“All this time she’s spent locked in her room, I’d have thought it might take some doing tae remind our clan who she is and why they ought tae listen tae her,” Katherine giggled.
“There was a bit of that at the start, aye,” Romilly admitted. “But once they came tae realize that she has their best interests at heart, as our father has not for many years, why, they welcomed her solutions tae their problems with open arms! Now come, let me have a look at yer wedding gown, Sister. From the way ye’ve described it in yer letters, it must be a wondrous thing tae behold.”
And indeed it was: A snow-white cascade like a waterfall frozen in wintertime, with draped and elaborate ribbons that rippled and flowed as she moved. Romilly’s eyes were wide with astonishment.
So were Bryan’s on the day of the ceremony, when he stood in a kilt bearing the tartan of the Oliphant Clan and saw Katherine being led up the aisle toward him.
In lieu of Angus, Romilly guided her to the altar, where her husband-to-be waited.
There were hundreds of guests in breathless attendance; not as many McGregors as Katherine might have liked, only because the members of the clan were still recovering from the poverty and desperation that they’d endured under Angus. Those had their own affairs to tend to. However, a preponderance of them sent along missives with their good wishes, and those who couldafford to sent gifts as well. They were largely meager, but entirely heartfelt.
Laird Alex presided over the hand-fasting ceremony, and as he wrapped the cloth around the wrists and forearms of the happy couple, he spoke of loyalty. Not just Bryan’s many years of service to the Oliphant Clan, but also Katherine’s willingness to sacrifice all that she had held dear in the name of peace and prosperity for the Oliphants. He welcomed her warmly into their clan, and said that her sense of duty was equal to that of any sworn or true-born Oliphant.
They were kind words, to be sure. If Bryan or Katherine had heard most of them, there is little doubt that they would have appreciated them greatly.
At that moment, though, the two of them inhabited an enchanted world consisting of nothing but each other.
When the time came for them to kiss, Katherine fell into Bryan’s embrace and he cradled her tightly. Their lips came together and everyone at the ceremony rose as one with thunderous applause and cheers.
Now, at last, the long rivalry between these two clans could come to a happy end.
The festivities lasted well into the night. Naturally, the members of the formerly feuding clans were a bit wary around each other at first. There were McGregors who rode with the raiding parties that sacked some border farms and villages, and the grudges from those skirmishes ran deep.
The music and dancing and sense of fellowship all bewitched the guests equally the hours passed, though, and so did the toast offered by Kirk, who had imbibed quite a lot of wine.
“I believe we all owe a great deal of thanks tae the true hero of tonight’s celebration; me!” he cackled, raising his goblet grandly.
There were some scattered laughs and groans from those assembled.
“Nay, nay, think on it!” he drawled, taking another long drink, and spilling a fair amount of it down the front of his tunic. “If Lady Katherine had found me at all desirable as a prospective mate, why, perhaps none of this joy might have unfolded at all! But I, very intentionally, mind ye, made myself as unpalatable tae her as possible, knowing in my infinite wisdom that in doing so, I would vouchsafe a happy end for her and our wonderful captain. So here’s tae that!”
Kirk gamely clanked his goblet against that of the man sitting next to him, then guzzled down the rest.
“Guffaw all ye wish, Cousin,” Alex said quietly, giving him a wry smile. “But soon enough, it shall be yer turn tae do yer part by marrying some lady of noble birth. Perhaps ye had best study the flower arrangements around us and consider how they might compare with the ones that will be displayed at yer ceremony in the days tae come.”
That gave Kirk rather a lot to consider, and he largely kept his mouth shut for the hour that followed. At some point, he passed out face down upon one of the banquet tables, and had flowers weaved into his hair by some lasses at the festivities while he snored.
By the end of the night, it seemed as though everyone had danced with everyone else at one time or another. The musicians had long since retired, but those who had once been sworn enemies now eagerly exchanged stories and drank toasts in each other’s honor. There were even a few McGregor lads who found themselves quite taken with Oliphant lasses, and vice versa.
Of all the love matches that night, though, only one was consummated; that of the bride and groom, who managed to sneak up to their marriage chamber while the last of the revelers continued to make merry.
Hand in hand, they crept into the room and shut the door behind them, giggling like a pair of capricious children.
As they kissed and undressed each other, both of them recalled, and silently marveled at, the peculiar circumstances that had brought them there. He had been sent to abduct her; he had been charged with guarding her while she was with the Oliphants; he had become her confidante, then her unlikely rescuer; and now he was her husband.
Had the world ever witnessed such a strange courtship?
Neither of them knew. They only knew that the world was about to witness the long-overdue consummation of it.
Bryan gently cupped the back of Katherine’s neck with his hand and kissed her; on the mouth at first, then down the side of her neck, relishing her soft sighs and moans of delight. He nipped and nuzzled her exquisite collarbone, his fingers busying themselves with the ribbons on her wedding dress. She put her hands over his, guiding them patiently; the fasteners on the dress were somewhat elaborate, and tying them in the first place had taken some time.
At last, the dress relented and crumpled to the floor around her ankles in a heap. The bride and groom looked at each other and laughed softly, and as she stood nude before him in the light of the candles, he saw that she was even more glorious to look at than he could ever have imagined. The way the illumination painted the dimples and contours of her body transformed her into a breathing work of art before his very eyes, and the sight took his breath away.
Her soft and slender hands carefully undid the fasteners on his tunic and peeled it away from his muscled frame, then slid down to release him from his ceremonial kilt.
Now both were naked and vulnerable before each other, their chests heaving with excitement and desire.
Bryan reached around Katherine and lightly caressed her back, allowing his fingertips to slowly dance from the nape of her neck down to the cleft of her buttocks and back again.Goosebumps broke out across her delicate skin, and their lips were inches apart, their breath tickling each other’s faces.
