Rachel had written her father and Sullivan Andrews the morning after her conversation with Adam about inviting them, and while Sullivan responded that he wouldn’t miss it for anything else, she had not heard back from her father and was unsure if she should expect him or not. Despite her happiness, it created a weight in her heart that she carried around, unable to rid herself of. While she would not change any of her actions leading to this moment, she did regret the way their relationship had been left.
She dressed that day in a beautiful white lace dress, with a tight bodice on top that descended in folds of silk. She and Peggy stood at the front door as they waited for the carriage that would take them to the chapel.
Sullivan had arrived on the train the previous day and was staying in one of the guest bedrooms at Galbury Castle. In the absence of her father, she had asked him to give her away, which he was more than pleased to do. She heard the hooves of a horse from down the road leading up to the castle, and prepared herself for the arriving carriage. When the horse crested the hill, however, she was shocked to see her father atop it.
“Father?” she said in disbelief as he slid off, not exactly gracefully but without upending himself on the ground.
“Rachel,” he said with a nod, as if he had come to call upon her on an ordinary day.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, as she saw Peggy step backward from the corner of her eye, giving the two of them a few moments alone.
“I’m here to see my daughter married,” he said gruffly. “Is that not why you asked me here?”
“Well, yes,” she said, hesitatingly. “When you didn’t respond, nor arrive with Sullivan, I had assumed that you chose not to attend. I know you were not in favor of this marriage, so I have to say I wasn’t surprised.”
He sighed. “I cannot say I was pleased — at all — to find my daughter had left in the dead of the night to run off to Scotland.”
She lowered her eyes but refused to apologize for her actions. Had she not left, he would never have agreed to her marriage to Adam.
“But that being said, I can see why you did it,” he admitted, and her eyes flew up to his in surprise.
“You do?”
“Of course,” he said with a shrug. “I would have done the same myself. Sometimes, Rachel, you must do what is required to get what you want. ’Tis what I have been doing all my life.”
“Yes, but—”
“Oh, I know, you would never do anything as purposefully underhanded as you believe I am. But perhaps now you might better understand some of my actions.”
“I’m not sure,” she said slowly. “What you tried to do to Adam with the patents, and to me and Sullivan in your secret deal with Vincent’s family, it was utterly shameful and—”
“True,” he said, though he did not look overly contrite at his actions. She guessed he was mostly regretful that he had been found out more than anything. “But one must do all he can to get ahead, must he not?”
Rachel realized then that she and her father would never understand each other. They held different values, saw the world in a different light. And yet, if they could make some sort of peace with one another today, then that would be enough.
“Tonight, after the ceremony,” she said firmly, “apologize to Adam.”
“Apologize?” he repeated, his heavy eyebrows rising. “Why, it seems the man is getting compensated enough, according to the patent letters I received. I’ll have to discuss business with him in the coming days, but we can leave that to later. I don’t suppose you know anything about the patent now including him, do you, daughter?”
“No,” she said, hoping her face didn’t betray her, though if it did, did it really matter? “It sounds as if all is as it should be,” she said with confidence. “Now we must go. I do not want to be late for my own wedding.”
Sullivan actually seemed rather pleased to see that her father had arrived. He had always steered away from conflict, so she supposed he was rather happy to see that he wouldn’t be stepping into his old partner’s shoes.
As she stood at the back of the church, looking down the aisle at her tall, handsome, and oh-so-serious husband-to-be staring back at her, she felt a sense of peace settle in her very soul, and finally realized what it meant to be complete.
When Adam saw Hardwick Trenton at the back of the church, he was both relieved as well as slightly anxious. When Rachel hadn’t heard back from her father, he had contacted Hardwick himself. While he couldn’t stand the man and wanted nothing to do with him ever again, he knew how much the estrangement was eating away at Rachel’s gentle soul. He nodded at Trenton before fixing his eyes on the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She took his breath away every time he saw her, and he still could hardly believe he was to be married to her.
When she reached him at the front of the church, he took her hands, kissed them both, and stared deeply into her eyes. Never before had his heart been so full. Never before had he known what it could mean to love someone with all of one’s soul, all of one’s being.
The vows seemed to be said by another voice, another person, and yet he could feel his lips moving. The handfasting complete, he was proud to see the McDougall tartan colors around her. The ceremony was finished in what felt like mere minutes and soon they had returned to Galbury, where a roaring reception awaited them.
This time, his wife was not sitting and watching the dancers in front of her, but rather was in the center of the celebrations, the huge smile not leaving her face, and it warmed his heart to hear her laughter, whether she was dancing with him or another of his family. Any reservations the people of the McDougall clan may have had about an Englishwoman in their midst had been chased away by his lovely wife and her kindness, and she was soon accepted as one of them.
Adam was smiling as he watched her dance next to his sister when he felt a presence at his shoulder and turned to find Trenton beside him. The man was about a head shorter than he and yet a good deal wider though in a much rounder fashion. Today, however, he had a different air about him, one that included some hesitancy. Trenton cleared his throat.
“Ah, McDougall,” he said slowly. “Thank you for having me.”
“Of course,” Adam said with a nod. “’Tis yer daughter’s wedding, after all.”
“Yes. Well. You know you weren’t what I wanted for her. Not you, not Scotland,” he said with a bit of vehemence that had Adam righting himself and turning to face the man with indignation. He might be his wife’s father, but that was no reason for him to come here and insult him and his country. “Hold on now,” Trenton continued. “I must say that it seems she is happy here, and as long as you promise to take care of her, that’s what matters, does it not?”
“It does,” Adam said cautiously, somewhat surprised.
“She, ah, asked me to apologize to you regarding the wind machine,” he said, not meeting Adam’s eyes. “So consider this my apology. Perhaps there was some miscommunication. But, ah, I do have some news to discuss with you. We can delve further into it tomorrow, but the patent’s been approved, and we will start production shortly. You will receive your fair due.”
“That’s… wonderful,” he said, somewhat in shock that the design that had been just a prototype in his workshop weeks prior was now going to be put into production.
“You will be sure to bring it here, to the Highlands?” he asked, eyebrow arching as he looked at Trenton.
“I suppose we could look at it,” Trenton said, not promising anything.
“We will have to draw up some sort of contract,” Adam said, crossing his arms, not allowing the man any room to escape the conversation.
“Very well,” said Trenton with a bit of a sigh of defeat, as he noted Sullivan Andrews standing nearby, listening to the conversation. Apparently, he and Andrews had some sort of new understanding as Andrews gave Trenton a nod when he agreed with Adam.
“Business on the morrow, then,” said Andrews joining them, and the three unlikely partn
ers had a drink to the new start.
27
Rachel was so exhausted from the revelries of the evening that she could hardly climb the stairs to the room she and Adam would share. Well, continue to share, she thought with a sleepy laugh, as it was where she had first stayed in the house some weeks ago. She wasn’t sure how all the Highlanders were all able to stay awake for so long. She could hardly keep her eyes open, and she was one of the first to retire. Adam followed her up the stairs, and she let out a bit of a shriek when he perhaps saw her fatigue and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her the rest of the way.
He carried her through the doorway to the bedroom, before gently laying her down on the bed. He looked down at her, a bit of a wicked grin on his face.
“How tired are you, wife?”
Her eyes flew open. “I am suddenly not so very tired any longer,” she said, feeling rather shy, though why she wasn’t sure. She had known this man before, and yet then it had seemed like something of the dream, while this felt all so real.
The smile remained on his face, however, and she focused on that. She loved to see the grin break through when he was usually so serious, and she would do all she could to keep it there. She sat up and he drew her to him. “You made me a very happy man today, Rachel,” he said softly as his mouth neared hers, brushing a kiss on the corner of her lips.
She felt her eyes close as he continued to rain soft kisses over her face, and her belly tightened in anticipation before spreading heat lower within her. “What are you doing to me?” she gasped as he turned his attention to the skin that swelled above the top of her dress, and as he inched the lace lower, he trailed kisses along the newly exposed flesh.
“I am making love to my wife,” he said, his hands coming to her hips, and she felt the hard length of him pressed up against her through his kilt. A moan began to climb in her throat as she felt a returning, aching pressure pulsing inside her, and she moved against him in an attempt to ease that ache. He groaned at her effort as he ran his hands up and down her hips in rhythm with her movements.
He reached his hands around her back, fumbling for a moment as he began to undo the row of tiny buttons that climbed the back of her dress. She tried not to laugh as he muttered and cursed his way through it, before finally sighing in relief as the dress gave way. He worked the material down her body until the white fabric pooled over the floor underneath them. He lifted her shift up over her head before tossing it away as well.
She felt rather than saw the heat of his stare, and she lifted her arms to cover herself. She knew she had the look of a boy rather than a young woman, her breasts small and her body rather unshapely.
“Do not,” he said harshly. “You are beautiful and I want to see all of you.”
She heard the desire in his voice, and let her arms fall to the side. He looked at her in worship and wrapped his palm around a small breast, deliberately exploring it. Her breath caught in her throat as he caught the small pink tip of her breast, rubbing it back and forth. He teased it until her hips began to buck against him, wanting more than he was giving her.
“You are exquisite,” he whispered, dipping his head, his lips coming around the bud of her nipple. He suckled, and she would have collapsed had he not been holding her. He guided her down to the bed, never breaking contact with her. He left her breast for a moment, only to bring his tongue to the other.
She bit her lip so as to not cry out too loudly, and he lifted a knee to gently nudge her legs apart. She felt his rigid, hard thigh against her core, and she could not keep herself from moving against him. She struggled to breathe and moaned, feeling scandalous and yet unable to help her response to him. What she truly felt was a hunger for more of him.
“I have been waiting to feel this again, ever since our time together in the cottage,” he whispered against her ear. “It has been far, far too long.” He kissed her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. She could no longer speak, but simply reveled in his strength and power, hardly believing that he could be so tender and yet evoke such strong emotions from her. He slid his hand atop her, and found her center with the pad of his thumb.
“Adam,” she cried, reflexively squeezing him with her thighs. He continued, palming her, apparently lost in his actions as Rachel let her legs fall open, wanting more of him. He slid a finger inside her, and she nearly came apart, her head falling back as she softly panted. He pushed back from her for a moment, and she felt utterly bereft until she saw he was dispensing of his kilt, untying the beautiful plaid, and pulling the leine over his head until he stood in front of her.
She could hardly breathe as she took in the beauty of the tight, corded muscles of his body. As he leaned over her again, she ran her fingertips along his biceps as they strained, holding himself up above her. She trailed her hands up, over his shoulders and down his chest, along the ridge of his abdomen. She peeked up at his face, seeing his eyes dark and his lids heavy, and she felt powerful knowing that she was able to wring such emotion from him.
He finally caught her hands in his, and came down overtop her, his mouth covering hers. Gone were the gentle kisses, and in their place a hunger for her that she eagerly matched.
He broke away from her for a moment, as he whispered softly, “You were made for me, lass,” and she felt a tear at the corner of her eye as she reached up to palm his cheek. He caught the wetness with his finger before claiming her lips once more, slipping his tongue inside. He dragged his lips down her body, and she bit her lip with a groan. She twined her fingers into his silky dark hair as she felt the desire building in her core. Suddenly she realized where he was going, and when his lips touched her, her half-closed eyes flew open.
“What are you —” her voice broke off as she felt his tongue on her nub, and she collapsed back on the bed, giving herself over to the sensations running through her. She was near to coming apart when he suddenly left her, and she soon became aware of the hard length of him pressing against her. She opened her eyes to meet his gaze as she felt him slowly slide inside her, and she twined her arms around his back, pulling him closer.
Then he began to move, and her hips instinctively rose to meet his, back and forth, in long strokes. The rhythm soon intensified until she felt the sensation building, and she felt his thumb come to her most tender of places once more. As he brought his lips down to hers, she suddenly stilled as she came undone, calling out his name, no longer caring how loud she was.
He soon followed her, his body tightening in her arms, until they both collapsed back on the bed, breathing rapidly. Adam rolled over beside her to keep his weight from her, and tucked her inside the curve of his body. She said nothing, but smiled a slow, easy grin. She ran her fingers over his forearm to his hand, where she caught his fingers in hers. Yes, she was where she belonged, she knew with absolute certainty. Nothing, and no one, could keep her from this man, and she had no desire to be anywhere but here.
He kissed the top of her ear, tickling her, and she shivered against him.
“I thought the first time was magic,” she said incredulously. “I never knew it could happen again.”
“If ’tis magic you want, magic is what you shall get,” he said. “Whatever my lady desires. Over and over again…. Yer in the Highlands now, love. Anything is possible.”
She laughed and rolled over, bringing her lips to his once more, complete in her love for him.
Rachel was somewhat nervous the next day as Adam, Sullivan, and her father spent much of it together in the laird’s room. Duncan joined them for a time to offer his advice on business within the countryside. She knew her father was focused on England, but Adam and his family would see to it that the Scots got their due.
When Adam finally emerged, he took her in his arms and gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head.
“A walk to the loch, love?” he asked, and she smiled.
“I think that would be a fine idea,” she said in response.
As they began strolling down to the crys
tal blue waters, the green of the hills surrounding them, Adam put his arm around her and drew her in close.
“All seems to be well,” he said. “We have a plan going forward and a contract in place to ensure we all — your father, Andrews, and I — receive our fair due for our work. Your father and Andrews will look after the production in London, and hopefully in due time more people will benefit from the wind energy. I think I’ll build our own machine here to start, and see what can be done with it.”
“That would be wonderful!” she exclaimed. “I would so love to see your work.”
“And ye shall,” he said, his gaze wistful as they came to the water’s edge and he stared out over the horizon.
“What of the dealings with Vincent’s family?”
“The agreement remained that Vincent can one day assume control of the business – but only if, at the time, your father and Sullivan both agree to it. Sullivan was concerned about your thoughts on the matter, but I conveyed your wish that you would prefer to make your home here. While Vincent wasn’t particularly pleased that you were no longer part of the agreement, it is still in his favor.”
She nodded in agreement, pleased that it was all done with.
“We do have one problem,” he added.
“And what is that?”
He turned to her and grinned. “We are going to have to teach you how to swim.”
He shucked off the kilt he wore around his hips before diving into the water. Rachel stared at him incredulously. “What are you doing?” she gasped.
“Come inwith me!” he said, “I’ll keep you afloat, I promise.”
Adam's Call (The Victorian Highlanders Book 3) Page 17