Page 76 of The Highlander's Auctioned Hellion
Lydia smiled at Hannah. She was dressed in just her undergarments, petticoats, and stays, waiting for the wedding gown to be lifted over her head.
Glancing at Kristen, she raised her eyebrows. The seamstress stood behind her, a wide grin on her face as she moved forward with the gown in her arms.
The beautiful, shimmering fabric was lifted over Lydia’s head, and her view of the room was obscured for a moment as she felt the soft brush of it against her skin.
Even before it was settled to the floor, Kristen was beside her, tweaking and pulling at it to make sure it sat correctly.
Lydia looked over herself with mixed feelings. It was still surreal to think that she would be marrying Callum today.
I feel so different from how I did when I arrived here.
Only a few days before, she had met a stranger in the grounds of her father’s house, a man who promised her salvation.
Lydia had been desperate at the time. A room full of old men, awaiting her, chosen by her father, to force her into an unwanted and unhappy marriage.
She had been a commodity. Sold to the highest bidder, and anyone—even a scarred, giant of a Highlander—felt like a better option.
And now I am in a beautiful castle, with two beautiful children, waiting to marry a man who has told me I am nothing more than a convenience.
“Oh, you do look bonnie,” Kristen said, stepping back. “I kenned that color would work with yer beautiful skin and yer hair.”
Hannah was putting the finishing touches to Lydia’s hair as they spoke. The maid had been up extra early that morning to go into the hills and collect thistles. The pale blue flowers and subtle green leaves picked out Lydia’s eyes and complemented the dress perfectly.
“Are ye all right, M’Lady?” Hannah asked, glancing at her in the mirror.
Lydia quickly smoothed her features, allowing the frown to lift as she nodded.
“Yes, yes!” she said, pushing down the worry that rose inside her. “The dress is beautiful, Kristen. Thank you for all the work you have done. I could not have asked for a more stunning gown.”
Stars and moons cascaded down the skirts like tumbling waterfalls at her sides. The beading about the bodice was exquisite, and every time she moved, she sparkled.
Kristen smoothed a hand over it one more time, and then the door opened and her mother and Tommy entered the room.
The Duchess ran a critical eye over her daughter, a soft smile playing over her lips as Tommy jumped up and down, unable to contain his excitement.
“You look so lovely!” he said happily, and Lydia and her mother both laughed at his enthusiasm.
“Truly, I have never seen a lovelier bride, my darling,” her mother said affectionately. “We should go, but just before we do, I wish to give you one final thing.”
Her mother handed a box to Lydia, and she gasped as she opened it, revealing a beautiful string of pearls.
“They were my mother’s, and I wore them on my wedding day,” her mother said. “But I did not look half so beautiful as you.”
“I do not believe it,” Lydia replied, handing the pearls to her mother as the Duchess placed them gently around her neck.
They were perfect, their iridescent shine reflecting the beading all over the dress.
Kristen and Hannah stepped back as Lydia turned, taking her mother’s arms and gripping her tightly. She held out a hand to her brother, and Tommy took it, smiling up at her.
“I love you,” her mother said softly. “If you had not taken it upon yourself to choose your own path, you would not be as free as you are now. I have never been so proud.”
Lydia smiled. “Come, Tommy, lead the way. It is time to begin a new adventure.”
The horizon was clear.
Callum stared out of the tiny stone archway that marked the entrance of the church. Nerves and anticipation battled against one another in his gut, and he swallowed, fighting them with all his might.
Alexander stood firm beside him, resplendent in their house colors. Callum’s only thought was his bride. She was already a little late.
