Page 20 of When a Highlander Vows (Enemies to Lovers #1)
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T he next morning, Lucas bathed, dressed, and a servant arrived to let him know the minister was all prepared in the chapel, and the others had also been gathered. He was hurrying along the passage toward Caitlin’s chamber. It was the first time he would be surprising someone with something, and as he got closer to Caitlin’s door, he began to get nervous. Would this be too much?
Just outside the door, he took a breath and lifted his hand to knock when the door opened. Caitlin was coming out, and she ran into him with a little surprised ‘Oh’.
“Me Laird,” she said, looking up at him, genuinely surprised at his sudden presence. “I mean Lucas.”
His hands rested upon her elbows, holding her steady after the shock of their bumping into one another, and he dropped his hands quickly, finding that touching her only made her more nervous.
“Caitlin, I am sorry to surprise ye, but I am glad I caught ye. I have come to escort ye.”
“Escort me?” she asked with a lifted brow, “But ye ken I am now easily able to walk down the stairs meself. I have learned the Castle very well over the last week.”
“Aye, quite.” He colored a little under his growing beard.
It was not totally surprising that she was being a bit difficult. But he hoped she’d make it easier on him to do something nice.
“But I hoped ye would allow me today, just this once.” He turned to the side and offered her his arm.
After looking down at it for a few seconds, she took it reluctantly, and he could see a pinched look on her face. “I am nae an invalid, although ye may take me for one.”
He sighed. “Lass, it is nae that. If ye would just come with me for but a moment, ye will see—”
“Because I am perfectly capable. Ye can ask anyone in the Castle, Lucas, and they would tell ye what they have seen me dae. I have learned almost every room and passageway.”
Including the room where ye found me fightin’.
But he did not say that part, knowing it would only add to her current displeasure. He bit his tongue and led her down the stairs.
“Aye, I ken it. I daenae need to ask.”
“How did ye ken what time I was goin’ to wake? Are the servants tellin’ ye when I am ready usually?” She seemed to be in great haste to make sure he knew where he stood, and it was likely due to yesterday’s incident.
When they reached the base of the stairs he turned right, and she frowned. “Where are we goin’?”
“Well, ye ken the Castle so well, I thought ye might be able to tell me.” He smirked at his own joke, while she narrowed her eyes at him.
“Ye are far more teasin’ than ye first seemed to be, ye ken,” she grumbled under her breath, making Lucas chuckle.
“I am a great many things I dinnae ken I was afore I met ye, Sunshine,” he said, and it made her look up at him.
“Daenae call me that,” she said angrily, and then they were just outside of the chapel.
“What are we doin’ here?” she asked, and he shook his head.
“If ye will just bloody follow along, woman, ye will find out.” He opened the door, and when they stepped inside a bit further, Caitlin gasped.
Just as he hoped, everyone was there and ready, and Minister MacMillan stood in the center, wearing his robes, his hands folded reverently in front of him.
“What is this?” she asked, breathless, turning her beautiful eyes to look at him, all anger forgotten.
“It is for a Seamus. A funeral, Lass, so that he will always be remembered.”
Unexpected tears flowed instantly as Lucas spoke.
“A funeral,” she repeated. “For Seamus.”
“Aye, Lass. Just as ye said.”
His eyes were kind and warm, and it made the hollow in her chest ache to be filled. She looked away from him then and back to the group in front of her. Lottie, Sarah, Archie, Paige, and even Rachel and Mary had come.
“I daenae ken what to say,” she said aloud, and Lottie smiled.
“Ye daenae have to say anythin’. Come and stand here, Caitlin.”
She let go of Lucas’ warm and strong arm, greeting Rachel and Mary happily before she found her way to stand next to Lottie. Lucas stood next to her, and she was very grateful to him.
The minister began, and Caitlin let the tears softly fall as she listened to him speak of Seamus, and then pray. With her one hand at her side, the other lifted to her face to wipe away tears, but she froze when she felt Lucas’ hard, callused hand rub against her own. He gripped her hand with his, and surprisingly, she gripped it back.
She did not look at him, though. She feared she would not be able to without falling into his arms, to ask that he hold her steady while waves of grief, joy and love swept through her at the memory of her brother. And in that moment, she realized something.
I am nae alone. I daenae have to be. This could be me new family.
Even after yesterday, her hope had briefly lifted that Lucas might think of her as she did of him, and then after she awoke, she’d realized her foolishness. He was just a teasing man, and even though now, she could see he was a kind man, she didn’t want to care for someone who thought little of her. She tried to harden her heart against him, to fight and rail, but her heart wouldn’t budge. And the feel of his hand in hers made her grief for Seamus just a little bit lighter. There was someone who loved him as she did.
After the minister’s final prayer, he led the small group out the castle doors and away from the castle, the breeze catching his robes as he led the way.
“Where are we goin’?” Caitlin asked, Lucas, her hand now fallen from his as she tried to keep a plaid about her shoulders in the breeze.
“Ye certainly daenae neglect to ask questions, Sunshine,” he said. “Ye will see.”
She said nothing else, this time not chastising him for the sudden nickname he’d given her. It warmed her heart, made her feel like she was something special. They walked in silence then for a few minutes, until the minister stopped, standing by a stone that stood in the last section of grass before long slope to the gravel and sand beach.
“And here we consider Seamus MacLennan to be laid to rest. It is the place where others may visit him to pay their respects and to pray. The Lord holds him in His hands now.”
Caitlin pushed through the small crowd to stand at the large stone, pressed down into the earth. She lifted her eyes to the sea, watching the blurred gray with all its primed passion and violence. The sea held her brother, but now she would have a place to come to him, to talk, to unburden her heart.
“Thank ye, Minister,” she said, turning to the young man. She held out a hand, and he clasped it.
“Ye are most welcome, Miss MacLennan. I am very sorry for the loss of yer brother. He was a good and kind man, and he gave Laird McDougall more comfort than he kenned.”
“Thank ye.” Caitlin offered the man a weak smile before he moved on, and slowly the others came to her to pay their respects.
Even Paige clasped her hand briefly and said, “Seamus was always kind to me,” with her eyes cast down.
“Thank ye, Paige.” Then, Rachel and Mary came, coming to hug her, and when she released them, she sighed.
“It is so good to see ye both. I dinnae think ye would get me message in time.”
“Och, the Laird sent his own men for us, Caitlin,” Rachel said, and Caitlin looked for him in the small crowd, finding him speaking to Archie quietly, not looking at her.
“He did?” she asked. “He dinnae say.”
“It was all a great surprise, ye see,” Mary said. “We came in late last night, but we were to hide in our chamber and nae tell ye anythin’.”
Caitlin could feel the tears rising again behind her eyes. She put a hand to her heart.
“It is a very good thing he has done,” she said. “I will thank him later.”
“Aye, so ye will.” Rachel looked at him and then back to Caitlin. “Perhaps it is nae the time to say such things, as we are thinkin’ of yer brother, but I had nay idea he was such a handsome brute. Mary told me of it, and I was disappointed I dinnae get the chance to see him meself when he came.”
Caitlin put a finger to her lips. “Rachel, he will hear ye,” she said, grasping her old companion’s arm. “But ye are right. Although it matters little.”
Mary took her other arm, and together, they walked back toward the castle, following the others. She remembered her desires to speak to her friends about men and what it was like to be with one of them, but like Rachel had said, the conversation didn’t seem right when they had just ‘laid’ Seamus to rest. As they neared the castle, she turned back, only able to see a blurry view, but she knew Seamus’ stone was there.
It felt like he was there with her, and that she wouldn’t have to work so hard to keep him in her mind. He would always reside there in her mind and heart. The castle was getting busy when they returned, guests approaching through the gates and into the hall.
Lottie chuckled when she saw Caitlin’s surprised face. “We kenned ye would be surprised, Lass,” she said, stepping close to Caitlin, Mary, and Rachel. “It is all for ye and Seamus. Ye must enjoy yerself.”
“But—” she began, stepping into the hall, amazed at the change that had taken hold of it while she had been away at the ceremony. “It is incredible, magnificent. Ye dinnae have to go to such trouble, Lottie. Ye daenae even ken me well yet.”
“Yet is the right word to use, dear Lass. Go, young girls, and get yerselves some refreshment. I will take care of our Guest of Honor,” she said cheerfully to Rachel and Mary who looked at one another and then scurried away to the tables high with food and drink.
“Lottie, really—” Caitlin was cut off again, and Lottie patted her hand as it grabbed Lottie’s arm.
“Please, ye must allow us to treat ye well, especially after all ye have been through. And I ken what a help ye have been to Sarah. Nor must ye think I have nae noticed how the servants rush to dae yer biddin’ because ye offer them a kind word instead of a gruff one, like me grandson.” Lottie’s eyes sparkled as she sought out Lucas. “It was all his idea, ye ken.”
“Nay, I dinnae ken. He thought of this?”
“Aye. Of course, there was goin’ to be a feast, always that, but he asked if we could make the focus that of Seamus, that we could also have a ceremony, give ye a place to commune with yer brother whenever ye wished.”
Caitlin felt a tear slide down her cheek, but she smiled. After the loss of her parents, she had never really experienced such kindness and love aside from Seamus. This was thoughtfulness, true, endearing thoughtfulness.
“It was very kind of him. I dinnae expect it, I can assure ye.” Her eyes sought him in the crowd, and faintly, she could hear music starting up.
“He has his moments.” Lottie winked. “Now, ye promised me that ye would dance and that Lucas would teach ye.” She waved to him, and Caitlin stepped back, her heart beating wildly.
“I dinnae think that I promised ye,” she said when Lucas appeared before her, looking as grim as he did the very first day.