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Kirsten awoke the morning after with a smile on her face, but that quickly disappeared when she realized that she was in bed alone. She ran her hand through her tousled hair and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. There was still a warm shadow where her husband had been. The scent of lavender had faded. The flame of the candle had been blown out, and the glory of the night disappeared. Kirsten wondered if this was to be her life, always wondering if her husband truly cared for her. She had hoped to wake up with him, to share a secret smile and reflect on the happiness they had shared through the night. Instead, she was alone.

She breathed in deeply and tried to make the best of it. Not wanting to be perturbed, she told herself that Marcas seemed to be a creature of habit, and there was no need to think the worst of him. After all, it might well have been the case that he couldn’t bear to wake her from her slumber and wanted her to rest after the busy day and the busier night. It wasn’t as though they would never see each other again. They were husband and wife; there was no need to fear being lonely.

Before the wedding, Moira had taken the prescient act of sending some outfits to Marcas’s chamber. Kirsten dressed in something comfortable to get ready for breakfast. Just before she left, she idly gazed at the book of poems sitting on the table. She leafed through a few pages and was moved by the emotional and harrowing passages. Marcas didn’t seem the type of man to appreciate poetry, and it definitely seemed as though there was much more to him that she had to discover.

Kirsten descended the stairs and joined Moira for breakfast. Moira wore a sweet smile, although there was a hint of mischief lurking in her eyes.

“How was yer night?” she asked.

Kirsten slipped into a chair and spread some jam on a piece of bread, not realizing how hungry she was until she started eating. She smirked at Moira, wiping a few crumbs away from her mouth before she answered.

“Oh, it was grand,” she said.

“I’m glad ye had a good time. The wedding was sae nice. Everyone had fun. People couldnae stop dancing! I’m sure ye couldnae hear it, but the feast continued well intae the night. I dare say I’ll need a wee nap later tae recover!”

Kirsten smiled. “It was a day I’ll remember for a long time.”

“Aye, I’m sure ye will. I know Marcas will tae. Hopefully, the longer ye stay here, ye’ll see the way he really is. He just takes a while tae warm up tae strangers.”

Kirsten hoped that was the case, although he had been plenty warm last night. The memories of his scorching skin against hers made her heart skip a beat, and she felt a flush of arousal sweep through her. It was as though Marcas had sparked something inside her, and now that it had been given life, there was no way of stopping it. She wondered if she would ever get a good handle on these sensations, or if they would always leave her with a feeling of unease, as though anything might happen.

“I was thinking that I could give ye a tour of the land later and get ye more acquainted with the clan. There’s plenty ye are gaeing tae need tae know since ye are now the lady here,” Moira said.

“That would be lovely,” Kirsten said, looking forward to spending more time with Moira. As they ate breakfast, Kirsten became aware of servants moving through the house, cleaning up after the feast. Just as they were finishing breakfast, Neil and Ramsay came sauntering in. There were shadows under their eyes, and their clothes were tousled.

“Rough night, lads?” Kirsten asked.

“Aye,” Neil said, rubbing his head. “I cannae get this ringing out of my ears.”

“It’s time for us tae leave, Kirsten,” Ramsay said in a resolute tone.

Kirsten’s face fell. “Oh…I haed hoped ye would stay a wee while yet.”

“Ye hae a life tae begin here, and we need tae get back tae let Ma and Da know that the wedding has been sealed. Dinnae worry, I’m sure we’ll be back tae visit before tae long.” Ramsay forced a grin, although Kirsten knew him well enough to see the sorrow behind his eyes. She felt a surge of emotion and stood up, flinging her arms around her brothers’, locking them in a tight embrace. She had always known this was going to happen, but while she had already left her home, it now seemed as though home was leaving her.

“I’m gaeing tae miss ye,” she said through sobs when they separated.

“Ye’ll be fine. We’re all proud of ye, Kirsten,” Ramsay said. He kept his emotions deep inside him, as he always did. He hugged Kirsten tightly and then gave way to Neil, who flung his arms around his sister with wild abandon, squeezing the air out of her.

“Ye are gaeing tae kill me!” Kirsten said, laughing a little, but the tremors of humor in her voice soon turned to quaking sorrow. “I’m gaeing tae miss ye.”

“I know I hae given ye a hard time over the years, but I hope ye know it was only because I loved ye,” Neil said. His voice caught on the emotion of his words.

They were the two men who tethered her to her old life. Without them around, she would have nobody to protect her other than her husband, and as much as she wanted to think the best of Marcas, she wasn’t sure how to really feel about him. Her brothers had been a constant presence in her life, and now that she was faced with the prospect of saying goodbye, it brought everything back into a state of inevitability. They would return to her home and would get to live with their parents, while she would forge her own life out here by herself, having to live on the hope that her husband would turn out to be a kind man.

Her heart wrenched as she bid them farewell and waved off their carriage. She watched them ride across the field and disappear over the horizon. They might as well have slipped away from the world, such was the distance between them. Tears glistened in Kirsten’s eyes. Moira stepped up beside her and squeezed her arm.

“I know it’s a sad thing tae say goodbye tae them, but ye are here now, and I promise that ye will never feel lonely.”

Kirsten smiled in response and nodded. “I want tae thank ye, Moira, for everything ye hae done. This haes been a strange time for me, but ye hae made it easier. Ye are a true friend, and I’m glad that I hae ye tae count on.”

“Ye hae that forever; we’re sisters now,” Moira said with a wide grin. “Would ye like me tae take ye around the grounds now? Perhaps it would help tae take yer mind off things?”

“Actually I think I’d like some time tae myself, just tae gather my thoughts. It’s the first time I’ve been away from my family, and I would like tae reflect on what’s happened and collect my feelings. I hope ye dinnae mind,” Kirsten spoke quickly.

“Of course I dinnae mind. Ye just come and find me whenever ye are ready. I’ll be there for ye,” she said, and walked away.