Desiring the Highlander (31 page)

Looking at her reflection, Ellenor couldn’t believe the miracles her friends had created since that morning. The gentle waves of her fawn-colored hair had been transformed into buoyant curls cascading down her back. The locks framing her face were kept in place with pins, giving her a soft ethereal quality. The headpiece of simple twisted pewter and scattered blossoms finished the look. “Oh, Brighid…I don’t think I’ve ever looked prettier. Cole might not even recognize me.”

Brighid winked. “Oh, he’ll recognize you, and if he has the urge to pluck the eyes from all the other men staring at you, then I have done my job.”

A knock came at the door. Aileen went to answer it while Laurel moved to inspect Ellenor’s hair. She smiled approvingly. “I wonder if Donald knows just what a talent he has for a wife, Brighid.”

“Oh, he does.” Brighid blushed. “He doesn’t want anyone to know how much he dotes on me, but I suspect after being apart for six weeks, he will outdo himself tonight. The only man in the Highlands who might be more affectionate this evening is Ellenor’s Cole.”

A loud snort followed by a “Ha!” filled with skepticism erupted from the doorway, where a very thin girl stood. Her thick, umber-colored hair was plaited down her back and her pale blue eyes flashed with indignation.

Ellenor stood up and studied the twelve-year-old, trying to appear cross with her. Maegan was precocious and outspoken with her opinions, which was probably why she had so quickly endeared herself to Ellenor these past few weeks.

A few days after Cole’s departure, Ellenor’s daily routine began to change as Laurel became stronger and resumed her duties. Ellenor still helped, but no longer was she directing work, ensuring peace, and making decisions. Her life was on hold. She couldn’t take on many responsibilities or assume an integral role in the castle’s duties because of her impending departure. Too many times she found herself bored, with very little to do, which was far from palatable. That was when she had met Maegan.

Taking a walk along the river that flowed behind the rear curtain wall, Ellenor had believed she would be alone with her thoughts and tears. But someone had beaten her to both. A young girl sat crouched on the grassy bank with her knees tucked to her chest and her forehead bent down on her arms. She was so slender her whole body shook with each sob. In between snivels, Ellenor convinced the girl to tell her why she was crying.

Her best friend was Clyde, the youngest of the McTiernays, and two months ago, he had left for the Lowlands. He was to train under his elder brother Colin and wouldn’t return for at least two years. As a child, Maegan had followed Clyde and his friend, Kam, everywhere. After realizing they couldn’t entice or even scare her into leaving them alone, they finally gave up and let her tag along on many of their adventures. Her small physique enabled her to carry out many of their more inappropriate schemes against the villagers. And despite the age difference, the three of them became inseparable.

Being a year older than Clyde, Kam had left last fall. Then Clyde followed at the first signs of spring, leaving Maegan all alone. She had acted like a boy for so long the other girls her age made fun of her and Maegan wasn’t interested in becoming domesticated. She just wanted things to be as they were.

Ellenor had invited Maegan to help care for the twins that afternoon, and having nothing better to do, Maegan had accepted. Within a week, Maegan’s outspoken personality had wormed its way into the heart of not only Ellenor, but Laurel, Aileen, and Brighid. The girl never held her tongue for anyone or for any reason. And seeing Maegan’s current disgruntled stance and the exaggerated roll of her sky blue eyes, it seemed Ellenor’s wedding day was going to be no different.

Ellenor waved her into the room. “If you expect any of us to react to your grand entrance, you are going to have to be a little more specific. ‘Ha’ is rather nondescriptive,” she chided and directed the young girl to one of the hearth chairs.

Maegan ignored Ellenor’s suggestive gesture, instead heading straight for Aileen and the wedding gown she was holding. It was a deep cranberry bliaut with small seed pearl beads along the neck and down the openings of the sleeves, and Maegan had never seen anything more beautiful. She reached out to fondle the soft velvet material.

Most Highland women wore linens or wools, but years ago, Conor’s mother had convinced his father to make an annual journey to Aberdeen to purchase the exotic cloths from faraway lands. After marrying Laurel, Conor had resurrected his father’s act of love. Each year, he would purchase material and compel Laurel to expand her wardrobe. She capitulated, with the stipulation that she could use some of the rich cloth as gifts for her closest friends. As a result, both Ellenor and Brighid would leave with an enviable wardrobe as well as many linens, curtains, and other items to help them set up their new home.

“This…this is beautiful,” Maegan murmured softly. “Oh, milady, do you think when Clyde comes back, I could wear something like this?”

Laurel nodded and chuckled at the irony of the request. Maegan professed to dislike all things delicate and feminine, but she was on the verge of becoming a woman. In a few years, she would shed her tomboy ways and begin to ask how to entice a man’s eye, but Laurel hoped it didn’t happen too soon. Maegan was special, and Laurel hoped to preserve some of the girl’s spirit into adulthood. Until then, she was going to be a handful, especially since she had only aging grandparents at home to guide her.

Laurel laid a sleeping Bonny down on the middle of the bed and watched the little girl’s chest rise and then fall, followed by a sweet sigh of contentment. She was a fighter and only speckles of her strong-willed personality had begun to show. It was hard to think that the small infant had almost not made it into the world.

Ellenor snapped her fingers, trying once again to get Maegan’s attention. “When you came in, you were upset about something…” she prompted.

Maegan stopped stroking the soft, dark garment and turned around, the glint in her eyes returning. “The laird didn’t want you to know…yet,” she qualified before continuing, “but the soldiers who arrived this morning…”

Ellenor’s brows drew together in confusion. “Cole’s men,” she clarified.

“Aye, but
he
wasn’t among them.”

Brighid stepped forward. “That’s not true. I saw Donald ride in myself.”

Maegan rolled her eyes. “Aye,
your
husband is here. But what was supposed to be hers is not.” She then crossed her arms and added definitively, “When Clyde and I marry, he isn’t going to be a single second late for our wedding.”

Ellenor licked her lips, strolled over to the window, and looked out. The McTiernays always married at sunset, and that was less than an hour away. She had been concerned she might be late with all of Brighid’s and Laurel’s nitpicking, but never had she considered it would be Cole who wouldn’t be there.

For over six weeks, she had waited for him to return and tell her that today was the day. In the meantime, she and Brighid had toiled over her wedding gown, hoping with each hour, news would come. Weeks passed and hope wavered on misery. Thankfully, Donald had ordered Brighid to remain behind with Ellenor until their new home was prepared. Without her friend’s daily support, Ellenor suspected she might have tried to make the journey north on her own. Then three days ago, a rider from Cole’s army had finally come with a message. Cole would arrive with a dozen or so of his men on Saturday. Ellenor was to prepare an afternoon wedding, and before sunrise the next day, they would be married.

Laurel and Fallon had worked tirelessly to prepare for the event, leaving Ellenor and Brighid to pack their belongings. By Saturday morning, only Cole’s tapestry remained to be bundled, but before Ellenor could take it down, Aileen had hustled her out of her room, barring her from the North Tower until after the ceremony.

Ellenor hadn’t argued. She hadn’t contested anything. She couldn’t. Her mind had been on only one thing. Cole and becoming his wife.

Now all was ready for the ceremony with one exception. There was no groom.

Ellenor turned from the window and pasted on a determined smile. “So you’re not going to
allow
Clyde to be late, are you?” she asked Maegan.

Maegan shook her head and flopped onto the hearth chair. “No, I won’t. Besides, Clyde wouldn’t be late. He’s already learned his lesson about making
me
unhappy. Told me himself that it was more painless to let me have my way than to fight me.”

Ellenor wagged her finger at the young girl and said, “But what if you change your mind? What if another man snags your heart and he is not as compliant as your Clyde is?”

Maegan produced a loud snort. “It may take you Englishwomen a long time to find the man you want, but us Highland women are much better at it.”

“Us Highland
women
?” Brighid laughed at how the twelve-year-old considered herself among her peers.

“Aye,” Maegan confirmed, not recognizing the humored looks being shared around her. “I have loved Clyde since the day he saved me and nothing is going to change my feelings.”

“And does Clyde know of your love?”

Maegan squirmed and drew her lips tight in thought. “I think so. I mean I told him the day he left that I would wait for him. That should have been clear enough.”

Brighid made a face, but Ellenor cut her off, warning her not to laugh. “What is it about Clyde that makes you think you love him enough to wait—possibly years—to marry him?”

Maegan cocked her head to the side. “Well, he is handsome and very strong. He can hunt for our food. And I am sure that he can be whatever makes a good husband. And if he doesn’t, his brothers can teach him. But mostly, because he is my one true friend. He knows everything about me and I him. I know things that even
Kam
doesn’t,” she finished matter-of-factly.

Ellenor raised her brows and glanced around the room. Aileen shrugged and Laurel nodded. All silently agreed that, as answers go—even from a twelve-year-old—that was a good one.

“And
that
is why I know
my
Clyde would never be late. It’s also why I know he would invite all the world to our wedding.”

Ellenor bit her inner lip to keep from letting go a harsh remark. Maegan meant well, but her opinion was young and naïve. “Well, I hope there is enough room in the chapel for the whole world, and as for Cole and me, well, I am glad he requested to minimize the attendance and refrain from inviting neighbors.”

“Aye, as am I,” Brighid interjected. “Large parties can be wonderful events, but they take time to plan, there is the journey here…”

“Not to mention the cost of their stay,” Laurel added.

Ellenor nodded. “Besides no one likes to travel only to leave the next day, and that is exactly what would happen. Cole needs to return as soon as possible, and if others came, he would be obligated to stay and participate in events and talks.” She paused and waited until she had Maegan’s full attention. “He was right to limit who comes and I fully support his request,” she finished in her most I-will-argue-with-you-no-longer voice.

Properly chastised, Maegan crossed her arms and huffed. Unwilling to totally concede, she said, “It’s not just Cole I don’t understand. You, too, Ellenor, are a mystery.”

“How so?” Ellenor asked, adjusting one of the pins holding the tiara so that it wouldn’t poke her scalp when she bent over.

“Well, there is your
present
, for one thing.”

“What about it?”

“It?
It
is not a present. It’s a…it’s an insult. Clyde would nev—”

“Enough, Maegan!” Ellenor hissed. “Enough about Clyde and what he would or wouldn’t like. Clyde is still young, he is not a laird, he has no responsibilities, and most of all he is
not Cole
.”

Ellenor’s sudden bristly manner did not faze Maegan in the least. “But a
boy
?” she scoffed. “Clyde would laugh at me for weeks if I tried to give him a
boy
.”

Ellenor closed her eyes and prayed for patience. She loved her little friend’s tenacity, sometimes even applauded it, but today, at this moment when her future was in doubt, Maegan’s persistence was not welcome. “The
man
,” Ellenor started, moving to face her challenger directly, “whom I have enlisted just so happens to be the one person who could help Cole the most. He is trying to rebuild Fàire Creachann with very little skilled help. Henri is a trained, experienced mason, and as a favor to me—”

Maegan rolled her eyes and stood up, cutting Ellenor off. “Well, I just hope that Clyde doesn’t grow up wanting me to get him another boy. Because I won’t. I don’t care how much he needs him for whatever.”

Brighid hustled over to Maegan and poked her into standing up. “Go check on the twins,” she ordered.

“But they—”

“No, go check,” Brighid hissed, shooing her out the door. The young girl was smart, but she was also incredibly dense when it came to realizing when she should just be quiet. Maegan hadn’t felt the growing tension in Ellenor but everyone else had. Wedding nerves had been bad, but with the news of Cole missing, the anxiety building in Ellenor was incredible and Maegan was not helping. “And if you come back in here with any more comments about Cole missing the wedding, I’ll personally sew your lips shut.”

Ellenor watched as Brighid shut the door and then sank into a chair. “Is she right? About Cole and Henri?”

Laurel shrugged and picked up the wedding gown, carrying it toward Ellenor. “You and Maegan are both right. Boys don’t like to share their most coveted toys with other boys, no matter what their age, and you, Ellenor, are definitely Cole’s most coveted treasure. But he is also a man and a laird and he needs Henri. Eventually, Cole will be glad, even if not immediately, for the mason’s help. Now turn around and let’s get this on you.”