by Laura Eno
“Well, in my dream you banished me from your home. I thought you said I was talking in my sleep?”
“You were, but I didna understand the words you said. They were mumblings.”
“Oh.”
Abbie suddenly felt shy, now that she’d told him. It certainly wasn’t the way she’d envisioned doing so.
Gavin held her at arm’s length, looking deep into her eyes. He had some confessions of his own to make.
“I love you more than life itself, Abbie. From the moment you first arrived, my life changed. I think I’ve known since then that you belong here with me.”
“Why didn’t you ever say anything to me?”
“When you came here I was about to be married by contract to someone I didna even know.”
Abbie was still appalled by the concept of an arranged marriage. “That just doesn’t seem right to me.”
Gavin shrugged. “It’s common enough here, especially when clan ties are involved. After meeting you though, I knew I couldn’t go through with it, no matter how it turned out between us. Your reaction is the point I’m making. In talking to you, I realized your world doesna view it the same way. As to my feelings for you, I didna tell you how I felt because I wished to give you a choice as to whether you loved me or not, without feeling coerced.”
He kissed her deeply, his heart full of hope and love. Gavin still needed an answer to the most important question of all though.
“Abbie, will you be my Lady and the mother of my children?”
The light shining in his eyes told Abbie that all her fears had been unfounded. The warmth of his love washed over her, enveloping her in its profound radiance.
“Yes.” She couldn’t say any more. Tears ran down her face again, but they sprang from joy this time.
Kissing her wet cheeks, Gavin held her close and rejoiced in the knowledge that she loved him.
“We will send out the banns today for the wedding. You should wear a dress fit for a queen.” Gavin was already climbing out of bed, running down lists of things that needed to be accomplished.
“Wait!”
Startled, Gavin turned to see what was wrong but found Abbie laughing.
“I’m dizzy from this sudden turn of events. Come back to bed and show me how much you love me first and then we’ll plan the wedding, okay?” She slid her hands up over her breasts to entice him. Gavin didn’t wait for a second invitation.
Later, as they descended the stairs, Katherine sensed a change in the two of them and smiled in satisfaction.
“So when is it to be?”
Abbie gaped at her but Gavin laughed.
“Katherine can sense things. You’ll grow accustomed to it. In four weeks, if you’ll be in charge of making sure the gown befits the beauty of my Lady?”
“Aye, it will be my pleasure.” Her eyes sought Abbie’s own with a smug why did you wait so long look to them but her smile broadcast her happiness.
It dawned on Abbie then that this woman, who had befriended and championed her, would be the closest thing she had to a mother-in-law. She crossed the room and gave Katherine a warm hug.
“Thank you…for everything.”
“There’s nae a thing to thank me for, but yer welcome anyway.”
Katherine passed them plates as they sat down to eat. Thomas joined them at the table and talk turned to yesterday’s success with the festival. Many people had camped outside for the night, not wanting to return home in the dark.
“Were there any problems reported?” Gavin knew if there had been, Thomas would have already let him know about it, but he asked as a formality.
“Nae, we had a verra happy group here, with the harvest being so good this year.”
Thomas blinked a few times and Gavin eyed him closely. “Did you nae share that bottle of whiskey with anyone else, even Alec?”
Thomas sat straighter in his chair, aware of the scrutiny he was under. “Aye, I shared it with him.”
Gavin burst out laughing, slapping him on the back. “Good man. Have they ridden out yet?”
“Aye, they left at first light.”
Sitting back with a smile on his face, Gavin gave Thomas his orders for the day. “I also have a special detail for you to arrange with a few of the men for tomorrow – riding out and posting banns.”
“It’s about time ye came to yer senses…” Thomas glanced quickly in Abbie’s direction. “Begging yer pardon, milady.”
Abbie cracked up, glad that Thomas was so happy about it. It meant everything to her to be accepted by all these people who were her new family.
Before Gavin left with Thomas, he pulled Abbie aside. “Tell me again,” he whispered in her ear. His eyes shone as he watched her, waiting for a response.
“I love you.” She laughed as he hugged her right off the ground, spinning them both in a circle.
“I was just making sure I wasna dreaming it.” His kiss left Abbie breathless. She was still trying to recover when Katherine walked up to her.
“Walk with me outside and we’ll find Sorcha before she goes back home. She’s the best dressmaker in the village.”
Abbie let herself be carried along by the tide of events, still unable to grasp the fact that they were planning her wedding and discussing the dress for it. They found Sorcha helping her family tear down their vending stall. Bolts of different fabrics were being loaded into a cart to take back home.
“Sorcha, this is Lady Abbie, the Laird’s betrothed. He wants a wedding dress as only you can design.” Sorcha appeared quite honored by the prospect. Katherine switched to Gaelic, as the girl’s English was limited. After a few moments Katherine turned back to Abbie.
“What do ye think of purple silks? They’d be lovely with yer hair and it’s the color of royalty.”
“Aren’t wedding dresses white?”
Katherine looked shocked. “Our good Queen Mary got married in a white dress to the Dauphin of France, and look how that turned out.”
“Oh.” Abbie was a bit fuzzy on her history. “Purple is fine with me.” She’d marry Gavin in a cloth sack, as far as she was concerned, but she knew the wedding of the Laird was an important event.
Sorcha called out for something and a small child handed her a bag. The three of them headed back toward the castle.
“She’ll be taking yer fitting now and says the dress will be ready in a few days.” Katherine nodded in satisfaction.
They entered a guestroom where Abbie stripped down to her shift. The woman obviously was expert at her trade, getting the measurements quickly. At one point Sorcha made an inquiry to which Katherine chuckled before answering.
“She says does the Laird wish for ample display of yer breasts? I told her aye.”
Abbie blushed but nodded in agreement. She felt like a Barbie doll being dressed for her first date with Ken. At least Sorcha was done with her for now.
They met Gavin in the hallway, where he’d come looking for her.
“I must borrow Abbie, if you're done with her?” He didn’t even wait for an answer, pulling her along in his haste.
Foreboding touched Abbie's spine with icy fingers. What was going on?
Chapter Twenty-Two
“You seem distracted, Gavin. Is something wrong?” He was normally so easygoing that Abbie was alarmed.
“What? Nae, not wrong. Verra right, in fact.”
He kept going without an explanation at a pace she almost had to run to keep up with.
“Gavin, slow down! I can’t walk that fast.”
“Och, sorry, love.”
The slowdown was almost nonexistent, but Abbie was so delighted with hearing the endearment he just spoke that she decided running was worth it.
They ended up at the goldsmith’s stall, whom she had met the other day in the village. He was packing up to leave but stopped as they approached.
“He needs to measure your finger for the ring.” Gavin helpfully lifted Abbie’s hand up when she didn’t move fast enough.
Abbie couldn’t figure out why Gavin seemed nervous. He wasn’t the type to have pre-wedding jitters, was he? The man found the perfect fit for her ring, jotting it down in his notes and thanking them. He said something to Gavin in Gaelic and bowed.
“Now, what’s next?” Gavin started to haul her off in another direction.
“Stop!”
“What’s wrong?” He stopped and gathered her in his arms.
“I was going to ask you the same question. You’re not getting cold feet, are you?”
Gavin looked down at his feet, puzzled. “Nae, my feet generally dinna get cold.”
His expression turned to alarm as he watched Abbie gasping for breath, before realizing she was doubled over with laughter. After a moment she tried to explain, between bouts of giggles.
“That’s just an expression. I meant are you having doubts about the wedding? You seem nervous.” Obviously she was, as evidenced by her hysterical laughter. By the time four weeks had passed she would be a complete basket case.
“Nae, lass. Never have I wanted anything more than to wed you.” He ducked his head, avoiding her eyes.
Fear stabbed at her heart. He wasn’t telling her everything.
“Please tell me what’s wrong.” She touched her fingertips to his lips as she whispered the words.
He took a deep breath and answered her in a low voice. “I suppose I’m rushing to get everything accomplished now because I’m afraid you’re going to get away. You are too good to be true, Abbie. You’re everything I’ve ever dreamed of wanting in a wife. Until we are married you dinna really belong to me and I fear you may change your mind before then.”
“Will you trust me when I say that the way you feel about me is the same as what I feel for you? I’m not going anywhere.”
She saw his eyes widen in surprise as understanding flooded in. He was so conditioned by his environment to expect a loveless marriage that even her telling him she loved him hadn’t shown him the true depth of her feelings.
He showered Abbie with kisses, telling her how much he loved her.
“Now, what’s next? We still have a wedding to plan,” he said.
As Gavin strode off with her in tow, all Abbie could do was shake her head and laugh. People began stopping them to say congratulations during their walk. Apparently news traveled fast around here. Nikolai met them as they rounded a corner and gave each of them a hug with his good wishes.
“Please join us for dinner if you’re free?” Gavin always enjoyed his company.
“I will be there, thank you.”
After Nikolai walked away they continued on their odyssey. By the time dinner was served Abbie was ready for a nap. It had been a very long morning, full of surprises and she needed a moment to stop and sort through them all.
“Would you like to get married in the chapel, or would you prefer to be outdoors? The weather should be just right for that.” He wanted the wedding to be perfect for her.
“Leave the lass be for a moment, Gavin. She’s reeling from all the details.” Katherine tried to come to her rescue.
“I am thrilled with all of the details, really, but maybe we could leave a few things for tomorrow to decide on?”
He was persistent. “We really should look at everything right now, to make certain all is ready.”
Abbie smiled. “Okay, but if I have to work out all the planning today I’m going to be so tired I’ll be asleep the moment my head hits the pillow every night for say, a week…maybe even longer…”
Gavin didn’t mention the wedding again for the rest of the meal.
Nikolai took his leave of them after dinner, saying his group would be departing later that afternoon.
“I am sorry to be missing the wedding. It has been my pleasure to meet with you, Abbie, and to have the opportunity to share in the world of the future. Perhaps you will tell me more of it when we meet again next summer?”
“I would enjoy that.” Abbie gave him a warm smile. He was certainly an interesting man and very pleasant to talk to.
Katherine pulled her aside as the men went out to help anyone still trying to leave.
“Dinna ye worry about the wedding plans, lass. I’ll see to the details of it.”
“Is Gavin always this…intense?”
Katherine laughed at her choice of words.
“Aye, he is although I’ve nae seen him this excited before about anything. Ye should take that as a great compliment. Go on with yerself now and bide a wee.”
“What I’d really like is to relax in a bath, if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Nae trouble at all. I’ll see to it.”
While Abbie relaxed in the bath, Gavin rushed in with paper, quill and ink in hand. He stopped short as he gazed at her breasts floating on top of the water, the items in his hands momentarily forgotten.
“You wanted to write something down, or were you planning on joining me?” Her prompt broke his trance, reminding him of his errand.
“Aye, but you are lovely to look at. I need the names of your mother and father for the banns.”
“Elisabeth and John Kyle.”
“John…that’s Ian in Gaelic. That would be a nice name for our first son.”
Abbie scooped a handful of water and tossed it at him. “Could we please get through the wedding first, before we start discussing baby names?”
“As you wish.”
Gavin set the quill aside and gave her a long kiss…before running out the door again. Shaking her head, Abbie tried to relax once more.
Everyone had left by mid-afternoon, leaving the wide-open space clear again. Abbie strolled through the grasses alone, marveling at how many people had recently occupied this area. Having witnessed all the work that went into the arrangements, it amazed her that a festival was held four times a year. One would no sooner be over before the next needed to be planned.
A black pony stood alone next to the lake. Abbie wondered who he belonged to and walked over to him, trying to spot his owner. He wasn’t wearing a bridle and water dripped from his mane, as if he had dunked his head in the water.
“You’re a beautiful pony.” She laid her hand flat, palm up, and laughed softly as he nuzzled it.
“I haven’t seen you before. Do you come here often?” He didn’t look like any of the highland ponies that belonged to the guards.
“Not going to answer me, huh? That was my best pick-up line too.”
He looked at her with solemn eyes, standing stock still. There was something strangely compelling about this pony, she decided. Abbie wondered if the owner would mind if she tried to ride him.
“Abbie.”
A low voice penetrated her reverie.
“Step back, lass.”
It was Gavin, speaking to her in a low voice, like he was determined not to startle her. The pony bared his teeth at the sound.
Strong hands grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground. At the same time, the pony reared back and spun around, plunging into the lake and disappearing. Abbie watched in horror as he didn’t resurface.
“He drowned? I thought horses could swim!” She tried to turn and face Gavin but he still held her aloft.
“Put me down! What just happened? Why did you pick me up and scare the pony?”
“That wasna a pony, lass. That was a Kelpie. Didna you feel drawn to climb on his back?”
“Yes, I did.” Now that she thought about it, she wondered why she’d been about to try and ride him, since she didn’t know how.
“If you had, he would have taken you into the loch and drowned you.”
“Oh.” Feeling a bit shaky now, she looked at Gavin. Stark fear etched his face.
“Is there anything else I should stay away from that you’ve neglected to tell me about?”
He thought about it for a moment while he held her tight against his chest. “Well, anything that rises up out of the water would be a good place to start.”
Abbie started laughing as a previous vision came
to her. Gavin looked at her with one eyebrow raised.
“I was remembering the time I watched you rise up out of the lake. You reminded me of Neptune. Does this mean you’re dangerous too?”
His eyes glowed from within as his lips curved in a slow smile.
“Aye, you will find more danger from me than the rest.” To prove his point, he kissed her until she felt compelled to wrap her legs around him.
“I see what you mean,” she replied breathlessly when he finally released her.
“It’s almost time for supper. That’s why I came looking for you. If you’d like, tomorrow I’ll give you a riding lesson – on a real pony.”
Elation filled Abbie. She was finally going to learn how to ride.
“Did ye get some rest?” Katherine handed her a plate as she sat down at the table.
Gavin answered before Abbie had a chance to. “Nae, a Kelpie tried to take her for a swim.”
The consternation ran in a steady flow around the table as Abbie ducked her head. Gavin squeezed her leg under the table with a grin on his face. Now that he was over his fright, he wasn’t above teasing her about it.
Tales of the Bean Nighe, the Cailleach, and shapeshifters abounded throughout the meal as everyone tried to educate her, leaving Abbie with her head spinning trying to absorb it all. She wasn’t sure which parts were folklore and which were real, since so much of what she would have termed myth in her time actually existed here now. Who would have believed that she co-existed with Fae and Kelpies?
Maybe all this did exist in the future as well, but people were too busy to notice – or accept it. That was certainly a possibility. If a place had a reputation for being haunted, the solution was to knock it down and build a high-rise, or pave over it with a parking lot. Her time just ignored the things that went bump in the night.
Gavin held out his hand in invitation after supper and Abbie gratefully accepted it. “Come to bed, love. It’s been a busy day for both of us and I need to feel your luscious body next to mine.”
It had been an eventful day, but she looked forward to the long night ahead and the promises held in Gavin’s eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The next few days proved to be a whirlwind of activity as Gavin pressed his case to have all the details worked out for the wedding to both of their satisfaction. Abbie began to understand the haste when she thought about the many other duties competing for Gavin’s time. Between collecting rents, overseeing plans for relocating sheep and cattle for the winter months, and constant training of the guards, he was a very busy man. He made sure his nights belonged to her though.