He pulled back to look her in the face, a hand on each shoulder. “And ye’d tell me if ye weren’t?”
The cough behind him certainly sounded forced, but neither Sean nor Brighit turned to Darragh.
“I am well cared for by both my husband and my new clan.”
Sean’s expression relaxed into a beaming smile. “And that’s what I wanted to hear.” He finally reached out to take Darragh’s hand. “How have ye fared, son? My daughter not too much for ye?”
There was the slightest hint of a challenge in the question and Brighit turned to hide her grin.
“I find her just enough for me. Kind of ye to ask.”
“Sean.” Tadhg crossed the open bailey to his friend, whom he embraced. “Glad I am ye’re the first to arrive.”
“And why would that be?”
Brighit’s heart started racing. Would he insist that she and Darragh tell the story of how she’d put herself in harm’s way to reveal Seigine? But Tadhg wrapped a firm hand around Sean’s shoulders, turning him toward the castle and away from the couple. “We’ve a few things to discuss.”
Brighit and Darragh exchanged a relieved look. She had not looked forward to breaking the news to her father and it was clear her husband felt the same way.
“WHAT?”
As one, they turned toward Sean and Tadhg. Her father’s outrage was not something she’d seen very often. He was level-headed and seldom became this irate, but the look he sent her way made it difficult to swallow.
“Should I speak to him?” Darragh spoke quietly to her, neither of them daring to move.
“Probably not.” Brighit had no idea what to do, but she was thankful Tadhg was still leading him toward the castle. If anyone could get through to her father, it was his oldest friend. Though he seemed reluctant, Sean eventually allowed himself to be herded within.
“Praise God I did not have to explain how it all came to pass,” Darragh said.
Brighit turned her wide eyes on him. “Are ye that intimidated by my father?”
“When it comes to his only daughter, Sean is not reasonable.”
From the way he averted his eyes, Brighit knew there was something he was not sharing with her.
“He is an extremely reasonable man,” she said, countering his assertion in the hopes she’d convince him to talk.
Darragh threw his hands up in surrender. “Shall I share with ye how I was to take ye the first time?”
Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open.
“Aye, he was extremely concerned that ye experience no pain.”
Brighit reddened. “Oh my.”
“He explained his first time with yer mother.”
Brighit covered her mouth.
“And had some very specific pointers for me.”
“Oh, Darragh, I am very sorry.”
Darragh shrugged. “It may have been intended only as a man-to-man talk but being that he is yer father… ye understand.”
She nodded, her lips pressed tight to keep from smiling.
“Besides—” Darragh wrapped his arms about her, pulling her into his warm embrace, “—it made me more determined to be sure our joining was without witnesses, making my bride very happy.”
