“She’s willing,” Ian answered with a grin.
“Come in, come in!” his uncle said. “We must write up the marriage agreement before I can bless your union. And what brought about this change of heart on the lady’s part, nephew? Or perhaps I should not know, for then I expect I would have to give you both a most severe penance.” He chortled again. “Let me fetch the parchment. There’s whiskey on the table. Pour us both a dram, and refresh my fire. It’s almost out, and ’tis damnably cold in here.”
The two men each performed their individual duties, and then, the fire blazing once more, they sat down at the priest’s table with their dram cups. The parchment was spread, the quill inked, and Father Ambrose began to write quickly.
“It’s mostly the usual,” he said. “If there is anything special you want written into the contract tell me now.” The quill scratched quickly across the yellow vellum.
“I will return half of her dower portion to her,” the laird said.
“What?” The priest was shocked.
“Her dower is said to be large, Uncle. And by keeping my word to Cicely, I prove to her that I want her not for her dower but for herself. What can she do with the monies? She will use them for our home, our children. In a sense it is the same as having it myself, but that it is she who will control that small portion. It means a great deal to my ladyfaire, Uncle. I have promised, and will not break my word.”
“Very well, very well,” the priest said. “Is there anything more foolish than a man totally in love with his woman? I think not.” His quill scratched swiftly across the parchment. Finally he was finished. “There! It is done. It’s simple, but legal in both the eyes of the Church and the laws of Scotland. I will bring it up to the house in the morning. You can both sign it, Lord Grey and I will witness it, and I’ll marry you. Now, get out! You took me from a warm bed.”
“Thank you, Uncle,” the laird said, and he departed, walking back through the icy winter’s night to his home. He did not rejoin Cicely, but rather went to his own chamber and lay down. The dawn came a bit earlier in February, but he would be ready. He slept for several hours, and when he arose he went down to the kitchens to find Mab busily at work with Flora and Bessie. They were just now taking the fresh loaves from the oven.
“My lord, good morning to you,” Mab said, bobbing a curtsy. Her two helpers followed suit.
“There will be a wedding today, Mab!” the laird declared, smiling broadly.
“Lord bless us all!” the old lady cried. “My lady has at last agreed!”
“Last night,” he told her. “And I’ll not delay a moment longer.”
“Delay what?” Orva came into the kitchens.
“They’re going to be wed today!” Bessie burst out.
“Blessed Mother!” Orva exclaimed. “My lady said aye?”
“After a wee bit of my persuasion, she did,” Ian admitted.
“Tam, Artair!” Orva called. “Hot water for my lady’s bath. Quickly now, for she’ll not be wed without washing.” She looked at the laird, her nostrils flaring almost imperceptibly. “And you had best wash yourself too,” she said.
“Aye,” he agreed, surprising the others. “I could probably use a good bath. I’ll have mine here before the kitchen hearth.”
“Get the large cauldron,” Mab ordered. “The water will need time to heat, for ’twill be icy from the well.”
Orva hurried from the kitchens. How much of her advice had the laird taken? she wondered. Her question was quickly answered when she entered her mistress’s bedchamber. Cicely was naked in her bed, sitting up with a dreamy smile upon her face. “Good morning, my child,” Orva greeted her.
Cicely’s eyes focused. “Good morning,” she said.
“The laird says you are to marry this day,” Orva responded.
“Aye, we are,” Cicely replied. “Oh, Orva, I was so wrong about him. He is the kindest man in the world, and he really does love me. I need not dissemble with you. You surely know what happened last night, but none of it was done without my acquiescence. And when afterwards I offered to allow him his freedom he refused most firmly. Oh, I know he is not sophisticated like Andrew Gordon, or well dressed, or well connected, but I think I am falling in love with him. And I know that because he loves me he will be a good husband to me, and a good father to our children.”
“Aye.” Orva nodded, her eyes tearing up. “He will be, and your father would be happy for you, my child.”
“Orva! What am I to wear? ’Tis my wedding day!”
“First you will bathe, and the laird is bathing too in the kitchens,” Orva informed her mistress. “It will take a little time for the water to be heated and brought up.”
“Ohh, Orva! He is bathing for me!” Cicely sighed happily. Then she said, “Will you go and tell Maggie and her husband what has transpired?”
“Aye, my lady, I will. Now you stay right there in your bed until your bath is ready,” Orva told her young mistress before she hurried off to oversee all the preparations necessary to having this wedding today.
In the kitchen a small oak tub was brought for the laird. Tam was sent to his master’s chamber to fetch the clean clothing Ian Douglas would wear today. The laird had never felt it necessary to have a body servant, like other men of his class. Mab sent Bessie and Flora from the kitchen, saying they were too young to be regaled with such splendor as the laird’s naked body would present to them.
