Anna made a satisfied noise, and even though Hugh couldn't see her face, he knew she was smiling. That fact made him even more sure of his decision to marry her. He realized then thateven if her dowry hadn't been sizable, he would have wanted to be wed to her anyway.
As the ride continued, Hugh continued to give her every bit of information he had about the village. He told stories about the founders and the first Laird. And, though he knew he was embellishing details, he told her about the castle's construction. The way she hung onto every word was motivation enough to keep speaking.
The journey passed exceptionally quickly. Anna knew that they were moving faster without the carriage, but Hugh's stories kept her enthralled. They also provided the kind of distraction that she needed to ignore the hard line of his body pressed against hers.
Still, it was impossible to entirely disregard the feeling of his muscular form boxing her in on all sides. His arms had to be wrapped around her to hold onto the reins, and the saddle wasn't exceptionally large. There was no way to sit that didn't press her backside against his manhood.
She wasn't opposed to being this close to him, though she worried that he might be uncomfortable. Since they haven't had the opportunity to talk about what happened during their dinner together, she couldn't be sure if he'd done something he regretted. Though if he was really opposed to the two of them being tucked so tightly against one another, she imagined that he would have allowed her a steed of her own.
Marcus was nearly out of their sight when the village rose from the horizon. It seemed as though her brother-in-law was quite eager to visit with his lover, and the thought that Anna was the reason for this reunion made her heart feel fuller. While this wasn't officially an act as Lady McDonald, she felt as though it were a serious act of diplomacy.
"I want to get ye to the seamstress while we're here," Hugh said as they began to catch up to Marcus. "I daenae ken if we'll be able to get in, but if there's a single second of downtime, I'm takin' ye to her."
Anna laughed and said, "Do you really think we'll have any time? When you told them we'd be back, they nearly worked themselves into a frenzy."
"Ach, I ken," Hugh agreed, his thighs tightening to signal for the horse to stop. The feeling was incredibly distracting, sending a flutter of desire through her. "But I'm hopin' that they've gotten it out of their systems."
"I doubt that, Hugh," Marcus said as they caught up to him. "They're always lookin' for a reason to celebrate. Ye cannae expect them to let ye do anythin' but speak with them."
"I thought that may be the case," Anna admitted, no longer having to yell to be heard over the sounds of their travel. "I'm looking forward to it either way, though."
Hugh grunted before saying, "Well, I'm still hopeful that we can get ye to the seamstress. It might be warm today, but I ken ye'renae prepared for when winter really sets in. The weather gets nippy quickly."
"The evenings are a little too chilly for me," she admitted. "Though I don't want to be rushed away from anything. I'd like the villagers to like me. If I leave them to go get new clothes, then I'll look as if I care more about my appearance than I do about them."
Hugh was ready to argue that they would understand when Marcus quickly said, "She's right, Hugh. They daenae care if she needs a new gown or nae. They want to get to ken their new Lady."
"Ach, fine," Hugh said with a scoff. "Ye're both right. I willnae worry about gettin' ye to the seamstress today."
His words carried them through the last five minutes of their ride. As had happened last time, the villagers' voices reached her ears before she could make them out. This time, it sounded as if they were singing and celebrating among themselves.
"When did you tell them we were coming?" Anna asked, realizing how organized the group seemed to be.
"I didnae tell them to set this up," Hugh said as he guided his horse to a man who looked decidedly more professional than the others who had gathered. "Though I did send one of me men ahead to alert the village head."
"And he seems to have told everyone in the village," Marcus noted.
Hugh didn't respond, bringing their mount to a stop. In a motion more graceful than his body size should have allowed, he dismounted. Then, before Anna could begin to dismount, he took hold of her waist once again and put her on the ground.
"You cannot keep doing that," she hissed as the back of her neck grew warm. "Especially in front of the villagers."
"Ach, but they loved it," Hugh said, letting his hands linger for a moment longer before turning to the village head. "Edward, ye seem to have gathered a welcome party for us."
"Aye," Edward said, grabbing hold of Hugh's hand and giving it a firm shake. "It's been a wee bit since we've last had the pleasure of properly hostin' our Laird. And I cannae pretend we arenae excited to meet our Lady now that she's had time to rest."
Hearing that the peoplewantedto meet her was almost shocking. Even though she'd seen it when they first arrived, even though Hugh and Marcus had spoken about it, it was still difficult for her to believe. Yet, here was the head of the village stating plainly that they were excited to see her.
I am their Lady. Of course, they're excited to meet me. I need to be more confident about it.
"I'm quite flattered," Anna said, rolling her shoulders back and standing up straighter. She clasped her hands in front of her body to keep them from shaking. "Your hospitality is refreshing."
"It's the least we could do for ye, me Lady," Edward told her, inclining his head politely. "We've prepared a meal for ye. Though I imagine ye'll be stopped on the way."
He gestured toward the crowd gathered behind him. Each and every villager seemed to be chattering excitedly as they looked at Anna. She was quite certain that the village head was correct. In fact, she thought it very likely that as soon as Edward stepped away, she'd be approached by someone.
And I don't think I've ever looked forward to something so much in my life.
As Hugh exchanged a few pleasantries that Anna didn't quite hear, she looked over the area. A bit shyly, she raised her hand in a small greeting to those who were watching her unabashedly. When she did, a flurry of excited murmuring rose up, and several people waved back.
