A Very Highland Holiday - Kathryn Le Veque Page 0,25

single night since the day he’d married her two months earlier. At the Old High Church in Inverness, Reverend Essich had performed the ceremony joining Gaira Dunmore, former heiress to the Earldom of Forth, to James de Lohr, Earl of Worcester. Carrie had been in attendance along with Gaira’s mother, who sobbed loudly through the entire thing. When all was said and done, Lord and Lady Worcester signed the parish registrar’s book as man and wife.

Much had gone on in the past four months in preparation for returning Johnathan de Lohr to Lioncross Abbey, home of generations of de Lohrs. James had rented a little cottage in Inverness, right on the River Ness, a place for him and his wife to stay while he made the necessary arrangements.

Gaira’s mother, Helen, chose to return to Calvine after their marriage, to the home she had shared with her husband for many years, leaving her daughter to start her new life as the Countess of Worcester. Gaira and James quickly integrated into the Inverness community, with Gaira becoming popular with the locals. She was bright, educated, and entertained an excellent crowd, and the women of the village tittered over her handsome husband.

Truth be told, so did Gaira.

It was the life she never thought she would have.

But, God, did she love it.

This morning, however, would prove to be their last morning in Inverness, as preparations for digging up Johnathan’s grave were coming to a head. In months past, a beautiful coffin had been built of Scots pine, heavy and well-made as befitting the former Earl of Worcester. The man who made it was also the wheelwright in the village, and his skill had been beyond compare. He’d carved beautiful lines into the coffin and, at the strange request of the current Earl of Worcester, managed to carve some worms up near the head of the coffin.

He was being well paid, so he didn’t ask questions.

But to James, those worms meant everything.

Now, the lined coffin was waiting for its occupant and arrangements had been made to begin the digging at sunrise. Spring had come early this year and the ground was already softened enough to dig. As James lay next to his naked wife, his arms wrapped around her, he could see that it was about sunrise now. Face in the side of her head, he groaned softly.

“T-They will be waiting for me,” he mumbled. “I-I cannot keep my brother waiting.”

Gaira yawned. “Do ye want me tae go with ye?”

James opened his eyes, thinking on what this day would bring. “I-I would like you to,” he said softly. “T-This is why we came to Inverness in the first place. Let us greet Johnathan together. I can tell him of our marriage.”

It was a very big day in their lives, one that Gaira knew her husband was both looking forward to and dreading. She smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

“Would he approve of ye marrying a serving wench, then?”

James chuckled. “S-She’s not a serving wench,” he said, lightly slapping her bare buttocks. “S-She’s a countess. A veritable goddess. Aye, he would approve.”

Gaira laughed softly, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. She kissed him gently with her soft lips, feeling him grow amorous in an instant, ready to take her again. But there wasn’t time and she pushed him away.

“Get up, my bonny lad,” she said, sitting up with the coverlet held to her naked breasts. “Today is a big day and ye mustna be late.”

With a heavy sigh, James sat up beside her. There was something in his manner that suggested he was becoming moody towards what he was about to face and Gaira looked at him with sympathy.

“It will be all right,” she said softly. “Dunna fret over what ye must do. It has tae be done.”

He nodded faintly. “I-I know,” he said, sounding resigned. “T-This is the day I have waited for, yet there is something about it that is inherently sad. I am going to see my brother today.”

“I know.”

“I-It will be his body, in whatever state it is in.”

“And ye dunna feel ready for it?”

He shrugged. “G-God knows, I should be,” he said. “S-Since it has been so cold, he should be well preserved and I have been prepared for this moment ever since we were told of his death, but still… seeing him will make all of this a reality. My brother is truly dead.”

Gaira smiled sadly at him putting a gentle hand on his cheek. “He is,”