Music filled the great hall, just audible over the sound of the conversation flowing between the newfound allies. Kiernan slipped his arm around the back of Mary’s chair and smiled at her.
“You think they’re getting on alright?” Mary fretted as she watched the guards and other men from the Fraser and Aitken clans together. Kiernan laughed.
“A few more flagons of ale, and I expect they’ll have forgotten there was ever a problem between them to begin with,” he assured her. She managed a smile, and he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.
“Be at peace, my darling,” he murmured to her softly. “Ye’ve nothing to fear. We’re allies now. Nothing will change that.”
She rested her head against his for a moment, and let out a deep breath. She knew, of course, he was right. This gathering had been thrown to celebrate the union that had taken place between the Aitkens and the Frasers, to once and for all leave whatever heavy history had weighed on them behind. Nobody would have dared step in the way of Arran or Kiernan now that they had put aside their differences, and, judging by theconversation flooding the great hall, they were happy to share stories and conversation with their newfound comrades.
“Come, we should dance,” Kiernan suggested, offering her his hand. She grinned. It would be just like the first time they had met, when he had been nothing more than a mysterious stranger whose touch set her alight in ways she could not put into words. Back then, she could never have imagined that he would one day be her husband, but, as she rose to her feet and slipped her hand into his, she felt as though it had been written in the stars.
They pushed through the small crowd that had filled the center of the room. The tables had been moved aside to make space for them to dance, and dance they did. Couples joined together to form arches with their hands, while other dancers passed underneath them. The warm smell of fresh bread and ale filled the room, the small band playing fiddles and bodhrans where they had found some space in the corner. The air was bright with excitement and happiness, the relief of a past forgotten, and the hope of a future yet to come. Amelia and Arran were sitting with baby Robert at one of the tables, and he was giggling and grabbing with his little pudgy hands at anything he could reach from where he sat.
Kiernan took Mary into his arms, and she felt the familiar flutter she had the first time they had come together like this. It seemed almost impossible to her that she would retain such passion for her husband after so long, but she hoped it never left. His hand on her waist, he guided her through the steps, and she did her best not to get distracted by the strength of his arm through his cloak.
All at once, the music faltered. Mary’s heart skipped a beat, and, when she heard a small commotion by the door, she spun around to see what was happening.
Gregory! It was Gregory, one of Arran’s men, whom she had encountered back at the Aitken Keep. And he was with someone—a familiar figure, underneath a heavy cloak that looked as if it had been thrown from Gregory’s own back to cover her…
When she tossed it off, Mary’s eyes widened. It was Lily! Her precious sister, Lily! What was she doing here? And what had taken her so long to arrive?
Mary rushed over to Lily, pulling her into a warm hug. Her sister seemed chilled to the bone, but she still reached up to hug Mary back, clinging to her tight, as though she never wanted to let her go.
“Where did you come from?” Mary demanded, pulling back from her sister and looking her up and down. Lily’s cheeks were pink from the cold, and her eyes were ringed with dark circles, as though she had scarcely slept in a week.
“Lily, you look exhausted!” Amelia cut in, appearing behind Mary. “Where have you been?”
But Lily glanced up at her two older sisters, and Mary softened at once. For whatever reason, it was clear that she didn’t really want to get into this conversation right now, and Mary slipped an arm around her shoulders.
“Let’s get you something to eat and drink,” she suggested. “We can talk about everything else later…”
“Thank you,” Lily mumbled, leaning into Mary with gratitude, as Arran headed over to Gregory to speak to him. Once Amelia was sitting with Lily at one of the tables, filling her plate with food, Kiernan came to Mary’s side.
“Is she alright, aye?” he asked her softly. She nodded.
“She will be,” she assured him. “Now she’s here, at least.”
He pulled her a little closer, almost protectively, and she glanced up at him.
“It’ll be okay,” she promised him. She knew that he had a habit of worrying about things he feared could upset her,concerned that it might drive her to run away again. But there was nothing that could have caused her to leave, not after all they had been through, all they had shared together. He had proved to her, every day since she had returned from that awful affair with Archie, that he would do anything for her, and she held that certainty close to her heart at every turn.
She slipped her hand into his, and led him towards the edge of the hall and out of the door. The music was still playing in the distance, but she could only pay attention to him. She wanted to soothe his troubled mind, and make certain that he understood how certain she was that she had nowhere else to go.
He followed her without question, and, soon, they were in the hallway together, alone. She reached up to cup his face in her hand, a small smile playing on the corners of her lips.
“Yer sister—” he began, but she moved her finger to his mouth, quieting him.
“My sister will be fine,” she promised him. “I know her. And I know she’s got a lot of spirit to her. Whatever’s happened, we’ll be able to talk to her about it when she’s feeling a little more rested.”
She caressed his cheek softly, feeling the roughness of his stubble beneath her fingertips. It still amazed her that a man as tough as he was could contain such multitudes of sweetness, but she hoped she would discover many, many more in their time together.
“Tonight is about the future,” she reminded him. “Not worrying about what might have happened. Remember?”
Finally, he smiled, and, half-turning his head, pressed a kiss against her palm. The warmth of his breath on her skin still made sparks fly in her belly, and for a moment, she almost forgot all of the guests just a few yards from them.
“Aye,” he murmured. “I remember.”
He pulled her into his arms, and planted a passionate kiss on her lips—the kind that spoke to the hundreds, thousands of kisses they had to look forward to in their future. She smiled against his mouth, sliding her hands into his hair, and, when he pulled back, she could see the weight had lifted from his shoulders.
