She had not considered marriage beyond a kindness she might earn, a way to bear children for a man who would take her in without a dowry.
She had never imagined that it could be beautiful in this way. Aaron waiting for her among his clansmen, openly wanting and accepting her. She had never imagined her heart racing with joy simply because in a matter of moments, she would be walking toward him.
Scarlett squeezed her shoulders gently. “Are ye nervous?”
Edith considered the question. Her hands were trembling, and her heart had scarcely settled since dawn.
“Aye,” she whispered. “But I have never been more certain of anythin’ in me life.”
It was the truth. She knew for a fact that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Aaron, and Scarlett knew it too. Her dear best friend.
She put her arms around Edith, hugging her from behind. “I always prayed me braither would find someone who looked at him the way ye do.”
Edith smiled, her throat tightening slightly. “I fear I look at him rather shamelessly.”
Scarlett laughed. “Aye. And so does he with ye.”
A soft knock sounded at the door before it opened, and Violet stepped inside with a bright smile on her face.
“’Tis time.”
Edith’s heart skipped a beat.
Already?
She had known this moment would come all morning, yet hearing the words aloud made everything suddenly feel real. Her fingers went to the silver medallion resting against her collarbone, and she closed her eyes, deeply inhaling before opening them again.
Och heavens.
Her stomach fluttered with excitement as she rose, and Scarlett stepped back, clapping her hands together with unmistakable satisfaction.
“There.”
Her pale green gown flowed softly around her, the wild lavender woven in her braid filling the chamber with its familiar scent.
“He is done for.”
Edith blinked. “What?”
“Me braither.” Scarlett’s grin widened. “The moment he sees ye, he will forget every word he has to say.”
Violet laughed softly. “I wager he has forgotten his words already.”
Edith laughed with them, warmth rushing to her cheeks.
“Ye both exaggerate,” she said.
Scarlett linked arms with her, ready to walk her to meet the man who would soon become her husband.
It was the hardest wait of his life.
Aaron stood beneath the binding arch, his hands clasped behind his back to hide the faint tremor that refused to leave him.
He was a Laird. He had stood before countless councils and wagered with men twice as powerful as him. And yet the thought of Edith walking toward him made his heart beat harder than any battle ever had.
Nothing else mattered to him. Not the warm sunlight, not this music, not even the gathered people. His eyes remained fixed on the path leading from the castle, where he knew she would soon appear.
Saints.
