“Ok, I will stay here, this time.”
Elayne finished her tea and made oatcakes over large flat rocks in the hearth. She gave Cailean hot oatcakes when they were done and placed several on a cloth on top of the table to eat with dinner. Cailean sat at the table, relaxed, and watched her working over the hearth and stirring the pot of vegetable soup. She was so graceful and beautiful; Elayne stole his breath.
Cailean could picture coming home to Elayne. He kent she may chafe at being a lady, having worked as a blacksmith most of her life. He would let her work with restrictions. But he was getting ahead of himself. First, he would discuss what he discovered at the Grant clan.
Elayne served the soup in a couple of bowls she had found and washed earlier. She had added dried barley to it from Cailean’s supplies, so the soup was hearty and filling. Cailean had several bowls with more oatcakes.
Between mouthfuls of dinner, he said, “During my journey, I traveled to the Grant clan and met with the clan elders and many others. I obtained testimony from several of them. I ken a woman who claimed she was yer cousin visited during thesummer games and identified ye by yer visage—which matched yer mother’s.
“Yer father gave me the dress ye were wearing the day ye arrived in our clan. I took it with me, and the housekeeper swore it belonged to ye. Ye are Lady Elayne Grant. Yer clan wants ye to return and lead them, acting as a laird. I have the proof ye are as yer cousin claimed. What do ye think about returning to yer clan to lead them? Will ye consider it?”
Elayne searched his face, her eyes filling with tears. “Ye search-ed for my family and kin while ye were on yer journey?”
“Aye.” Cailean pulled her into his lap and held her, kissed her head. “I ken how much it may mean to ye to return and care for yer clan the way ye do the MacPherson clan. I love ye, Elayne,” he said as he gazed deeply into her eyes. “I have loved ye since we first met. But I could never offer for ye before I fulfilled my duties to my laird and clan. I needed proof of yer identity to persuade my father to give me his blessing to marry ye. Ye ken my father has been keen to forge powerful alliances with other clans. But now he gave me his blessing for us to be wed.”
Cailean cupped Elayne’s face in his hands. “I love ye, Elayne, and I want ye for my wife.” He kissed her lips tenderly and, picking her up in his arms, he carried her over to the bed and sat her down before the hearth. He knelt reverently before her. “I love ye, Elayne. I canna bear to be parted from ye again. My heart shattered when I returned and went to see ye and yer father told me ye were nae there. At first, I thought yer father meant ye were not at the forge. That ye were riding or hunting. When I learned ye were not there at all, my heart broke. And I dinnae ken how to put my broken heart together without ye. It was impossible. I poured myself into physical labor to easemy frustration and worry for yer safety and welfare. Ye stole my heart, Elayne. Will ye do me the honor of being my wife?”
“Aye, Cailean. I will. I will marry ye and be yer wife. My home is with ye wherever ye travel. Ye ken how I felt—shattered too when I learned ye had been captured and thrown in the dungeons of Clan Cameron. I gave my heart to ye freely when I was yet a bairn. But my love for ye grew and developed. Even though ye are the youngest of yer father’s sons, I ken ye were raised to be a laird. Ye have always wanted what is best for yer clan and trained hard to become the best warrior ye could be. Then ye learned how to be the best negotiator for yer clan to help them prosper in the future. I am honored to be yer wife.”
Cailean picked her up in his arms, overwhelmed by his feelings of love, happiness, and joy at Elayne’s acceptance. He gave her a passionate kiss before releasing her.
“How do ye feel about leaving the MacPherson clan? What do ye ken about becoming the leader of the Grant clan? I will aid ye in any way I can.”
“If ye wish to do it together, I would go with ye. I do not wish to pull ye away from yer family and clan though.”
“I always kent when I married I would need to leave my clan as part of my ongoing duty. The Grant and MacPherson clans are neighbors, so nae far to visit. I agree for ye to work as a blacksmith. But I would nae allow ye to work to the point of exhaustion. I want to dine each evening with my wife by my side.”
“Aye, I ken. We will need to attend to the needs of the clan, castle, and village. With yer leadership, knowledge, and warrior skills, we could work to help my clan. When did ye wish to go?”
“We would plan our wedding in the next month or sooner and leave after the summer games to travel to yer clan. It would provide us an opportunity to meet the lairds and their ladies and forge our own alliances. I have a few ideas I ken will be helpful for yer clan. But we can talk about it later. Do ye want a bath tonight? There is a large tub we can use. Ye could relax and then sleep.”
“Thank ye. Tomorrow will be better. Then I will have enough time to dry my hair before sleeping.”
“Ye relax and let me clean up.” Cailean took her in his arms and hugged her to himself. “Ye have made me the happiest of men by agreeing to wed me, Elayne. I canna wait until we are married.” Cailean kissed her lips before he placed additional plaids on top of the bed to use as blankets.
He checked their cloaks and turned them over to more thoroughly dry. Then he washed their bowls and cleaned the table, wrapping the remaining oatcakes in the cloth and placing them inside an oilskin sack to keep them fresh. It would be harder to curtail his passion and desire for Elayne while snuggled in a bed together.
Cailean opened the door to peek at the weather. The rain continued lashing at the trees and bothy. He would have his work cut out for him to find any dry wood. After closing the bothy door, he set the heavy bar in place. Carefully, he stoked the fire and added more wood to it. He removed his boots and socks and placed them by the fire to dry. He also removed his leather sheath that held his sword and placed it within reach of the bed.
As a precaution, he placed a dirk under the pillow, just as he always did when he slept outside as a warrior. He removed his kilt and lay on the bed in his liene next to Elayne. She turned over to him and snuggled up next to him, and he took her in hisarms, inhaling her sweet, provocative scent of heather and roses. He couldn’t help his body’s immediate response and arousal. He kissed her lips, her face, and her neck, devouring her in kisses.
“Sorry, Elayne, but if I continue kissing ye, I may nae be able to stop. Go to sleep. We will have work to do tomorrow during this ravaging storm. I ken ye are still nae recovered from all yer hard work these many months.” She gave him a sweet smile before closing her eyes. Her face luminous in the soft flickering firelight. Although Cailean would have given anything to have continued kissing her, now was not the time. He listened to her breathing deepen and even as sleep claimed her as he held her in his arms. Cailean fell asleep listening to the thunder.
They awakened in each other’s arms. “Good morning, lass.” Elayne felt Cailean’s leg over hers as if his body had claimed her during the night. She felt the heat from his muscular body as she had been enveloped in his arms. Elayne felt the hard press of something poking her abdomen and she wondered if he had slept with a dirk. Then she blushed when she realized what part of Cailean’s anatomy thrust up against her. Elayne smiled at Cailean, enjoying their closeness and the fact that they would be here together all day.
Cailean stood and dressed in his kilt and belt and tartan. He put on his toasty warm socks and dry boots and took his cloak, then grabbed a couple of buckets. “I will check on the horses and draw water from the well so ye can bathe this morning.”
Elayne stood and slid her dress over her chemise and put on her stockings and boots.
She placed the pot of water on the hearth to heat for their breakfast and to use to wash with. Cailean returned, his black hair windblown. He poured two buckets of water into an enormous cauldron and placed it over the fire, then left to getmore water. In the stable, he took an armload of chopped wood into the bothy. Afterward, he stacked it by the side of the hearth. Elayne had hot tea and oatcakes baked with diced apples ready for him to eat. They sat at the table to break their fast.
“Yer oatcakes are delicious,” he said as he helped himself to another one. “I will leave to hunt after ye finish yer bath. I will turn my back so ye can have yer privacy.” He pulled the tub in front of the hearth, poured in the hot water, then added a little cool water. “Is the temperature to yer liking, Elayne?”
“Aye, thank ye. It is perfect.” She had arranged a plaid on the bed within reach to dry herself, and clean clothes to wear afterward. Cailean had brought soap with him and gave it to Elayne as she combed her hair. She had set aside a pitcher of clean warm water to rinse herself and her hair.
“Do ye have clothes ye’d like me to wash while ye hunt? I can dry them by the fire. I have clothes to wash myself, so it is nae trouble to wash for ye too.”
“Aye, thank ye. I will put my clothes to be washed here on the bed.”
