The Devil’s Due
Page 26
“Heaven.” He touched his lips to hers, trying to be gentle in his pledge of newfound faith, but she edged closer. He could feel the strength of her need, the full measure of her longing. Tenderly, he began to fill the void of desire within her and to his surprise; the yawning emptiness within him was gone. Kate was filling that once hollow place and somehow, he knew that she would always be there.
“You will be the death of me yet, Kate. You have no idea how difficult it is to stop here,” he said, tracing the gentle slope of cheek and chin. “The death of me and the life of me, love. Now let me bring you inside. Your back must be paining you something fierce by now.”
“No, Daisy’s salve is doing its magic. I want to stay quiet in the sun for a bit.”
But that was not to be. There was a blaring skirl of pipes and a mass of humanity erupted into the courtyard. The inhabitants of Strathkirk armed with clubs, hayforks and dirks, stormed the castle and came to an abrupt halt before their Laird.
“See, told you the Major would set all to rights,” Fred said proudly.
“Mamma! Mamma!” Came the shout and the crowd parted to let Anne through. The girl launched herself toward Kate, babbling a mile a minute. “They wouldn’t let me come at first, but I cried and cried, and so Tam said that I could come but only if I stayed toward the rear and Fred’s horse cast a shoe . . .”
“Anne,” Kate whispered, her eyes widening with disbelief. Tears began to flow as she cupped her daughter’s chin in her hands. “She can talk, Duncan. Anne spoke!”
Duncan looked to Anne. “Vesey is gone forever, Anne. He is dead. Do you want me to tell her now?”
Anne nodded solemnly.
“Vesey had threatened you, Kate,” Duncan explained. “Anne thought that she could keep you safe with her silence. I had to keep Anne’s ability to speak a secret and I’m sorry for it, but I had no choice. I gave her my word.”
Anne added anxiously. “I was scared what Uncle John would do. He told me he would kill you if I told. So don’t be mad at Duncan. I made him promise, Mamma. And you know about promises.”
Kate looked at the two of them, child and man, their expressions an identical plea for understanding. She could not be angry, not with so many blessings showering down upon her. “Yes,” she agreed. “I know how promises can be.”
“Where’s my Daisy?” Fred asked, peering anxiously past Duncan. “If Vesey ‘as ‘armed an ‘air on ‘er ‘ead . . . I’ll.”
“What would you do little man?” Daisy asked as she walked out the kitchen door.
“Daisy!” the Cockney threw his arms around her and to everyone’s surprise, Daisy burst into tears.
“Oh, Fred,” she wailed. “I was so frightened.”
“‘ush dumplin’, your Fred’s ‘ere now. Just come in the kitchen and I’ll pour you a cuppa,” he said as he led her indoors.
“Daisy loves Fred,” Anne declared smugly. “And Fred thinks you should marry Duncan, Mamma, and Mr. Tam thinks that you’re very bonny. What’s bonny?”
“Anne!” Kate blushed.
“Is it a bad word?” Anne asked. “People say lots of things when they think you ain’t gonna talk about it.”
“Bonny means ‘pretty,’ lassie,” Duncan said, noting Tam’s raised eyebrows. “And now that you can talk you must learn that what you have heard ought not to be repeated. It is called eavesdropping. Now run along and get Cur a bone, he deserves one.”
“Nae married?” Tam asked. “Did I hear aright?”
“A minor misunderstanding,” Duncan said hastily. “Soon to be corrected.”
Tam laughed heartily. “Och, a misunderstanding indeed. Well and truly married ye have been for some time now, Milaird, at least if I ken the laws of Scotland proper.” He clutched his chest and howled with mirth.
“Are you daft, man?” Duncan asked in irritation.
“Why do ye think those fool Sassenachs ride over the border to Gretna when they wish to marry quick?” He whooped. “One witness and a declaration is all it takes to be handfasted. Half the village has heard the one or t’other or both of ye usin’ the words ‘wife’ or ‘husband,’ ‘milord’ or ‘milady.’ Accordin’ to our law, ye are wed.”
“I want it done right,” Duncan said doggedly. “There will be nothing havey-cavey about this marriage.”
“The nearest pastor is in Loch Ewe,” Tam said skeptically.
“Three weeks for the banns to be read and posted,” Kate added. “Or else a special license from a bishop, which I suspect might be difficult to procure in this isolated part of the country.”
“Aye,” Tam agreed, a twinkle in his eyes, “and such licenses are verra dear, I warrant.”
“And with the crops coming ripe soon,” Kate added, “I do not know if I can leave just now.”
“Kate MacLean, I surrender,” Duncan said, taking her hands and helping her up to stand beside him. “We will get the license and the ceremony, but until then . . .” He raised his voice so that all could hear. “Do you agree to be my wife, Kate? I love you more than life itself and will be the best husband I can, for all that I am a wicked MacLean.”
“I want to be your lady, Duncan MacLean and I will marry you, though you can be the devil himself at times. I take you for my husband, crumbling castle, curse and all,” she said.
“The curse is nae more, milady,” Tam said. “It’s broken and done. For the blind man has begun to see.”
“Indeed, he has,” Duncan said, lifting his wife into his arms to carry her over the threshold. “Indeed he has.”
THE END
Also by Rita Boucher
Re-releasing soon…
Miss Gabriel's Gambit
The Would-Be Witch
The Devil's Due
Lord of Illusions
The Scandalous Schoolmistress
A Misbegotten Match
The Poet and the Paragon
About the Author
Rita Boucher is the author of seven novels, including Miss Gabriel’s Gambit. If you’d like to send her a message, please feel free to write her c/o Oliver Heber Books @publisher@oliver-heberbooks.com