‘I am sorry for devastating your life and causing Gowan’s death. It does not change anything, but I am sorry. Farewell, Catriona MacKenzie.’
With those simple words, he began to tear down her defences. But the next ones destroyed them.
‘I hope you are happy about the bairn?’ he asked. She could only nod then. ‘Good. Have a care for yourself, Cat.’
And he walked away. He did not look back. He did not stop. And Cat knew if she did nothing, she would regret it for the rest of her life. For the one thing she had always ever wanted was to be loved and Aidan did love her.
Bad beginning or good one, she was loved.
‘Aidan,’ she called out, running after him. ‘Do not leave me.’
He stopped and turned, the nearly full moon above lighting the ground where he stood.
‘I was wrong, too,’ she said. ‘You had the right to know about the babe and I kept it from you.’
‘I think you had good reason, Cat. How could you trust me not to take it from you when that is my nature?’
‘I know that you sent Gowan away, but you did not cause his death. You never intended him harm.’
He sucked in a breath at her words. ‘What are you saying?’
‘I know not how this will work out, but I would stay with you, so you can see and know your bairn.’
That was not the only reason. Cat would take his love however she could. If that meant being his leman, she would do that. She did not want to give him up.
‘How this will work? If you will have me, I would marry you.’
Now it was her turn to stand wordlessly before him. ‘Marry? Your father would never permit such a thing!’ She almost laughed, the thought of a penniless, unlearned, twice-married daughter of a whoremonger as the wife of the MacLerie’s son.
‘I should make it clear, that if you say aye, you get only the man before you. I have given up all claim to my father’s titles, lands and wealth. He has disowned me likewise.’ He sounded light-hearted and happy, if such a thing was possible.
‘Why would he do such a thing? Why would you?’ she asked. It was simply a thing not done.
‘I wanted to marry you. He refused permission. Now, I do not need it.’ He shrugged it off as though an everyday occurrence. ‘Now, I have accepted a position with my sister’s husband and work for my living. It is not a bad thing, to have to prove myself instead of expecting it as my due.’
‘Aye,’ she said.
He realised what she’d said and still did not move.
‘Truly?’
‘Aye.’
He crossed the gap between them and pulled her to him, lifting her off the ground and swinging her around. His laugh echoed through the lanes and around the cottages and she tugged on his arms so he would put her on her feet.
‘Will you regret this? How can you give up your family? You love them and I know you will miss them.’ She did not want to come between them or have him hate her for causing this break.
‘Now, we will begin our own family,’ he said, drawing her close. He held out his hand as though to touch her belly and stopped just inches from her. ‘May I?’
Cat covered his hand with hers and placed it where he could feel the bairn within her. As if the most obedient child, the babe pushed against the weight of their hands. He laughed then, pressing gently where the babe had pushed and waiting to feel it move again.
Then, as she tilted her head back to watch the joy that covered his face, he leaned down to kiss her. Catriona closed her eyes and waited to feel the touch of his mouth on hers.
‘I love you, Catriona MacKenzie. I think I have from the first time I saw you,’ he whispered. Then his mouth took hers as she’d wanted him to do. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.
‘I love you, Aidan.’
How long they stood there, in the moonlit night, she did not know, but when she felt the night air’s chill, she tugged him towards the house.
