“Nay, Braden.”
“Aye, Sister. They tried to kill ye. Do ye think I’ll ever rest if they are still free? Now that we’ve been warned, we can keep Neve and Hamish safe, especially if they stay together.” He grinned at Neve after he said that.
“We will be together,” Hamish commented, his gaze on Neve, “if this lass will handfast with me. We can stay together, not just all day, but all night, as well.”
“Handfast?” Neve’s face betrayed her surprise. “The abbey is nearby…”
“And it takes weeks for banns to be read and a wedding planned. We can do all that later, lass. For now, I dinna want ye out of my sight.”
“I agree,” Braden said. “And I will officiate the handfasting, if ye’ll have me.”
“Ach, Braden, of course. We’re honored,” Neve said.
“Now?” Aftyn recovered from her surprise enough to ask the question.
“Now,” Hamish said, and produced a length of plaid unfamiliar to Aftyn. “These are the MacNeish colors. Mine. And now, Neve, they will be yers.”
He gave the fabric to Braden, who studied it, then smiled.
“Give me yer hands,” he commanded. Neve proffered her arm and Braden wrapped part of the plaid around her wrist, then did the same with the remaining cloth to Hamish’s hand. “As this fabric binds ye together, so do your intentions and your promises made here and now. Ye will be handfasted for a year and a day. If a child comes of this union, ye will be married, even without the benefit of the kirk. As ye have both stated yer intention to marry in the kirk when ’tis safe to do so, I declare ye man and wife under the old ways, and bless this union. May it bring ye joy and fruitfulness for the rest of yer lives.”
Neve had tears in her eyes as Hamish turned to her and grasped her free hand with his. “I love ye, Neve, and I mean to keep ye with me always. Whatever life brings us, I want ye by my side. Do ye accept me as yer husband?”
“Ach, Hamish, ye ken I do, and gladly. I love ye, too. I want ye by my side always. I will be a good partner for ye and do my best to make ye happy all our lives.”
“I vow to do the same for ye, lass.”
“Blessings on ye both,” Aftyn said around the lump in her throat. “I’m so happy for ye!” But their joy reminded her of what she was missing. And who. Jamie was still locked up. If only it had been the two of them here, handfasting along with Neve and Hamish. Nothing could tear them apart then.
“Here, let me help ye,” Braden said, and unwound the cloth from their wrists. “Well, I’ve never done that before, but I’m proud ye were my first.”
“Braden, thank ye,” Neve cried and hugged him. Hamish took the cloth from him and shook his hand. “Ye are no’ losing Neve,” he said. “Ye are gaining another healer.”
“One we will need, now Aftyn must leave us for a while.”
“As to that, who is on guard duty in the dungeon tonight?” Aftyn wasn’t sure it would make any difference, but some guards were friendlier than others.
“Graham, I believe,” Braden said, and thought for a moment, eyes closed. “Aye, Graham. One of mine.”
“Why only one guard?” Aftyn crossed her arms, suddenly worried.
“Da thinks the man who overpowered a guard and let the other Lathans out is now locked up, so he doesna need to waste more men watching him. And he doesna expect any Keiths to help him escape.”
“Good!” Neve exclaimed. “I ken Graham well. And his love of whisky. We’ve been friends for years. I can get him drunk enough for one—or all—of ye to get Jamie out of his cell.”
“Nay, better Jamie escapes,” Braden said. “Da will be angry, but willna blame Graham for that. If he’s drunk, Da will punish him. Let’s go.”
“Ach, nay, Braden. Ye canna. If we’re caught, Da will disown ye. Ye must stay away from there. Once we are gone, ye can be shocked with all the rest when the news is spread.”
“And saddened, Sister. I dinna like that ye must leave like this, but I willna let ye do this without me. Hamish, stay by Aftyn. Neve, ye follow and watch our backs. Someone must convince Graham to let Jamie out. Jamie can do the rest.
* * *
Aftyn ached.She struggled to keep up with Braden and be silent about it, but she’d never been more determined in her life than she was right now to free Jamie and escape. Yes, escape. Jamie never should have been taken there in the first place. She added that to the long list of things she’d never forgive her father for.
Thinking of her father made her wonder if he’d called off the search for her attackers. After he said they were more valuable to the clan, she’d nearly cried, but forced back the tears. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing how he hurt her. He’d never punish them, not for her sake.
She should not have refused to go with Jamie when he first suggested it. They could have been gone long before those men got their hands and fists and feet on her.
