She smiled against his neck. “Aye, I think it does.” She paused. “And I’m sorry, too. I’m sorry for doubtin’ ye. It took ye such strength to make yer promise to me—I should’ve kenned that ye wouldnae break somethin’ ye’d worked so hard for.”
“Ye have nay reason to be sorry,” he insisted. “How could ye be sure of my loyalty when ye thought ye were nae loved? I daenae blame ye one bit.”
Saoirse pulled back so she could meet his tearful gaze. “About that,” she said. “Ye must be hurtin’.”
“Now that I ken ye’re nae leavin’, I have no cause to hurt.” He cradled her face and brushed his thumb over the tearstained apple of her cheek, wiping away whatever was left of her pain.
She smiled. “That’s nae what I meant.”
“I daenae follow.” He frowned, like he was expecting more bad news.
“Ye’ve said ye love me several times, but ye’ve had nay reply. I worried that ye might be hurtin’ from it.” Her smile widened. “So, allow me to remedy that, my dear husband. Allow me to tell ye that ye are loved. I love ye, Noah. I love ye, and I will always love ye.”
Two tears spilled from his shining eyes, his lower lip trembling ever so slightly. A sharp gasp of breath pushed his chest against hers as, very slowly, his lips curved into a smile.
With his next breath, he kissed her. A desperate, passionate kiss that spoke of his relief and gratitude, as the rain came down around them. She kissed him back with equal fervor, knowing that she held her whole world in her arms. To think that they might have lost this wonderful thing made her foolish heart ache, for if she’d made it to Baxter Keep, she’d only have had herself to blame for a needlessly broken heart.
“I love ye,” Noah murmured against her lips.
“As I love ye,” she murmured back, smiling into his kiss.
With those three little words, a freedom unlocked within her. It was as if her heart had been clapped in unseen chains, weighing her down without her realizing. His confession had been the key, releasing her from the weight of doubt and want that she’d been carrying around. Now, they could finally look forward to the future—a future and a marriage filled with love and happiness, with no ambiguity to hold her back.
In truth, it was everything she’d ever hoped for, and everything she’d prayed for when she set foot in the Kirk to marry him.
Patience,she remembered her father’s wisdom.A marriage needs patience.And, right now, the buds of love that Noah and Saoirse had planted in the rich soil of their promises to one another had well and truly begun to bloom.
EPILOGUE
“What is that terrible din?”Saoirse murmured, unfurling from her slumber like a cat.
Noah pulled her back into his arms, nuzzling her hair. “Pay nay mind to it and go back to sleep. It’ll be servants quarrelin’ or Mary finally noticin’ that someone changed the bear’s head for a rabbit tail.” He chuckled to himself. “I truly daenae ken how she’s remained as housekeeper. She misses so many things and I’m nae even talkin’ about small details.”
“Nay, sheseeseverythin’,” Saoirse mumbled. “There’s nothin’ that goes on in this Castle that she doesnae ken about.Thatis why she’s the housekeeper and my dear friend, so daenae ye say another mean word about her.”
He kissed the top of her head, relishing in the way she felt in his embrace. If he spent a thousand years with her, he would never tire of holding her, naked and warm, in his arms in the morning. Nor would he ever tire of seeing her there beside him when he awoke. How he had ever managed to sleep without her, he didn’t know, but hedidknow that he’d slept better than he had in years with her in his bed.
“Very well. Nae another mean word.” His mouth stretched in a yawn as he blinked up at the ceiling. “But ye’re right—whatisthat noise?”
Accustomed to the usual chatter and racket of the Castle, he’d assumed it was just another part of the morning’s babble. The more he listened, however, the more puzzled he became. The offending sound was akin to a cat who’d accidentally caught its tail under a chair leg—a high-pitched, grating wail that showed no sign of ceasing.
Just then, the chamber doors burst open and Mary came running in. “Apologies for the intrusion, M’Laird, M’Lady. There’s… um… trouble at the gates.” She twisted around, evidently realizing that her Laird and Lady were entirely naked and still entwined in an embrace. “Ye’ll be wantin’ to attend to it immediately, as Scott is threatenin’ to start loosin’ arrows.”
“What sort of trouble?” Noah draped the coverlets over Saoirse, to keep her warm against the chilly draft that Mary had brought in with her.
Mary made a sound that was part-grunt, part-laugh. “It seems the wee harpy wasnae content with almost ruinin’ yer lives. Och, and me own—I thought me heart was goin’ to give out when M’Lady got in that carriage. Anyway, the wee rat is demandin’ entry and she’s decided that she’s goin’ to scream until someone lets her in.”
“Caitlin is here?” Saoirse shot up. The sharp motion caused the coverlets to fall, offering Noah a welcome glimpse of her round, pert breasts. If they couldn’t rouse his courage, nothing could.
Mary snorted. “Aye, and I’ve half a mind to loose an arrow at her, too, so ye’d best hurry.” Shaking her head, she hurried back through the doors, closing them behind her.
It had only been a day since the unpleasantness that nearly destroyed the happy couple, but spending every waking moment in bed with Saoirse had dulled the edges of Noah’s anger. Now, it sparked afresh, jolting him out of bed so he could deal with the wretched witch, once and for all.
News of what had happened had spread quickly through the Castle, as gossip had a tendency to do. Fortunately, it had not reached Henry in time for him to flee from the healer’s rooms. As such, when Noah and Saoirse had gone to confront him, he’d had nowhere to run to.
“I daenae ken what ye’re talkin’ about. I told ye neither of ye any such thing. These bruises are from fallin’ down the stairs,”Henry had tried to protest, using a rather pathetic argument.
He’d buckled a short while later, after Noah had told him that Caitlin never had any intention of forming an attachment. The defeated look on Henry’s face had suggested that he’d already come to that realization, just too late to prevent any of the upset. After that, he’d spilled everything he knew like a cracked barrel of ale.