Page 58 of Sinbound to the Highlander
Seeing it had Freya’s face burning. Lady Lobhdain must have realized that Freya was absent from her room and accurately guessed where she was.
Laughing, Evan pulled her hands away, “There is naythin’ to be ashamed of, Freya.”
Dressing quickly, she used his comb to set her hair to rights, and they left for the Great Hall. Upon seeing her, Missus Crushom enveloped Freya into a tight hug while her father shot out his hand.
“Happy to see ye, Me Laird. The workmen are movin’ at a rapid pace to get those repairs done,” Mister Crushom said, then looked over to Freya, “And for makin’ Freya happier than I’ve ever seen her.”
Her mother still had not released Freya from her hold, but when she did, tears were in her eyes. Glancing at the dais, Evan realized two more seats were added to the standard five. Gesturing for Freya to lead her parents up to the dais, he claimed his intended the moment they were on the podium.
The Milleson’s and his mother came to join them, and Evan noticed the blank, unconcerned look on Elspeth’s face. The two families greeted each other and sat down for the meal. Not once did Elspeth look at her sister, or speak much, but she stayed for the meal. Evan was concerned at her blasé attitude; it was as if he was staring at a blank wall.
“We should use the upper room to talk,” his mother’s words dragged him back to the present, and just as he was about to agree, his scout Conall Finingal entered the room.
“Excuse me,” he said, dropping a kiss on Freya’s cheek. “I’ll join ye as soon as I can.”
With a nod to the others, Evan hurried off and wordlessly, the scout followed him to the meeting room. Fear that the troops were coming back nearly cramped Evan’s gut, but he held onto a thread of hope.
Inside, he gestured to the seat, “Finingal, me good man, what news do ye have for me?”
“Good news, me, Laird,” Conall smiled. “Well, for us at any rate. The army has taken Carlisle and is movin’ further into England without pause.”
Relieved, Evan nodded, “That’s good news for sure. Do ye ken if they have any plans to come back to Scotland for now?”
“From what I’ve heard, it doesnae look so, me Laird,” Conall mused.
Rubbing his face, Evan dared give the order, “If ye get word that they are coming back from England between now and the first of December, then stay yer ground and send word for us to arm ourselves, but if nay and the first of the months come, ye and yer men are free to go home and celebrate Yuletide with yer families. ‘Tis the least I can do for yer service, Finingal.”
Joy had Connal’s face creased into a tight smile, “Aye, Me Laird.”
Sending the man off with that order was better than if Evan had given him a pot of gold to carry home. Rejoining his mother and guests in the room they had suggested, Evan took a seat near Freya and clasped her hand. Her look had a question,Is everything all right?
“All’s well,” Evan confirmed, then faced the rest, “Now, where are we?”
Slipping out of the castle in the cool of the evening, Evan sighed in relief, “I dinnae ken yer Maither took it well when she learned it was up to ye to set the wedding date.”
“I ken Faither took it worse when he learned that I had spent the night with ye,” Freya giggled. “Lady Grace dinnae exactly keep it to herself. Kept talking about how wonderful the dinner and announcement was and how we disappeared right after. She needn’t have gone into details, but Faither kent what happened. He looked as if he was going to lose the contents of his stomach.”
Tugging Freya close, Evan huffed, as they made it to the stable, “He might have been thinkin’ I’d gotten yer with child already.”
“Is that why ye took him to the side and spoke to him alone?” Freya asked as she came upon the already saddled horse and rubbed his ears.
“Aye,” Evan scowled, as he grasped her waist and helped her into the saddle, “And best believe, that is nay a conversation I will like to have again.”
Joining her on the saddle, Evan steered them out of the stable and into the grounds, before taking another gate, and they were out into the cooling day.
“Mind telling me where we’re going?” Freya asked as they canted away. “Or, do I have to scream for help?”
“Deanae tempt me,” Evan grinned mischievously.
She shivered, and he dropped a kiss on the corner of her jaw, just under her ear, “Enjoy the ride, Love.”
Entering the woods where the smell of the water was thick in the air, he guided them to the grotto he had told Freya about and smiled as her lips slipped open. He knew what she was looking at, a ring of crystal-clear tranquil water, glistening under the mystic rays of twilight, and the mossy banks surrounding it. But when her eyes dropped on the mounds of blankets surrounded by thick unlit tallow candles, she grabbed at him.
“I take it ye approve,” Evan broke the ethereal quietness.
“Ye did this, for me…” she looked over her shoulder, “for us?”
“Nay one else,” Evan said, slipping off the horse and grasping her waist, he helped her off but instead of setting her on the ground, held her high and spun her in the air.
