Oh, how she loved being called Mama by Sabina, a sound that was the sweetest music of all.
The door opened, so they turned around, and a gasp escaped Elizabeth at the sight that came through the door. First her father, looking splendid in his dress plaid, followed by her three brothers, Jamie, Jake, and Connor.
“All is arranged for you, lass,” her father said. “You look lovely.” He kissed her cheek, then Maddie’s. “You all do.”
Behind them came the four cousins, all in their finest: Alasdair, Alick, and Elshander, with Dyna following them in.
“You all look so wonderful,” Elizabeth said, directing her comment to her nephews and niece, but then she stepped onto her tiptoes to kiss her sire’s cheek and whisper to him how special he looked.
“We made Dyna come in last,” Alick said while Els giggled.
Dyna just smirked and waited, as if she were only allowing them to think it a victory. Knowing her canny mind, Elizabeth thought that was probably true.
“This is the way we will travel to the chapel,” her father said. “No horses, we’re walking today. So everyone may turn around, and this is the order in which we’ll travel.”
They all did as instructed, Alex, Maddie, and Elizabeth in the back. Kyla and Maeve fell in on either side of Sabina, just in front of Elizabeth. The brothers traveled in front of the women. The cousins in front of the brothers.
And in the very front? Dyna, who turned her head enough to look at the three boys and say a quick, “Hmmph.”
Jake said, “Will they never learn who the quickest is?”
Connor just laughed.
The door to the great hall was opened, held by Loki and Finlay, and they exited in order. As soon as they reached the bottom steps, a group of orphans carrying flowers surrounded their group.
All was quiet as the members of the clan lined the path, watching the group head to the chapel, mothers holding linen squares to mop up their tears. The onlookers followed as the group continued on to the chapel in the farthest corner of the bailey. The cousins tried to tell Dyna which way to go, but she ignored them, choosing the best route herself, judging mostly by the mass of observers.
The wedding group arrived at the chapel, and Elizabeth gasped as soon as she saw Gil.
She had to bite back tears, reminding herself that this was the happiest day of her life, not the saddest. But he was so devastatingly handsome in his leine and Grant dress plaid that it nearly left her speechless. Her sire and mother kissed her cheek before they found their seats inside the chapel, and the rest ofthe group moved to the back, leaving only Gil and Loki, and Elizabeth and Kyla in the front.
Gil held his elbow out to her and she took it, squeezing him just a wee bit, though she truly wanted to pinch herself.
Here she was, every single part of her dream coming true. Marrying the man she adored in front of her parents and family, in front of the daughter they’d taken into their home, and soon they would move to Castle Curanta, where she and Gil would join Loki and Bella in caring for all the orphans they found.
She glanced up at her husband, and he smiled at her. This was a familiar smile, the one that meant she shouldn’t worry about everything. Here he was, her rock, her love, her everything. The man who could show her the stars but help her deal with life when it turned confusing. The man who was more grounded in his life than she was, something that was a surprise because he’d been an orphan himself, treated worse than any person should be forced to endure.
Yet here he was, stronger than anyone, the kind of person who could be counted on forever, and he’d chosen to be byherside.
And that meant more than anything.
***
Alex knows all…
But where would they spend the night?
The thought of staying in the castle horrified her because she knew their lovemaking could be quite noisy. It was her own voice that she needed to silence, not Gil’s.
So it came as quite a relief when her parents approached them on the dais and her mother whispered, “We have a surprise for you. We’ve found a cottage for you to spend your night together. Your sire will lead you there. Cook has prepareda lovely basket of food and wine. We cleaned the cottage and placed all new linens inside. Your father cut wood, so there’s plenty for the hearth to keep you warm. No one else knows where it is, so ’twill be quite private for you. And you needn’t worry about Sabina. We’re overjoyed to watch her.”
Elizabeth looked to her husband, pleased to see the approval on his face.
“If you agree,” her mother explained, “I have your best riding clothes in the kitchens for you to change into, and I packed a couple of bags for you. Even your favorite soap.”
“Mama, that sounds wonderful. Gil?” she asked, looking up at him. “What say you?”
He gave her hand a squeeze under the table and said, “Sounds perfect. Shall we go now before it turns wild here?”
