Campbell stood in the doorway, and Jeane knew Beatrice was nearby, her dearest friend. She did not exactly play favorites, but Beatrice was the one she had spent the most time with.
Beatrice appeared, sobbing as she pulled Jeane into her arms.
“I missed ye so much,” Beatrice sniffled. “And ye didnae even write?—”
“I ken. I’m sorry,” Jeane sobbed back. “Me father wouldnae send me letters. I wrote ye one every day. All of ye.”
Beatrice hugged her tightly, nearly cracking her ribs, and Jeane squeaked.
“Little mouse,” Fergus murmured, and all her friends broke out into laughter.
“Nae quite a romantic pet name,” Beatrice teased.
Jeane laughed. “Maybe nae, but it stuck.”
Jeane looked around at all her friends. Her heart felt so full it might burst out of her chest. She had not been around this many people that she loved in many years, and it meant the world to her. She had sent letters but was not sure they would come.
Now, she knew her childhood friends were lifelong.
“I’m so glad ye made it the night before the weddin’,” she said, wiping tears of joy from her eyes. “We can all have dinner together.”
“Aye, we can catch up,” Annabel agreed.
An hour later, dinner was ready in the great hall, and the table was full of guests and the rest of Fergus’ men. The whole clan had come together to decorate the castle for the wedding and reception.
“It’s beautiful here,” Beatrice piped up as the food was being served.
“There’s nae always so many flowers,” Fergus said, and Beatrice chuckled.
“Weddings always require a lot of flowers. Did ye ken that daisies are Jeane’s favorite?”
“Nae anymore,” Jeane said. “It’s foxglove that I like now.”
Beatrice blanched. “Isn’t that poisonous?”
“Only if ye eat it. It’s all right in a decoration.”
“I prefer roses, meself,” Beatrice said, and Campbell spoke up for the first time since they had arrived.
“I will plant all the roses ye want, love.”
Beatrice turned to beam at him, kissing his cheek soundly, and Campbell turned away as if embarrassed, but Jeane could see the slight smile on his face.
“Ye have to tell me all about yer love story,” Agnes insisted.
“Aye, indeed,” Annabel agreed, and Beatrice nodded.
Jeane flushed. “Well, it’s a long story.”
“We’ve got time,” Fergus piped up, and shockingly, he started the story. “I was trainin’ in the woods and got cornered.”
“And I was runnin’ away from me father in the woods.”
“Typical!” Beatrice chirped, and everyone laughed.
“I killed me attacker, and then I saw her,” Fergus murmured, brushing Jeane’s hair back from her face. “And I had to have her.”
“Love at first sight?”
