Page 72 of It’s in his Highland Kiss

And it was true. Eiric had killed Lynton, or rather, Lynton had killed himself on Eiric’s sword, and there was no reason for him to think about that vile man anymore.

“Our men?” Eiric asked. “How many losses?”

“Nae many,” Edan assured him. “Many injured, but nae as many as the Sassenachs. We defeated them, Eiric. Do ye ken what that means?”

Eiric found himself smiling for the first time that day, truly smiling, overcome with joy when he realised that they had had not one, but two victories against the English. Even though their rebellion wasn’t yet official, it was still a good start in his eyes.

“Aye, I do,” he assured Edan. “And I think that it’s time the lads had a celebration, dinna ye think?”

“Perhaps it would be best to go home first,” Edan said. “Nae one of us feels comfortable so far from home.”

So close to England.

In fact, for all Eiric knew, they were past the border and into enemy territory. Edan was right, he decided. Besides, he was eager to go home and make his marriage to Marion not only known, but also official. What better time to celebrate than after their second wedding? He was certain that the celebrations would last for days.

As he made his way back to Marion, he could appreciate for the first time the wave of relief that crashed over him. He had been so worried for so many weeks, over Marion, over the English, over Lynton and Forbes, that he hadn’t realised just how drained he was from it all. He could finally sleep, he thought, and he was certain of it. He wouldn’t have to spend his nights wide awake, tossing and turning because his mind would be too occupied with worry.

It was a feeling that he had forgotten, and he knew that he would have to learn to trust it again instead of giving into a phantom fear. He would have Marion by his side though, and that was bound to make it easier for him. He would have other things to think about: their marriage, their family, their future. He wanted to have children, and to be the laird of the clan one day. He wanted to be able to look forward to things again.

Unlike when he had left her to rush into battle, Marion was now pale and gaunt, pacing back and forth in front of the prisoners. When she saw Eiric though, her frown turned into a smile and she ran to him, pulling him into a hug.

“I was worried about you,” she told him, echoing the words that he had said to her only a few nights prior.

“I’m here,” he whispered in her ear, holding her close. “I’m here, and I’m nae goin’ anywhere. It’s over, Marion. It’s all over. We are safe.”

Eiric didn’t know if he was saying those words for her sake or his own. Either way, saying them out loud made it feel real, and he allowed himself to relax in her arms, wrapping his own around her waist.

“We are safe,” he repeated over and over, so quietly that he thought even Marion wouldn’t hear him.

She is safe. My bonnie Marion.

Epilogue

Even though it took them a few days to get back to MacLeod territory, Marion was too preoccupied with Eiric and their new marriage to consider any of the things that had happened. She was relieved, of course, that she was going back home, and that she was safe and so was everyone else, but she had never seen anyone die before in front of her eyes.

Now she had seen dozens of men fall victim to a sword, and it had changed her. It had made her more careful, more reluctant to do things that put her in danger without at least consulting someone who knew better than her. On the other hand, Eiric had promised her that he wouldn’t be as protective as he used to be, which had finally brought some balance into their lives.

“Where have ye gone?”

The voice startled her, and Marion turned to see Eiric riding next to her, a small smile on his lips. She shook her head, responding with a smile of her own, and made her horse match the pace of Eiric’s own.

“Nowhere,” she assured him. “I’m only thinking about everything that has happened.”

“If there’s one thing that I ken, lass, that’s that ye should never think about such things,” Eiric said, though Marion had caught him plenty of times thinking about the exact same thing, and she was certain of it. She could always tell what was on his mind. “It’s more trouble than it’s worth.”

“It’s easy to say, isn’t it?” Marion asked. “But you and I both know that it’s not as easy to do.”

Eiric smiled at that, giving her a small, understanding nod. “Weel . . . ye have our second wedding to think about,” he said. “That’s what’s been on me mind all these days.”

“Really?”

“Aye,” he confirmed. “That and how I’ll tell me faither that we’re already married.”

“Perhaps you don’t have to tell him,” Marion suggested. It didn’t seem like a hard secret to keep. It would be between the two of them—and among all the soldiers. “Why not just let him believe that we waited?”

“I dinna think that everyone can keep their mouths shut in this lot,” Eiric said. “Someone is bound to tell the truth at some point. It’s better to let me faither ken from the beginnin’, or he’ll draw our deaths out later.”

Marion laughed, but she highly doubted that the laird would kill them. Surely, he would be furious at both of them, but she knew that he would give them his blessing. When he had sent her on her mission, Marion had seen a side of him that she hadn’t even known existed, a side that he kept hidden from everyone, it seemed to her. He had shown concern for her, and it had been the first time that Marion realized that the laird truly cared about everyone around him, including her; he just didn’t like to show it.