scratched out as she pointed to her throat. Moments later, he was holding her head and putting a cup to her lips. ’Twas truly painful to swallow, but her mouth felt as dry as dust.
She heard Euphemie’s voice coming from near the door. “Brigid, lets ye and I go below stairs and see what Bessie is fixin’ for our supper?”
Reluctantly, Brigid climbed down from the bed. Lachlan waited until the door clicked behind them before turning his attention back to Keevah.
“I ken ye’re in some pain, lass,” he said as he took a gentle hold of her hand.
“Aye,” she managed to scratch out.
“I also ken it pains ye to speak.”
She nodded her affirmation.
“Good,” he smiled. “So ye can do naught but listen.”
Here it comes, she thought. He is bloody furious and who can blame him?
“The gravediggers were here,” he told her. “The ground is still frozen. We have two choices, Keevah. We can come back in the spring or we can take Kiernan with us. Either way, we will be leavin’ Inverness just as soon as ye are able to ride.”
He certainly didn’t sound angry. Nay, his voice was filled with nothing but warmth. “But on the morrow, ye and I will stand before a priest and we will be wed.”
Her eyes flew open. Had she the strength to, she would have argued against it. But then she looked into those warm brown eyes and saw nothing but love and a good deal of determination.
“As soon as I realized ye’d been taken by that madman—” his voice cracked ever so slightly. “Keevah, my world came undone. I cannae live this life without ye in it. Ye either marry me on the morrow, or I will wade into the River Ness and let my body be washed out to sea.”
There was no doubt in her mind that he was serious.
“I love ye, Keevah. With every fiber of my being, with every bit of my soul, I love ye. I want no other.”
She tried to speak but he stopped her. “Please, do nae say I need a better woman,” he said. “There is no better, finer woman in all the world than ye.”
Again, she tried to speak but he wouldn’t allow her to. “I ken yer past is important to ye. Euphemie has helped me to see that. When I say it matters nae to me, what I mean is that no matter what yer past is, I love ye. The woman ye are now.”
She couldn’t hold onto her tears any longer. They trailed down her cheeks.
“I also ken that Brigid is yers. When ye are stronger, we will talk about that. But for now, please ken my heart. We will raise her together as our own. And if ye and God are willin’, we will give her many brothers and sisters. I will nae live the rest of my life without ye or Brigid in it.”
She swallowed hard and tried to speak. This time, when he stopped her, she shook her head. “I am tryin’ to say aye, if ye’ll listen.”
It took a moment for the words to sink in. When the realization that she was finally accepting his proposal set in, he smiled so broadly and brightly, ’twas like balm to her spirits.
“Ye will marry me then?” he asked, just to be certain.
“Aye,” she smiled up at him. “Aye.”
They were wed the following morning.
Murdoch stood as his best man. The other men stood behind him, but very few of them were paying attention to the ceremony. They were too busy looking at Euphemie’s ‘ladies’: a dozen beautiful women dressed in their finest gowns. Charles, as always, stood as sentry at the entry door.
One of the ladies had loaned Keevah a beautiful, midnight blue gown. Four of them had spent nearly two hours styling her hair. Braided around the top of her scalp, loose tendrils fell down her back. They had affixed tiny, blue and white dried flowers throughout her black locks.
Lachlan had never seen her looking so regal or happy.
Brigid stood next to Keevah, smiling throughout the ceremony. ‘Twasn’t that she truly cared about the wedding. Nay, she was looking forward to the sweet cakes Bessie had promised her earlier. She was also filled with anticipation of the adventure of traveling across the highlands on horseback to her new home.
“I love ye, Keevah. I promise to love, honor, protect, and cherish ye all the rest of my days,” Lachlan promised before the priest.
Brigid tugged on his tunic. “Me too?” she