Page 77 of Tempting the Highland Devil
While she was discussing with the servants the color of drapes and linen to use on the tables, Lily walked in with Killian and Arran and headed towards where she stood.
“There will be food, music, and dancers all over the grand hall. It will be the largest feast any of the Highland clans have ever seen. We need it grand, so it will trick our enemy into thinkin’ we are carried away with all the festivities,” Yvaine continued speaking to her mother.
Arran beamed once he got to her a second later, and she also flushed as a burst of heat spiraled through her nerves. He took her hand when he got to where they stood then grinned again.
“We have mapped out every corner of the castle and stationed guards there. Nothing can happen in this castle without our knowledge,” Lily reported to them, and they continued discussing the strategy to stay on guard during the feast for a few more minutes.
When Elspeth finally walked off with Lily and Killian, Arran drew Yvaine to his side and began walking out of the grand hall with her. The servants scurried around the great halls, all busy with the preparations and decorations.
The castle had more life than it ever had as the decorations gave its surroundings life. Yvaine could feel the warmth bounce off the walls and ease into her heart. Arran too seemed more relaxed than ever.
“Were yer men able to find the prisoners who escaped? Or the ones who led them?” she asked after they had enjoyed the silence in the garden for some time.
Lily and Amelia’s children were playing with their nurse by the corner, and hearing their laughter filled Yvaine’s spirit with a longing of her own. She took a second to watch the children run around with their nurse then fall to the ground as they laughed.
They seemed to be enjoying themselves and had little to no worry in the world. Yvaine hoped to make children with Arran, and judging from how passionate their nights had been, she knew it would happen soon enough.
“Nay, we could nay find either of them, but I am assured that by the end of the feast I will have the leader of the Laochra. Ye neednae worry about that. Duncan and Killian have mapped out the perfect plan to corner him. We will need yer help for that though.”
“What do ye need me to do? I will do anythin’,” she said to him with a smile.
“Ye and I will take a long walk around the gardens and moors late that night, and we will have men hiding out in the dark. There will be men hiding in every corner of the castle too, lookin’ out for anythin’ suspicious. It is to lure anyone plannin’ anything out. When they see us out there alone, they might take the chance to attack.
“Me men will be lyin’ in wait if that happens. Once we start fightin’, I will need ye to run towards the castle, I will make sure to stop anyone from followin’ ye…Do ye understand?”
Yvaine nodded before he continued again. “Duncan has sent word to MacLennan for back-up, and Killian has done the same. They should all arrive here before the feast in a few days.”
“Then everythin’ is set, and all we need to do is wait and see.”
She felt a little nervousness wrack through her insides but tried to shove it aside and focus on a positive outcome. Yvaine hoped this would be the last time they had to plan anything like this.
Whoever the culprit is will be found, and in a few months from now, we will move on from all of this.
The rest of the evening rolled by fast, and Yvaine spent every moment with him. Their guests for the feast would arrive on the morrow, and she had a feeling that the next few days would be eventful.
Hopefully all of this would be over soon, and she would never have to live with the fear of being hurt or losing the only man she ever wanted.
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"Everythin’ is in place for tonight,” Yvaine and Arran discussed on the feast day as they headed towards the grand hall.
“Aye,” she answered. Yvaine was hopeful this would be the end of their dilemma and she hoped no one would get hurt tonight.
Just before they got to the hall, Arran stopped and lured her into a corner to press a kiss to her lips, pulling back to stare into her eyes. “Ye dinnae need to be nervous about tonight,” he said as she nodded slowly. “All ye need to do is trust me.”
“I do trust ye,” she said with a smile, then sucked in a deep breath. “We should enjoy what little of the feast that we can tonight.”
“I agree,” Arran said with a smile, then head walked into the grand hall while holding hands.
Minutes later, Yvaine and Arran danced to the musicians’ tunes, and everyone joined in the middle of the grand hall, each of them displaying their Celtic dance skills.
She laughed hard when Arran picked her off the ground and twirled her around in the air. Yvaine tossed her head back and let the laugh breeze free from her.
The gleam in his eyes added to her joy. Her blood roared in her ears, and the rush of energy surging through her made it impossible for her to think of anything else but the joy of the moment.
When Arran set her on her feet again, he drew her into his embrace and leaned down to rest his forehead over hers. “This is perfect. Ye and me right now and right here,” Arran whispered to her as a smile drew out on her lips.
She licked her lips and nodded. “Aye,” Yvaine agreed just before he took her lips for a sweet kiss that made the others around them burst into a round of applause. He joined her brother and the other men for a discussion after that, and Yvaine returned to her seat to enjoy the juggler’s performance.
