* * *
Matthew watched and then Reid led his sister in. Abigail had her hair down; long waves of silken brown hair fell down her back and rippled over the front of her simple white gown. His eyes narrowed as he spotted signs of color on the gown that had not been there before when he had snuck a peek at it in the armoire. Until he got closer to her he could not know what she had done so he studied her face.
She was a little pale, he decided. The way her fingers twisted on the stems of the flowers she held, it was clear she was a bit nervous as well. Flanking her were Mrs. O’Neal and her daughter Maeve. Behind her walked Emily. Little Nuala walked in front, or skipped, he thought. Her little hand kept up a steady rhythm of picking flower petals out of the basket and scattering them across the floor under Abbie’s feet.
Abbie finally reached the steps to the porch and Matthew stepped down to take her hand in his. He brushed a kiss over her knuckles. Around the wrist of the sleeves were bees, embroidered with the same precision she sewed the stitches into people’s skin. On each she had done one bee that looked as if it was crawling out of her sleeve to follow his brethren. Around the modest neckline of the gown was a collection of butterflies. He smiled at her.
“Ye just couldnae bear all that blank canvas, could ye? Iain is the same.”
Having Matthew compare what she did to the beautiful artistic work Iain did made her blush. “I just wanted to make it more personal to me.”
“It is lovely, but I suspect I think so because of who is wearing it.” He kissed her cheek.
“Thank you,” she whispered and then looked at Reid who stepped up by her side. “You are looking well rested.”
“I am. Feeling better in many ways. Good food and working can do wonders for the soul.”
She nodded and looked down at little Nuala who was shaking the last few flower petals out of her basket. “Thank you, Nuala. You did a very good job,” she said and smoothed her hand over the child’s curls before stepping next to Matthew when Reid answered the preacher’s question about who gives her to Matthew.
When it came time to exchange the rings, Noah stepped forward so slowly, holding out the rings that she began to think they could be standing there for an hour or more. She could feel Matthew smothering a laugh at her side. Even the preacher had to bite his lip to hide a grin. Finally, Matthew slid the ring on her finger, repeating the words the preacher gave him, and she felt tears sting her eyes as she slid a ring on his finger and repeated the words.
Matthew kissed her, a soft, gentle kiss, and she was hard put not to return a more passionate one. When she stepped back, their family and friends crowded around them hugging her and slapping Matthew on the back. Everyone offered wishes of good luck and she hoped they did not need so much. Then Reid took her by the shoulders and kissed each of her cheeks.
“Keep a tight hand on the reins, Ab,” he murmured and grinned.
“What does that mean?” she asked, but he just stepped away.
“He was just being sassy,” said Mrs. O’Neal and gave her a hug. “I love what you did with the gown. You are very good with a needle. Why is it you find it so hard to sew?”
“Mostly it is the cutting of the material I have trouble with. Mending a hole or embroidering seems simple to me. Thank you so much for taking over. I’d be getting wed in my chemise and drawers if you hadn’t helped to make it.”
“You just need some practice. I nearly burst out laughing at Noah,” she confided softly. “Adorable little man so afraid of dropping those rings.”
Matthew put his arm around her waist and tugged her up against his side. Abbie was then swept up in meeting and talking to everyone who had come. There were only a few she had not met before. The number of people living in the hills had lessened a great deal. She hoped some would come back, but the war had gone on for a long time and the anger was deep on both sides.
By the time she had been through the meal and toasts, she was feeling done with it all. She wanted to be out of the gown and somewhere quiet. Abbie understood everyone’s need for a happy time, a friendly get-together, but she just wanted to be alone with Matthew. She breathed a sigh of relief when he started their leave-taking although she did wonder where he thought they would go.
When they began to walk down the road, she frowned in confusion. “Where are we going?”
“Emily set us up a place to retreat to,” Matthew said. “She said I would know it when I saw it and she laughed.” Frowning, he added, “Not sure I trust that laugh.”
“Not sure I do either.”
They were almost to the cliffside when she saw it and started to laugh. It was a tent, one very like what the soldiers set up. It was in a small clearing opposite the cliff and river. When Matthew opened the tent flaps, they saw a large bed all ready and sprinkled with flower petals. When she sat on the bed she realized it was theirs, that somehow someone had lugged it all the way out here right after they got dressed and ready for the wedding.
“I dinnae even want to ask which of my brothers carried this all the way out here,” said Matthew as he sat beside her.
“I’m sure they will do their best to tell you.”
He laughed, put his arms around her, and fell back, taking her with him. “They will.”
Matthew kissed her and Abigail sank into his arms, returning his kiss with all the need she felt for him. He was really hers now. In her heart, she knew he was a man who would do his best to honor all the vows he had just taken. It surprised her that she took such comfort in the fact, that being married to him eased a lot of concerns she had not even understood she had held.
It was not until she pulled back from the kiss to sit by his side that she realized he had undone all the buttons on the back of her gown. Shocked, she clutched at the sagging bodice and frowned at his grin. He was becoming very nimble with buttons.
Then Matthew stood up and began to take off his clothes. The man had no modesty, she thought, unable to avert her eyes. He was so nicely put together, she decided, and sucked her breath when he shed the last of his clothes revealing that he was ready for her.
“I understood what they were trying to do when they made me leave your room,” he said as he began to strip off her clothes, “but I did not like it. Not one bit. Even if we are mad at each other over something we do not sleep apart from now on.”
