“Likely for the same reason ye didna confide in me that ye were sneaking around with Rab. Neither of us kenned what the future held, and it was too painful to discuss.”
“Aye. Ye ken it was never for a lack of trusting ye, Cat.” Catherine rested her hand on her friend’s arm.
“I ken. The fewer people who kenned, the fewer people who could interfere.”
“Has Óg ever told ye that I encouraged him to speak to yer father?”
“He did last night. Did he tell ye that I wasna best pleased with him when I kenned he warned ye away from Rab?”
“Nay. But I canna blame him for being concerned. Ye have ma thanks for trying to help us. I ken that couldnae have been easy when things were uncertain between ye.”
“Aye, well, he’s stubborn. He needs someone to tell him some sense.” Catriona leaned forward to look past Catherine to where Rab and Andrew Óg stood chatting. They looked at ease, but both women knew their husbands were constantly alert to any changes in the mood in the Great Hall. The truce was too new to trust. “He’s a lot like Rab in that way. They need us.”
“Blessed saints, dinna they? Cat, one day it will be the four of us leading our clans. I count ma blessings that we’re friends. There will be times when our husbands may nae see eye to eye. I dinna want us to lose our friendship over it, and I ken they may need us to guide them. I canna think of a better woman to be Lady MacFarlane. Our clan is fortunate to have ye.”
“I can say the same for the MacLarens. Caelan and Nessa will nae be with us forever. I’ve kenned ye nearly as long as I have Rab and his family. Ye will be good for yer people here.”
“What are ye two gnash gabbing on aboot?” Rab asked as the men joined the ladies.
“How bluidy lucky ye are to have us,” Catriona stated. Catherine raised her chalice, waiting for Catriona to do the same before they toasted one another.
“Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves,” Catherine observed.
“Aye. Kenning who was responsible for what’s happened over the years, and kenning it wasna any of us, has done much to ease the tension.” Rab’s cool fingers stroked along the back of Catherine’s neck as they watched their clan’s merrymaking. “I think it’s helping to have the MacFarlanes watch us welcome ye and for them to ken we arenae rejoicing in yer loss. I hope they return to Inveruglas and tell their clansmen and women that we didna want the feud any more than they did.”
“They will,” Andrew Óg chimed in. “Yer clan has been gracious to our men since we arrived.”
“Because we understand the pain a handful of MacLarens caused ye. That isnae us as a clan, and we want yer people to ken that. Pride kept the feud going when it wasna being fueled from the outside.” Rab raised the chalice Catherine had placed between them. “We are more alike than we are different. I would toast to the day when we share both blood and wine.”
Andrew raised the chalice he shared with Catriona as Catriona stared at Catherine, who could only shrug and smile bashfully. Catriona cocked an eyebrow and smirked. Catherine’s eyes widened to saucers. She mouthed, “Does he ken?”
Catriona shook her head. “Nae yet.”
“Nae yet what?” Andrew asked.
“I feel like I ought to hold yer cods at sword point, Cousin,” Catherine warned, but her smile was irrepressible. “Someone needs to defend ma friend’s honor.”
“Hush!” Catriona giggled. “I rather like his cods. And since I ken they work, I’d like to keep them that way. I dinna want to have an only child. I want a large brood.”
“Wha—” Andrew’s face drained of all its color, and he appeared to sway in his seat.
“Óg?” Catriona cupped his cheek.
“Ma father is going to geld me,” Andrew mumbled. “When he realizes we coupled without handfasting and that I might nae have asked for yer hand… He’s going to geld me.”
“I was hoping for felicitations,” Catriona teased. “I’ll protect ye.”
“I will gladly accept.” Andrew shook his head as a smile stretched from ear to ear. He lifted Catriona onto his lap. “Are ye certain?”
“Fairly. I havenae had a midwife check me, but I realized it while I was with ma clan. I thought it was nerves that were turning ma belly over. Then I counted back.” Catriona gazed at Andrew. “Are ye genuinely happy? Ye dinna think I did this on purpose, do ye?”
“Got with child with a mon who ye rightly may have feared wouldnae get up the nerve to demand he marry ye? Nay. I dinna think that was yer intent. But I canna say I regret it either, Cat. I love ye and our bairn.”
“I love ye, Drew.” Catriona rubbed her nose against Andrew’s. Neither noticed she’d used her own diminutive for him. Rab led Catherine back out to the dancers as the other couple enjoyed a private moment together.
“I never imagined finally having peace without a battle,” Catherine confessed.
“Neither did I. It all feels surreal, but I dinna want to say it aloud too often for fear of tempting fate. If Catriona hadnae ridden out to tell us, we likely wouldnae be feasting together. I’m nae sure if Óg and I could have kept our fathers at bay.”
