Page 82 of The Guardian's Bride
“The galley is still out there,” Aedan said. “But they are turning. With luck, they will cross the firth and go as far as Berwick and England. I do not relish meeting Malise Comyn again on land or water. Come on—keep close to me.”
“Always,” she said, as he reached for her hand.
Following Aedan upthe secret stair, Rowena stopped near her chamber’s hidden door. “I should go,” she whispered.
“Come up here for something,” he said, gesturing toward his room. “Aw, not that, love, unless you want to,” he said, lifting a brow.
“That would need time—I can only stay a moment. The others will wake soon.”
In his bed chamber, he crossed to the smaller room. Curious, Rowena peered into a simple room containing a table, chair, and standing cupboard. He opened that.
“Since I am sharing all my secrets, the treasure of the MacDuffs is here.”
“You jest! It is a small cupboard.”
“It is a small treasure,” he replied, and rummaged inside. She heard some rustling and the snap of the latch of a small casket, the sort that might hold coins or jewels. Returning, he ushered her into the larger room and held out one hand. A long, sturdy silver chain lay coiled and glinting in his palm.
“For your crystal. It was my grandmother’s chain. Your purse was nearly lost in the sea, but with this, you can keep it on you always.”
“What a pretty thing,” she said as he poured it into her hand. “I will wear it inside my bodice.” Taking the stone from her purse, she slid the chain through the small bail in the silver setting.
Turning, she lifted her thick braid aside as he clasped the chain around her neck. She cupped the pendant in her hand, its cool surface gathering the warmth that always made the stone feel familiar and dear.
“The day Grandda gave me the crystal, he said I was its guardian. And he said there was another—either stone or guardian. He often spoke in riddles.”
“He gave me a bit of a riddle too. I felt honored that he even spoke to me, a lad. He said one day I would be a knight and a guardian, but I did not understand the rest of it.” He smiled briefly. “He told me to look for the woman with the crystal stone, but it made no sense. I forgot about it until I saw your charm stone.”
“Then he knew about the twin stones and knew we would be the guardians. Oh, and he said I should look for a man with a crown. I thought he meant a king.”
“There is another man with a crown. Me.” He wiggled his fingers. “I have a crown tucked away, and we have the two crystals.”
“For some reason, fate brought us together. Thomas must have known. But why? Though he did hint that the stone could save Scotland.”
“That seems unlikely.” He sighed.
“I must go.” Rowena glanced toward the window, where dawn was breaking bright. “What if Thomas knew you and I would meet and perhaps—” She stopped.
“Marry?” His simple word echoed her thought, and her heart thumped.
“That was the plan years ago, and fate reunited us.”
“Fate seems insistent with us. And Thomas knew about our betrothal.”
“But he did not know the rest. It all sounds—almost magical.” She felt her cheeks heat pink at the thought, the possibility, of marrying Aedan.
“Lady Rowena,” he said, “for all your caution, you are a bit of a dreamer.” A little smile twitched at his lips.
“My great-grandfather taught us to accept magic—it was so natural to him. The charm stone has a kind of magic. And my sisters have the Sight, I know that. I may be a practical soul, but I have seen strange things that are very real.”
“Something else seems almost magical to me,” he said, “yet it is very real. Fate is telling us something, Rowena. So I have another gift for you.”
He opened his other hand. In his palm was a small golden ring. He must have fetched it with the chain, she realized. She caught her breath. “What is this?”
“Looks like a ring.”
“I mean—it is lovely. But what—is this?” She lifted her gaze to his.
“A token of betrothal. Of marriage.” He sounded awkward, this brawny and confident man. Her heart went out to him.
