Page 89 of Taming the Heiress
Meg turned and saw that a group of men in dark suits and hats, some with canes, all of them looking out of place on the sea rock, were strolling around the foundation cavity. Sir Frederick Matheson stood in the midst of the visitors. His gloved hand clasped Iain's as the boy walked beside him.
"Iain!" she called, running forward, skirts billowing. Seeing her, the boy broke free and ran to her. She caught him in her arms, dropping to her knees to embrace him, her heart pounding. Straightening, she looked up at the man who approached.
"Sir Frederick," she said coolly.
"Why, Lady Strathlin, what a fetching picture. And rather surprising to see you out here in such a wild place."
She touched Iain's shoulder. "Might I ask why you are here, sir?"
"I am interested in contributing funds to the lighthouse," he said. "I came out with some members of the Northern Lighthouse Commission, who wanted to see the progress on this rock."
"But, Sir Frederick," she said pointedly, "to my knowledge, you have no funds to contribute. You've been borrowing from me for the last three years. I must wonder why you are making promises to the lighthouse fund. Have you some other source of wealth?"
"Well, to be honest, madam, I expect to be married soon to a very wealthy baroness. Please don't tell me that you have changed your mind, Margaret. That would be so... unpleasant." As he smiled, he reached out to touch Iain's golden head.
She pulled the boy away from him, hiding Iain partly behind the fullness of her skirt and petticoats. "I have most definitely changed my mind," she said. "I will not marry you, Frederick. In fact, I cannot marry you, ever. It would be impossible."
He glowered down at her. "You gave me your promise."
"The lady is already married," Dougal said, striding toward them. "Good day, Sir Frederick." He tipped his hat.
"She's what?" Frederick barked out. "What a preposterous thing to say. And what would you know about it?"
"I am her husband," Dougal said, shifting his arm so that Meg could slip her hand in the crook of his elbow, a natural gesture of familiarity. She tilted her head prettily.
"And I am his wife," she said.
"That's impossible," Frederick muttered. "I left you only a few days ago! You scarcely know each other."
"We were married years ago," Dougal said, glancing down at Meg, "in a simple Hebridean ceremony. We were... estranged for a while. But we have happily resolved our differences."
"I refuse to believe that. If you think to save the lady from the embarrassment she has earned, sir, it will not suffice. I suppose you know whose child that is."
"Aye, we all know whose child that is," Norrie said, walking up to them. "Come here, lad," he said to Iain. "Fergus is over there looking for you. Run and see what he wants." Iain took off.
"Walk," Meg called without thinking. "He did not mean run!"
"That lad," Norrie said, looking at Frederick, "is the child of my granddaughter and her husband, this fine fellow, Mr. Stewart, who was a visitor to our reef and our island several years ago. They were wed then, as they told you. I am thinking all of Caransay's residents will be ready to swear to that."
Meg looked at her grandfather, smiling through sudden tears. "Yes," she said, turning back. "All of them will swear it."
"Though we are waiting for another ceremony to renew those vows," Norrie said, looking hard at Meg and Dougal.
"Preposterous," Frederick said. He turned to the crowd gathering around them, made up of lighthouse commissioners and workmen, including Alan and Evan. "This is absurd!"
"It's true," Meg said. "I have known my husband for a long time. We met years ago on this very spot." Meg smiled at Dougal, her hand snugged in his arm.
"We could not tell anyone before this," Dougal said. "We kept it secret, for it was an awkward situation until we decided that we could carry on with our marriage."
"Congratulations, Lady Strathlin," Evan Mackenzie said.
"Lady Strathlin!" Alan Clarke exclaimed. Dougal leaned forward to murmur a fast explanation while Alan gaped at her.
Evan bowed to Meg, and she offered her hand. "Your husband is a fine man, and a lucky one, too," he said.
"Ah, thank you, Lord Glencarron," she said, as Evan kissed her gloved knuckles. "How very nice to see you again."
"And you, madam," he murmured. "Meg, I've known you from the first," he whispered, smiling, his lips close to her glove. "I saw you at a concert last year in Edinburgh, and I never forgot bonny Lady Strathlin."
