“I know what you are thinking, Brother.” She folded her arms across her chest and raised her chin. “That he is not good enough for me? That I could do better for myself?”
Alasdair stood up and squared his shoulders, trying to project an image of authority. “I think you and I should discuss this somewhere else, Janice.” His voice was almost a growl.
Janice sighed inwardly. She could see that her brother was extremely angry, but she had never been afraid of him, and she was not now. She would not back down.
“No, Alasdair,” she said firmly. “Whatever you wish to say can be said in front of Bernard. But be aware: he is the man I love, and I will marry him whether it pleases you or not. I do not need a dowry.”
She looked at Bernard for confirmation, and he smiled and shook his head.
“We will either live here or at Benleith. Bernard can go back to being a guard, and I can find a position somewhere.” Her tone was sure as if she had thought of a plan in advance. “Or we can stay here. Either way, Bernard and Iwillbe married.”
Alasdair studied them for a moment, his slim, beautiful sister who looked so much like their mother and the tall, handsome, powerful man who had subtly shifted closer to her to protect her or stake his claim to her. Yet he was a nobody, a member of the working class. She should be marrying a man of her own class, for heaven’s sake, but he could do nothing to stop her. She was not a child.
However, as he looked at Janice’s face while she gazed at Bernard, he knew that any objections he raised would be a waste of breath. Janice had always been obstinate, and now that she had love on her side, she would be immovable.
The tenderness that she felt for Bernard shone through her eyes, and he knew that if he tried to stand between her and her love, he would be cast out of her life, probably forever, and likely it would not faze her overmuch. He had not been much of a brother, after all. His father had wanted Janice to have a substantial dowry and had written it in his will. Was this man a fortune hunter? Alasdair was not brave enough to suggest such a thing.
At last, he sighed in resignation. “You will marry with or without me,” he said, forcing a smile as he gazed at Bernard with narrowed eyes. Then his gaze changed, and a steely glint shone in them as he looked at the big man. “But if you hurt my sister in any way, there are a hundred guards here who will come to her defense.”
Bernard blinked, astounded at Alasdair’s sudden show of strength, and for the first time he felt a flicker of respect for the man. Then he smiled.
“Thank you, M’Laird, but you need not worry about Janice’s welfare. I would lay down my life for her.”
He sounded both thankful and resolute. When he looked down at her, Janice’s eyes were full of unshed, happy tears.
“My father wanted Janice to be provided for adequately, so he settled a sum of money on her,” Alasdair announced. “It should keep you and any family you have comfortable.”
He named the amount, which Janice thought was too much, but she did not voice the thought. Her father had always been nothing if not generous.
Bernard shook his head. “That is far too much,” he stated.
Janice put up a hand and turned him to face her. “We can put it in a trust for our children,” she said softly.
“Have you made a decision about where you will live yet?” Alasdair asked.
“We will live here,” Janice answered. “We have already discussed it, and it is what we both want.”
“After all, you have a job to do,” Bernard told her proudly.
“And you?” Alasdair asked. “What will you do?”
Bernard looked lovingly at Janice. “Whatever she wants me to,” he answered simply.
Janice laughed and threw her arms around his neck. Over her shoulder, the two men looked at each other in perfect understanding. This was the woman they both loved in different ways, and both of them would do anything to make her happy.
* * *
There was to be no fuss, no great show of wealth or an elaborate ceremony, merely a simple service with an exchange of vows, which was what Janice had always wanted. She had never dreamed of the kind of wedding favored by many of her peers, where a fortune was spent on the wedding dress, decorations, and food. Janice could think of much better uses for all that wasted money, such as spending it on the community.
Accordingly, the ceremony was conducted in the castle chapel by the local minister, Reverend Morrison, an ex-soldier in his middle years who waged war against the devil with great ferocity.
The entire staff of the castle looked at Janice tenderly as they all stood outside the chapel two months later.
Alasdair was giving her away, and he was hardly able to believe that the little girl who had grown up with him was now giving herself to another man with whom she had chosen to spend the rest of her life.
He had developed a level of love and respect for his sister that took him by surprise, just as he had surprised himself in many other ways over the last few weeks. Now he considered it his responsibility to take care of the estate, and he knew that with both he and Janice working together—along with her big, strong husband—they would become one of the richest clans in the area, not to mention the happiest.
Now, he asked, “Are you sure, Janice?” His brow furrowed with concern. “Because if you have any doubts at all, there is still time to walk away.”