Page 51 of Highlander Lord Of Vengeance (Highland Revenge Trilogy #3)
“I had a feeling Una might be interested in him, with the way she squabbled with him, though why she is, I’ll never know.”
Hakon arm went around Una when the kiss ended as though he worried she might run from him. “So, it’s settled then. Una is mine.”
Ryland looked at Esme.
“You will wed Hakon of your free will?” Esme asked.
“Aye, I will, though I don’t know why I find him appealing,” Una said, bewildered.
Hakon grinned again. “You’re the only wife who ever said that to me.”
Una jabbed him in the chest. “I’m the last wife you’ll ever have.”
“That’s fine with me as long as you please me in the marriage bed, and often.”
Una scoffed. “Please you? And often? You should be worried about pleasing me. I don’t want a man who dips his stick briefly and thinks he’s pleased me.”
“No worries there, my stick has stamina. You’ll be sore by the time I’m done with you.”
“There you go being wrong again. If you leave me sore, then you’re not doing it right.”
“Women don’t know better than men when it comes to poking,” Hakon argued.
“Oh yeah, you want to prove that?” Una challenged.
“Bloody hell, I do,” Hakon said and scooped Una up over his shoulder and carried her out of the keep.
Ryland turned to Esme at the same time she turned to him, and both smiled and went to hurry off the bench and to their bedchamber when the door opened and in walked… a cleric.
He shook the snow from his cloak that covered his robe as he approached their table.
“It’s snowing?” Esme asked.
“Aye, it just started, a light lovely snow, I hope that doesn’t turn wicked and make my return journey difficult.
I have been summoned to wed a couple, but I learned upon entering your village that you suffered a battle.
Many have stopped me, requesting blessings for the dead and prayers for the wounded. ”
“I would appreciate it if you could spare us extra time. The clan will provide you with shelter and plenty of food while you’re here and you can partake in a large celebration since it is three couples you will wed.”
The slim cleric smiled. “I wouldn’t mind a warm shelter and plenty of food, the abbey can be cold and the food sparse during the winter. I will stay as long as you need me.”
Ryland ordered more food and drink to be brought to the table for the cleric.
Brack soon joined them, explaining, “I wanted to give Brenna some time alone with her da.”
The cleric was soon in a deep conversation with Brack about healing plants, to Ryland’s surprise.
Ryland leaned his head down to whisper to Esme about Brack knowing an awful lot about plants when he sensed her unease.
He went to ask her when, she whispered, “Could we take a walk outside?”
Ryland stood, drawing the two men’s attention. “We will return shortly.”
“Not too shortly,” Esme said to Ryland, as he draped her cloak over her shoulders when they neared the door.
They barely were out the door when Ryland asked, “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well? I could get Brenna.”
“Nay,” she said, hooking her arm around his. “I had enough of people, of the chaos, of the problems that have plagued us. I wanted to be alone with you. I look forward to people being gone, leaving you and me to finally start our lives together as true husband and wife.”
“Lord Ryland and Lady Esme of Clan Glencairn,” he said proudly.
“What will you do about Clan MacLeish?” she asked as they walked down the stairs.
“I wanted to make Quint, The Monk, chieftain of Clan MacLeish, being he has done a fine job so far, but he refused. He told me that he was tired of battle, of disputes, of complaints, of always tending to others. He and Shade want nothing more than to return to her healing cottage in the woods and raise their daughter, which Shade is sure she is having a lass, there in peace.”
“If not Quint than who will lead Clan MacLeish?” Esme asked as the snow fell softly around them.
“I thought of Nug, my good friend since I’ve been young, but losing Brack to Clan Purdom, I will need Nug, and I believe he would be pleased to join me here.
Quint mentioned someone he thought deserved to be chieftain and I agree with him…
Caleb. It was because of Caleb that I came across Torrance. ”
“The badly wounded warrior of yours who you carried off the battlefield?” Esme asked, recalling Ryland mentioning him.
“Aye, that’s him. He is a fine warrior, and his wife Ula is a fine healer. She learned the skill from Shade. I believe they both will serve Clan MacLeish well. And if any clan members wish to follow me here they are welcome to do so.”
“It is finally done and over, isn’t it?” She stopped abruptly. “But what of Chieftains Stuart and Eagan. What will their fate be?”
“You needn’t worry about them. They are gone.”
“Gone? Do you mean dead?”
Ryland shook his head. “Nay, a much worse fate. I gave them to Hakon. They are already on their way north with Hakon’s warriors. They will never bother us again and they will forever rue the day they did.”
Esme smiled. “I just realized something Ida had said to me about Clan Purdom being cursed and how it’s believed Claire is the woman heard weeping in the keep.
With her daughter returning home, raising a family in the keep, Claire should weep no more and happiness will return to the clan and the curse broken. ”
Ryland nodded slowly. “Aye, my mum will finally rest in peace.”
Esme sighed with relief and eased herself against Ryland. “I never thought that Torrance could do anything good in his life, but he did good when he asked you to assume his identity and you did good accepting his offer.”
“There was no way I could refuse when he was offering me the one thing I wanted so badly in my life… you. And when I told him I wouldn’t get rid of you as he demanded but instead, I would keep you as my wife and we would have many bairns together, I could see the anger in his eyes as he took his last breath. He knew he died defeated.”
Tears shined in Esme’s eyes, happy tears. “Your love was strong enough to free me.”
“To free us both of the past, so we could build a strong and loving future together,” Ryland said and took her in his arms and kissed her.
THE END