Highland Dream (Book 1)

Chapter 48

                As the corset was tightened, it helped with her breathing and her ribs, but as before she noticed the sleeves were off the shoulder. Isla looked as if she would cry at the vision she presented. Aislinn reached towards her only to be waved away. After she had composed herself, Isla took her into her strong arms and whispered, “You look so much like your grandmother, and this dress was your mothers. They are both with you today, and they would be so proud.” Clearing her throat she had stood back and commanded those about her in the room, herself once more.

                Her hair was released and brushed into a waterfall of silk around her shoulders. It was as she thought it was over and she was to meet with the rest of her life that Isla produced the rest of her dream. Edine came behind her and dropped a pendant around her throat. The clearest, deepest ruby in a teardrop of gold. With a questioning look Edine was the one to answer. “Larena had found them in her mother’s room a few years ago and claimed them as her own. We only found out the other day as she was bragging that she had them. She did not know that her mother had actually decreed it would be Camdyn’s wife who would be the one to receive the jewels. And so I, shall we say, commandeered them.” They all shared a smile.

                Isla had stood with the circlet of golden flowers waiting for Edine to step back. She placed it upon her head. And all the women in the room paused. Comments flew in a wild array around her. She missed most of them, but caught a few as they passed by in the stream.

                Beautiful…

                Cam is such a lucky man…

                I am feeling so very jealous…

                All of it was said in good humour, everyone with smiles on her face. She remembered the knock at the door so clearly, it marked the start of the next stage of her life. It had been Hamish, he honour guard Cam had told her. Only she knew the real reason he was there was to make sure nothing else happened to her.

                “It’s time.” The look he gave her told her more than the women of the way she looked. And from that look she could not wait to see how Cam would react. He offered his arm out towards her, and to the tittering of the women around her she accepted and slowly made her way to her future.

                After the clarity of the morning, remembering the actually ceremony came in snippets and blurs. The look of utter shock on Cam’s face as she had first appeared, which slowly turned to a deep rooted pride as she took his hand. The entire clan had come once again, but they faded into the background, as one of the elders took the role of officiating the ceremony. Their hands being tied together, and finally the cheers of the entire clan as the ceremony drew to a close.

                What came after was a celebration to beat any from the last couple of weeks. The party went well into the early hours of the morning for most. With a few even lasting with the dregs in the kegs till the next morning. Cam and Aislinn had bowed out early. She smiled anew at the memory of that night.

                After the feast had ended and the dancing and major drinking had begun, Hamish had stood guard at the bottom of the stairs as they had both made their escape. There had been those who had tried to follow them, making comments to Cam above the stairs. But they had backed off as Hamish had made sure they saw the dagger he held. He was not willing to let anything happen spoil the happiness of either his brother in arms or the woman who had been through too much in her short life.

                As Cam had sequestered her within his room, she noticed her belongings had been moved in at some point that day. He told her he had wanted her to feel comfortable, that she was his to look after. But that still did not stop the nervous energy that coursed through her as he had circled behind her and slowly, so slowly unlaced the corset of her dress. She had watched as if from afar as the dress had dropped to the floor. The only barrier to full skin being the bandages around her ribs that were still needed.

                Then she forgot it all as Cams lips hit the back of her shoulder and followed a line across to the other side, sweeping her hair over her shoulder in the process. “Beautiful.” He had whispered, and intimate caress against the sensitive skin at the curve of her throat. “And mine.” It was then she had regained her confidence and turned in his arms. “And you are mine.” As their lips met in a crescendo of movement, tongues fighting for dominance, she tried to push away the kilt, undoing the belt. But had found her fingers had gone numb and the movement was impossible to complete.

                Cam had taken care of that though. She needn’t have worried. He had lavished kisses everywhere, even in intimate places she had never even contemplated being kissed before. When her mind became functional again, she found they had at some point made it to the bed. Cam kissed his way back up her body, she felt worshipped in the most primal of ways. If the pain became too bad, he paused and petted until she was ready to go on. There was no amount of pain that would have stopped her, but she knew he would have halted if she had asked.

                But never had she have felt so connected to a person as he had pushed his way inside her. The pain negligible compared to the onslaught of pleasure that Cam had made sure she was feeling before that moment. And he had made sure it stayed that way until they fell together.

                It had been a moment so perfect in her mind, the remembered tears of joy still stung her eyes even now. Wrapped securely in the arms of the man she loved, and knew loved her just as unconditionally in return.

                She had never expected her life to amount to so much. Never expected to have felt such pain, while at the same time she could look forward to so much joy. Her heart sang with it. Reaching back, she could keep the news in no longer, she tugged at the hair at the nape of his neck. He grumbled and nuzzled his face further into her neck but stayed asleep.

                She tugged again. “Cam, wake up.” A sleepy kiss to the delicate skin above her pulse. “Go to sleep.” The sleepy murmur almost made her laugh, he was always grumpy when she woke him in the night. And yet always expected her to be happy when he did the same in return. Well she had to admit, he always managed to put her in a better mood.

                “No, wake up.” He tightened his arms around her, but seemed to be waiting for her now. “Cam…” the sigh made her smile. “I am up. I am awake. What would my lovely wife wish to discuss at this awful hour of the morning?”

                “Just that there will be somebody coming to stay soon.”

                That caught his attention. “Somebody to stay. I do not remember any correspondence, and the snow is extremely deep, I would have known if somebody had been stupid enough to send someone out in that.”

                “No there was no correspondence and it will be some months before they are here.”

                “Then how do you know this? Aislinn, it is too early for such talk, can this not wait.” At the shake of her head, “Alright, how long will they be staying?”

                “Oh, some years I would say, and I know because I discussed it with both Edine and Isla.”

                “And who would this guest be? Am I to actually find out?”

                “That Cam, would be our child.” She reached out with and moved on hand so it spanned her lower abdomen. “Do you have problem with them coming to stay?” He heard the laughter in her voice, but was incomplete awe of the news she had just imparted. “And this is the way you choose to inform me. Wicked woman. Of course they can stay.” She heard his awe and turned slightly to look at him through the darkness that surrounded them. “You are sure?”

                “Yes, I am sure. They should be here to stay by late summer.” She felt more than saw his grin. “Then, wife. I think I should show you how much I love you and the fact you are giving us a child so soon.”

                And he did.