Page 80 of A Virgin for the Vicious Highlander
“I told ye I saw pigs flyin’ over the fields over yonder. Och, it’ll be us tryin’ to get ye to attend meetings about MacDunn now. We’ll have to drag ye out of yer castle and yer wife’s lovin’ arms,”Camden had teased, but Cecilia had seen on his face that he was as overjoyed as his wife that Murdoch had finally found someone to love and care for.
And they were not the only ones relieved, for there was a party awaiting the happy couple as they rode through the gates of Castle Moore—Aileen, Tara, and Lennox, as well as countless residents of the castle who were pretending to be busy while secretly watching and listening.
“Fortune was smilin’ on ye then, M’Laird?” Tara asked as Murdoch brought the stallion to a halt.
He slid down from the saddle and held out his arms to Cecilia. “Aye, ye could say that.”
Cecilia braced her hands against his broad shoulders, smiling at the feel of hishands on her waist, and allowed him to help her down.
“Dipper convinced me,” she said, flashing Tara a smile.
“I kenned he would,” Lennox interjected as he walked up to the horse and took the puppy out of one of the saddlebags.
The furry creature had slept through most of the journey, lulled by the rocking motion of the stallion and the comfort of the wide leather bag.
Aileen clasped her hands together, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m just glad ye saw sense, Murdoch. Ye’d have been a fool to let Cecilia go, and all we did would have been for nothin’.” She looked at her daughter-in-law. “Did he tell ye that I stopped speakin’ to him?”
“He mentioned it,” Cecilia replied with a chuckle which faded into a frown. “But what do ye mean ‘all ye did would have been for nothin’?’”
Aileen blinked. “Did I say that?”
“Aye, ye did,” Murdoch interjected, pursing his lips.
Aileen cleared her throat. “Och, well, it wasnae much. Just… me and Mairiehelpin’ye to see what was already there. Nudgin’ the pair of ye in the right direction.”
“What did ye do, Maither?” Murdoch demanded to know, his brow furrowed.
Aileen pulled a face. “We… Well, we… um… locked ye in the tower together briefly, and we… may or may not have followed ye out into the gardens that night, to make sure that ye had to marry.”
Embarrassment threatened to heat up Cecilia’s cheeks, but it did not quite manage the feat. Of course, it was marginally mortifying, but she had to wonder if the two of themwouldhave ended up married, with the promise of a happy future, if not for Aileen and Mairie’s intervention. In truth, Cecilia did not know whether to be furious or whether to applaud their deception.
“Me aunt was in on this?” she asked. She could not help it.
Aileen nodded shyly. “We could both see that ye were made for each other, and yer aunt couldnae bear the idea of ye havin’ to return to the convent where ye would never be truly happy. So, aye, we were a little sneaky, but has it nae all turned out well?”
“Fortunately, aye,” Murdoch said in a gruff tone. “But I dinnae appreciate anyone mentionin’ such things out here where everyone can hear. I’d prefer for everyone to believe that we decided it because we wanted it—which I do, by the way, me love.” He peered down at his wife, his gray eyes warm.
Cecilia squeezed his arm gently. “I ken, love.” She glanced at the others. “Now, if ye dinnae mind, we had a long journey and we have a lot to contemplate after that revelation. I thought we might rest for the remainder of the evenin’, with nay one disturbin’ us. Truly, I could sleep for a week.”
“Tara and I will distract this wee menace,” Lennox said, scratching behind the puppy’s ears.
“And I will distract meself,” Aileen piped up. “But tomorrow mornin’, at breakfast, I have some things to discuss with ye, Cecilia, if ye’re nae too cross with me.”
“I’m nae cross,” Cecilia replied. “Just surprised, and a little impressed by me aunt.”
Aileen seemed relieved. “Then, we’ll talk tomorrow, about a gatherin’ to properly celebrate yer weddin’. I ken we had one already, but I want to invite everyone.Realfestivities to celebrate this happy occasion.”
Cecilia chuckled. “Aye, we can do that.”
“We’ll see. I havenae decided if I ought to punish ye for yer meddlin’ yet, and I cannae think of a better punishment than denyin’ ye a gatherin’,” Murdoch uttered, a grimace of disapproval on his face. Not as a result of his mother’s meddling, though; Cecilia could tell.
He might have changed in some ways, with his promise to be a better husband and a good father, but there were some things that he would never be enthusiastic about. Gatherings, it seemed, were among such things.
“Come on, love,” he added, wrapping his arm around Cecilia and ushering her toward the castle.
“Thisis yer bedchamber?” Cecilia gasped upon entering the grand rooms that served as her husband’s private domain. A place she had never had any reason to visit but had now been welcomed to.
It took up the entirety of the southernmost tower, offering an astonishing view of the windswept moorland and what appeared to be a small loch in the near distance. The colors were captivating—greens and ambers and purples from the heather—and she could just imagine how pretty everything would be in the spring.
