Iain struggled with his words for a moment. He opened his mouth and then closed it again for a few seconds before seeming to finally settle on what he would say. Isla watched his fingers weave together; she knew that to be a sign of his anxiety.
"Iain, what is it?" she asked.
He did not answer right away, taking another moment to sigh, and she felt her nerves tingling. When he looked up at her, his eyes were filled with hope and shining with emotion. He sat the plate down and stood, pulling her up with him.
"Isla," he started. "These past few days with ye, I have learned so much abou' myself, abou' the man that I could be if I would only let myself become him. Ye have helped me take a step in tha' direction again and again, and now I'm closer than ever tae bein' someone who deserves someone like ye."
Her breath caught in her throat at his words; he had never been so direct in front of his men before. She felt the weight of their eyes on her, but they swiftly caught themselves and looked away.
"I can only hope but fer one thing now," Iain said. "I hope that ye will find me fit tae be yer husband so that we may live out the rest of our lives betterin' each other fer years tae come. Isla, will ye marry me?"
Isla's heart pounded in her chest, and she found that she was completely taken by surprise, entirely lost for words. Her breath had escaped her, flying up somewhere into the wooden beams of the cottage.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Isla stared at Iain as he held her hands in his gently, her mouth hanging open.
She had known that Iain would want her to stay with him, of course, but did not expect him to make a permanent decision quite so quickly. But as her eyes focused, ignoring the tears that blurred her vision, she saw that he was quite serious. His eyes were wide and expectant, the honey-brown orbs catching the morning light and reflecting amber and gold in a way that made her heart melt.
Tears filled her eyes as she nodded, unable to speak for a moment. Her heart was pounding, and her hands had flown up to cover her mouth. She stammered for a moment, unable to find the words that she desperately wanted to say. Isla blinked away the tears and took a shuddering breath.
"Aye," she said quietly. "O' course I will. I could never imagine anyone I could ever want more."
She heard Helen gasp then and then coo quietly from behind them. The men were grinning, their eyes bright, but Isla barely noticed them. She was too busy falling into the Laird's gaze as he pulled her into a warm embrace. His gentleness in front of his soldiers surprised her; she had not thought that he would show his softness in such a vulnerable way.
But he did. He tilted her head up tenderly with one hand, and his lips met hers then. Her eyes closed, and she smiled into his kiss, her heart filled with joy and contentment. She sighed, imagining their life together already.
Their kiss then was magical, full of gentle love and soft passion. When his lips pressed against hers, she closed her eyes, enjoying every second with him. She nearly forgot about the men and Helen behind her until she heard Aiden let out a wheezing laugh that only an old man could muster.
They pulled away, aware of everyone's eyes on them, but Isla could feel his hesitation, and her own desire reflected his own. She could have kept kissing him just like that forever if they had been alone. She craved solitude with him there in that moment but knew they had to be on their way. She looked up at him, and her heart leaped when she saw his eyes glowing with soft love.
"Wonderful, wonderful," Aiden said, pulling her from her reverie. "I couldnae ask tae see anythin' more beautiful. Isla, my dear, I cannae be more happy for ye."
The little meal sated her, and the men seemed cheered. They refilled their canteens, packing some of the biscuits that Helen rolled up in a cloth for them. Aymer seemed hesitant to leave Helen's side, but he stood, a little wobbly at first, and followed the rest of the men.
"I suppose tha' we should be on our way," Iain said from behind her. "We've got a long journey ahead o' us. I thank ye, healer, for goin' through all the trouble tae tell Isla this information."
"Yes, Aiden," Isla said. "I cannae thank ye enough. I would never have known about any o' this an' would have lived my whole life under tha' tyrant had ye held your silence."
The old man was silent for a moment, his hand reaching up to scratch the white wisps of hair he still possessed. He seemed to be thinking about what to say, thinking carefully about his words. He blinked foggy eyes at them and then nodded to himself.
"Weel, there is somethin' ye can do tae make it up tae me," he said. "I know tha' I'm no' but an ole man these days, but I would like tae come with ye back tae MacThomas Castle. Isla, ye have been on me mind fer many a year, and I would like tae know fer sure tha' ye live a fine life away from Duncan Robertson. Allow me tae accompany ye. The bloodroot has me feelin' better than I have in years; I might be slow, but ye will no’ have tae carry me.”
Isla looked at Iain, who had his arms folded across his wide chest. He seemed to consider the man's words for a moment but then glanced up at Isla, nodding towards her.
"I dinnae think yer weight will bog the horses down too much," he said, smiling. "I'm certain we can find somewhere fer ye tae fit."
"My gut's a little too girthy tae fit anyone else on the back o' me poor horse," Gamelin said, laughing. "But ye'll be able tae fit fine with Jacob there."
"Aye, healer," Jacob said. "Ye can fit on the back o' my mare jus' fine. We'd welcome ye back at MacThomas Castle."
Isla remembered Aiden as an extremely talented healer; she could learn much from him in her adult years if he would be willing to teach her. She then could teach some of Iain's soldiers; surely having men in their parties who knew the art of healing would be a boon. She had already proven it twice during this journey alone how helpful the skill could be. Isla was sure that the MacThomas clan had someone knowledgeable in the ways of healing there already, but Iain had seemed to marvel over her skill, and she had not even been fully trained. Perhaps she could truly do some good there.
They readied the horses and loaded the packs. Isla noticed Aymer's hesitation grow; his gaze was resting on Helen longer and longer. Isla turned to mention it to Iain, but his gaze was out on the moors. Isla approached him, laying a hand on his arm as he paused, loading his deerskin on the bag of the horse.
"Is there somethin' wrong, Iain?" Isla asked. She tilted her head to take in his expression; he seemed worried about something. Her thoughts immediately flew to his proposal.
Was he already changing his mind?
