Page 35 of In Love With the Wrong Highland Sister
“Yes—you have!” she answered, poking her finger into his chest. “Why are you giving up the lairdship? Please tell me it is not so that you can marry me because I never asked that of you, Jamie. I would never do that!”
He bent to kiss away the tears that were running down her cheeks, then picked her up and carried her into the castle. They passed numerous curious guards who obviously thought that they needed help and rushed to open doors for them. James nodded his thanks, then proceeded to carry her up one of the main staircases to a small private parlor some way away from the busiest hub of the building. He set her down on a chaise longue and knelt in front of her, then took her hands in his.
“I know you would never ask that of me, Laria,” he said tenderly, smiling. “And that is one of the reasons I love you. You always put my happiness first. You thought I wanted a child, and you decided that I should marry someone else because you could not give me one. You had decided you would never marry again until you met me. God knows why, because you had so much love to give, although you hid it.
“Now you are considering marriage, and that gives me hope. You are all I want. The lairdship means nothing to me, and Gavin is very happy to relieve me of the burden. As well as that, your father wants me to live on your estate with you if we marry.” He sighed and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Now the only barrier to our union is your consent.”
Laria looked into the bright, sky-blue eyes of the man she now knew that she loved with all her heart, and her last piece of resistance fell away. She cupped his bristle-shadowed face in her hands. “Ask me again,” she murmured.
“Laria MacLean,” he answered, “will you make me the happiest man in the world and be my wife? I long to give you my name, my body, and my heart.”
“Yes!” Laria cried, throwing her arms around his neck. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
James laughed joyfully, but a few seconds later, he found himself being kissed so passionately and thoroughly by his betrothed that he was almost breathless.
“Thank God,” he whispered, then he pulled her to her feet and asked: “Shall we go and tell the others?”
“You look as though you will burst if you do not say something soon!” she replied, laughing. “So, perhaps for the good of your health, we should break the news as quickly as possible!”
He sighed. “As much as I am tempted to stand here all day and kiss you senseless, I believe you are right, Laria.”
18
The news of the two betrothals was greeted with joy but not much surprise from the rest of the family. They had watched over the weeks as the two men, and two women gravitated toward each other, ignoring their places in the order of things. However, as Lady Flora said, love had a way of working things out that owed nothing to the planning of mere human beings.
“I am afraid the human heart is one animal you cannot tame no matter how hard you try,” she observed, smiling at her sons. “And you cannot make someone love you if they do not. Look at all of you.” She indicated the two couples as they stood together. “We had everything neatly ordered to fit into our own plans, and you rearranged all of them to suit your own desires, and I do not think anyone on Earth could have stopped you. But I, for one, am so glad you did because you all look so happy.” She smiled, and her lovely face lit up with joy.
“Aye,” Laird Elliott chuckled, “and I get the feeling that those big men over there will be like a couple of huge watchdogs! I can see that these lucky women will never have to worry a day in their lives.”
“I can look after myself!” Laria protested, holding up a clenched fist.
James laughed and gave her a squeeze. “I can do it better,” he declared.
“It is only breakfast, but I think a toast is in order just this once since it is such a momentous occasion.”
They held up their glasses of ale, and Laird Elliott said: “To Laria and James! Sláinte Mhath!”
“To Eloisa and Gavin!” cried Laird MacLean. “Sláinte Mhath!”
When they had all drunk their toasts, everyone was about to disperse, but Laird MacLean called James and Laria aside, then took them to the same parlor where James had proposed. They shared a secret smile before entering, and sat down, pressed closely against each other with joined hands on the chaise longue.
“James, as I told you before, you are very welcome to stay at Grainaig Castle with Laria, but if you two would prefer to live somewhere else, please say so, and it will be arranged.” He looked up at them, and Laria could see the hope in his eyes. He wanted his daughter to stay with him.
She looked up at James, and he smiled at her warmly. “I want to be wherever you are, Laria,” he answered softly.
“Good, because I want to go home,” she replied firmly. “To our home.”
The laird laughed. “I was hoping you would say so. You will have a complete wing of the castle to yourselves, so you may never see your mother and me if you do not want to.” He looked up with a humorous twinkle in his eyes, then his expression grew serious. “But there is one more matter I must speak to you about.”
Laria suddenly felt anxious. Surely her father was not going to spoil her happiness just when it was within her grasp? She swallowed nervously.
“I do not have a son to pass the lairdship on to,” the laird began. “But the next in line is a younger cousin of yours, Laria. Do you remember young William?”
“Yes, I do,” she replied, frowning. “But he is only nine or ten years old, is he not?”
“Nine,” her father replied. “He is my nephew and your cousin. None of my other brothers have boys, and my only sister is dead and had no issue. My brother Craig and his wife died in an accident a few years ago, so young William is all alone. He has a legal guardian and a nanny, but no relatives who want him except for his Uncle Hector and Aunt Margaret.” He looked up at them. “I propose to bring him to stay with us. He is the heir and will, in time, be laird, and he needs guidance. I think James can give him that.” He looked at James expectantly.
James did not hesitate for a moment. “Of course,” he said eagerly. Then he looked at Laria, and she nodded in assent. “When can we meet him?”
