Page 18 of Tempting the Highland Captive

The sound of screeching benches sliding across the floor filled the room as the villagers all arose to their feet in salute. “Tae the laird and lady!”

The elders, having been out voted and outmaneuvered, had no choice but to return to their seats in discontented silence. After all, they could not call a priest a liar, but Amelia had the distinct sense that she had not heard the end of the matter. It was clear that they had never expected her husband to show up. They had assumed him dead and had wished to marry her off to one of their own choices. They had wanted someone that they could control. They had had no control over her father and had suffered more than once from his sharp disapproval. They had tried to control Amelia, but she had been no less movable where they were concerned. They had wanted a fierce warrior to protect them, but at the same time someone that would listen to them in matters of economics and politics. They did not feel that they could trust a total stranger to put their needs before his own.

Ron stood, surprising Amelia, drawing her out of her thoughts, and raised his cup, turning to face her. “Tae my wife, the Lady Amelia, lairdess tae the Clan McAlpine, and mistress o’ my heart!” Bringing the cup to his lips, he drained it dry, then slammed the cup upside down on the table, as he swept her up into his arms and kissed her square on the mouth for all the clan to see.

The villagers cheered, banging their own cups on the table, making a deafening ruckus. Amelia’s head swam with the enormity of it all as she lost herself in his embrace. Mistress o’ his heart? Had he meant that? Or was it all a show for the people tae like him? Her head swam with doubt and desire. Surely, he did nae mean it.

When he finally let her go, Amelia feared that he might pick her up and carry her from the hall as if to bed his great prize, but instead he set her gently back down upon her chair and sat down beside her to enjoy his breakfast. “Let them doubt that,” he murmured under his breath for only her ears.

Blushing, Amelia smiled in gratitude. “I thank ye for yer support.”

“Aye, the auld fusty trees need tae be shaken by their trunks every once in a while.” His eyes glittered in humor as he stuffed a piece of bannock into his mouth and chewed in delight. “Yer Maggie is a saint in the kitchen.”

“Aye, she is at that,” Amelia agreed taking a bite form her own bannock. “She was a Campbell, ye ken, when she first met our Fergus. They wed and she has worked in the kitchens here ever since. He was imprisoned for a crime he did nae commit and died in an Edinburgh prison.”

Ron’s eyes snapped up to hers and she nodded in answer to his silent question. “Aye, one and the same. ‘Tis why we go tae the prison each year since his death. Maggie swore tae honor his memory by caring for any Highlander that might be imprisoned there, whether they were guilty or nae.”

Ron sat back in his seat and searched the crowd for Maggie. When he found her, his eyes glittered with the ghost of unshed tears. “She is a brave lass, our Maggie,” he murmured.

Amelia looked at him in surprise, then smiled, taking his hand, and squeezing it in comfort. “She is indeed.”

“And ye go with her each year?” His eyes turned back to his wife.

“Aye, I do.” She nodded. “Maggie is nearly tae auld tae make the journey now, but as long as she is able, we will go.”

“If I am still here when the time comes, I will go with ye.”

Amelia’s eyes widened in shock. “Ye would do that? After everything?”

“Aye, I would, for a lass such as she, and for ye.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. Amelia was not certain whether he meant it with feeling or simply as a part of the grand lie that they were convincing the elders of, but in that moment she did not care.

“Ye are a surprising man, husband. I would ne’er have guessed yer heart tae be so when first we met.”

“Ye thought me a murderer, lass. ‘Tis hardly a good start tae a marriage.”

“I suppose nae, but…” she let her words fade not wishing to ruin the moment by finishing the sentence.

“But ye did nae expect me tae survive this long,” he finished for her.

“Nae, I did nae,” she shamefully admitted. “I thought it would be simpler, that it would buy me the time that I needed tae convince the clan and the elders o’ my worthiness tae lead in my faither’s stead, without a man.”

Ron studied her face for a moment in silence. “Ye dinnae trust men easily, do ye, lass?”

“Nae, I dinnae. Nae man, with the exception o’ Father Jacob and Lucas, have e’er given me reason tae do so. E’en my own faither was a faithless whoremonger who had nae cause tae treat my maither as he did. If my own faither was nae a good and faithful man, then how can I expect any other man tae be?” Her voice choked on this last question and tears floated on her eyelashes threatening to spill over. Amelia dashed them away, not wanting the elders to see her cry.

Ron squeezed her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers. “Ye dinnae ken who I am yet,” he emphasized this last part, “but I swear tae ye on my maither’s blessed memory that I will nae harm ye or attempt tae take yer clan from ye.”

Amelia looked long and hard into his eyes. What she found there not only reassured her, but made her heart beat faster in her chest and her body to ache with need and longing. “I believe ye,” she whispered.

Someone cleared their throat behind them, and Amelia turned to find Lucas standing over her shoulder. “Lucas?”

“The men are feeling ill-tempered and restless this morning due tae the fire. They are looking for someone tae blame. I was thinking tae take them out tae the training yard for a time until ye are prepared tae begin rebuilding the village.”

Amelia nodded, sighing. “Aye, take the men tae train. I tae would like tae ken who tae blame, but until we ken for certain that it was nae an accident, we can take nae action tae prevent it from happening again. Until then, once I have settled the women and children in tae their tasks for the day, I will find ye tae go over the new plans for the village.”

“Aye.” Lucas nodded. “And what do ye propose tae do with him?” He jutted his chin out in Ron’s direction.

Amelia forced herself not to laugh at her guardsman’s obvious dislike of her husband. “He can go with ye if he likes.”

Ron nodded his assent. “I would like tae see the men fight.”

“Verra well then.” Amelia nodded satisfied.

Lucas grunted but nodded his assent. “Perhaps I will show the welp a thing or two.”

“Perhaps,” Ron replied with a smile that made Amelia want to follow the men to see what would happen next. Ron arose and followed Lucas outside with the other fighting men, while Amelia began sorting through the remaining people within the great hall. Though her body was committed to the task, her mind was outside with her husband, praying that her captain of the guard did not kill him.