His brows furrowed. “I am pleased to hear that, lass, but I suspect there is more to your story you wish to share. Do you require confession, my child?”
Did she? She had spent the night with Angus, so there was one sin. She had told falsehoods, too, so perhaps the proper way forward was to wash away those sins and begin fresh with Angus.
“Yes, Father, I should like to confess before we go below to the ceremony.”
Ushering the maid out, Father Gordon closed the door. He returned to the chairs by the hearth, and placed his hands in his lap. “Now, my child, you may confess all that which troubles you.”
Annabella tried to be as concise as possible while describing the events of the last two months. Hearing the words from her own lips about her abduction, how the people at Finlaggan had impacted her, and the changes she had viewed in herself along the journey, she could have never imagined being so connected to a place in the Highlands. How wrong Joan had been about these people and what they had endured; how much they cared for one another.
And then there was Angus. Her captor, her saviour, her lover. Annabella left out no part of her time with him. To his credit, Father Gordon did not interject when she mentioned the night they had shared, but merely sat still and let her finish.
“Is my soul damned, Father? Is there any salvation for one such as me?”
Father Gordon smiled. Annabella could see how this man could offer comfort to wounded souls. He had a kindness about him that came from within. “You have not acted in a manner which would endanger your soul, Lady Annabella. I believe you to be a good person who has endured much, and your strength of spirit and resolve has brought you through this trying time. If you pray for forgiveness, I am certain it shall be granted.”
“Thank you, Father. A weight has been lifted merely by the telling of this tale. I sometimes wonder if I have dreamt it all.”
“I assure you, Lady Annabella, you have not dreamt it. Feuds have been occurring up here for generations, and have become a way of life. I do not condone violence against others, but I do believe the MacDonalds are a strong clan who work hard to care for their clansmen. You are in good hands, my child.”
Annabella smiled and drew a deep breath. There was now nothing left but to marry Angus. She stood and smoothed her skirts.
“Shall we go below stairs, then?”
“Aye, lass. That we shall.”
Annabella took his arm and walked down the corridor, then descended the stairs to the tavern below. Angus stood immediately. His hair, which had been tangled and a little wild from the hours of riding, was now pulled back and fastened with a leather strap. His clothes were straightened, and the sun caught one of the stones in his brooch, making it glimmer. It was like a sign of the brightness awaiting her and the life she would share with him.
“We should make haste to the chapel, my lord,” Father Gordon said to Angus.
He shook his head, but did not break eye contact with Annabella. “We marry right here and right now.”
A million butterflies set loose in Annabella’s belly all at once. Within moments, he would be hers forever. The promise in his gaze told her much of his devotion. He did not look away as they spoke their vows, and his voice was loud and clear. Before Annabella could process any of it, the ceremony had concluded and they were man and wife. Angus’s lips pressed hard against hers and he urged her mouth open.
Slipping his tongue inside, he sought and found hers. She delighted when the kiss deepened, and slipped her arms around his neck.
“Ahem!”
Angus broke the kiss and gazed into her eyes. “We must ride now.”
For a moment she thought he was being crass in meaning something else, but then the reality of their situation flooded back. Her cheeks burned as he gazed at her. She would be his in every sense, very soon, but for now she understood that they needed to ride and ride hard—on horseback.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Angus was pleased with the time they had made riding to Kennacraig. He had sent Graham on ahead to secure a ship, which should not be difficult considering the volume of travel from there to any number of the islands. Port Ellen was just around the next spit of land, and he could not make landfall soon enough.
“It is likely we can secure horses at Port Ellen,” Graham said. “Angus, we need to figure out our approach.”
“Aye, that we do. MacKenzie will not expect us to ride from the south, but it will not take him long to discover us.”
“And what about Lady MacDonald?” Graham said, with concern in his tone.
“She will go wherever I go. Finlaggan Castle will not be taken by MacKenzie. What we need is for our men to close in around them. You did send the messages out?”
“Aye, I did. We have at least a thousand sailing today. Another hundred on Eilean Mor makes for eleven hundred men ready to battle. But what we need more than any of that is for you to be able to sit and talk with MacKenzie. He needs to understand that offering the Sutherland lass was the king’s doing, and not yours.”
“He will not see it that way. He will only see that it could have been avoided had I not married Annabella.”
Angus understood where MacKenzie was coming from. He had felt the same way when he learned Annabella was to marry the Black Douglas; he would have moved heaven and earth to prevent it. So MacKenzie’s fury was understandable, but Angus would run the man through if one hair was harmed on any MacDonald head.
