How could she not when her presence here might cause them danger? She prayed constantly that Aengus wouldn’t find her… her greatest fear that he might somehow make them pay for harboring her. That terrible thought made it hard to force a smile as they reached the chicken coop on the far side of the barn.
“I’ve forgotten most of their names,” she said as lightly as she could muster, grateful for her cloak on this cool, cloudy day. “Hmm, but I think Speckles is the dark brown rooster with white spots—”
“You love him, aye, Aislinn?”
“Who? Speckles?”
Sorcha’s bright, infectious laughter made her laugh softly, too.
“No, Laird Campbell!”
Aislinn sobered, her heart aching again, though she nodded. “Aye, I love him.”
She had never said the words aloud before—and what good would they do her? Yet Sorcha clapped her hands together as if she couldn’t be more pleased, and then pointed excitedly beyond Aislinn’s shoulder.
“Good, then you must tell him!”
“Tell him?”
As Sorcha giggled and kept pointing, Aislinn felt as if she were rooted to the ground, no more able to turn around than she could dare to believe that Cameron—
“By God, woman, will you not greet me?”
She spun around, the sudden movement making her feel dizzy even as Cameron reached out to pull her into his arms.
Strong, muscular arms as she stared with utter amazement at his handsome face, her eyes filling with tears.
“Cameron… how?”
“A fortunate guess, is all… but you’re here, Aislinn. Thank God, you’re here.”
She saw then the fatigue at the corner of his eyes, though he chuckled as Sorcha skipped around them and then ran off to the front of the barn, calling her father.
“She’s a good set of lungs,” he murmured, stroking the hair from the side of Aislinn’s face as she still stared at him, hardly believing her eyes.
“You… you don’t hate me?” Aislinn had whispered the words, terrified for a moment that Cameron might disappear like a phantom and she was dreaming, but he pulled her closer. His embrace so warm, so wondrous—aye, flesh and blood!
“Hate you?” Tenderly, he kissed her at the spot where she had struck her head. “I feared you must hatemefor leaving you… for not coming tae your side even tae say goodbye.”
“Daran told me you were forbidden to see me… and that you wished me happiness—”
“Dinna say it, Aislinn, for you’ll not be marrying anyone but me… if you want it. Only if you want it…”
Such joy flooded her, all the sadness and misery and heartache of the last days swept away as she threw her arms around his neck. “Aye, Cameron, I want to marry you! Yet how can that be? I’m still betrothed to Lord Butler—oh!”
Cameron’s mouth silenced her in so impassioned a kiss, his arms lifting her from the ground, that she forgot all else but the wonder and warmth of his lips pressed against hers.
She sensed then as surely as he held her, kissed her… that he had claimed her for his own—saints in heaven, she prayed that it would be so!
A dizzying moment later, Aislinn felt her feet touch the ground when she heard fresh giggles from Sorcha and someone gruffly clearing his throat.
Cameron’s arms fell from around Aislinn, but he found her hand and clasped it as they both turned to face Leith MacLean.
“Laird Campbell, I’m glad tae see you. My wife and I have been wondering how long it might take you tae find her—Lady De Burgh, I mean… but we knew you’d come.”
“So did I!” piped up Sorcha, glancing from her father to Aislinn. “Did you tell him that you love him?”
Cameron’s hand gripping hers all the more tightly, Aislinn felt her face afire as she looked up to find him staring at her with an intensity that made her knees feel weak.
