“I liked her,” Maisie announced. “She was nice.”
The little girl’s words broke the tension and Abi and Layla both burst out laughing.
“You know what?” Abi said. “I think you might be right.”
There was another knock on the door and this time itwasMartin. He’d donned his best gear and looked both enormously pleased and enormously nervous at the same time, as he offered Abi his arm. Abi could think of nobody else she’d rather give her away today. Layla, as her maid of honor, walked behind carrying Maisie and she and Martin left her room and walked down the corridor, out the main doors and across the courtyard to the main gates. They were thrown open, decked out with garlands and flowers. They passed beneath them and paused. It was another beautiful autumn day with bright sunlight bouncing off the river and the last of the autumn flowers nodding in the breeze.
Down below, along the bank of the river, the wedding party waited. Almost everyone from Dun Treve was in attendance along with many who had made the trip from Dun Calas and several members of the Sutherland clan, to whom the Muirs were allied. Abi had been battered with so many names over the last few days that she knew she would never remember them all.
Martin smiled and squeezed her hand. “Ready?”
She nodded. “Ready.”
They swept down the path, along the aisle between the guests, to where the river lapped gently against the bank. Here her husband-to-be was waiting for her. Reid turned at the sound of her approach and his brilliant blue eyes sparkled. A broad smile curled his full lips.
Cinead stood beside him. It was a sign of how far the brothers had come that Reid had asked him to be his best man. There was still much to do to repair their shattered relationship but they had made a promising start. Abi heard a whining noise and turned her head to see Bo and Whitefoot wagging their tales and wanting attention. They were on leashes being securely held by Thomas and Clyde in the front row of guests. The hounds both wore the white bows Abi had insisted on—much to Reid’s disgust.
Abi and Martin reached the end of the aisle. Reid took both her hands in his and stood looking down at her. “There is one of yer words that I think would be appropriate right now,” he rumbled. “What is it? Wow. I think that’s the one. I have never seen anything so beautiful.”
Abi beamed. “You don’t scrub up too bad yourself either.”
They stared at each other, the rest of the world seeming to recede. There was a polite cough behind them.
“If we may begin?” the priest said.
Abi and Reid turned to face the jovial, balding man who Cinead had brought from Dun Calas.
“Aye,” Reid said, glancing at Abi. “Ye may begin.”
The ceremony seemed to only last a heartbeat. A few words, a few promises, and it was done. Abi bound herself to Reid and Reid bound himself to her. All the way through he held her hand and kept his eyes pinned to hers.
“Ye are handfasted,” the priest announced. “Ye are husband and wife.”
Even before the words were out of the priest’s mouth Reid was catching her up, yanking her against him, and kissing her fiercely. Then all that she could hear was the thunder of her heart, the cheering of the crowd, and the joyous barking of the dogs.
***
“NAY,” CLYDE SLURRED, pointing an accusing finger at Thomas. “If ye take that route, ye’d run aground. It’s too shallow to take a full cargo.”
Thomas shook his head emphatically, swaying as he did so. “Ye wouldnae. Ye could take the eastern branch where its narrower and deeper and meet the main channel north of the Cranesway. Dinna ye ever listen?”
“Me? Ye are the one who never bloody listens!”
“I am not!”
Abi held up her hand to stop any further bickering. She was sitting with Clyde, Thomas and Layla, and the two lads had been busy regaling her with tales of everything they’d learned from Drummond while they’d been off apprenticing with him. It was late and the wedding reception had been in full swing for hours. In the center of the hall people were dancing in lines—Abi’s feet ached from how much dancing she’d done herself—and the minstrels were playing a jaunty tune. Up at the head table Martin was regaling Cinead with a detailed account of how he planned to modernize the running of Dun Treve, and Maisie had long ago been taken to bed by her nurse.
“Why don’t we settle this by asking the man himself, eh?” Abi said. She turned in her seat, looking for Captain Drummond, but could not spot him anywhere in the room. In fact, she noticed, she couldn’t see her husband either. She frowned. Where had he got to?
She felt a hand settle on her shoulder and the thrill that went through her told her it was Reid before she looked up and saw him standing behind her.
“Is Drummond with you?” she asked. “We need him to settle an argument before these two come to blows.”
“Ah, no,” Reid replied. “He is indisposed.”
He gazed down at her and she gazed up at him.
Beside her, Layla snorted. “Oh, please. Anyone would think you’re a couple of newly-weds or something. Get a room would you?”
