Epilogue

EPILOGUE

O ne week later…

The weather was unkind, as it often was in the Highlands in early spring, with plenty of freezing rain and biting winds. However, there was the occasional outburst of golden sunshine that lit up the mountains and moorlands like a promise of something brighter to come.

At such times, the views would become breathtaking, and the small party of travelers comprising Liam, Ivy, Magnus, and Effie would pause in their journey, to admire the first blossoming of the golden gorse and purple heather on the moors, which lay spread out around them like a giant quilt.

On the afternoon of the third day, the towers of Castle Lennox came into view above the canopy of the surrounding forest.

“That’s it!” Liam announced with a big grin on his face. “That’s me home. I can hardly wait tae see them all, especially Tadhg.”

Ivy laughed to see his handsome features lit up by happiness. “He’ll be thrilled tae see ye too, I’m sure,” she told him. “I’m so excited about meetin’ him, and everybody else, of course.”

“Aye, I feel like I ken some of them already, and we havenae even met yet!” Effie put in.

“Effie loves meetin’ new folks,” her husband supplied with a chuckle.

“Well, with the job I dae, ye havetae like people. I’m most interested to meet Alana, though, her bein’ a healer as well. A healer is always learnin’, and I’m hopin’ we’ll be able tae help each other learn some new things.”

“I’ve nae doubt she’ll be thrilled tae meet ye, Effie. Honestly, Maddison and Alana are two of the nicest lassies ye could ever hope tae meet,” Liam told them cheerily.

“But what about Odhrán? He sounds a wee bit scary,” Ivy looked at him, having heard the story of how Odhrán had been forced to kill his own evil father but had then found happiness with the woman who had been his father’s prisoner, Maddison Kincaid. Ivy hoped she and Liam would be as happy as those two were according to Liam.

“Aye, he can be very forbiddin’ when he wants tae be, but he’s a grand lad and a good laird too. He’s brought peace tae his lands, which is why he agreed tae let me go and help Knox out fer a while.” He looked over and smiled at Ivy. “If nae fer Odhrán, I wouldnae have met ye.”

“I’ll be sure tae thank him fer that,” she said, blowing him a kiss.

They rode through the forest on a winding road and after about half an hour or so, came to the gatehouse. They halted outside the closed gates.

Ivy noticed Liam frowning. “Why have they nae opened the gates?” he asked aloud. As though in answer to his question, a helmeted head appeared at the battlements above them. A voice called down. “Hey, down there, strangers, identify yersel’s or yer nae comin’ in!”

Liam stared up at the man, while Ivy was sure she could hear the sound of stifled laughter coming from behind the gate. “Give over with yer games, Tam Littlewood, and let us in,” Liam yelled up.

“What? Who are ye? Ye at the front there, ye look like a right rapscallion. Ye’re nae comin’ in, nor yer friend neither. The ladies are welcome though,” the man shouted back.

Ivy was sure now that she could hear men chortling behind the giant wooden gates and began to laugh. Liam shot her an aggrieved look. “Dinnae encourage them,” he said before bursting into a grin.

“If the lot of ye fancy keepin’ the night watch fer the next month, then ye’re goin’ the right way about it,” he yelled up.

“Open the gates, ye silly buggers!” came a deep, commanding voice from behind the gate. “That’s me braither out here, and I’ve already waited too long tae see him.”

“Tadhg!” Liam shouted, his face a picture of delight as he rode up closer to the gates as they began to slowly creak open. Ivy watched curiously as a dark-haired man who closely resembled Liam came striding out.

“Braither!” he shouted joyfully. “I’m right glad tae see ye back!”

Liam slid from his saddle, and the two men laughingly feigned a few affectionate punches at each other before gripping each other in a bone-cracking bear hug. A flurry of back slapping and good-natured ribbing followed. The sight of the two brothers being reunited pierced Ivy’s heart with warmth, for she knew how much Liam had missed Tadhg. Clearly, his brother felt the same.

Finally, Tadhg smiled at them all and said, “Welcome tae Castle Lennox. Let’s get ye all safe inside, and then we can make some proper introductions. Everyone’s dyin’ tae meet ye all.”

Liam took the reins from Ivy’s hands, then signaled to Magnus and Effie to follow as he led her and his own horse through the gates after Tadgh. Ivy looked around her at the large, well-kept cobbled courtyard and the high walls surrounding them. A huge stone castle keep rose up before them, gray and forbidding.

Ivy, Magnus, and Effie dismounted wearily and handed their mounts over to grooms to be tended to after their long journey. They all looked around as the keep doors suddenly swung wide open with a bang, and a huge, muscular man in his early thirties clad in a fine blue coat, leather trews, and knee boots came striding out.

“Liam, me friend, so ye’re back at last!” he shouted as he made a beeline for them.

“Odhrán, ’tis good tae be back, me friend!” Liam exclaimed with obvious pleasure, going to meet him. As the man drew closer, Ivy could see that though he looked fearsome and bore some battle scars on his cheeks and forehead, he was actually very good-looking. He was almost boyishly handsome, with long, straight dark hair, and large gray eyes. His wide grin lit up his face.

So, this is Odhrán, Laird Lennox, is it? The man responsible fer me happiness, Ivy thought, warming to him instantly.

There was more backslapping and bear-hugging as the two friends greeted each other heartily. “Och, me and Tadhg are awful glad tae have ye back, and with such good news too, it seems. It sounds like things turned out all right fer Knox in the end, eh?” Odhrán said when the two men parted.

“Aye, it didnae exactly go smoothly, but we managed tae get his peace in the end,” Liam told him.

“Thank the Wee Man ye’re back in one piece. That MacAlister and his sidekick were a bad lot, I hear. Ye did a good job riddin’ the world of that scum,” Odhrán said, clapping him on the back.

The young laird then turned his searching grey eyes on his other guests, his smile encompassing them all. “And who have we here?” he asked. “This must be Magnus,” he said, shaking hands in greeting. “’Tis good tae meet ye, Magnus. Welcome tae me home. Ye’re very welcome. Any friend of Liam and Knox’s is a friend of mine.”

Next, he looked at Effie, and Ivy had to smile to see the way the healer’s blue eyes sparkled when he smiled at her and bowed gallantly, kissing her hand. “And this must be Effie. How d’ye dae, Effie, I’m very pleased tae have ye and Magnus visit me and me wife in our humble home. We’ll dae our very best tae make yer stay comfortable.”

Lastly, he went to Ivy, and she too found her cheeks growing a little warm when his eyes came to rest upon her and twinkled. “So, by a process of elimination, I ken I must have the pleasure of meetin’ Lady Ivy.” He bowed and kissed her hand like the finest royal courtier. “I trust we’ll be gettin’ tae ken each other a lot better very soon, Lady Ivy, now this ruffian has somehow talked ye intae marryin’ him.” He jerked his chin at Liam, who, along with the others, burst out laughing. “Are ye sure ye ken what ye’re lettin’ yerself in fer?”

“Well, he’s nae too bad, and somebody hastae look after him,” Ivy replied, eliciting more laughter. “I’m charmed tae meet ye, melaird, and very happy tae be here.”

“Dinnae stand on ceremony here, Ivy. ’Tis Odhrán tae ye, lass,” he told her.

“And ye call yersel’ me friend,” Liam pretended to complain, shooting Odhrán a dark glance before breaking into smiles once more.

While all this was going on, Tadhg had been following on Odhrán’s heels, introducing himself to Magnus and Effie. By the time stood before Ivy, her stomach was trying itself in knots with nervous excitement to meet Liam’s brother at last. She found herself desperately wanting his approval.

When their eyes met, it was quite a shock. Tadhg was so like Liam in appearance, though he was just a little taller, they could almost have been twins. His smile was warm but just a hint more guarded than his brother’s. Liam had told her that Tadhg was the more serious of the two of them. Nevertheless, she could not help smiling back at him.

“Lady Ivy, I’m Tadhg, Liam’s braither, and I’m delighted tae make yer acquaintance at last.” He bowed and kissed her hand. When he straightened up, he continued, “I feel I already ken ye, I’ve heard so much about ye. This lovesick idiot’s been writin’ tae me, singin’ yer praises. I must say, this time, he’s nae exaggeratin’.”

“Why, thank ye, Tadhg, I’ve heard a lot of things about ye too,” she replied, charmed by him.

He looked over at his brother with a scowl and demanded, “What have ye been tellin’ her about me, ye wee bastard?”

She was startled for a moment, until Liam let out a loud guffaw. “All the bad things, Braither.”

Tadgh nodded. “I thought as much. I’ll deal with ye later,” he pretended to threaten his brother, who appeared to find it all very amusing.

Tadhg turned back to Ivy, his smile restored. “Dinnae pay any mind tae what he says, Ivy. ’Tis lies, lies, and damned lies. I’m the civilized one out of the pair of us. But I must say, I’m as puzzled as Odhrán. Just how the hell did me wee braither manage tae persuade such a bonny lass as yersel’, a laird’s daughter nae less, tae wed him?”

“Witchcraft probably,” Odhrán put in mischievously. “’Tis the only answer.” He looked at Ivy questioningly. “Has he been makin’ ye drink anythin’ that has a bit of a funny taste tae it Ivy?”

The others snorted with laughter at their teasing, and Ivy could not help giggling. Liam put his arm around her shoulders, a proud grin on his handsome face. “Ach, they’re just jealous. Take nae notice, Ivy,” he told her, hugging her to his side.

“Well, hold on a minute,” she said, holding up a finger. “Now I come tae think of it, I’m wonderin’ what ye’ve been putting in that mulled wine ye’ve been makin’ me drink every evening. It has a strange taste, and it always makes me feel a bit lightheaded.”

“Ah, well, I was gonnae tell ye about that,” he replied, playing along. Everyone else erupted into playful laughter as Odhrán led the happy party into the keep.

As soon as they got inside and they were divested of their dusty outer gear with the help of a small army of servants, Ivy spied two ladies rushing down a broad hallway, both of them looking very excited.

“Och, here’s the lady wives, all keen tae meet ye,” Odhrán said as the women came up to them, their faces bright and wreathed in smiles. One went immediately to his side. She was stunning, with a willowy figure, long shining dark hair, pale, flawless skin, and beautiful dark gray eyes. She turned her sweet smile on Ivy as Odhrán introduced her as his wife Maddison, Lady Lennox.

“Och, I’m so sorry we were nae here tae meet ye, Ivy,” she apologized in warm, dulcet tones, taking Ivy’s hand in hers. “I’m afraid Alana had a last-minute patient tae see, a wee baby with colic, and it held us up. But we’re here now, and we’re so excited tae meet ye. ’Tis wonderful that Liam has found happiness at last. Ye’re every bit as bonny as he said in his letters.”

“Thank ye, Lady Lennox, I’m thrilled tae be here,” Ivy replied, responding to the warm welcome, touched to discover that Liam had been writing nice things about her to his family. He had not said a word about it to her!

“Lady Lennox, indeed!” Maddison cried. “Me name’s Maddison, but most folks call me Maddy.”

The other young woman turned out to be Tadhg’s wife Alana, the castle healer. “Omigosh, Ivy, I cannae tell ye how thrilled I am that ye’re here,” said the petite beauty with the curling long dark hair and sparkling bright blue eyes. “’Tis wonderful tae think that Liam has found his love as well,” she said, adding jestingly, “though it took him long enough. That’s how we ken ye must be very special. Now, if ye wantae ken anythin’ about him, ye must come tae me. I have all the dirt.”

Ivy found the pair very entertaining, and they were obviously very close, but they immediately welcomed her and Effie as though they were old friends. By the time they all sat down to dine together that evening in the great feasting hall, she felt completely at home.

The atmosphere in the hall was merry, the air was full of music, chatter, and laughter. Ivy looked around the table and found herself surrounded by smiling faces, each belonging to a member of her new family who had welcomed her to Castle Lennox, the home of the man she adored. A warm glow filled her, a sense of belonging she had never felt before.

Liam was sitting right next to her, with his arm around her shoulders, a tankard of ale in his other hand, joining in the free-flowing conversation going on around them. She had her hand resting lightly on his thigh and was drinking rich ruby wine from a crystal glass, listening to it all with a sense of wonder. It was a far cry from family dinners back at Castle MacAlister.

With her heart overflowing with love for him, she impulsively squeezed Liam’s leg. He turned to her, his smile sweet, his eyes soft and dark. “Are ye all right, bonny lass? Ye’ve been a bit quiet these last few minutes,” he murmured, a small line of concern appearing between his dark brows. Gently, he drew her against him and kissed the tip of her nose. It was one of those small, loving gestures of his that she delighted in. It was so wonderful to be loved by Liam MacTavish!

“Aye, I just wanted tae tell ye how happy I am, Liam. Bein’ here with ye and all yer family, ’tis truly wonderful tae me. Everyone has made me feel so welcome. I’m so grateful.”

“Hey now, lass, there’s nae need fer ye tae be grateful. Once they met ye, of course, they were gonnae love ye. That stands at reason, ye bein’ so lovely yersel’.”

“That’s sweet of ye, me love, but all this laughter and warmth and friendliness, ’tis all new tae me. I’ve spent me whole life feelin’ like an outsider. Carson made sure of that. But now, sittin’ here with ye at me side, I feel like a new world is openin’ up tae me. A world where I belong, where I can be happy and be the real Ivy,” she kissed him quickly before looking him again in the eyes. “Och, Liam, fer the longest time, I never saw mesel’ as havin’ a future, let alone finding true love. But now I have this precious thing with ye, and I’m so excited about our future. Thank ye fer lovin’ me, Liam, and thank ye fer making me a part of ye family. I feel so lucky.”

“We’re the lucky ones, Ivy. And I’m the luckiest man alive, tae have ye tae love me, and fer me tae be able tae love ye back, forever.” He kissed her on the lips so sweetly that when they broke apart, they got a round of delighted applause from her new family.

But there’s more…

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