“Nay, lass.” He tilted her face up to his and brushed a kiss over her mouth. “I wanted ye. In truth, I had long ago decided to wed ye, but there were a few matters that needed tending to first.”
“Ye ne’er said.”
“I ken it, and I should have. In truth, there was many a thing I should have said, and when I thought ye may be lost to me the words burned a hole in my gullet.” He touched a kiss to her small, straight nose. “Ye are mine, lass. That has been the way of it since the day ye rode up to my gates, but I was fool enough nay to see it. The thought that I might ne’er be able to hold ye again left me cold and empty.”
“Oh, David,” she whispered, and then hugged him. “I do love ye.” She frowned when he tensed.
“Ye love me?”
“Aye, but I willnae trouble ye about it—” she began, then found herself being heartily kissed.
“Idiot. I was about to tell ye that I love you.” He smiled when her eyes filled with tears, then lightly kissed away the one that trickled down her cheek. “That wasnae supposed to make ye cry.”
“Happiness can bring a woman to tears.” She slipped her hand down to his taut stomach. “Do ye ken, I really dinnae ache that badly. Perhaps, if ye werenae too vigorous—”
David laughed and tugged off her night shift. “That could prove a verra great challenge.”
Later, as she lay contentedly curled up in his arms, she decided he had more than adequately met that challenge. His lovemaking had been gentle, yet so filled with love that she had cried. Tatha smiled and wiped the last of the tears from her cheeks. She felt the warmth of his lips brush over her forehead and looked up at him.
“There is one thing I should like to do, David, if ye will allow it?”
He smiled down at her. “What?”
“I wish to go to the well,” she said, watching him warily.
“Tonight?”
“Aye. I ken such things make ye uneasy, but I wish to bless our marriage at the well. ’Tis what pulled me here. ’Tis what brought us together. And although I am ne’er sure how much of the old ways are to be believed, I just feel, weel, compelled to go to the well tonight.”
“Then we shall,” he said, and got up, glancing her way as they both began to dress. “Just what are we going to do when we get there?”
After yanking on her shoes, Tatha went to the small chest that held her things. She pulled out a small, finely wrought silver wedding cup. “We will share a drink of the water.”
“Dinnae look so wary, lass. Aye, I may ne’er believe there is anything special about the well, but it was important to all the women in my family and ’tis important to you.” He held out his hand. “Come, let us go and do homage to it then. It will be, in a small way, as if I speak to my mother. ’Twould be verra fine if she could see how happy her son is.”
They crept out of the tower house and, careful to avoid being seen by any of the guests or the servants, made their way to the well. David watched as Tatha smoothed her hands over the cool white stone, then filled the wedding cup with water from the well. He frowned slightly when she bent to touch the letters carved into the side of the well.
“The promise?” he murmured as he took the cup when she held it out to him.
“Aye. It promises protection, strength, and happiness.” She smiled when he drank from the cup, and then she did the same. “In you, David Ruthven, I have found all three.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “And I in you, my love.” He smiled crookedly and glanced at the well, its white stone gleaming silver in the moonlight. “Mayhap the women of my family werenae so mad after all. There may indeed be magic in that well.”
“I have no doubt about it. It gave me you.”
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Compilation copyright © 2011 by Hannah Howell
“Edina and the Baby” copyright © 1996 by Hannah Howell
“The Magic Garden” copyright © 2002 by Hannah Howell
“Isbel” copyright © 1997 by Hannah Howell
“Tatha” copyright © 1999 by Hannah Howell
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ISBN: 978-1-4201-3138-3
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