“There’s a wedding?” Daisy asked. “Who’s getting married?”
“Us,” Jock replied, walking over to her and then getting down on one knee. “If you’ll have me of course.”
“You’re kidding. Oh, Jock, are you kidding? Please don’t be kidding.”
“I’m deadly serious. Daisy Stone, will you marry me?”
“Of course I will!”
He grabbed her and flung her into the air, catching her a second later before kissing her so deeply his parents had to cough to remind him of their presence.
The four of them settled in front of the fire to eat the gingerbread Daisy had baked, talking at length about the plans for the wedding.
Daisy knew a fair bit about medieval cooking but medieval matrimonials were a mystery to her. Still, by the end of the day she would know all that she needed to.
She couldn’t stop smiling as they talked, her cheeks aching from it. A warmth inside her grew and burned with more intensity than the fireplace could ever manage.
He had asked her.
Out of nowhere, it seemed. All the doubts she’d had washed away like the outgoing tide, leaving her feeling nothing but love for her highland laird.
“One thing still puzzles me,” Jock said as the conversation died down. “I was thinking about it earlier.”
“What?” Morag replied.
“Who sent the key and the letter?”
Eddard tapped his son on the shoulder. “You could go mad trying to work things like that out. Better to just let it go, son. Trust me on that one. Concentrate on what matters.”
“Like what?”
“Like how you’re planning to stop me embarrassing you with my speech at the wedding. Wait until everyone hears about that time you ran around the battlements naked when you were a wee bairn. Or the time-”
“Thanks,” Jock said, putting his hands over Daisy’s ears. “She doesnae need to hear this.”
The sound of laughter echoed around the room. Down in the courtyard those who heard it smiled. It was the laughter of pure joy and happiness, something the castle had needed to hear for a very long time.
The End
