Page 37 of One Forbidden Kiss with the Laird (The Cinderella Shepherd Sisters #2)

‘Part two is I gather the people of Ballachulish as well as a few landowners I trust from the local area. I am going to suggest that we put together what funds we have to form a group that hopefully has enough to buy the tenant farms as well as the houses in Ballachulish. We draw up a contract that stipulates fairly everyone’s contribution and the percentage ownership they have of all the properties.

Any rents collected will be fair and just and will be divided as per the ratios in the document. ’

‘You then have to get Sir William to agree to this.’

‘I will do my best to persuade him. He will be leaving Scotland without the marriage he wanted for Miss Kingsley, but I get the impression he is not enamoured with our country anyway. This way he gets to be free of the troublesome parts of the estate and keeps only the house and estate grounds. He can tell all his London friends he has a property in Scotland, but he does not have to worry about collecting rents or arguing over contracts with tenant farmers.’

‘He might accept your proposition,’ Selina said, but she didn’t sound convinced. ‘But you will not have Taigh Blath. You will not have the estate that was promised to you from birth.’

‘And perhaps,’ he said quietly, looking out into the distance, ‘that is exactly what I deserve. I should have stopped being so selfish earlier and used the funds I did have to buy back what I could, rather than holding on to them in the hope that I might be able to have everything, when all the while people were suffering and I almost lost the woman I loved.’

‘You would stay here in Ballachulish?’

‘Yes,’ he said firmly. ‘If my beautiful young wife could bear to live in a simple cottage.’

Selina did not say anything and Callum found himself holding his breath.

He knew the living situation would not be an issue for Selina.

She had not grown up in luxury and had hinted at how her family had often struggled to get by.

They had rented a set of rooms in St Leonards-on-Sea where Selina said the best thing about them was the view from the top window of the sea.

What he was more concerned about was whether she would accept his apology.

‘You truly would not resent me if you could not gain back all of what your father lost?’

‘No. I would give thanks every day that I had such a wonderful wife and that I had not reneged on the promise I made to the people of Ballachulish. I have come to realise the rest does not matter. I am still the Earl, but truly what does it matter if I live in Taigh Blath or if I live in a cosy little cottage in the village?’

He paused. ‘I am sorry, Selina, for making this so hard. You are the most incredible woman I have ever met and you deserve to be celebrated. I did not see I was adding to the hurt your father had dealt you by not realising how important the love we share is.’ He looked her deeply in the eyes.

‘If you say yes, then I will spend each and every day showing you how important you are to me.’

Selina turned to face him fully and flung her arms around him, tears spilling on to her cheeks.

‘Does this mean you’ll marry me?’

‘Yes. Of course I’ll marry you. Although not today.’

‘I thought that might be pushing my luck a little.’

‘I want our wedding to be a celebration. I am done with hiding who I am from the world.’

‘Then we will ask the local minister to read the banns so it can be announced for the whole world to hear and then we will arrange the biggest celebration this village has ever seen.’

‘I would be happy with another dance in the barn.’

He kissed her, feeling his heart swell. ‘Of course you would. That was the night you fell in love with me.’

Selina scoffed. ‘You could tell, I suppose.’

He shrugged. ‘I knew you liked me before then and it obvious you lusted after me.’

‘ Lusted after you?’ Selina cried out, shaking her head at his audacity.

‘Deny it.’

She pressed her lips together, but avoided his eye, unable to deny it.

‘But I think it was that night, when all your anger towards me fizzled out, that you fell in love with me.’

‘And when did you fall in love with me?’

‘I told you, that first night we met on the edge of the loch. I felt as though something monumental in my life had just changed and I fell in love a little more each time I saw you.’

She lifted up on her tiptoes and kissed him and he wondered how he had ever thought his life could be complete without the woman in his arms.

‘Will Bruce’s horse be able to carry both of us?’ she asked as he unhooked the reins from the tree.

‘Aye, as long as we take it slow. At a walk we’ll be back in Ballachulish before sundown. I will call a meeting tonight and tomorrow I will go to Sir William with the proposal.’

‘Lady Kingsley still thinks you are going to marry Catherine. She came to see me earlier and gave me the money for my journey south, on the condition I left immediately and didn’t come back.

’ Selina allowed Callum to boost her up on to the horse’s back and settled on the area in front of the saddle.

‘It is not a promise I am desperate to keep.’

Callum launched himself up behind her and they set off at a gentle pace, back the way they had come, but now with Selina’s body resting against his. He felt contented, as if all was right in the world finally.