The Wild and Lonely Sea

by Isobel Robertson

  “I understand,” Lisbetta said. She smiled up at Cormac. “It’s been difficult for everyone to grasp.” He smiled back at her, but there was still sadness in his eyes.

  “What are you all planning to do now?” Norah asked.

  Everyone looked at Moira, who shrugged.

  “Now that Sigurd's gone, I suppose we need to put our energy into some way of making money. Piracy is out.”

  “Ye were all right,” Red said glumy. “Sigurd was bad news from the beginning and we should never have got mixed up with him. I'm sorry I made it so difficult tae get out, Cormac.”

  Cormac looked surprised. “I made my own misjudgements. I'm just glad that we're finally free of him.”

  They all nodded, even Norah. What a terrible shame, for a daughter to have such a bad relationship with her father. Not that Lisbetta had ever loved or respected her own father.

  “I'll work on a plan,” Moira promised. “I think we could build up some sort of business reasonably effectively. If we can repair the ship, that is. We dinnae have much more money.”

  “I have plenty," Norah offered. “I wasn't foolish enough to run away from my father without a good bit of gold with me. Why do you think he wanted to find me so badly?”

  “You'd give us money to start a business?” Lisbetta asked, fighting to hide the disbelief from her voice.

  “I owe you,” Norah said. Her eyes flicked up to look at Red almost imperceptibly - but Lisbetta could tell from Cormac's slow smile that he'd seen it too.

  *****

  Chapter 18

  Lisbetta could barely keep still as she and Cormac waited at the gate to the churchyard. The first golden leaves hung overhead, but the air still felt warm as summer, and as full of promise as spring. Tapping her feet gently on the ground, she smiled at the thought of all the dancing they would have that evening. All the weight of worries had lifted at last from her shoulders.

  “I can't believe this is finally happening,” she said, tipping her head back to let the sunlight filter through her closed lids.

  “I can scarce believe it myself,” he said, trailing his fingers gently down her arm. With her eyes closed, the feeling was like little sparks of magic.

  “No one was especially surprised when I got married,” he continued. “But whoever thought that Red would eat his words and get married?”

  Lisbetta laughed. “I certainly didn't. But Red and Norah are perfect for each other.”

  There in the quiet of the country lane that led to the church, birds singing gently and the wind whispering through the trees, the time had come for a new beginning. She'd thought over and over again about the words Cormac had said to her on the beach. She wasn't ready to say them in return - not yet - but the first sparks of the feeling were starting to grow.

  “Let's make this a beautiful day for Red and Norah,” she said, opening her eyes to look at her husband. “We have a lot of bad memories to replace.”

  Cormac swallowed hard.

  “I wanted to talk to ye about some of those bad memories, actually. I need to apologise. Red and Norah are having this big, special day, and we had nothing. I'm sorry that our wedding was so rushed and secretive.”

  He wanted to talk about this now? When everything seemed so perfect and she had been feeling so happy?

  “If I'd wanted a big wedding, I would have stayed at home,” she said, trying not to snap at him. “As you can imagine, a princess and a selkie lord would have a wedding more lavish than any human royalty.”

  She almost wished she could take the words back when his face turned to ice.

  “And ye got an empty church in a godforsaken corner of Scotland. I'm sorry. I know I'll never be good enough for ye, but I swear I'll keep trying.”

  Lisbetta snorted dismissively. “I'm here because I want to be, Cormac. Not because I need anything you can give me. Please, stop talking about our wedding. I'm not interested in discussing it.”

  He might have said more, but the rest of the wedding party arrived then, spilling over the top of the hill from town, everyone draped in ribbons and carrying bouquets of flowers. Faces flushed and glowing with happiness, the bride and groom were borne along in the middle, kept separate by the crowd but still unable to tear their eyes from each other. Lisbetta couldn't help but smile. The men all wore their kilts and the women their best dresses, everyone ready for a wonderful day.

  It was beautiful to see such a happy couple, no matter how simple the wedding. She had attended many aristocratic weddings and royal events in the great hall of her home, where lofty vaulted ceilings merged with seawater and walls sparkled with mosaics of precious gems. Somehow, all that gold and glory seemed pointless alongside the flowers and laughter of this wedding. Wealth certainly did not guarantee happiness - just look at the disaster that her parents' marriage had become.

  The wedding party staggered to a halt outside the church, piling up as everyone jostled to get into the right order. Cormac stepped up to Red, slinging one arm around his friend's shoulder in a bear hug, while Lisbetta pushed her way through to the bride, wrapping Norah in a hug of her own.

  Norah wore the finest dress Lisbetta had seen since she left the kingdom, and she couldn't help but wonder where it had come from. Wool that soft - and that vivid shade of blue - couldn't have been easy to find. Norah had obviously been spending Sigurd's money on more than just business expenses.

  The church doors swung open and two little girls, Red's cousins, came skipping out, giggling and scattering flower petals. The air tighten all around Lisbetta as everyone gasped at the rich floral scent pouring out from the door. Hesitantly, the first few guests began to file in, all exclaiming in wonder at how many flowers covered the walls, hang from the ceiling, and draped from giant pots set along the nave. Even Lisbetta’s mouth dropped open for a split second. She'd never seen anything like it.

  “Where did ye get these?” Red asked, his low growl cutting abruptly through the noise. Everyone fell suddenly silent, the crowd shifting unevenly as they all waited to see what had happened.

  “I had them brought by ship from Glasgow this morning,” Norah said, her chin lifted. “It took an entire boat and half of the flower market. It's perfect.”

  “Ye spent this kind of money on flowers?” Red hissed, his eyes darting sideways at the crowd around him. People hastily shuffled backwards.

  “It's my money to spend as I want,” Norah pointed out. “And I wanted to make this a special day. Why do you have a problem with that?”

  “That money isnae going tae last forever! This is the most ridiculous waste I've ever seen in my life!”

  “Don't try to make my decisions for me!” Norah shouted up at him. “I'm not your wife yet, and that money is mine alone!”

  “Dinnae make stupid decisions without talking to me first!” Red shouted back. “I'm going to be yer husband in a few moments time, and I'll be damned if I let my wife do as she wants.”

  “If you can't cope with strong women, you shouldn't have surrounded yourself with them,” Norah pointed out, throwing a smirk over her shoulder at Lisbetta and Moira, who'd made her way over through the crowd.

  Red narrowed his eyes, staring at the three women, who all looked back up at him impassively.

  “Fine,” he growled. “I willnae make any more fuss about the no doubt unbelievable amount of money ye've spent on this wedding. But in future, I manage the money. Ye have to realise that yer gold won't last forever.”

  “Fine,” Norah said, flipping her long, dark hair back off her shoulders. “Can we just hurry up and get married?”

  The crowd around her laughed, and pushed forwards into the church in one big surge. Lisbetta let herself be carried along with it, losing sight of Cormac as they went.

  Inside, the sight and smell of the church was wonderful, with autumn roses and sprays of wildflowers filling every possible corner. Lisbetta sank onto a pew with a happy sigh, delighting in the beauty of life on land.

  The ceremony flew by, the droned w
ords slipping in and out of Lisbetta's mind like water. At last, the final vows were over with, and it was time for Red to give his new bride her ring. Lisbetta lent forward excitedly, ready to see if their plan had paid off.

  Red's sister, Jenny, held her hand out to her brother and he picked up the ring gently before freezing and frowning down at it. He stayed there for a second, the entire congregation staring at him in anticipation.

  “Where did ye get this?” he asked, the whisper sounding all around the cold stone church.

  “We saved it,” Jenny whispered back. “I know you wanted us to sell it, but how could we give up Mammy's ring? It will look beautiful on yer bride, brother.”

  She kissed him softly on the cheek and sank back into her seat.

  Red looked utterly dumbfounded as he gently slid the ring onto Norah's finger. Lisbetta wasn't close enough to see, but she could picture the tiny sapphires that had enchanted her when Jenny first showed her the ring. Whatever Red thought about extravagance and waste, Norah deserved those precious stones. Smiling, Lisbetta touched her own wedding ring and glanced at Cormac's profile as he sat beside her, laughing at his best friend's expression. What a perfect day.

  Once the ceremony had finished, the townspeople spilled back out of the church, laughing and joking in the churchyard. Lisbetta stood a little aside from the crowd, drinking in the fresh scent of the sea air. From here, high up on the hill, she could see the sea itself, shimmering in a silver sheet just beyond the town. It no longer called to her quite as much as it once had.

  “Ready for some dancing?” Cormac asked, coming up behind her to place one hand gently on her waist and whisper in her ear.

  Lisbetta’s cheeks warmed with excitement. “I may not have been born with legs, Cormac King, but I'm more than ready to use them!”

  They all piled into the inn, cramming every corner with excited wedding guests. The room filled with so much noise, movement and swirling tartan that Lisbetta felt light-headed and a little dizzy. Cormac passed her a glass of whisky which she clutched tightly, not planning to drink too much too quickly.

  The toasts came thick and fast, the crowd getting even louder and livelier. They toasted the bride and groom, Scotland, and the Stuart King, although Lisbetta noticed that last toast was quickly silenced.

  The innkeeper, Ian, and his cluster of barmaids brought out the wedding breakfast, piles of food that only Norah could have afforded. Lisbetta picked at it, still a little uncertain about human food. It tasted so different to the fish and seafood she'd lived on before - although she was grateful for the fish that had been provided here.

  Moira slipped away before the food was even finished, awkwardly avoiding Jamie's eyes from across the inn. Lisbetta knew that Moira didn't want to marry, but what a shame that it couldn't have worked out with someone as nice as Jamie. He did seem a little young, though. Perhaps things would change.

  At last, the food had been cleared away and the dancing began. Cormac gallantly bowed low to Lisbetta, then grabbed her hand and swung her into a dance. She stumbled through the steps, laughing so hard she started to cry, everyone else flying past her in perfect step. She'd never felt so awkward and clumsy, staggering about on land instead of gliding through the water, but she somehow didn't care what she looked like. Cormac wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her right off her feet, throwing his head back and whooping loudly. She burst into gales of laughter again, feeling her face flush and warmth rush through her body.

  She crashed into the person behind her and landed hard, stumbling a little as she found her footing. The music abruptly stopped, and the room fell almost silent. Lisbetta turned to see what was happening, craning her head to look over the crowd. Cormac grabbed her hand again, tugging her forward until they reached Red and Norah.

  The newlywed couple stood beside each other, staring down at a scrap of paper lying folded in Red's hand. A young man stood beside them, rocking slightly from foot to foot. Presumably he had delivered the letter.

  “What's going on?” Cormac asked. He kept his voice low, but everyone still lent forward to hear.

  “It's a letter from my father,” Norah said softly.

  Lisbetta glanced quickly around them, but no one else seemed to have reacted in a way that suggested they knew about Norah's father. They had told everyone that she was the only child of a wealthy Glasgow merchant. It seemed to be a believable enough story.

  “You should open it,” Lisbetta said.

  Red looked at her sharply, but bit back whatever he had been about to say. He unfolded the piece of paper and squinted at it. After a moment, he passed it to Norah.

  “Ye'll have to do the reading,” he said gruffly.

  It came as a surprise that Red couldn't read when Cormac and Moira read so well, but perhaps reading was as rare a skill for humans as for selkies.

  “He has an offer for you,” Norah said slowly. “He's heard about the wedding and he wants to give his new son-in-law one more chance to work with him.”

  “Did ye tell him?” Red demanded, grabbing the letter out of her hand.

  “No!” she said. “He must have informants here. It was hardly a secret that we were getting married.”

  Red scanned the crowd nervously, clearly assessing each and every person.

  “Sigurd ne’er does anything generous,” he said. “This must be some kind of trap.”

  “People forgive,” Lisbetta pointed out softly. “They can change.”

  They all stood in silence for a moment, an odd hush in the middle of all the noise and excitement.

  “Well?” Cormac asked. “Are ye going tae accept?”

  Red looked at him, his thoughts almost visible. A family connection to the man whose success he had always wanted to emulate. So close to everything he had worked so hard to reach. But could he afford the price?

  “O’ course no’,” he said. “I'm done wi’ that business. Forever.”

  He ripped the letter into pieces and threw them into the fire, watching them burn for a second, then turning his attention back to Norah.

  “Why has the dancing stopped?” he roared. Everyone around him burst into laughter and the musicians started up again. The nervous young man disappeared back into the crowd.

  “I propose another toast,” Cormac said, so softly that only the four of them could hear. “Let's drink to the end of our pirating days. It suits me much better to be the hero that saved this town from pirates.”

  They all raised their glasses and drank deep. Red slammed his down on the bar and turned to Ian.

  “Another whiskey for each of us!”

  They drank through the rest of the day, until the windows were dark and Lisbetta could barely stand up straight. Cormac had his arm wrapped around her again, and they were somehow outside the inn, walking home. She blinked hard to try and clear her mind, but found herself stumbling over the cobblestones again.

  “I think I'm drunk,” she said to Cormac, not entirely sure that the words had come out right.

  He laughed and spun her around to kiss her hard on the mouth. She kissed him back, twining her arms around his neck as she sank into the kiss, enjoying the feel of him against her.

  Cormac broke the kiss and buried his face in her hair.

  “I love ye, Lisbetta,” he whispered, so faintly that she could barely hear. “I love yer strength and yer beauty and yer wildness.”

  He kissed her again, quickly and gently this time, one hand cupping her cheek. She ducked her head away, not wanting to meet his eyes, and kept walking, still unsteady on the cobbles.

  “I know ye're scared to say it,” he said, following along behind her. “But ye can at least admit it to yerself. We're married, and I'm no’ going to let ye leave me. There's no point pretending that we dinnae care about each other.”

  “You're drunk,” Lisbetta said, still facing determinedly ahead. “I don't want to talk about this right now.”

  “When else?” Cormac demanded. “Ye still act like this is a temporary
arrangement, but it's not. We're married for life, Lisbetta.”

  “I said I don't want to talk about it!”

  She was shouting now, her voice ringing off the houses, and her arms wrapped around her body as she turned to glare at him. Why did he have to ruin such a beautiful day?

  “Just stop walking and talk tae me,” Cormac said, reaching out a hand to her.

  “I want to get home before it starts to rain,” she said, turning away from him and picking up her pace.

  “Fine,” he said from behind her. “I'll get e’en more drunk, then.”

  His footsteps faded behind her, disappearing back off the way they'd come. He'd left.

  Lisbetta kept walking, her feet scuffing the cobbles as she went. The air was already wet and heavy with the coming rain, and full night had fallen. She could barely see the houses to either side of her in the darkness.