned forward to put his arms around Marion, kissing her again.

“Now, Brandon, ye must nae treat me as an invalid,” she said, but he only laughed.

“I would nae be allowed to, but ye are so precious to me, Marion, how I love ye,” he said, their lips meeting in a further kiss.

“And how fortunate we are to have been blessed like this—not once, but twice,” she said.

The thought of another child brought joy to her heart, as she knew it did to Brandon, too. Truly, they were blessed, and as the castle bell began to toll, Marion could not imagine feeling happier than she did at that moment, happy that in the end, it was an abundance of love which was theirs after so much sorrow had passed.

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Scottish Highlands

October 15, 1432

Beitris sat in the garden, a book in hand. It was an unusually sunny autumn’s day. The leaves were changing, casting the garden in honey and crimson hues. Beitris smiled while turning her face towards the sun, enjoying its warmth despite the crisp air. She pulled the shawl closer to her body, shivering at the light sweep of the wind rolling past.

“My lady,” someone called.

Beitris gently closed her book, turning towards a servant stumbling towards her through the narrow dirt path. “My lady, the new cook has arrived.”

Beitris clutched her book to her chest as she rose. Her brow furrowed as she tried to recall if there had been any mention of a new cook; however she couldn’t recall anything. She swallowed the bile threatening to rise and grimaced at the nausea sweeping over her. Her hand clasped the tree at her side, leaning into it while she tried to shake away the sickness overwhelming her.

“My lady,” the servant said, worry tinging her voice. “Are ye well?”

Beitris nodded as the nausea left her, and she forced a smile, hoping it would ease the servant’s worries. “Of course. Please,” she gestured towards the path, “take me to the new cook. I wouldn’t want to keep her waiting.”

Beitris followed the servant to the courtyard, finding a beautiful woman with long, fiery red hair and green eyes scowling up at Scott with her hands planted on her hips. “Ye don’t say,” the woman said bitterly while craning her head towards Scott.

Scott crossed his arms, smiling bitterly as he stared at the woman. “I just don’t see why ye, of all people, are back here. I thought ye were doing well in the village.”

“Well,” the woman huffed, “I’ve got mouths to feed, now don’t I? Just because I was doing well doesn’t mean I’m doing well now.”

Beitris pursed her lips as she watched Scott shark his head. She didn’t know exactly what she was stepping into. This argument seemed like it had been going on well before this woman stepped within their castle walls.

“Scott,” she called, watching as both the woman and Scott jerked to attention. “Is something wrong?”

Scott’s mouth gaped upon, and he glanced between the woman and Beitris, worry glimmering in his gaze mixed with something else. Beitris bit her tongue, knowing if she didn’t, she would have more questions needing answered, and she didn’t think poor Scott needed to be interrogated at a time like this.

“Apologies, my lady,” Scott rushed out. “I was only greeting the new cook.”

The woman narrowed her gaze at him, not impressed with his words. She forced a smile at Beitris and dipped into a curtsy. “Apologies, my lady, I am Alana Clark. Ye may have known of my father.”

Beitris was growing even more intrigued. She smiled while stepping towards the woman, noting her fraying hem and the hole in her brown scarf Alana kept trying to hide. “Ah, yes,” Beitris said while stopping in front of her. “He made my bookshelves. How is he?”

Alana grimaced. “Not well, I’m afraid. He’s taken ill.”

Beitris frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that. Will he get better?”

Alana lowered her gaze and shook her head. “I fear not.”

Beitris turned to Scott, noting the sorrow and worry in his eye as he stared down at Alana. Her gaze lingered on the hand he reached towards her, but it quickly fisted and lowered back to his side as if he was afraid to touch the girl.

Alana cleared her throat, and she forced a smile, which resembled more of a wince than anything. “Anyway, ye have naething to worry about, my lady. My mother used to cook here, and she has taught me well. I will work very hard to earn my wages.”

Beitris nodded. “Of course. We are very happy to-“ Beitris gasped, and she doubled over, nausea hitting her once more. Her legs wobbled underneath her, and she groaned, feeling her vision sway.

“My lady!” Scott shouted, grabbing her hand and holding her up. “Call for Hamish,” Scott ordered the servant at Beitris’s side. “Now!”

Beitris groaned, pressing a hand to her head while she followed Scott into the keep. “Where are we going?” she groaned.

“We need to get ye to bed.”

“Where is Fraser?” Beitris gagged, her hand flying to the wall to steady her.

“Please, my lady, we must move-“

Beitris retched onto the floor. She gasped as another wave hit her, her hands trembling as she clutched her book to her chest. Inhaling deeply, she waited for more bile to rise.

“My lady,” Scott whispered, his shoulders tense and his hand on her gently. “We should get ye to bed.”

Beitris shook her head. “Nae, I don’t think I can move.”

Scott grimaced, his nose wrinkling as a breeze rolled through the window. Beitris gagged as the scent of her bile rose to her senses. She feared she might be sick again.

“What’s this?”

Beitris groaned and turned towards Fraser, stalling towards them. His gaze glanced between the bile on the floor and Beitris leaning against the wall. “Are ye ill?”

Beitris shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Fraser pressed his hands against her cheeks, stroking away her hair sticking to her face. “Yer not well at all.”

“I’ve called for Hamish, my laird,” said Scott while Fraser picked her up and cradled her to his chest. “Shall I send him to yer rooms?”

“At once,” Fraser shouted while stalking down the halls.

Beitris groaned, her head lulling from side to side. “I’m so sorry,” she breathed while clamping her eyes closed. “I don’t know what’s come over me. I was fine this morn.”

Fraser sighed. “Ye have naething to be sorry for. ‘Tis not yer fault ye have fallen in. Let’s just hope there’s something that can be done about it.”

Beitris nodded, her eyes opening in time to watch Fraser shove open his door. He laid her carefully into the bed before tucking the blankets around her. She nuzzled into the pillows while Fraser closed the window and snapped the curtains closed.

“It’s better to have the light and fresh air,” Beitris called.

Fraser shook his head and paced back and forth. “We should wait for Hamish. ‘Tis too cold. Maybe ye caught something from the winds.”

A knock thudded at the door before Beitris could admonish Fraser for not listening to her. Fraser threw open the door, stepping to the side as Hamish strode inside and to her side.

“What is wrong?” Hamish asked while rifling through his jars.

“I do not know,” said Beitris while sitting up in bed. The spinning in her head was gone, and the nausea left her as quickly as it came. “I was fine in the morn, but suddenly the world wouldn’t stop moving. I, unfortunately, retched all over the stone floors.”

Hamish frowned, and his hands moved to her stomach, pressing lightly before stopping. His lips twitched before he leaned close to Beitris whispering, “I know it is forward of me to ask, but have ye been getting the bleeds?”

Beitris’s eyes widened, and she lurched forward. “I-I must have.” She frowned while moving her fingers up and counting in her head. They had been so busy with tending to the western villagers. Then, there was the flood in the East, which needed tending to, followed by a visit with Hendry and Peigi at their estate. She had been flitting back and forth for so long, she had forgotten about her bleeds in the ruckus.

“Oh,” she breathed, turning her attentions to Fraser.

Hamish smiled and nodded knowingly. He stepped towards the door while Fraser shuffled nervously from foot to foot. “What has happened?” Fraser asked worriedly. “Is she well now? Or is there naething to be done?”

“She is quite fine, my laird,” said Hamish while patting Fraser’s shoulder. “I’ll leave her to announce it.”

“Fraser, my love,” Beitris called sweetly while patting the bed. “Come here.”

Fraser frowned as he sat on the edge of the bed and grasped her hand. “What is it, my love?”

Beitris sighed. “Apologies, dear husband. I fear I have worried ye for naething. There is naething wrong with me.”

Fraser sighed in relief, his shoulders relaxing. “Then what could have made ye so ill?”

Beitris giggled and poked his nose. “A child.”

Fraser blinked. “A what?”

She knew he heard her, but she wanted to live in this joy, at the knowledge of knowing they were going to start a family. They were going to start a whole new adventure together. “I’m with child, my love.”

Fraser’s lips parted, growing into a wide smile as he pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms fiercely around her. “That’s such wonderful news,” he laughed. “Wonderful, wonderful news. I must tell Scott. Ye must write yer father.”

Fraser bounded from the bed, running towards the door. “We must have a large celebration!” he shouted, making Beitris giggle. “And a feast. Tonight!” He paused, turning on his heel and running back to her side, kneeling before her and grabbing her hand. “Only if ye wish it, Beitris. Only if yer well enough.”

Beitris giggled as she stared down at her husband, at this loving man who cared so much for her. She never thought she could be this happy, and with a child in their future, she knew they would have happy days for the rest of her life. As she stared at her husband, something caught her attention. The adoration in his gaze as he stared at her, was the same way Scott had looked upon the new cook, Alana. Her smile widened, and she squeezed Fraser’s hand, wondering if there would be many more celebrations at Castle Dunnegan that included the pair.

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The sun beat down on Ramsey Bain so heavily that he wondered if it was trying to fight him. The sword in his hand was heavy enough that it made his arms ache as he had been wielding it for a while now. Sweat dripped down his brow as he stood, waiting for his opponent’s strike, but he could not even take the time to wipe his sweat because he knew that if he gave any openings at all, he would lose in an instant.

Standing in front of him with his sword at the ready was his older cousin, and The Younger of the clan, Nathan Mackenzie. His cousin was a beautiful young man. He did not think that there was any other explanation that could do him justice. His strawberry blond hair that he got from his blond father and red-haired mother, had grown long enough to brush his collar bones when he let it down now. His dark blue eyes were teasing and full of laughter most of the time, but there were times when that playfulness became scary, and now was one such moment, as sparring with his cousin made him feel like a mouse being toyed with by a cat.

The two of them were the best swordsmen in their age group. Nathan continued to tell him that the gap in their skills was only because Nathan was older than him with five years, but Ramsey knew that was a lie. Nathan was just ridiculously strong and the only reason why he could fight better than everyone else, was because he was frequently sparring with Nathan, and due to that, fighting with anyone else seemed easy. Every time he improved and thought he had taken one step closer; Nathan was still ten steps ahead.

Sometimes, the other boys asked him if he never felt frustrated about it, but Ramsey had never felt any frustration. He loved his cousin who was like a big brother to him. For as long as he could remember, he had looked up to Nathan. They had always been close, since they were much younger. Every time that Nathan found a new interest, or some new friends, Ramsey always thought that it would be the time when his cousin would finally leave him behind and stop being so close to him given the age gap between them. Each time however, he was always wrong as Nathan did not fail to carry him along.

Even now as he felt like prey in front of his cousin, his heart was pounding with excitement and there was a huge grin on his face. The bead of sweat on his brow finally dropped and Ramsey blinked to protect his eyes. That split second was all it took as before he knew what was happening, he had been swept off his feet, his weapon appropriated, and he now had the tips of two blunted swords at his neck. Exhausted, he flopped down on the ground with a groan and shut his eyes against the sun.

He heard his cousin chuckle victoriously before the clang of the swords hitting the ground, and his cousin lay down next to him. His arms were aching quite a bit, but he was pleased with the sensation. It meant that he would soon be big and strong like his father General Alastair Bain and his Uncle Laird William Mackenzie, his aunt’s husband.

Nathan was only nineteen years old, and he was already half as big as his father. Ramsey could not see any men possibly bigger than the ones in his family. As they grew older, they seemed to get more massive, it was beyond his comprehension. However, he knew why when he watched his father and uncle spar. It was always like a dream. Even Nathan, with how skilled he was, had not won against his father or uncle even once, but he continued to train and try anyway. Ramsey wondered if his cousin felt the same way he did fighting them that Ramsey felt when he fought him. He could not even imagine sparring seriously with his father yet. He was still too green.

“Ye boys are always like this, ye always lie around on the ground after yer spar. Dae ye want to be a rug that badly?” a feminine voice above him said. That voice was no one else other than Ramsey’s twin sister Marie. He opened his eyes to find that she was blocking the sun with her head. He sighed in relief, closing his eyes again with a serene expression.

“Ah, ye are quite the perfect shade, sister, finally we found something that ye are great at for once,” he teased.

He had known the price of that joke when he made it, but he did it anyway. When she stepped on his belly in retaliation, it was expected, but that did not mean it hurt any less. He screamed and Nathan guffawed beside him. Marie was good at a great number of things, but she also lost interest easily.

His sister was a very strong woman, so she had started their sword lessons together with her, however she had lost interest in it a few years ago after reaching average standards of proficiency. After that, she had begun learning how to shoot a bow but stopped that as well.

Their father had said that there was nothing wrong with her trying different things to find what she was great at. His inside joke had been about her finally finding something she perfected as the jack of all trades she was.

“Marie, dae nae kill yer brother over there, he is the only one ye have got,” the voice that saved him finally came. It was their father speaking, and so Marie left him alone. He could hear Ivie and the youngest of them, Ellie his ten-year-old cousin giggling as they approached them. Ellie was blonde like her father as well, but her eyes were brown like her mother’s instead of blue. Ellie and Ivie who were only two years apart in age were joined at the hip and inseparable.

The two younger girls in their household were not as vivacious as Marie, liking the simpler things like baking together and making dresses. The two of them had been drawing up clothes for women with skirts that did not fall to the ankle. They modeled those dresses after their mothers who had both become famous in the clan for ripping their dresses in times of danger, and valiantly facing the enemy. The girls kept their drawings a secret however as their mothers were both severely embarrassed by those tales, covering their faces in shame each time someone brought it up.

Their mothers claimed that the stories the people told were too greatly exaggerated, but when they told the stories themselves, it was not any less heroic. Naturally, the girls all looked up to their mothers although they expressed it in different ways. Ellie threw herself at her brother who as usual was quick to catch her, getting to his feet so that he could lift her above his head, and spinning in a circle.

“Oh, me precious sister… ye look absolutely beautiful today!” Nathan said, in his accent which remained partially French even after spending eleven years in the Highlands with all of them. His partial accent was not a problem however, along with his voice, it made all the young women they met seemingly melt in front of him as they held on to his every word. It had no effect on the women in their family though, although his existence was enough to make them giddy instead.

Ivie stretched her hand out and dabbed at Ramsey’s face, getting his attention as she wiped his sweat, before plopping down to hug him. He laughed at his sister’s antics and hugged her back.

“Oh, Nathan is right! Ivie, ye two look wonderful,” he said as well. The girls were all dressed up in their prettiest clothes as today was the day a painter was coming to paint their family portrait. He would need to leave with Nathan very soon to bathe and put on their own formal clothes.

A throat clearing to the side made them all turn their head to Marie, who looked every bit like one of the gorgeous fee from the folklores. Her auburn hair was held up in an elaborate style by several pins and expensive brooches, and her dress was a yellow that made her brown eyes stand out.

“Ye look wonderful, Marie,” he complimented, not even bothering to tease her. Nathan complimented her effusively as well and the girls ran up to her, admiring her dress. Satisfied with their compliments, she raised her nose in the air playfully.

Their fathers had been watching everything from where they sat together on the chairs that had been brought out of the house and placed on the hill for the purpose of their family portrait. They had all left the castle the night before as their parents decided that they wanted the first family portrait to be taken at their family home in the village his father and aunt had come from.

Both men were already dressed in their finest kilts and coats with their beards trimmed, only waiting for their wives to be ready. Ramsey realized it at seemingly the same time as Nathan. Everyone was already dressed and ready, except for them. Once their mothers came out of that house, they would be the only ones not ready. The two exchanged glances, before taking off running towards the house in a bid to get into the bathhouse before their mothers came out.

….

Devona stepped out of the house and unto the grass, holding hands with Jane as the both of them helped each other to stay balanced in their fancy shoes as they walked on the grass towards the picture position where their husbands were sitting in the chairs meant for them. Spotting them approaching, both men got to their feet swiftly and offered the chairs up with gentlemanly bows.

Devona smiled at her husband William who as far as she was concerned, had only gotten even more handsome with age. Following Alastair’s choice, he had also begun to keep a beard after their second child Ellie was born. It suited him perfectly, and he always laughed saying that his father had kept a beard throughout the time he knew him, so of course a beard would suit him too. Both him and her brother continued to grow stronger in their old age as they stayed fit both to polish up their skills and to make sure that their insanely talented sons did not surpass them too soon.

To the boys, their fathers were probably the strongest men that they knew, but they did not see them after every spar complaining to their wives about how they were getting too old for this and making exaggerations about their creaking bones. She chuckled as she thought of it before searching with her eyes for their sons in question and finding them nowhere. Seeing Marie and the girls waddling suspiciously with something behind their backs that they refused to walk straight so as not to let her see, she could already figure out what was happening. She turned narrowed eyes to William and her brother, Jane doing the same thing.

“They are nae ready, are they? The lads,” Devona said. William scratched his jaw guiltily and Alastair just laughed nervously. She exchanged a glance with Jane who wore an unimpressed expression similar to hers. They had known it would be like this. The boys had taken up their swords for what they claimed would be a light spar, so she had asked William to make sure that it would indeed be a light spar since she knew that the boys had a tendency to get carried away when their fathers were watching them spar.

From the way both men were avoiding their judgmental gazes, they had no doubt forgotten to tell the boys when it was enough and instead been carried away themselves while they accessed the boys fighting. She clicked her tongue at them before Jane finally let the cat out of the bag.

“We knew that something like this would happen, that is why we did not give you all the correct time for when the painter will arrive,” her sister-in-law said. William and Alastair’s jaws dropped open and they both gave them dramatic expressions of betrayal. The girls who had approached them after getting rid of the swords which were evidence of their brothers being late, also let out exclamations in protest.

She lifted her nose as she brushed a plum against her lips to deepen its color before popping the piece of fruit in her mouth.

“Now, they will be on time after all, so this was the perfect way to deal with ye all,” she said.

Marie began to whine about wearing her dress for too long and how she should have been allowed to dress up at this time as well so that she would not sweat in her dress. Jane only gave her an unimpressed snort. They all knew that Marie just wanted to play around until the very last minute like the boys had.

With her family around her, Devona could not help but smile to herself. On this day eleven years ago, she had been on this very hill, coming to visit her parents after returning to the clan. She had been lost and unsure of herself back then as she met with her brother again, not confident in thinking that she deserved any love since she had been gone for so long and returned suddenly.

Looking at Jane talking animated with Marie, she remembered how she had been worried that her brother’s wife would not like her since she was an extra responsibility who had appeared and even brought a child with her.

Looking at William bending over to let Ellie whisper something in his ear, she remembered how shocked she had been when she was told that William was going to let her stay in his castle despite the way she had broken his heart by leaving without saying a word to him nineteen years ago.

She felt it was crazy when she thought about it, that her nineteen-year-old son, who was already one of the most sought-after young men in the Highlands, had grown up from the tiny baby she had wrapped in her cloak, sitting on the streets of Paris, and thinking that she would have to give him away to an orphanage when starvation threatened to take her life.

She had been through so many highs and lows of life that it brought a tear to her eye when she thought about it while looking at where she was now. She raised her face and blinked several times to keep the tears that had formed from coming out.

This was no time to cry, she needed to look perfect for the family portrait. She got the perfect distraction right at that moment as the doors to the house burst open and Ramsey and Nathan came running out, nearly tripping over each other as they approached. She pursed her lip with dissatisfaction as she noted Nathan’s wrongly buttoned shirt and his coat which was on the rumpled, but was at least on the right way unlike Ramsey’s which was on backwards.

The girls burst into a fit of giggles at the chaotic sight and William and Alastair turned away when their chuckles were met with judgmental stares from their wives.

“Ahem, I should probably help him with his coat,” Alastair said sheepishly, clearing his throat and adjusting his collar.

“Stop runnin’, ye fools, we gave ye the wrong time because we ken that ye would have been late like this if we told ye the actual time,” she called out to them. Much like their fathers the two boys stopped in their tracks and gave her an open-mouthed stare of betrayal causing her to roll her eyes.

“Oh, come off it, get over here so that yer faithers can help ye put yer clothes in order, ye look like a mess,”she said.

The boys scratched their heads sheepishly and took off their coats beginning to arrange their clothes properly on their own even as their fathers approached to help them. After a few moments, they looked every bit the respectable young men, nothing even hinting at their previous looks of disarray.

Nathan’s long hair was combed and smoothed back so that his locks were held behind his ears and Alastair had righted Ramsey’s jacket. Devona’s heart swelled with pride at the sight of her son. Nathan who was fully aware of this effect sidled up to her, leaning down to give her a hug and placing his head on her shoulder like he did when he was younger.

“Ye look beautiful, Mother,” he said in his mixed-up accent.

She wondered who he was learning such tricks from, as she knew he was only trying to avoid the scolding and ear-pulling that Ramsey was now getting.

Devona squeezed her son’s cheeks instead, pulling until his face looked like stretched out dough and his sounds of protest were warped as his lips were spread.

“Nice try there, very nice try. Ye really think that ye can escape me wrath, dae ye nae?” she said. Only after ample cheek squeezing time, did she finally let him go and he rubbed his reddened cheeks with fake sobs.

“I was nae lying though, Mother, ye truly dae look beautiful,”he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead even as he still massaged his stinging cheeks. She clutched at her chest, no longer able to resist his sweetness and forgiving him immediately.

She had just released him from the bone-crushing hug she had pulled him into when the painter arrived. As they all gathered to pose for the painting, Devona knew that they would be perfect like this forever, just like a picture in a painting, preserved for all time.

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The sun was bright and the spring festival was under way. Dunnottar Castle had been scrubbed clean from top to bottom the past three weeks and every room had been aired to accommodate the guests that would arrive for the festival.

“Ye’ve outdone yerself,” Allie complimented. “This is even better than last year.”

“Hush, Allie,” Elspeth said, suppressing a smile. “Ye’ll upset Judith.”

“Oh, no.” Judith Labert waved her hand. “Allie’s right. I could never do anything as sophisticated as this.” Judith was the wife of Charles Labert. They had met when he had gone on a hunting trip to Ireland, but instead of bagging any deer he had found Judith.

Though she came from humble stock, she was great fun, and livened even boring old Charles up infinitely. Elspeth always enjoyed having her over, especially when she saw Laird Labert interact with his grandsons.

“I tell ya, the old man keeps getting younger and younger each year. It’s the grandkids. He says he can’t bother with death when there’s so much life yet, to live. I’m glad to see you have another one on the way.”

Elspeth gasped and touched her flat tummy. “How did ye ken?” she asked. “I only found out yesterday. I have nae even told Bruce yet.”

“I have a nose for these things,” Judith said, tapping the side of her nose with a finger.

“Oh, Elspeth. Congratulations!” Allie said, and they hugged. “I must say, I’m jealous. Ye become even more bonny when yer with child.”

“Aye,” Judith agreed. “It’s unfair on us who become bridge trolls when we’re carrying.”

Elspeth laughed. “That is nae true. Ye both looked lovely when ye were pregnant.”

“Ye have nae told Bruce yet?” Allie asked.

“Nae. I was hoping to do so after the festival.”

“Ye should nae wait to share glad tidings. Go, find him. Tell him the good news.”

Elspeth but her lip and eyed the buffet table. The candied apples were running low, and they needed to put more roasted meat out. There were so many things to care for, she couldn’t possibly take the time away from hosting duties.

“We’ll handle the buffet table,” Judith assured her. “Go! Find your husband.”

Elspeth hesitated for only a fraction of a second then took up the offer and left to find Bruce. He wasn’t at the tent with the rest of the lairds, nor was he supervising the games on the green. Elspeth wondered if he was inside but could see no reason for him to be.

The years had been kind to them. They had known more happiness than they had sorrow. When Elspeth had fallen with child the first time, Bruce had been over the moon. But their happiness had come crashing down when she had lost the child within the fortnight. Elspeth had believed then that she would never be able to overcome that grief.

But more grief had been written in her destiny. There were days when she feared that she would never be able to give Bruce the heir he craved. A feeling of being incomplete had come between them. They didn’t talk about it, or give words to their fears, but the sense of it was palpable, like a cold corpse between them.

“Emory!” she called. Emory was standing by the archery range with Daniel, and Big Nate. “Have ye seen Bruce?”

“Aye,” Emory said, raising his goblet he pointed to the castle. “I think he’s at the back of the castle. He took some of the kids there.”

“Thank ye,” she said.

Bruce was great with children. Every spring festival, they gathered around him and he enjoyed planning activities to keep them busy. Their parents enjoyed a break and everybody was happy. He was especially well prepared when they hosted the spring festivals. Elspeth knew what they were doing and a memory from their childhood resurfaced.

It had been right here, decades ago, when she had asked if she could fly his kite, and Bruce had handed her the string without question. Little had they known in that moment that he was handing her the strings of his life.

Kites sailed the sky, painting the iridescent blue with reds, greens, and yellows. The Laughter of children provided the music that the wind snatched and carried with it, powering the kites to reach greater heights. In the middle of this cacophony of children, was Bruce Grant, a tall giant grown taller because he had little Jason Labert on his shoulders.

“Is everyone having a good time?” Elspeth asked, touching the shoulder of little Mary. The girl nodded, her golden pigtails bobbing on her shoulders.

“Look at that one, Elspeth,” Bruce said. He set Jason down gently and pulled her closer to him. It still set her legs to trembling when he touched her like that, intimate, and gentle. “That’s higher than I’ve ever managed to go. Good job, Andrew.”

“He’s only going this high because his father taught him to fly a kite since he was in swaddling clothes,” she said, ruffling the boy’s hair.

“Ma!” Andrew Grant protested. “Ye’ll make me lose my kite.”

“She’s good at that, son,” Bruce chuckled.

Elspeth nudged him with her elbow, frowning at him, but couldn’t make it last. Her sunny smile returned. It couldn’t stay suppressed. Where God had granted everyone, they knew two children or more in the past twelve years the Grants had been blessed with only one. And he was perfect. At nine, Andrew Grant had his father’s build and coloring, but his mother eyes. He was smart as a whip, and compassionate to a fault. She was extremely proud of him, and he made her smile, even when she didn’t feel like it.

Yes, they really had been blessed with more happiness than grief. Touching her abdomen gently she hoped God would permit her another. The midwife had said she was four months along and that the reason she wasn’t showing was because the baby was resting horizontal on her hips.

Four months. The only child she’d carried to four months and beyond was Andrew. This gave her hope that she’d be able to keep this child.

“Bruce. May I have a word in private?” she asked.

“Of course. Is anything the matter?” he asked. “Is Charles boring the heads off people again? Or do ye need me to take the men out on a hunt to distract them from the ale kegs?”

“Nae,” she laughed. “None of that. I needed to tell ye something. I do nae want ye to get yer hopes up, but since I only just found out I cannae keep it from ye.”

“What is it, my love?” he asked, taking her hands within his. The wind buffeted against them and whipped their hair and clothes, catching at them, trying to grasp their attention, but they were looking at each other and when that happened thew world ceased to exist. “Yer worrying me.”

Elspeth sighed and it all came out in a tumble. “I’m with child.”

Bruce paled. “But… the midwife said… yer too weak. She said ye could nae-”

“I ken. But it’s a miracle, Bruce. I’m four months along.”

It was only then that Bruce allowed himself to be relieved, and somewhat happy. They had been stung so many times with disappointment and sorrow that even good news was taken with a pinch of salt, and lots of prayer.

“And yer certain ye do nae feel poorly?” he asked.

“Nae.” She cupped his cheek in her hand. “I’ve been told I look mighty bonny when I carry yer bairns.”

“Yer always bonny, my Elspeth. To me yer the most beautiful lass on earth. And ye ken that I do nae need for ye to put yer life in danger to give me bairns. I am happy with our Andrew. I am happy with our life.”

“I ken, and I made nae effort to fall pregnant which is why I feel this one will go the whole way.”

“That’s it then.” Bruce clapped his hands decisively. “Yer going to bed, young lass. And yer nae stepping out until I tell ye yer good and ready.”

“Bruce!” Elspeth laughed. “We have guests.”

“Aye, we have guests every three years. They ken all about the castle and where to get what. Last night I caught Domnhall rooting through the linen closet looking for fresh sheets. They are all our family, and they will understand why ye cannae be in attendance. Come, let me be the healer for once.”

Sighing Elspeth allowed herself to be walked back inside the castle. A lay in sounded ideal now that she thought on it. They reached their chambers, and Bruce helped her undress. Once she was in bed, he caressed her abdomen. Lying down they could see it was a little raised. He kissed her belly.

“Ye make me so happy. Ye have been naught but a fount of joy for me, Elspeth.”

“Lay with me a while, Bruce,” she said, extending her arms. “Lay with me until I fall asleep.”

Bruce lay beside her, his arm snaked protectively around her waist. Together, they dreamed a brighter future for them and their family.

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A few weeks later…

“Are ye ready then, Isbeil?” Isbeil nodded, but she breathed out with a trembling voice as she and Ailsa stood together in front of the looking-glass.

“Aye, I think so. But did ye feel this nervous when ye were about tae marry my brother?”

Ailsa grinned. “Do ye nae remember me gripping yer hand very tightly as we walked down the stairs tae meet him with the priest? But remember, ye and I are doing it taegether taeday. What makes ye so nervous?”

“It is just that our love is so new. Well, nae new, but we only newly ken about it. I worry that he will change his mind. It is so rushed!”

Ailsa chuckled and turned Isbeil around so that they were facing each other, hand in hand. “He will most certainly nae change his mind, especially when he sees just how lovely ye look, Isbeil.” Isbeil, like Ailsa, was wearing a white-gray dress, her brown hair twisted in braids around her head, and the both of them wore crowns of flowers. “He has loved ye for a long time, as ye him.”

Isbeil blushed at her sister-in-law’s words, but she also smiled. “We owe everything tae ye, Ailsa. I would never have spoken of my love if ye had nae encouraged me. And he was so worried about what Niel would think that he, too, would have kept his mouth shut. So how can I ever repay ye?”

“Isbeil, ye have already repaid me with yer love and kindness as my sister. I have never had sisters of my own, and even my cousin who came the closest tae a sister was taken from me. Ye have given me a new and loving family. Ye have welcomed me with open arms. I am only glad that I could help in some small way tae bring ye yer own happiness.”

Isbeil wrapped Ailsa in her arms when there was a knock on the door. “Are ye ready, my dears? The carriage is waiting.”

“Aye, Mother. We are!” Isbeil called, and the door opened. On the other side, Marta was looking elegant and beautiful, and when her eyes alighted on the two girls before her, she put her hand to her mouth. “My daughters. Ye are perfect and lovely. Come. This is a joyous occasion, and we shall have cause tae celebrate it.”

Ailsa and Isbeil linked arms as they rode in the open carriage to the church, not far from the castle. It was a beautiful day, and the sun was shining. There wasn’t a cloud in sight, and even though Ailsa was already well and married, she still felt nervous at the thought of marrying once more in the presence of the clan and her uncle. He had given his hearty blessing and was now attempting to woo Marta, even though he’d never admit it, but she was still nervous that all the dreams she had so recently come upon would falter, and she would be back where she’d come from: afraid, alone, and unhappy.

But Isbeil’s smiling cheer calmed her a little. “I do hope that the ceremony goes quickly so that we can get to the feast and begin tae celebrate.”

Ailsa grinned. “Perhaps there is something else ye wish tae get tae as well,” she said in a low voice so that Marta would not hear.

Isbeil’s cheeks bloomed red, and she stifled a laugh. “I cannae hide from ye, can I? Ye are quite right, but that is partially what makes me so nervous. I…I have kissed before, we have kissed, but that is nae the same as what comes after. Is it really so dreadful as what some people make out tae be? But, from our kisses, I ken that it would be very good between Kieth and me.”

She watched Ailsa with slight trepidation, and Ailsa wondered who on earth Isbeil had been speaking to about such things. For surely they were not happily coupled with their own partners and sought tae ruin a young woman’s happiness and anticipation. She patted Isbeil’s hand comfortingly and thought back to the passionate, frenzied lovemaking that she and Niel had enjoyed. It was so far from dreadful that it was laughable.

“Dearest Isbeil, I can tell ye now that it is nae dreadful at all! Ye shall enjoy yerself immensely. I promise.” She winked, and Isbeil grinned, looking ever so slightly relieved.

The church finally came into view, and both girls experienced a fresh rush of nerves as they saw the crowd gathered outside to welcome them, the two grooms waiting near the church doors, dressed in MacLean kilts and colors, their blades gleaming in the afternoon sun. Her uncle stood off to the side, a warm smile on his face. The men walked to gather the women from the cart, and Niel’s eyes were warm as he lifted Ailsa down from her seat, hands on her waist. It brought to mind the good news that she had to tell him as soon as they would be alone together.

Once she was firmly on the ground, Niel whispered in her ear. “My dear, it is nae every day that a man gets tae the woman he loves. Twice.” She shivered as he placed a quick kiss on her cheek, and she took his arm, following the procession into the church to stand in front of the priest. To be married once was one thing, but to be married again was a certain sign that their love was strong and permanent. Ailsa sighed inwardly with deep contentment and listened to the priest’s words as he bound the two couples to eternal bliss.

***

Ceremony and speeches done, Niel sat at the head of the main hall’s table, his hand touching his wife’s leg. For she was officially his wife, twice over. They were watching Isbeil and Kieth happily dance together in the center of the busy room. The whole clan had been invited, and if it were possible, the castle was near to bursting. He didn’t care. The merriment of the people very much matched his own merry mood, and absently, he lifted Ailsa’s hands to brush a kiss across her soft fingers.

He looked down at them with scrutiny, twisting and turning them in his hands. “My dear, yer fingers have proved to be skilled in many ways that I didnae expect as a man. Or yer husband.”

There was a seductive gleam in Ailsa’s eye as she leaned towards him. His body was already raging to take her to bed, but he’d promised his mother that he would remain in the hall to celebrate Isbeil and Kieth’s wedding as long as possible. “Do tell, my Laird. What skills do I possess.”

“Well,” he kissed them again, slowly this time, keeping her gaze. He was delighted when her mouth went a little slack. “Ye have proven yerself quite skilled with a sword, even after only a few lessons.”

“Thank ye,” she said with a slight bow to the head.

“Ye even proved adequate with yer fists when it came time for those lessons, too.”

She grinned. “Women have far more strength than men give them credit for.”

“I have never denied it, my love. And there is another area in which ye excel.” She blushed again, and he grinned, knowing that their connection in bed far exceeded anything he’d ever experienced before. With each new time, there was something new they learned about one another, some new height of pleasure they reached. “Yer fingers are quite adept at…stroking, lass,” he said, leaning closer. “I can honestly say that ye are far better at stroking me than I am myself.”

She made a contented sound in his ear. “Perhaps we might put that tae another test, dear husband?”

“I couldnae agree more, but I did tell my mother that I would remain in the hall while Isbeil and Kieth were here, tae celebrate their nuptials.”

Ailsa’s eyes turned to the crowd, but she frowned. “They are nae here any longer, Niel.” He looked out as well, and even though the room was quite a crush, he knew that he would be able to easily spot the other bride and groom. “Yer right. Damn. I wonder if he took my advice?”

“What advice would that be?” Ailsa asked him with narrowed eyes.”

“The advice that the room would be far too busy for anyone tae notice if they left for a little while….”

Ailsa burst into laughter. “Ye are a bad influence, Laird MacLean, but as we are about tae embark upon the same thing, I cannae say that I blame ye.” She stood, her hand still in his.

“We are?” he asked, sounding as eager as a young boy.”

“But of course. Yer promise nae longer matters, now that the bride and groom are nae even in the room tae celebrate. And I have the perfect place for us tae go.”

He watched her for a few seconds before realization dawned on him. “Och aye,” he drawled, standing up and following her out along the far wall until they reached the corridor heading to the library. “We were too hurried a few weeks ago after the battle that we forgot tae avail ourselves of this spot at the last feast.”

She giggled, and like young people, they were hurrying to the library to relieve the scene of one of their first times of heated passion once more. They were close now, and he turned his back to the door, walking backward as he drew her close to him. “Come, my love, all that talk of fingers and stroking has my mind going wild.” But outside of the doorway, his ears perked up, and he paused, his face slowly reddening.

Quickly, he moved away from the door and muttered, “That bastard.”

Ailsa frowned. “What are ye talking about?”

“Listen for yerself,” he said, nodding to her, thoroughly embarrassed. Ailsa’s eyes opened wide at the sound of a loud moan. A feminine moan of pleasure, and it sounded uncannily like Isbeil.

Ailsa covered her mouth and hurried from the door, trying to keep her laughter to a minimum. As they walked back down the hallway, hand in hand, Niel frowned. “What on earth are ye laughing at?”

“Did ye give him the exact location as well?” she asked when she could catch her breath. Niel found a small alcove and pulled her inside with him, but she kept laughing. Finally, he stopped her laughing with a kiss. Her hot mouth moved over his and stirred him instantly to attention.

“I didnae,” he said breathlessly against her mouth. “Now he has stolen it.”

“Let them be. They are newly married and in love.”

“May I remind ye that we are quite the same and in need of giving intae our desires?” He ground his hips against her, and Ailsa’s eyes flashed with desire.

“Ye donnae need tae remind me, but we will find another place tae make love this evening, I am certain of it. Now, there is something I wish tae tell ye if ye would stop being so….”

“Charming, irresistible?”

“Frustrating,” she said with a mischievous grin. Then, before he could say anything else, she took his hand and laid it upon her stomach. “I wanted tae tell ye, my love, that I am expecting. That we are tae be a mother and a father.”

The words took a few seconds to sink in, but once they did, Niel’s eyes widened, and he pulled a laughing Ailsa to him, covering her face and neck with his happy kisses. “I take it ye are happy then?”

“Gloriously so, my love,” he said between kisses. He pulled away. “I am nae hurting ye, am I?”

She frowned. “Now, ye must remind the strength of the female body. We are nae simply cotton wool that must be protected at all costs. Yet, we can still do things. So many things, even if we are with child.”

At that, he grinned, drawing her near. “Then come along. I wish tae test this statement of yers and nae within earshot of my own sister.”

“Lead the way, Laird MacLean, for, in this case, I shall happily follow.”

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Oliver waited at the castle gates, having just told the guards his identity and waiting for them to confirm it. It had taken him longer than he thought to clear up the mess that led to his disappearance. It was over a year since he had seen his sister and his friend and he had been very busy since, spending most of his time undercover at his fief and only keeping tabs on the happenings in London through a proxy.

He had let go of all his staff, making sure to leave them a hefty severance pay, and sold the house. With that, he vanished without a trace for those that wished to find him.

Around six months ago was when he first found out that Violet and Bryan were looking for him, but since he was still undercover, he was unable to show himself carelessly and was forced to ignore them. They had even gone as far as sending some men to London to look for him. It had pained him to put those poor Highlanders through the trouble of visiting London so often in search of him despite how much they disliked being there, but he figured that they would give up eventually.

He was wrong, they did not give up but instead continued to search for him to the point that it became news in the gossip mills that Oliver Salipsbery was missing. They did not find evidence that he was dead, so even though the gossip said that he was most likely dead, the news did not die down since the Highlanders did not allow a month rest without ransacking London.

It had never once crossed his mind that he was important enough to either of them that disappearing would affect their lives so he had traveled as soon as he could, thinking that they may be having problems that required him to take responsibility. Movement caught his eye from inside the gates and his eyes widened as he saw his sister running out of the castle with desperation clear in her expression.

She was looking at him through the gate, hope and doubt fighting for dominance over her features. Was she worried for him? He realized then that she probably could not recognize him since he had a full beard and was wearing a cloak. Bryan came out after her then, carrying a child on his shoulder.

Oliver felt his eyes widen and his jaw drop. Oh… they had a child… that was why they were looking for him, because they wanted him to meet his nephew. Bryan ordered the guards to open the gate and he was let in. He led his horse into the castle grounds and stood before the couple, suddenly feeling awkward.

How was he supposed to act with them again? It had been too long since he acted like a dimwitted drunk and even longer since he acted like his usual self in front of his loved ones. The disparity between the two characters was too great and as a result, Oliver found himself only able to stand and stare.

They looked good, he noted to himself. Violet’s figure had rounded out and she looked fuller, probably the result of childbirth, and her skin was flush with health and life. Bryan looked even more mature than he usually was and he looked happy, with the weight he used to carry around gone. It seemed his choice to wed them had turned out well. He was glad.

“Ye look tired, me friend,” Bryan said, finally breaking the silence.

Oliver gave him an exhausted smile. He was tired, it had been days since he slept. He had come immediately after getting the documents for the official rights to the mine including distribution and sale of the gold. He made public the revitalization of the Salipsbery viscountcy, buying back all of the land he sold at cheaper prices than he had sold them since everyone was trying to curry favor with him and at the same time were thrown off by his shrewdness.

He had also exposed the old man’s plans to kill him and take the mine. All of this had happened in the space of two weeks. He had resurfaced and turned the gossip mills upside down, only to leave London immediately, not giving them room to catch their breath or make sense of what had happened.

“I truly am,” he confessed.

Bryan stepped forward then, crossing the invisible boundary between them first and pulling him into a brotherly hug. Violet, who had tears streaming down her face, moved then, throwing herself into his arms and sobbing. He patted his sister’s hair, relief flooding him as he relaxed for the first time in a long time. Tears pooled in his eyes but he blinked them away. He had done it. It took him years but he had succeeded. He had kept his sister safe and happy, kept his life, and kept the viscountcy, shocking all those who thought the Salipsbery name would die out with his parents. He wondered if his parents would be proud of him.

“I think ye should go take a bath, I will have some maids prepare ye a hot one as well as some relaxing herbs,” Bryan said, and Oliver did not argue.

His horse was led to the stables and the few things he brought with him were taken up to the chambers he was assigned, where a steaming bath with herbs was prepared for him. He knew that it was best to hurry so he could go back to them as they no doubt had questions for him, but he could not bear to leave the bath and ended up soaking until he felt all the stress and nerves leave him.

He decided to shave his beard while he was at it and came out of the bath clean-shaven. He dressed in the clothes he had packed from his new wardrobe. Clothes worthy of a viscount. He tied his hair, which had grown quite a bit, in a ponytail and left the room looking like his true self for the first time in a long time. He was led to the dining room where an impressive spread was waiting.

“Oh, this is surprising, when were you two able to prepare all this? It is not as though you were expecting me,” he said as he sat down.

Violet blushed and Bryan laughed.

“Actually, this was only expanded lightly to accommodate ye. Ever since she had Aaron, Violet has learned to eat like a true Highlander,” he said, surprising Oliver.

It seemed Aaron was their son. He smiled then, glad that she had been able to get used to living in the highlands after all.

“How old is your son?” he asked.

“Half a moon’s cycle,” Violet said proudly, causing Oliver to smile.

It was nice to see his sister being a mother. As they ate, he explained the situation starting with what had caused him to act like a gambling addict.

“With the danger of your kidnap out of the way, all I needed to do was protect myself. It was easy to do that since taking care of you was my only real responsibility. I donned a disguise and went over to the fief to supervise the secret mining myself. Once we had enough, I was able to contact a judge our father knew and set up a meeting for the old man to expose himself. He tried to have me dragged out of the room and killed, but then the judge burst out of the next room with officers, arresting him and his men.”

Violet had tears in her eyes as she covered her mouth in surprise and Bryan just had a solemn expression with a hand on his wife’s shoulder to comfort her.

“You should have told me!” Violet said, and Oliver shook his head.

He already knew that she would be like that. “Telling you would have made you worry for no reason.”

“Well, at least if I knew, I would not have given you so much grief when you tried to marry me off. I can only imagine how much anxiety I gave you while I tried so many tricks to escape the marriage. I put you through so much, I am sorry, Brother.”

To that, Oliver said nothing. He could not comfort her and tell her it was nothing as that would be a lie, but he did accept her apology for the way she had acted. Bryan comforted his wife again, pulling her into a sideways hug. He changed the subject then.

“I am glad that ye nay longer have problems me friend. I already knew that ye were actin’ more dastardly than ye actually were, but I could never have guessed why. I am glad that everyone can see your true self now,” Bryan said.

Oliver chuckled at that. “Indeed, everyone can see my true self, the viscountcy is safe and thriving, and I have become one of the most eligible bachelors in London once again. Now that our family is restored to its glory, however, I cannot look at those nobles the same anymore. So it has become useless to me how they see me,” he said, causing Bryan to nod in a manner that said he understood where he was coming from.

“Either way, that is enough about me, I am more curious about you two. When I saw you last, Violet seemed as though she would rather throw herself off a cliff than be with you, and you were certain that you could never love someone new. So how did you two become like this? I can see the love even when I close my eyes,” Oliver quipped, lightening the mood in the hopes that Violet would stop crying.

Sensing his intent, Bryan changed the topic and narrated the story of their love, allowing Violet to pull herself together.

When the story moved to Isaac, however, Oliver’s jaw dropped. He had not been aware that Isaac had any kind of relationship with Violet. Even more shocking was what he had done. He was indignant, but his fury was swiftly cooled as he heard how Isaac was dealt with. By the end of the story, Violet was back to her normal self and the food was finished.

“Do you want to come meet Aaron?” she asked as she got up from her seat. Her eyes, which were slightly red from crying, were now shining with joy at the mention of her son.

“Yes, please,” Oliver said, going after her to meet his nephew.

It was a different kind of joy he felt, holding the small child in his arms for the first time and he felt tears running down his face before he even remembered to stop them as the lively baby grabbed unto his finger like he never wanted to let go.

“He is beautiful,” Oliver said, and it was not just him… it was everything. Everything had turned out beautiful, and Oliver knew that it would stay that way.

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Iain paced through the corridors outside of their chambers as he tried not to listen to the cries of his wife as she pushed through the process of giving birth. He was willing it to be a son, as much as he had tried to conceal that throughout the pregnancy. Iain was still set on the baby being a boy so that they would have a proper heir to the clan.

“She’s going to be all right, lad,” Bruce reassured him as he waited in the corridor with him. Bruce was leaning against the wall and trying his best to appear calm in an attempt to stop Iain from pacing so much.

“Ye dinnae ken that,” Iain quickly fired back, “I have heard many stories about this going wrong, I dinnae what I’ll do if…”

“It will all be fine,” Bruce nodded to him.

“What if it’s nae a boy?” Iain winced as he asked the question. He felt as though the stakes were so much higher than just simply what gender the baby would be. May was crying out and screaming as though she were being stabbed in the other room, and Iain felt ashamed of himself for wondering whether he would have an heir or not.

“It will be all right, lad,” Bruce tried again, “I’m sure that this will nae be the only child that the two of ye will have.”

Iain would have blushed at the comment, but there were too many thoughts whirling around in his mind for him to properly process what was being said to him.

“I should be in there,” he muttered.

“It’s nae the tradition of the clan,” Bruce warned him.

“I dinnae care, that’s my wife, that will be my child. I should be able to see how things are coming along.”

Bruce pursed his lips together and shrugged. It was clear that he had given up on trying to give the young laird any kind of advice.

Just as Iain was about to knock on the door and demand to be able to come into the room, May’s screams died down rather quickly. Iain looked to his guardian in a moment of panic as his mind started reeling to think of what could have happened to her in there. But before Iain could ask any questions, the door was opening and the healer stood in the doorway.

“Ye have a son, my laird,” he announced, causing both Iain and Bruce to exhale heavily.

However, Iain was too aware of the people that were now around him to be able to properly show the relief that he felt.

His feet weren’t properly working, and he felt Bruce’s hand on his back as he pushed him gently into the room. Iain followed the healer inside and finally saw his wife for the first time.

“May,” he breathed out, and smiled at the small bundle of cloth that she was holding to her breast.

“He’s beautiful, Iain,” May managed to say before her voice cracked and gave way to the heady emotion of the room. Iain himself felt as though he had been struck by something that he had never felt before, it was a way of thinking that he just couldn’t even put into words.

He knelt down at her bedside and looked over at the baby, who was now sleeping against her bare skin. The room was incredibly hot and stuffy, and a thin layer of sweat was clinging to May’s skin as she stroked the tiny cheeks of the baby in her arms.

“I cannae believe that he’s ours,” Iain said eventually.

“Aye, but he has yer face already. I can see ye in him,” May said.

Iain wasn’t completely convinced by her remark, but at the moment, he wasn’t completely interested in whether or not the child would grow up to look like him a lot.

“What should we call him?” May asked as Iain thought about this for a while.

This had been a question that had existed in his mind for a while. He thought about the names of great kings or lairds of their land who had done well for the Scottish people.

“What about Robert?” Iain asked, as he thought back to the man from centuries ago who had freed the Scots from the English.

“Aye, I feel as though he would suit being a Robert,” May agreed without any kind of protest to the name. “Robert Alistair MacIver,” May said his full name.

“I think it sounds great,” Iain nodded to her with a small smile.

“I love ye so much,” May said. “Both of ye,” she then glanced down at the sleeping child. “Would ye like to hold him?”

Iain’s eyes widened as he thought about this. He didn’t think that he had ever held a child before in his own two hands, and he was suddenly terrified of getting it wrong. The last thing that he wanted to do was to drop or harm the baby in any way.

“Are ye sure?”

“Aye, I will show ye what to do.”

Gingerly, Iain held his arms out and cringed slightly as May lifted up Robert to be placed into his waiting hands.

“Is this all right?” Iain questioned through gritted teeth as he made sure that Robert was supported in every way that he could.

“Aye, just put yer hand slightly lower… there ye go,” May said while sitting back and clearly admiring the view of the two of them.

Iain looked down at the small, sleeping child in his arms. He just couldn’t quite comprehend how such a small human had been made by the two of them, that the child in his arms was to grow up and be a part of their family was just so exciting.

“Ye must be exhausted,” Iain remarked as he looked back at May. However, she was already closing her eyes and dosing off to rest.

“Congratulations, my laird,” the healer said from behind him, “Yer boy is looking very healthy indeed.”

“And how is May?” Iain asked as he turned to look up at the old healer. He was being incredibly careful with how he handled Robert.

“She will be all right. As ye can see, I’m sure that she is very tired from all of that effort. I would advise to just let her rest for the next day or so, but she will be fine.”

Iain forgot that they were going to have to announce the birth to the court and the people in the nearby town.

It was going to be an announcement that was heard right through the hills and to even the smallest of villages. Iain swallowed thickly at all of the attention that this one child would gather, he was still incredibly stressed when thinking about the dangerous world that Robert was entering into. He had made many enemies during his life, and the idea of any of them coming for his child was too much to bear.

*

May awoke in the healer’s chambers the next day feeling slightly better than she had the day before, but she was still exhausted. Her body felt as though it was going to need a long time to properly readjust to what had happened to it and what she had pushed out into the world.

But she felt at ease in knowing that it was over and that there was no longer the threat of danger from the prisoners that had once been in the castle. Athol Cummings’ men had been transferred to the dungeons in Bruce’s keep. May didn’t like to give it much thought, but she did feel relieved to know that the evil was gone from the place.

They had been moved during the final stages of her pregnancy; May had become hysterical at the thought of the men breaking free while she was going into labor and had to have Iain do something about it. She felt indebted to Bruce for taking on the challenge of moving so many prisoners, it wasn’t an easy task by any means.

The king’s advisors had written back to herself and Iain, stating that they were to remain in one of the clan’s dungeons until there was a better time to begin the many trials of Athol’s men.

She smiled and turned to her right to see that baby Robert was sleeping soundly in the small cot that had been assembled for him. On her other side was her husband, who was sleeping in a chair. His neck was in a position that looked as if it was going to be incredibly stiff when he woke up.

She lay there for what felt like hours but must have really only been an hour or two. The morning light was seeping through the nearby window, giving the impression that the clan was in for another warm day during the harvest season.

“Good morning,” Iain finally grumbled, as he winced when he woke up. May smiled lightly up at him, but she could tell that he was trying to mask the pain that he felt due to the position that he had slept in.

“Good morning,” she said back to him.

“How is he?” Iain asked as he gestured with his hand over to Robert.

“He’s sleeping still. I didn’t hear him in the night, did he cry at all?”

“Aye,” Iain said with a slight grunt. It was clear that his night of sleep hadn’t been the best, but May was thankful that he had at least taken on that burden and let her sleep. She felt as though she had rested, despite the lack of energy she felt in her body.

“He wasnae too bad,” Iain tried to brush it off.

“How’s yer neck?”

“It’s going to be stiff for a while,” Iain said. “But that’s nothing compared to what ye have been through,” he remarked while trying to deflect the attention away from him.

“I’m nae sure if I’m going to be able to get up much today,” May admitted, as she thought about all of the normal meetings and appearances she was supposed to go to if it was just a normal day.

“Aye, I figured that. I’m going to go and talk with the councilmen, but it will be fine. Everyone will ken the kind of toll that this puts on yer body, nobody will expect ye to be doing anything in relation to the clan for the next few days.”

It was the reassurance that May had been craving without even realizing it. She breathed out a sigh of relief at the idea of being able to properly rest and not have to worry about the clan responsibilities.

“Thank ye,” she eventually breathed out. “I received news that my cousin will also be joining us later in the week,” May added, remembering the news that had come to her just before she went into labor.

“Aye, that will be nice to have a bit more family in the castle for a while,” Iain nodded.

Before Iain could say another word, the sound of Robert stirring in his cot caused them both to look over at him. May was still finding it difficult to come to terms with the fact that this child was the product of the two of them. This was a force of nature that she had never experienced so closely before, and May found it completely beautiful. She thought of when her parents had had her and how her father had spoken about that day.

He’d said that her mother had been so overwhelmed that she had wept even after the birth was over. She was just so pleased to have a child that she could call her own. Her father had always reinforced to her that it was never a disappointment that she had been a girl and was born first.

“Good morning, my little laird,” May whispered, as she managed to sit up and scoop Robert out of his cot. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the swaddled baby as she held him close to her. May wanted to shield him from the world outside of the castle walls, but she knew already that she wouldn’t be able to protect him from danger forever.

“I think that he actually looks a lot like ye,” Iain remarked from her side as he rubbed his neck.

“Do ye think?” May frowned as she tried to see it but failed. She was certain that the way Robert’s eyes were positioned and already the shape of his small nose were so similar to Iain’s features. “I just dinnae want him to be affected by this world,” May sighed as she turned to look at her husband.

“I ken, but he will have to go out into the world one day, be brave, and stand up for himself.”

“Is there nay way that we could protect that from ever happening?” May asked. She was desperate to guarantee the safety of her boy, even though she knew that it wasn’t likely to happen.

“I’m afraid nae. Robert will grow up to be a laird himself; he will fight in battles, he will make enemies and mistakes. There will be times when I’m sure he won’t be in the right, but we are just going to have to be there for him whenever he needs us.”

May admired how easily Iain could accept that truth, but she was different. She wanted to smother him in love and show him that she would never let the world harm him.

“We’ll do what we can,” she finally conceded. “But I will hold onto my small boy for as long as I can.”

Iain chuckled at her comment and shook his head.

“I ken that I will nae be able to get in the way of a mother’s will once it has been set, but just promise me that ye will nae let yer affection hinder him one day?”

“I promise,” May nodded. She didn’t want to shield him so that he was incapable of looking after himself, she wanted to just make sure that he was safe.

“Ye are treating him like I treat ye,” Iain remarked, with a slight smirk working its way across his lips.

“How do ye mean?”

“Well, ye are treating him as though he’s made of glass and could break at any moment. The same way that I do with ye,” Iain explained.

“I think I finally understand why ye do treat me like that though,” May remarked as she looked back down at Robert. “I could never imagine something happening to him, it would ruin me. I think it would ruin us both, Iain.”

“Aye, ye are right. But I dinnae how many more times I’m going to be able to tell ye this May; ye are going to be a great mother, and I can confidently say that with all of my heart.”

May smiled at him and leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to his lips.

“Thank ye for reassuring me,” she muttered against his lips after slightly pulling away.

“I only said it because I really do mean it,” Iain nodded to her, with a smile playing on his lips.

May pressed a kiss to Iain’s cheek, catching him off guard as he wasn’t expecting it. He turned to her with wide eyes, but a playful smile was on his lips. It was moments like that which May adored; Iain was looking at her with the kind of admiration that one might bestow upon their idol, not their wife. He had a way of making her feel so special, even when she didn’t feel it herself. May couldn’t help the way that her heart leaped and melted at the same time when she looked at him, and for the longest time, she couldn’t quite define what that sensation was. Yet it had just come to her during that moment in the great hall; it was utter happiness.

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The summer day was extraordinarily beautiful. They had decided to pack lunch and explore the meadow.

“It’s too hard!” Mary complained, her blonde curls coming loose from their braids. “I’ll never be able to learn it.”

“Now, now,” Evanna said, tucking her daughter’s hair behind her ears. “Ye just need to follow my instructions.” She picked another daisy from the pile they had collected. “Just thread the stem in like a needle. Look at Sarah.”

Sarah was on her fourth daisy chain. In the past seven years, she had blossomed into a beautiful and accomplished young woman.

“Take it slow,” she suggested. “And dinnae squeeze the stem too much. It needs to have some structure to it to slide inside.”

Mary tried again, sticking her tongue out as she concentrated. Evanna’s smile was full of affection for her only daughter. The youngest of her three children, Mary wanted to play with her brothers, but they considered themselves much too old for her babyish games.

A few yards away, Aleck was busy teaching the boys how to wrestle. Callum, their eldest, was the spitting image of Aleck. At six he acted like a young Laird, serious and earnest in doing his part well. Evanna was reminded of Aleck at the same age. It delighted her every time she saw her eldest son and how life gave you a second chance to relive your childhood with your children.

“Watch what I can do, Da!” Raymond, five, did a headstand. His little arms were only able to support him for a few seconds. He tumbled to the ground on his bottom “Did ye see, Da? Did ye?”

“I sure did.” Aleck helped him up and ruffled his sandy-brown head. “Is there any food in those baskets, Evanna? I’m a little hungry.”

“Nae,” she called back, a mischievous smile lifting twitching her lips. “We forgot to pack any food. It’s full of flowers.”

“That’s alright,” Aleck said. “I’ll just eat one of the children.”

“Oh no!” Raymond squealed with horrified delight and ran. Aleck ran after him, glowering like a hungry animal. Mary clapped in delight. Callum pretended he was too old for such silly games, but he ran as well, and laughed when he tripped on a rock and was captured by Aleck who promptly tickled him.

“Stop! Da!” Callum laughed.

“Oh wait!” Evanna called. “I think we have a few slices of cheese and bread.”

“Yer mother’s saved ye,” Aleck said, giving Callum a hand. He brushed off Callum’s clothes and walked with his sons towards the women, a deep pride in his straight back.

They were both proud of the family they had made. Laird MacLeod had delighted in every child, but ever since his death after Mary was born, Evanna hadn’t managed to conceive. It had been a source of worry for her. She wanted a large brood of children, and she knew Aleck wanted that too. But every month her time would come, and she would be hopeful for good news, but it never came.

Aleck told her that she needn’t get disheartened. They had three wonderful children, and he did not want to be greedy, but Evanna craved another child.

And just like that four years had passed without any good news.

As soon as Aleck sat down, Mary planted herself in her father’s lap. She was her father’s favorite. It was to be expected, not only was she the only daughter, she was the spitting image of her mother. Much better dressed than Evanna had been at that age, to be sure.

They ate the food Mrs. MacTavish had packed and enjoyed the cakes and a few more jaunts in the grass and then it was time to go back. Once home, Evanna busied herself tending to the children. They were bathed, given their suppers, and tucked in bed. This was her most favorite time of the day; the five minutes she got to spend individually with her children, sending them off to sleep with a kiss and a cuddle.

She felt keenly in these moments that she had longed for these moments with her mother as a child. Now she got to live them with her own children.

God had blessed her beyond her expectations. She was married to the man of her dreams, their lands were prosperous, and Aleck had proved time and again that he had been the right choice for Laird. He was fair and just and didn’t mind getting his hands dirty with his people. He had recently started construction on a school for the children where every child so inclined could study. Upon Sarah’s suggestion, he had also converted the old, abandoned shack into an apothecary where people could come with their ailments and find some cure. Glenlivet was advancing under Laird Aleck Bryce.

“Ma?” Mary asked when she tucked her under her sheets. “When I grow up will I have to marry?”

“Of course,” Evanna said. “All of ye will.”

“I willnae,” Raymond said. “I’ll go off with my horse to fight the Fae King. There’ll be dragons and kelpies, and all sorts of adventure.”

“Will there be a fair maiden that needs saving?” she asked.

“I have nae time for fair maidens,” Raymond shook his head.

“Aye,” Aleck said, joining them in their chamber. “Fair maidens have a habit of taking care of themselves,” he teased Evanna.

“Oh, Aleck,” Evanna laughed.

“Did I tell ye of the time yer mother was attacked by brigands, and I tried to save her?”

“Nae!” Callum sat up. “Tell us please.”

“Tried, is the right word.” Evanna pinched Aleck’s cheek.

“Aye. We were riding hard to save her. There were six men, all on horseback, armed with swords!” The children were captivated, their eyes so wide Evanna could see their father reflected in them. “And there she stood, a wheel spoke in her hand, shouting instructions to her party like a general marshalling her troops.

“Wham!” Aleck yelled. The children jumped in their beds. “She struck the spoke against the legs of a horse, sending one of the men toppling. Smack! They were already scarpering by the time we arrived.”

“Aye, but if ye hadnae arrived, they wouldnae have left,” Evanna said, kissing his cheek. “Ye saved me that day, in more ways than one.”

“Ye saved me,” Aleck insisted.

“Ye saved each other,” Callum said, and flopped back in bed. “Now, can we sleep?”

“Yer a right bossy nanny goat,” Evanna laughed. “Bleating us to bed, eh?”

“Baaa!” Raymond imitated a goat.

“Alright now,” Aleck chuckled. “Callum’s right.” He placed a hand on Callum’s head. “It’s time for bed.”

Each child received a kiss from both parents, then they retired to their own chamber. Evanna sat on her vanity and removed the pins. Her hair cascaded down her back. They were not as long as before, but they were thick and lustrous still.

Aleck took his position behind her and began to brush. Evanna smiled up at him through the mirror. A smile that hid secrets. Aleck was quick to spot it.

“What are ye hiding?” he asked, stroking her hair. “Out with it,” he threatened. “Or I’ll take the brush to yer behind.”

Evanna giggled, a pretty blush spreading across her cheeks. They had been married seven years, but she still felt like a new bride when he made love to her.

“If that’s the case I might hold the secret longer. Make ye work for it,” she bit her lip, smiling slyly.

“Ah ye delectable minx,” Aleck pulled her up and held her, his kiss passionate as if they were kissing for the first time. His hands clutched at her derriere and squeezed. She trembled with desire.

Their lovemaking was slow and languid, then slowly became more urgent as their need for each other grew more passionate.  Once they were done Aleck kissed her forehead, his arms lying lazily across her breast.

“Now, I’ve worked for it. Tell me yer secrets ye impertinent miss.”

Evanna ran a finger through the tangled mass of his chest hair. Prolonging the moment as much as she could. Then she couldn’t keep it in any longer. She placed her lips next to his ears and said, “I’m with child.”

Aleck’s arm stiffened around her chest. He clutched her close. “Are ye certain?” he asked.

“Aye. It’s been four months since I bled last.”

“Evanna! Oh, this is wonderful news!” He kissed her forehead, her eyes, her nose, her cheeks, and every inch of her face. “Ye’ve made me the happiest man!”

“Ye say that every time I’m with child.”

“That’s because it’s true,” he laughed. “Yer a miraculous fount of good fortune and happiness for me, Evanna. I cannae thank God enough for ye.”

“I feel much the same for ye.”

“Do ye, exactly?” he asked.

Evanna felt the hard bulge of his desire pressing into her thigh. The news had excited him again. Evanna laughed.

“Aye,” she said, kissing the tip of his nose. “Exactly the same.”

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