"Aye, she's bonnie," Hugh said, though Anna had suspicions that he wasn't talking about the landscape.
"I can't believe I'm goin' to live here," she said, her mind too overwhelmed to take in her observation about her husband.There would be time for that later, she was sure. "I know you told me, but it's so different now that I'm here."
"I ken what ye mean." His agreement was instantaneous, almost wistful, as wistful as a man like him can be. "Words cannae describe it."
She hummed in acknowledgment, seemingly unable to focus on anything but the lush green trees they passed. Along the dirt path, flowers that she'd never seen before bloomed proudly. This was the kind of place that she'd never even dared to dream she'd visit. And now… now, this was where she lived.
Finally, nearly an hour later, Hugh's voice cut through her appreciation. "We're approachin' the village now. They'll be waitin' to greet us, I imagine. Word probably got to them from someone at last night's inn. News travels fast around here."
She nodded, then realized that in the distance, there was a kind of roar. It wasn't distracting, nor indicative of danger. Instead, it was celebratory. It was the sound of someone beloved being welcomed back after time away.
They must really like him. No one responds to English Lords this way.
As they approached the village, the sounds grew louder. Hugh seemed unaffected, but Anna's own excitement grew. She wasn't just married, she was married to someone respected. Her life had undergone a complete transformation, right down to her place in the complicated social stratum.
"We'll have to stop," he said, sounding resigned to the fact. It was clear that he was eager to finish their journey. "They'll want to see me. And ye. They didnae ken I was gettin' married when I left. They'll have heard, and they'll be… insistent. Daenae let them overwhelm ye."
"I won't," she promised, grinning as they approached.
The carriage slowed after a few minutes, then eventually came to a stop. The sound there was intense, almost deafening. If Anna were to really listen, she could make out bits of the appreciation that was being offered. The noise didn't faze Hugh. He stood, stepping up to the door and throwing it open, making the sounds even louder.
"Thank ye for yer warm welcome," he said, the crowd outside quieting themselves to a hush to listen to every word. "I trust ye've been well while I was on me trip."
There was a flurry of voices, each speaking over the other as though eager to report on the happenings that he missed. She caught a flurry of names, confirmation of a pregnancy, and word that someone was stepping in for Hugh while he was out.
"Ach, I approved it," he said, though Anna caught the hesitation in his voice, as though he were telling a lie simply to calm any fears the villagers may have. "Seems everythin' has been goin' as expected, then."
"Yer wife!" someone, a woman, shouted. "Is it true that we have a Lady McDonald now?"
"Aye," Hugh confirmed, offering his hand to Anna. She took it, allowing herself to be brought to her feet. Then, he exited the carriage with her in tow, saying, "This is yer Lady McDonald, Anna. Ye will treat her with utmost respect and honor the authority she holds."
The response was instantaneous. All eyes were on her, looking at her with a type of acceptance that she'd only dreamed of having. The closest thing to this that she had felt had been her wedding day. When no one said anything, she realized they were waiting for her to speak, for her to address them as Lady McDonald.
"I'm very happy to be here," she said, picking each word carefully. Her voice threatened to shake with her nerves at being in this kind of crowd. "I will do my best to be the kind of Lady you're proud of."
Immediately, there was an influx of words. People pushed themselves toward her, all asking questions and letting out satisfied cheers. The most she could do was grab onto one of the hands reaching toward her.
"We'll be here for a wee bit," Hugh said, leaning in close to whisper directly into her ear. His hand rested on her back, a solid anchor in the madness. "They willnae be satisfied until they've all had a good look at ye. We still have another hour of travel to get to the castle."
She nodded, shaking hands and listening to the compliments that rolled from the tongues of the villagers without pretense.They didn't seem to want anything in return. They were simply… kind.
I don't know if I'm happy about this or overwhelmed… Perhaps I'm both. But I'm certainly not complaining.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The impromptu stop took nearly two hours. There was an overwhelming torrent of villagers who seemed keen to get their eyes and hands on her. If it hadn't been for Hugh's interference, she likely would have been completely devastated by the interaction.
Even as the pair worked their way back to their transportation, more villagers seemed to appear. Hugh had been right; everyone was eager to meet Anna. If she pushed down the anxious energy that came along with meeting so many new people, there was nothing but flattery and gratitude hiding underneath.
"Ye did well," he praised as they climbed back into the carriage. "They seemed to like ye. That's excellent."
"They did," she agreed, holding onto the seat as they started again. The road here seemed bumpier, the path more difficult. Anna knew, even as they moved slowly from the village, that the last stretch of the ride would be worse than the days prior. "Icannot say that I was expecting that kind of welcome. I thought that they'd be upset to be meeting an Englishwoman. They didn't just want to look at me, they wanted to speak to me as well."
Hugh seemed to brace himself, pressing his boots more firmly against the wooden floor. "When I met ye, I kent that they'd like ye just as much as I did. They're nae like other Highlanders." Then, he smirked, saying, "But I cannae say that I was expectin' that either. Perhaps it should have been expected, considerin' I've been gone for a month and a half. Without tellin' them, mind ye."
"You didn't tell them?" she asked, the rocking of the carriage making her stomach turn uncomfortably, the steady thumping of the rocky path beneath them giving her a headache. "Why?"
"I'll explain everythin' later," he promised, and she knew that she could take him at his word. "Ye look as if the road's already gettin' hard on ye."
