Father always said Fergus would know his mate when he laid eyes on her. It hadn’t been instantaneous like his father described, but he held no doubts this woman was his.
She peeked at him from beneath her lashes and smiled as she held out a slipper. “Are you going to place it on my foot or should I?”
He flashed a wide grin and accepted her offering. When he’d placed both slippers on her feet and helped her stand, she unfastened the cloak. Underneath she wore a simple but elegant light yellow gown. The color was a perfect match to the thin strip of yellow in the McTaggart plaid sash tied around her waist.
“Turn around, lass. Let me see what ye’ve done with my tartan.”
Her pale brow arched. “Yourtartan? You gave it to me, if you’ll remember.” She spun so he could view the plaid train cascading down the back of her skirts. She smiled at him from over her shoulder. “You said every McTaggart woman has one.”
“That she does, and do you know why?”
“No.” Eddi faced him again, her eyes large with wonder. “Why?”
He slid his arm around her waist. The tartan was soft beneath his palm and his Eddi even softer. “Ta let everyone know her McTaggart loves and cherishes her. He will protect her until his last breath.”
She reached to cup his face. “And how does everyone know her McTaggart is loved and cherished in return?”
“Heknows, lass.” He covered her hand lying against his cheek, savoring the warmth of her palm seeping through her glove. “When she looks at him with her loving bright blue eyes, he knows.”
A loud clearing of a throat drew his attention. Reverend Adair stood in front of the altar with his arms crossed. “Are ye marrying the lass today, Fergus McTaggart?”
“Oh, aye.” He held his arm out to Eddie, and she looped hers around his. “And for the rest of our lives.”
Epilogue
“Howdareyou bring that man here?” Lavinia’s muffled shout held a note of panic.
Helena cringed when something heavy banged against the wall and shook a painting.
“You are being ridiculous,” Lord St. Ambrose bellowed in return. “My child will have a father.”
Helena stopped pacing the study to throw a wide-eyed look at her beloved Sebastian. “Do you think Reverend Adair can hear them?”
The clergyman had been bustled away to an unused drawing room the moment Lavinia realized what Lord St. Ambrose intended. Helena’s sister hadn’t raised her voice—yet—but her face turned an alarming shade of red, which was the reason Helena and Sebastian escaped to the study as soon as the minister was safely tucked away.
Sebastian left his chair to gather Helena to his chest. She dissolved against him, savoring the lean strength of his body. “I’d wager everyone on the estate could hear them, darling. Your sister and St. Ambrose might bring down the roof if they get much louder.”
Helena pushed back to see her husband’s face. “Is that supposed to comfort me?”
He grinned, causing her breath to catch slightly. She hoped she never lost the thrill that came with being the recipient of his attention. “The castle has seen worse rows, Helena. Don’t you recall how Edith and Fergus were at each other’s throats only a month ago? Now they are happily married and off to enjoy their wedding night.”
A tentative smile eased across her lips. “They did appear happy, did they not? Leaving Aldmist Fell will be easier knowing Edith is here to watch over Fergus.”
He chuckled, hugging her close again and kissing her forehead. “He’s a man. He doesn’t need a nursemaid.”
“Be that as it may, I am comforted knowing he is not alone.”
“Alone? Have you noticed the number of McTaggarts swarming the castle?”
Sebastian was teasing, so she didn’t feel the need to argue her point. Fergus needed a helpmate—someone to love—and he had one in Edith.
Helena would rest easier still if she could see Lavinia’s future secured. Her sister loved Lord St. Ambrose and he adored her. There had to be a way for them to live happily-ever-after. What other choice was there? They had a baby on the way.
She nibbled her lip, her stomach twisting with worry. “Lavinia will be furious with me for telling St. Ambrose about the baby.”
“She will forgive you in time, love. One day she will realize you have her best interests at heart.”
The yelling had stopped and the door swung inward. Lord St. Ambrose stood in the threshold with Helena’s sister. Lavinia appeared surprisingly calm after the commotion a few moments earlier. Her smile was strained, but when she met Helena’s gaze, there was a hopeful spark in her blue-green eyes that lifted Helena’s spirits.
