The Scot's Pursuit - Keira Montclair Page 0,27

her.

“Wait a moment, please.” He let go of her hand and ran off, heading toward a gully not far from them, covered with summer wildflowers, mostly a beautiful deep blue. He waded through the grasses and flowers, collecting bluebells and white flowers, and brought the bouquet back to her at the chapel.

He held it out to her, his heart beating fast in his chest at the thought of what they were about to do, what they were about to promise. Not out of fear or reluctance, however, but excitement for what was to come. He finally knew what he wanted, who he wanted, and that made all the difference.

“No snakes this time,” he said with a grin.

She took them and lifted onto her toes to embrace him. “They are the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen,” she whispered into his neck. “My thanks to you.”

Father MacKenzie called out to them, and Alick took her hand, escorting her into the chapel. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the dim candles inside, but they walked inside together, hands still linked, and made their way to stand in front of him.

The priest began the ceremony in Gaelic, as he should, but Alick’s attention was on Branwen. She was smiling at him the way he’d wanted to see her smile that first night, and despite the haste with which they’d married, this felt right.

At the end of the ceremony, Alick leaned down to place a kiss on her lips. They stepped back out into the gray day, surprised to see a horse heading toward them from the keep. From such a distance, he couldn’t be sure, but it looked like the stablemaster. Jep, Branwen had called him.

They hurried to meet the rider and caught up with him near their own horses.

“Jep, what is it?” Branwen asked, her voice hitching.

“Your sire sent a message that they’ll return within the hour and to ready the evening meal. You better hurry back or he’ll discover what you’ve been doing. I doubt he would approve.”

Jep cast a look behind them, at the chapel, but he clearly feared what might happen if he were discovered, too, for he turned back in the direction he’d come.

“We must hurry,” Branwen said, gazing up into Alick’s eyes.

“I will follow you almost back to your castle,” he said, “but then I must leave. I’ll return after I help my cousins fight off the English.”

“Can I not go with you?” she asked. She sounded alarmed, and he hated that he’d made her to feel that way. But he couldn’t back down. No matter how much he wanted her with him.

“Branwen, there is nothing I would love more than to take you away from here, to find a place away from everyone to make you mine and hold you in my arms all night and make love to you. But if my sire and grandsire found out I traveled through the dark with you in the middle of a war with no guards, they’d tie me to a tree and leave me there for a fortnight. And they’d be right to do so. If it were still light, perhaps I could consider it, but dark is upon us, there is a garrison of English outside my cousin’s castle, and I have no guards with me.” He ran his finger down her jawline and then kissed her, a sweet kiss that made her whimper in a way that almost made him reconsider.

“I promise I’ll return in less than three days, and I will bring guards or companions to help protect you. It would be foolish for us to travel alone. Do you trust me?”

“Aye,” she said, leaning into him and resting her head on his shoulder. “Please be careful. I will anxiously await your safe return.”

“And then we will carry on as husband and wife, I promise.”

They sealed their promise with a kiss, and then Branwen rode back toward Thane Castle, Alick watching her until she reached the safety of the curtain wall. It felt strange and wrong to watch her ride away from him, but as much as Alick hated her sire, she would be safer there, among her uncle’s guards, than she would be riding with him.

Once he knew she’d made it to safety, Alick headed off to MacLintock land, intent on arriving in time to help his cousins fight off the English. Just to entertain himself, he spat off to the side as he galloped across a meadow, copying