Finlagh and Lady…” Pausing, he looked ruefully at Fin. “Bless me, sir, I did forget to ask ye what her ladyship’s proper styling be.”
“Lady Finlagh will do for now,” Fin said.
“… Sir Finlagh and Lady Finlagh,” the priest repeated.
“Have ye whisky nearby, Mackintosh?” Davy Stewart demanded. “I’ve a thirst on me now that nowt save whisky will slake.”
“I do have some, aye, as any good Highlander does,” Mackintosh replied. “Fetch the jug from my chamber, James, and send one of the lads to fetch more. Everyone should drink to this wedding, especially Fin and Catriona.”
Catriona wrinkled her nose at the thought of drinking the fiery stuff. But when she did, Fin leaned close and murmured, “You’ll drink with me, lass. It will warm you for what is to come after we have broken our fast.”
“I’d liefer drink it after I eat something,” she whispered back. “I don’t mind whisky with honey when I’ve an ague on me. But, other times, nay.”
“Then we’ll drink our toast from one goblet,” he said. “You need only touch your lips to the whisky to avoid bad luck in our marriage. But if you will heed some good advice, you’ll take some claret with your food. You did hear that your grandfather expects us to consummate our union afterward, did you not? And that James and Morag will be waiting for us to get on with it?”
“Aye, sure,” she said. Feeling suddenly shy, she looked away, adding, “I ken what we’ll do then, because my grandame told me. She said it will be pleasurable.”
Lady Annis had said more than that, for she had been as blunt about sex as she was about most things. But that had been nearly two years ago. And Catriona remembered the physical description and promise of pleasure, but little else.
Fin put two fingers under her chin, making her look at him. Smiling warmly, he said, “We’ll see that it does become pleasurable, lass. I mean us to practice as often as possible. For now, though, I’ll just treat myself to one wee kiss.”
With that, right there in front of everyone who cared to watch, he put his free arm around her and slowly, tantalizingly, bent nearer until his warm lips touched hers. Then, as if they were alone instead of in the midst of a large company, he drew her close enough to feel his length against hers and shifted the hand at her chin to the small of her back, pressing her closer.
His lips ravished hers, and his body stirred against her own. When the tip of his tongue sought entrance to her mouth, she resisted briefly and then submitted to its penetration. Closing her eyes, she moaned when his tongue began to joust with hers. The sensations he stirred stimulated others, a whole host of others.
He ended the kiss at last but did not release her. And her eyes stayed shut, because her mind had filled with images of what lay ahead of them.
When applause broke out, and cheers, her eyes flew open. Dazed, she felt as if some strange spell that had overcome her had ended abruptly with the noise.
“You’re blushing, sweetheart, but you need not,” Fin said. “A man has a right to kiss his bride after the ceremony.”
She smiled then. “I didn’t mind at all.”
As they turned toward the high table, the Mackintosh approached them and said, “Ye’ll take time to meet with me in the inner chamber after we break our fast, lad, and ye’ll bring your lass with ye.”
“Granddad, you cannot mean for us to consummate our marriage in there!”
“Nay, lass, although I’ll admit that I did think it would be a grand honor to let ye. But your grandame called me a dafty and said ye’d prefer your own bed to any other. Ailvie and the women be preparing it for the two of ye now.”
Relieved beyond measure, because she could not imagine consummating her marriage in the bed that her parents shared and that her grandparents had slept in for a month, Catriona went contentedly with her husband to the high table.
Rothesay awaited them there. “The Mackintosh said that you should take the central chairs, Fin. So I’ll sit beside you. Having given my blessing to this marriage, it is right and proper that I do. I do have a question, though.”
“Aye, sir?”
“Why Lady Finlagh? Why not Lady Cameron?”
Wondering what mischief Rothesay was up to now, Fin said, “So you know my clan, do you, sir? I thought that you must.”