Page 77 of Lost with a Scot
He kissed her. “We certainly will visit as often as ye wish, lass.”
“Good.” She smiled sleepily at him. “Then we leave tomorrow. For home.”
“For home,” he agreed.
She cuddled closer and splayed a hand on his chest. “You promise to chase my bad dreams away if I have any?”
“Lass, from now on ye’ll only have good dreams, and we’ll chase them together.”
EPILOGUE
December 1821
Scotland
It was a wintry morning when a coach pulled up in front of Castle Kincade. Brock spotted it from his bedchamber window upstairs while he was dressing for the day. He wondered who would come visit them at such a cold time of year.
Travel on the rural roads to reach the castle couldn’t have been pleasant. Whoever had just arrived was determined, to say the least. Brock let his valet finish fixing his cravat, then left his bedchamber and called for his wife.
“Joanna! Who’s at the door?” He had grown accustomed to shouting for his wife because she was often somewhere deep in the castle. It was a vast place with dozens of rooms, and he could never quite find her without a shout or two. He did so enjoy it when his proper English wife hollered back at him like any good Scotswoman, her cheeks flushed and her eyes lit with mischief. When he found her, and if she was alone, he’d often take his time reminding her why she’d agreed to marry him. Stolen kisses in libraries were still one of his favorite pastimes.
He’d only been home from his adventure in Ruritania for about a month, and Joanna was anxious for him not to leave again anytime soon. He suspected she was with child but wasn’t telling him until she was sure of it.
Both Joanna and Lydia had been frantic with concern when the Kincade brothers had left to rescue Anna. He had understood their fears, but neither he nor his brother could let Aiden face the dangers overseas alone. Joanna had feared every day that he might not come back, and no word of their safety had reached London until he and Brodie sailed back into an English port and were able to greet their wives at Ashton’s townhouse.
Brock had made a pledge not to leave Scotland or England again for a long time. But with that promise came heartbreak. It meant he had lost his brother, just as the old Romani woman had said he would. Of course, he had thoughtlostmeant dead. Aiden wasn’t dead, but he was far away, and it might be a long time before Brock would see him again. He’d promised to visit Scotland, but being married to a princess would mean Aiden would be busy with royal duties, and it would not be so easy to come home frequently.
It didn’t feel right to not have his youngest brother here. The animals that belonged to Aiden seemed restless, as though they knew their gentle-hearted master would never again return. But that was the price of love. It meant giving things up to form a partnership with the one you loved. Aiden had chosen a princess, and he had done the right thing by staying with her when she had her royal duties to fulfill.
“Brock! Come quick!” Joanna’s voice held surprise and excitement, which sent him running for the stairs. He skidded to a stop when he saw snow already blowing in through the open front door. A woman hidden beneath a heavy blue cloak was hugging Joanna and Lydia. Brodie stood beside them, grinning as though Christmas had come early. The young woman pushed back the hood of her cloak, and Brock saw Anna smiling up at him.
“Anna?” If the princess was here, that meant his brother...
Another figure swept into the castle, and the Kincade butler hastily closed the door to prevent more snow from getting in. He removed his hat and shook his great cloak free of snow before slipping it off and handing it over to the butler. Brock’s heart clenched so tight he couldn’t breathe.
Aiden had come home.
“You’re just in time for the holidays,” Lydia announced.
“We are,” Anna laughed. “I hope that’s all right?”
“Of course it is, sister.” Brodie took his turn to hug Anna as Brock hurried down the stairs to join the merry gathering. He could barely contain his joy.
“How...?” He cleared the lump in his throat as he looked between Aiden and the princess, trying not to get his hopes up. “How long are ye staying?”
Anna’s responding smile could have outshone the sun itself. “Forever, if you’ll have us.”
“Forever?” Brock echoed.
Aiden stepped toward him and held out a hand. “Forever, and perhaps a little longer after that,” Aiden said with a warm smile.
Brock saw no shadows or sorrow in Aiden’s eyes. The pain and loneliness he’d carried for so long had been banished completely.
Brock pulled his youngest brother into a hug and then pulled Anna in as well, embracing them both as tears filled his eyes. Anna could never know what she had done for him by saving Aiden, but he would be forever in her debt.
“Ach! We canna breathe, brother,” Aiden groaned good-naturedly.
Brock let go of them, and Aiden ducked his head, blushing as if embarrassed at the show of affection.
