Page 91 of How the Belle Stole Christmas

Humphrey and Mort started to come around just as Catriona was tightening their bonds.

“What the…?” Humphrey peered at her, blurry-eyed. Suddenly, his gaze snapped into focus. “You! Why, I oughta—”

Will kicked him in the thigh. “Be very careful how you speak to her.”

Mort peered up at him, disoriented. “Who the hell are you?”

Catriona gave him a triumphant smile. “See? I wasnae home alone after all.” She yanked him to his feet. “Now come along. It’s the dungeon for you two!”

The threat of another smack from Will’s shovel kept the two thieves moving, albeit with much grumbling.

Humphrey gave her a triumphant look, which Catriona thought was rather rich for a man coated in greasy feathers.

“You might not have been home alone. But you were home unchaperoned. With him!” He smirked. “Which means you’re ruined.”

Catriona laughed in his face. “As if I care a fig about that! It doesnae matter if I’m ruined. It’s not as if any man would have me.”

“I would,” Will said immediately.

Catriona promptly tripped over a stray golf ball. Will grabbed her by the arm to keep her from falling.

She glanced up at him, confused. “Ye… Ye would?”

“Of course, I would.” He gave her a crooked smile. “How would you like to be a viscountess?”

“Not very well,” she answered without thinking, then looked guiltily at Will. “’Tis nothing to do with ye! I’d quite like to be married to ye. ’Tis the viscountess bit I wouldnae be any good at.”

Will laughed. “Look at me—I’m not viscount material, either!

I’m a terrible dancer, and I’m never sure which fork to use.

I have no interest in cards or horse racing or any of the things I’m supposed to enjoy.

” He leaned his shovel against the wall and took both of her hands in his.

“Be my viscountess, Catriona. Sit beside me in the library for hours. Dig with me in the dirt in Pompeii.” He went down on one knee.

“Be yourself, because that is precisely what I want. Smile at me and make me feel like I’m everything I’m supposed to be. Be my family. Be my wife.”

Catriona felt a tear streak down her cheek. Be my family. Will had been alone for so long. In a strange way, she could relate. Both of her parents might be alive, and she might have a dozen siblings and cousins. But paradoxically, she felt like she had been alone all these years, too.

Not anymore. From this day forward, she would have Will. The thought made her heart glow.

“Yes!” she cried, throwing herself into his arms.

He caught her in a bear hug.

“Well, isn’t this a touching scene?” Humphrey said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Do you expect us to wish you happy?”

Will glared at him. “I expect you to shut it, unless you want another smack from my shovel.”

Mort was muttering something that sounded like, “Unbelievable.”

Will gave her a quick kiss. “Ignore them, darling. If it’s all right with you, I’d like to be married at once. Just as soon as I can obtain a special license.”

“I’d like that, too,” Catriona said, recalling the activities they’d been engaged in on the battlements before Humphrey and Mort had so rudely interrupted them.

A warm thrum went through her. If she had her druthers, she’d like to pick up right where they’d left off…

Something occurred to her. “Although, now that ye mention it, we dinnae need to wait for a special license.”

Will nodded. “You’re probably right. I’d have to go all the way to London to get a special license. A common one will be faster, given the distance. Where’s the nearest bishop’s town? Inverness? Glasgow?”

She laughed. “No, silly! This is Scotland, the place everyone comes to marry over the anvil. We dinnae need a license at all. All we need are two people to witness the marriage.”

As one, Will and Catriona turned to Humphrey and Mort.

Arms bound with rope, Humphrey took a step back. “Absolutely not!”

Eyes gleaming, Will turned and took her hands. “I, William Francis Marley, take you, Catriona McCallister, to be my lawfully wedded wife.”

“Oh, my God,” Humphrey muttered.

Catriona ignored him. “And I, Catriona Maighread McCallister, take ye, Will Marley, to be my lawfully wedded husband.”

Mort stepped forward. “Forsaking all others, will you keep to this woman as long as you both shall live?”

“Mort!” Humphrey surged forward and slammed his shoulder into Mort’s. “What the hell are you doing?”

Mort turned to him, his expression chastising. “Come on, Humphrey. It’s Christmas! There’s something romantic about a Christmas wedding, don’t you think?”

“No!” Humphrey spat. “You’re unbelievable! They’re going to hang us for stealing, and you’re going on about a Christmas wedding?”

Mort managed to shrug in spite of the ropes binding him. “I just think it’s nice that they found each other.”

Humphrey made his voice mocking. “It’s Christmas! It’s nice that they found each other!” He kicked Mort in the shins. “You’re pathetic! You know that? I wish I’d never asked you to be my partner!”

Mort’s cheeks flushed. “Well, that makes two of us! A fat lot of good it’s done me, pairing up with you!”

While the two of them continued bickering, Will squeezed Catriona’s hand to gain her attention.

She watched as he slid a shield-shaped gold signet ring from his small finger, then placed it on her ring finger.

“With this ring, I thee wed. With my body, I thee worship. With all my worldly goods, I thee endow.”

Catriona smiled up at him through the tears gathering in her eyes.

“What God joins together, let no man put asunder.” She went up on her toes to give Will a quick kiss, then inclined her head toward Humphrey and Mort.

“Now, let’s get these two down to the dungeon.

I’m keen to get started on the ‘with my body, I thee worship’ bit. ”

She didn’t have to tell Will twice.