Page 27 of The Highlander's Virgin Nun
The pair sat for a moment, pondering the information he had shared with her, but soon they were roused from their silence. A drum roll began and grew quickly louder and faster on the other side of the bonfire. Villagers began to make their way out of their cottages, walking around the fire towards the sound.
“What’s going on?”
“They must be startin’ a performance,” Caelan said, standing up. He offered Rosaline a hand. “Let’s go.”
She placed her hand in his, and he led her through the crowd towards the music.
As they rounded the fire and finally emerged onto a spot where they could see ahead, the clansfolk gathered to display one of their most impressive talents.
Men sat on tree stumps with drums of various sizes between their legs, the smallest in the front and the largest at the back. Some men stood at the edge with fiddles, and to the far left, one man stood with bagpipes under his arm, ready to play for the crowd.
Women gathered in front of the musicians, all wearing matching kilts made of the blue, yellow, and white tartan of Clan Sinclair. They had matching waistcoats to go over their white blouses and wore thin black leather shoes laced up over their white sheep wool socks.
The Highland dance.
“Can ye see all right?” Caelan asked Rosaline as the piper struck a tune and the women got into formation.
He was aware she was much shorter than him, but he didn’t like to use his status to push her to the front of the crowd.
“Just about,” she replied, but he could see her craning her neck a little.
“Here, stand on me boots.”
Caelan shuffled his feet closer to hers and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her feet onto his toes, giving her an extra few inches of height. Of course, it remedied the situation and allowed her to see the performance, but the trick brought him closer to her body, which was invaluable.
“Thanks,” she said, her voice almost breathy with joy.
She held onto his arms, which hugged her tightly, and finally stopped straining to see. She relaxed into his hold and focused on the performance.
Once the pipes were full-on blaring, the drums began steady and deep behind, and the dancers began to jump and sidestep in time to the rhythm. They held their hands on their hips in fists and their heads high, keeping all of the focus on their fast-moving legs. They created brilliant shapes, bending their knees and pointing their toes to stream beautiful lines, all the while remaining in sync with the music and one another. They were fantastic.
As the fiddles kicked in, the pace picked up, but the dancers retained their skill and composure effortlessly. Caelan could feel Rosaline’s pulse quicken and the focus in her stare as she admired the performance.
“They’re wonderful,” she whispered, mesmerized.
“If ye enjoy it so much, we could ask them to dance at the wedding,” Caelan suggested, taking a cue from her and returning the whisper, deliberately letting his breath fan her earlobe and her neck.
She turned her head to the side and looked up at him, revealing the whites of her eyes even more. Her dark lashes curled upward, and her long, dark curls fell from her neck, revealing more skin. She gave him a beautiful half smile, warmth radiating from her eyes. It may have been hopeful, but he could swear he saw a hint of cheekiness in them, too.
Had me whisper ignited somethin’ within her?
He hoped so.
They watched the rest of the performance, and Rosaline cheered and clapped, captivated by the dance. Caelen introduced her to a few of the performers that he knew well, and she thanked them sincerely for the show.
“We better head back to the castle now; it’s gettin’ dark.”
The village was packed to the brim with people, and the streets had no safe opening for horses. Since a few of them had had a couple of ales, Caelan decided it was best to journey back behind the cottages, just through a small patch of forest that would lead them directly to the castle gates. They returned to retrieve Miller, mounted him, and took off.
“Thank ye for today, Caelan,” Rosaline said softly as they reached the forest’s edge, nestled safely in front of his body on Miller’s back. “I had a wonderful time. Ye have been very kind to me.”
Her words warmed his heart.
Caelan recalled the story she had told him earlier, as well as the fear in her eyes when the nuns came after her in the clearing. She had received so little kindness in her adult years. It must have been such a change for her to be treated fairly. He realized how much of a miracle she trusted him at all.
“That’s all right, lass,” he replied. “Ye dinnae need to thank me. I asked ye to be me bride, and ye didnae have much of a choice. I have a duty to protect ye and make sure ye’re taken care of.”
He felt her nod slightly, and he noticed that this was perhaps the most relaxed she had been on horseback with him thus far. She leaned right back into him, resting the weight of her shoulders on his chest.
