Irvine steadied his horse. “I have nary any notion tae see ye leave the McPearson clan after yer marriage.”
Malcolm didn’t know what to say. To be Irvine’s second-in-command would have been an honor to begin with, but his advisor? He hadn’t anticipated that he would be wanted for such a lofty position in the clan.
“Well?” Irvine asked hesitantly. “Wot do ye think?”
“I would need tae discuss it with Edna,” he finally said.
If Edna was going to be his wife, she would need to have a say in where they resided, even if both clans had her family members in them. He wanted his wife to be happy, and if her happiness resided with her parents, then he would happily stay here with the McGregor clan.
“Aye, good answer,” Erik chuckled.
Irvine maneuvered his horse near Malcolm’s. “If ye choose tae stay here, I will understand.”
Malcolm reached over, and the two lifelong friends clasped forearms. “Thank ye.”
“Let’s head back,” Erik announced, the warriors long gone from their sight. “’Tis time tae celebrate.”
Malcolm turned his horse around and followed the other two Scots on the road back to the keep, thinking about the offer and about how he was going to ask for Edna’s hand. He knew she had forgiven him for James’s death but was it enough for her to spend the rest of her days with him as well?
21
That evening, Edna dressed for dinner with care, her heart light, and worries banished for the first time in a long while. She had a tearful reunion with Elise at her parents’ manor, telling her all that had happened from the moment that she had been taken until the morning events. Elise had cried, and so had Edna, but now that it was all over with, she could finally move forward with her life—without the grief she had carried like a heavy burden on her soul.
Tonight, they would have dinner at the keep, with her family and friends surrounding them, and Edna couldn’t wait to finally spend some time with those that she cared for the most.
After checking her hair one more time, she exited the chamber and walked down the stairs to the great hall, surprised to see Malcolm waiting for her at the bottom stair. Her breath caught as she gave him a once over, from the clean tunic that he had donned to the sparkle in his eyes.
“Good evening,” she offered up.
“Good evening,” he repeated, holding out his hand. “I wanted tae catch ye before ye made yer way tae the table.”
She arched a brow. “Why is that?”
He drew her close, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Because I wish tae ask ye something, Edna...something important.”
Edna’s mouth dried, and she had to moisten her lips with her tongue. “Wot?”
He took her hand and looked down upon it, his thumb tracing over the top. “When we first met, and I realized that ye were James’s beloved, I thought that I needed tae stay far away from ye. Ye made me feel things that I had never experienced before, things that I thought was a betrayal of mah friend and yer love for him.” He met her eyes. “But now I realize I was only attempting tae run from wot had been planned out for us tae begin with, and I never want tae run again.”
“Malcolm,” Edna breathed, perilously close to tears.
“Marry me,” he blurted out. “Be mah wife. Be the mum tae our bairns. I cannae give ye a keep such as this or riches, but I can give ye all the love I have until mah last dying breath.”
Edna looked into Malcolm’s eyes, the love and tenderness that shown true in them, and nodded, feeling emotions rise in her throat. “Aye, I would want nothing more than tae wed ye.”
His smile was brilliant, and he pulled her into his arms, kissing her soundly. Only when they pulled away did Edna realize that her family had been watching and listening the entire time. “I hope ye know wot ye are getting intae, lass!” Irvine called out, a grin on his face. “This bastard can be ornery at times.”
“I’m so happy for ye,” her mother added, embracing her daughter. “He makes ye glow, Edna.”
“I know, Mum,” she replied, feeling that glow as Malcolm accepted congratulations from the laird. “I feel it as well.”
“He better take good care of ye,” her father stated, embracing her as well. “Or he will answer tae mah sword.”
Edna laughed, feeling carefree for the first time in a long while. She now had everything—her family, love, a future...
She didn’t need anything more than that.
A week later, Edna stood on those same stairs, but it was her father this time that was waiting, dressed in his Scottish finery. The entire clan had turned out for her wedding, the great hall decorated and the sweet smell of flowers perfuming the air. She was wearing a lovely gown in McGregor colors, her hair down as she knew that Malcolm liked that.
