They walked into town together at midday, and Finley knew they caused considerable stir as several of the wives ran off to summon the rest of the town. Lachlan grinned at her with a shy blush and shook their joined hands.
This was a different man beside her. Same in all the ways she had missed, but with a gentleness now, a slowness he’d never before possessed.
A certainty.
Everyone gathered at last, even Geordie Blair, who was wearing proper clothes and living in the little cottage that had been meant for Rory and Ina Carson. He was a Carson now, and part of Carson Town. He’d more than earned it.
Rory and Ina had taken up residence in Murdoch’s old house, and until the fine decided otherwise, Rory had agreed to act as clan chief.
Lachlan squeezed her hand and then stepped into the center of the crowd alone. “Thank you for letting me speak,” he said. “I come here to ask once more for the charity and mercy of Carson Town. I have forsaken my place as chief of Town Blair. Because I realized it was in Carson Town that I learned the meaning of friendship. The meaning of working for the good of all. I learned about forgiveness, and family. I learned how to drag in nets.” Here, everyone chuckled. “And I realized that when I think of my future, of a family of my own, I can only imagine it being here. With all of you, if you will have me.”
He turned to look at Finley, and his gaze burned to her soul. “If Finley will accept me as her husband. I’ve never wanted anything more in my wildest dreams than a family with this woman. Raising our bairns as she was raised. I can learn to be a better man here. I will learn. I promise you.” He looked back at the town.
“If you refuse me, as is your right, I will bear you no ill will. But I willna return to Town Blair. More than one person in this town told me that it was nae my home, and they were right.” He turned to Finley again, facing her fully.
“Finley Carson, will you be my wife?”
Finley nodded and answered quietly, “Sure, I will.”
A shout rose up in the crowd, and Lachlan and Finley were swept up in happy embraces and handshakes until at last they were pushed together.
“Give us a kiss to seal it!” someone shouted.
“It’s nae as if this is a proper wedding,” Finley scolded as she felt her cheeks heating under the close but smiling scrutiny of the entire town.
Lachlan grinned down at her. “We do things better our own way.” He leaned his head toward hers.
Eachann Todde chimed in. “I believe this happy occasion calls for a sonnet. ‘“Again, my lo—’”
“Nay!”
“Boo!”
“Leave off, Todde!”
Finley and Lachlan laughed, their foreheads leaned together.
Then the sound of hooves rang foreign in the warm afternoon air, and all turned to regard the dusty cloud entering the town.
Black horse, black rider.
Lucan Montague slowed Agrios to a trot, but came right up to where Lachlan and Finley stood in the shocked and wary silence. Without a word, he reached into his black doublet and withdrew a folded packet of parchment, tied with a blood red ribbon.
Lachlan took it, read it, and then looked into Finley’s eyes.
Epilogue
Vaughn Hargrave read the letter thrice over, and then folded it back neatly into its former shape. He retied the ribbon carefully and placed the letter in his desk. Then he rose and quit his chamber, making his way through the maze of corridors and stairwells that made up Darlyrede House; its cold marble floors, its muraled walls filled with sparkling, gilded frames and spotless tapestries.
Down, down, he went. Smiling at the servants he passed. Pausing to say this or that to a particular one. He walked to the end of his wife’s wing, stood before her door for a moment. Even raised his hand to rap on it, but changed his mind. He looked around to ensure no one was watching, then entered the secret corridor to the narrow, damp stone stairs that led down, down, down even farther into the bowels of Darlyrede.
He could hear her panicked skittering as he unlocked the gate. She wasn’t crying, and Hargrave was heartened. She was of robust stock, and tonight she would be rewarded.
Rewarded greatly.
“Are you awake?” He came around the corner and saw her, her skin so pale as to be nearly blue. He came to stand over her.
“Searrach. Hallo.”
