“My lady, I don’t know how our laird and our tánaiste came to find such brilliant women, but I am certainly relieved you are on our side.”
Emelie wasn’t convinced the priest was that thrilled to have two intelligent women helping to lead the clan, but she accepted the compliment at face value and smiled. Whether or not he liked her reasoning, all they needed was for him to agree to it.
“Can we marry at sunset today?” Dominic interjected.
“Why such a rush?” Father Lonergan looked between the two. “Lady Emelie has a few months before her confinement. And the bairn will bear your name, even if you’re only handfasted. You don’t want the banns posted, and now you tell me you want to marry today.”
“We’ve wanted to marry since the beginning,” Dominic explained, leaving out the part that they hadn’t shared those sentiments with one another until that day. “We handfasted because we didn’t want to wait to post the banns in Stirling. We’ve been content with a handfast, and I wanted Lady Emelie to get acquainted with life in the Highlands. But we wish to marry and don’t want to waste any more time.” It took no effort to offer Emelie a genuine smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She turned toward him and wrapped both arms around his waist. She didn’t notice her long blink or her deep sigh as she enjoyed the comfort she always found in Dominic’s embrace.
“Och. There’s no point in denying the pair of you. It’s obvious you’re a love match and have been since the day you rode in here. Truth be told, I’m surprised it’s taken you this long to come to me.”
“Then we can marry this eve?” Emelie asked, wanting to hear it from the priest.
“Aye. This eve. Tell the laird and lady. The clan will want to witness this, so you may as well tell poor Berta to plan a feast.”
“We don’t need a feast this eve,” Emelie disagreed. “That is far too brief notice for Berta. We can feast tomorrow eve, or whenever Berta can have one ready. We won’t be any less married tomorrow eve than we will be this eve.”
“Clever, my lady,” Father Lonergan nodded. The indulgent tone rankled with Emelie, and she felt Dominic tense. But he hadn’t refused them, and that was all that mattered. They sought Brodie and Laurel to share the good news. They spent the few hours remaining before sunset preparing the bride and groom. Laurel presented Emelie with another gown she’d worn to a feast a few months earlier. She’d started working on it when Brodie mentioned the couple might marry that night. Emelie marveled at how quickly Laurel worked, and she was deeply touched that Laurel had gifted her such a beautiful gown.
As the sun sank toward the western horizon, Brodie escorted Emelie down the steps and through the bailey as clan members gathered on both sides of their path. Women offered Emelie late-blooming heather and lavender, while men bowed their heads. Emelie nearly missed a step when she caught sight of Dominic standing at the base of the kirk’s steps. He was freshly bathed and wore his best plaid. The brooch he’d dropped that day in the garden when the wasps attacked shone on his shoulder. He’d polished the hilt of his sword and every dagger Emelie could see. She’d helped her husband undress enough times to know there were several more where only she would find them. The thought made a grin tug at the corner of her mouth.
“You can stop that right now, lass. We all know the lascivious thoughts you have aboot one another. Ogling your husband just proves it,” Brodie teased.
“And where are you looking but at your wife’s breasts,” Emelie mused with a giggle.
“My brother seems to be intent upon that part of you,” Brodie pointed out.
“Never,” Emelie scoffed quietly. “I’m just short. He has to look down to see me.”
“Och, such clishmaclaver, lass. We’ll make a right Highlander of ye yet.” Brodie kissed Emelie’s cheek and released her arm as they came to stand beside Dominic. Laurel waited to Emelie’s left, and Brodie joined her, lifting Rick from her arms. The ceremony was brief. It surprised Emelie how quickly they exchanged their vows, and Father Lonergan pronounced them married. The laird’s family and those of the clan council moved inside for the wedding Mass while the clan dispersed. They would gather for the evening meal in the Great Hall in an hour.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am, Em,” Dominic whispered as the Mass ended. The priest announced them as man and wife, and the couple took no time to seal it with a kiss. Dominic lifted Emelie off her feet, just as he did so often when they kissed. Despite Emelie’s belly between them, Dominic’s long arms easily wrapped around her and kept her close. Father Lonergan cleared his throat, but no one would rush either of them. Emelie cupped Dominic’s cheeks as she returned his kiss with equal tenderness and fervor.
“You can devour your bride after the evening meal,” Father Lonergan grumbled. After one more long kiss, Dominic adjusted Emelie and cradled her in his arms as he carried her back to the keep.
“We will celebrate with the clan,” Dominic said. “I won’t rob you of that, sparrow. But when the meal ends, we will make our way to a birlinn. Garrett, Alec, Davey, and Tim will travel with us as your personal guards. I have four more men coming to sail the birlinn back. We can’t have any sign that we’re near the cabin.”
“I’m ready. I needed little, so I packed my satchel with ease. Does the cabin sit on the water?” Emelie wondered. Dominic hesitated before he shook his head.
“It’s too far to walk, and we can’t take a wagon with us. Em, you’ll ride in front of me on my horse.” Dominic still hadn’t resolved himself to making Emelie mount a horse, but it was the only means to get them to the cabin.
“I’ll be all right. Will we need to canter?”
“No.” Dominic’s answer was emphatic. “I don’t want us moving faster than a walk. You can sleep in the birlinn while we’re underway because it will take us a couple hours to get to the cabin.”
“But it would only take half that time if the horses could canter,” Emelie surmised.
“Whether or not it would doesn’t matter. We’re not going faster than a walk, Em.”
“I’m not arguing, Dom. Just making an observation. I won’t pretend like I know how to lead this expedition better than you. And I won’t lie that riding makes me nervous. I don’t even know how I’ll mount the beast.”
“The same way you mount me,” Dominic whispered. “One leg on each side with a firm grip.”
“Dom,” Emelie hissed. “Do you ever stop thinking aboot coupling?”
“Not since I met you,” Dominic said unrepentantly. “And you’re no better.”
“I know I’m not,” Emelie giggled. “I think I will say the excitement exhausted me and then retire when the music starts. Don’t dally. I’d like to consummate our marriage before we sail away.”
