His love for her had grown so strong, and now the thought of being without her was unbearable. He had respected his father’s legacy enough to wait and bide his time, but now he could bear it no longer, and he took hold of her hand, kneeling before her and looking up at her beseechingly, longing to hear her reply. No longer did he care about the possibility of scandal or of what others would say, he loved her, and that was all that mattered
For a moment, she was silent, their eyes fixed together, a smile upon her face. Then, she knelt too, throwing her arms around him, and beginning to sob. But these were not tears of sorrow but tears of joy, and she kissed him on the cheek, gazing into his eyes and nodding, their hands clasped together.
“Of course I will marry ye, Finlay, a thousand times yes,” she said, and he let out a cry of delight, embracing her and kissing her again.
“Oh, Elaine, ye daenae know how happy this makes me. We can dae such good together and help usher in a new era of peace, I know it,” Finlay said, the widest of smiles now upon his face.
“Then let us go and celebrate this moment with the clan and tell them our happy news,” she said, taking him by the hand and leading him back down the steps to the battlements below.
At that moment, Finlay could not have felt happier, every desire of his heart now fulfilled, and the future of his clan assured. He had come through so much, and now he had everything he had ever wished for, even if there had been times he thought himself unworthy of it. Once again, he was master of Kilchurn, the clan his to command, and now he would have Elaine as his wife, a more beautiful woman could not be imagined, and he knew at last that his father would surely have been proud.
“Ye have made me the happiest of men, Elaine,” he said, as they stood before the clan later that day, the announcement of their betrothal having brought with it much happiness and merrymaking.
“Then let us see what the future brings, that more happiness might be ours,” she whispered, slipping her hand into his and kissing him upon the cheek, as a cheer went up from the gathered clansmen, the banner of the MacCallums fluttering above.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Elaine waited nervously at the entrance to the castle chapel. It was filled with clansmen, the priest standing at the front and Finlay with his back to her, accompanied by Dougal acting as his attendant. She took a deep breath and turned to her father, who was waiting to escort her to the altar.
“I have never felt so nervous,” she said, and he smiled at her.
“Tis’ only natural to feel in such a way on a day such as this, daughter,” he replied, placing his arms around her.
She was dressed in a simple linen dress, the same in which her mother had been married many years previously. She had a posy of wildflowers in her hand and a shawl embroidered in blue and red around her shoulders.
“I am doing the right thing. I know it. I love Finlay, and I want us to spend the rest of our lives together,” she said, and her father kissed her upon the forehead.
“Finlay is a good and noble man, a man of honor, and I know that the two of ye will see to it that the MacCallum clan is well-governed and its people taken care of,” he said, as a noise behind them caused Elaine to turn, a smile breaking over her face.
“I thought ye had got lost, Carys,” she said, as her friend came hurrying up.
“Nay, I was just finishin’ my preparations,” she said breathlessly.
“Then tis’ time we went in, Finlay will be waitin’ for us, and I daenae wish to keep him waitin’ any longer,” Elaine said, as the pipers began to play.
Her father led her slowly along the aisle, all heads now turning to look at her as she made her way to the altar. It had been a month since she and Finlay had returned to Kilchurn, the wedding organized in a hurry for neither she nor Finlay had wished to wait.
Elaine was overjoyed to have Carys and her father at her side for this most wonderful day. Word had been sent to Carrick immediately upon their return, and Elaine and Finlay had been mightily relieved to learn that Carys had escaped on that fateful night and made her way home where Elaine’s father had taken care of her.
Their reunion somedays prior had been immensely happy, and now Elaine felt surrounded by the warmth and love of her family and the clan into which she was marrying. She was determined to be a good, just, and diligent mistress of the MacCallums, and with Finlay, she had already set about doing much good for the clan.
Now, she arrived at the altar, and Finlay turned to greet her, a smile coming over his face as he held out his hands to her and embraced her. He was dressed in a fine tunic and bonnet, his sword slung at his side, every bit the handsome and dashing Laird. She smiled at him, a sense of complete happiness washing over her, knowing that soon she would be his wife.
“Ye look so very beautiful, Elaine,” he whispered.
“And ye look ever so handsome, Finlay,” she replied, slipping her hand into his.
“Dear friends, let us ask God to bless this happy couple in their union and this clan that it may live in peace and know prosperity,” the priest said as he began the ritual of the marriage service.
Now, Elaine and Finlay made their vows, promising to be faithful to one another their whole lives long, to love and to cherish one another in times of poverty and riches, good health, and unto death. Finlay presented Elaine with a ring and, when the final blessing was pronounced, they shared a kiss as those gathered in the castle chapel cheered and applauded them.
“Oh, mistress, how happy I am for ye both,” Carys said, as she hurried to embrace Elaine, the procession now making its way back down the aisle.
“It has taken many adventures for us to arrive at this point,” Elaine replied, happy that finally, she was married and together she and Finlay could look forward to the rest of their lives together.
A great feast had been prepared to celebrate, and Elaine sat on Finlay’s right in pride of place, as food and drink were served in abundance, and the great hall was filled with laughter and celebration. Guests had come from far and wide, not only her father and Carys but Callum MacDonald too and many of his men, a sign of the peace and goodwill that now existed between the two clans.
“A toast to ye, Finlay, Laird of the MacCallums and to ye, Elaine, his wife and mistress of this clan. May God bless ye, and may ye enjoy much prosperity together,” Callum said, rising from his place and holding up his glass of whiskey in a toast.
“And a toast to ye, my friend, our most esteemed and honored guest, ally of our clan, and herald of peace,” Finlay said, also raising his glass.
Now, he rose to his feet, calling for quiet, and the great hall fell silent, all eyes now turned toward him.
“Be brief, Finlay, I tire,” Elaine said, smiling at him and blushing a little.
“I wish only to say one thing, and that is that I am now the luckiest man in all of Scotland. We have come through much, Elaine and I, and we are stronger for it. She had made me the happiest of men, and, as I declared before God this day, I declare before all of ye, I love her with all my heart,” he said, raising his glass, “to Elaine and may God bless our happy union.”
“To Elaine,” came the reply, and once more, the merriment of the great hall returned, with laughter and conversation aplenty.
The hour was growing late now, and Elaine slipped her arm through Finlay’s, pulling him away from his conversation with Callum.
“Let us go to our bed, dear husband,” she whispered, and he smiled at her.
“If that is what ye desire, dear wife,” he said, and together they rose.
“Will ye nae stay and drink another dram?” Callum asked, raising his glass to Finlay, but the Laird shook his head.
“Nay, nae when my wife calls me to accompany her,” and Callum began to laugh.
“Tis’ understood, my friend, tis’ understood,” he said, and Finlay and Elaine slipped out of the great hall and made their way hurriedly to their chambers.
A fire had been kindled in the hearth, and candles lit a
ll around. The bedsheets had been pulled back, the curtains around the bed hanging half-open, inviting them in. Finlay closed the door behind them, turning the key before taking Elaine in his arms and kissing her.
“And now we are husband and wife, nay one will question us being alone together,” he said, as a shiver ran through Elaine at his touch.
“Nay more secret liaisons,” she said, thinking back to the months past when they had made love in secret, the memory of that first time ever etched upon her mind.
“Tis’ expected of us,” he said, and she laughed.
“A son and heir?” she said, and he kissed her on the neck, his hands caressing her body and fondling her breasts.
“Why only one? We should have a dozen children, and that will mean much time spent here,” he said, taking her hand and leading her to the bed.
There, they fell upon one another. Laughing, as they rolled together upon the freshly laundered sheets, Elaine on top of Finlay, kissing him, her arms around him, their passions aroused.
“I am glad ye think that we shall start with a boy, but I shall want girls too,” she said as he began to undress her, pulling at her dress and exposing her breasts, which he began to kiss and fondle.
“Ye may have whatever ye desire,” he said, pulling his tunic off and letting out a sigh of satisfaction as she began to fondle and caress him.
“There is much that I desire,” she said, a shiver running through her at the touch of his hands, running across her body as she arched her back and he kissed her passionately upon the neck.
His hands were exploring her now, each of them rousing to new heights of ecstatic pleasure. It was as though the marriage had brought a new intensity and passion to their relationship, a sense of utter and absolute delight in one another.
No longer was Elaine the inexperienced maiden, but a woman who knew precisely what she wanted and what she wanted was Finlay. In his arms, she came alive, her whole body tingling with delight as he raised himself over her, his body strong against her, pushing down upon her so that she gasped with delight.
“And much that we shall discover together,” he said, breathless, as he pulled her close to him, each now pressed against the other, their bodies entwined in perfect union.
She let out a cry of delight, that wonderful sensation rising in her so that she could no longer bear to hold her ecstasy any longer. She pressed her lips to his, the passion of their kiss masking her cry as together they reached their climax, falling apart in sheer and utter delight.
“Every time tis’ more than I could dream of,” she said, breathing heavily and lying back amidst the blankets as he took her in his arms and kissed her once again.
“Ye become more beautiful every day, Elaine. I have never known a woman like ye,” he said, and she laughed.
“And ye never shall,” she replied, rolling him onto his back and kissing him.
He took her in his arms, his strength overcoming her, and began again to kiss and fondle her breasts, arousing her sensations again and causing her to let out a sigh of satisfaction.
“We must work hard if ye are to have yer dozen children,” he said, and she laughed, kissing him once again, her hand trailing down his body, as he was roused to her once again.
Eventually, they slept, Finlay’s arms around her through the night until the first dawn broke, the birds singing in the castle gardens below. When Elaine awoke, she slipped out of bed and crossed to the window. Down below, in the courtyard, she could see Dougal saddling his horse and Murdoch issuing orders to his men. Her father was there too, and she watched happily for a few moments, turning to find Finlay sat up in bed.
“It seems that we have been undisturbed this day,” she said, and he laughed.
“For they know of my wrath if we were. Nay, lass, we shall know nay disturbance today,” he said, coming to stand with her by the window.
The sun was rising over the moorlands, and the heathers were glowing a thousand shades of purple. Above them, a lark soared toward trees in the distance, and the happy sounds of the clansmen at their work rose from below.
“I feel so happy now, Finlay. I have never felt such happiness before,” she said as he put his arms around her shoulders.
“Sometimes we must endure a trial before we know the happiness beyond,” he said, and she nodded.
“We have been tested, ye and I. There cannae be many marriages that are forged between prisoners and those on the run for their lives,” she said, and he laughed.
“Which is why we have proved ourselves so readily to one another. There is little we couldnae face together,” he said.
“And what dae ye think we might face?” she asked, as together they looked out across the moorlands.
“Let us leave that to fate, lass, for to know the future would leave us terrified in the present. Nay, tis’ best we daenae know. But I do know one thing, and that is that today is a good day for us both, the beginning’ of the rest of our lives together, the happiest of days,” he said, and she turned to him and smiled, leaning up to kiss him.
“The future ahead of us, whatever it might hold,” she replied.
“And we will face it together as man and wife, for nothin’ can break such a bond, the bond of love,” he said, his words ringing true, the certainty of their love assured.
The End?
But there’s more…
Eager to learn what the future holds for Elaine and Finlay?
Then you may enjoy this extended epilogue.
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Afterword
Thank you for reading my novel, Highlander’s Forbidden Desire. I really hope you enjoyed it! If you did, could you please be so kind to write your review HERE?
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Do you want more Romance?
If you’re a true fan of the Scottish romance genre, here are the first chapters of my previous best-selling novel: Mending a Highland Heart
This time, we follow the story of Charlotte, a feisty Sassenach whose only wish is to heal the plague-stricken people of the MacLean clan. But the plague is merciless, and it's trying to claim her Highlander. How will she save him? And what will she sacrifice in the name of love?
* * *
Mending a Highland Heart
Chapter One
Isle of Mull, Seat of Clan MacLean, Late February 1718
Charlotte Andrews wiped the young man’s brow as he lay on the small bed in his cottage. “He’s nae been eating, mistress, I’ve tried everything.” An old woman stood next to her, wringing her hands. Tears began to form in her eyes. “I’ve nae seen a sickness like it. What could it be?”
Charlotte leaned back in her chair and sighed. She had not seen anything like it before either, and it troubled her that she was unable to come to a conclusion. She wanted to be there for these people, showing them that she was just as good as an educated male doctor, but here she was, struggling to find the answer. The young man and a few others on the island shared symptoms. They were heavily bruised; some of their teeth were loosening and threatening to fall out; they had purple gums and a dry, almost scale-like skin.
She was afraid something was spreading around the island, but she couldn’t decipher what the symptoms meant. It wasn’t scarlet fever, or sepsis, or anything like that. She turned to smile at the old woman. “I will do my best for him, ma’am. But I am unsure yet as to what the illness could be. Keep him resting and make sure he is drinking plenty of water if you can find it. Boil it first.”
“Should we nae set the leeches upon him?”
Charlotte shook her head violently. “No, I beg you would not do that. There are much better ways of dealing with an illness. I will think on it and see what I can do for your son. I will come to you tomorr
ow.”
The woman nodded and showed Charlotte to the door. “I thank ye, mistress. We have nae had a healer for many a year, and the one across the water cannae be trusted tae come in time, and sometimes he doesnae come at all.”
Highlander’s Forbidden Desire: Wanting her was forbidden, having her was his ruin... Page 26