Chapter 18

Pure sunlight was streaming.

A brightened burst of light illuminated the windows, sending Duncan Hall into sudden heat.

The warm suntanned the faces of the crowd as Lissie hovered nervously by the door.

From behind her, Aileen tugged her arm.

"Go on, hen. Ye cannae keep him waiting!"

Clutching a small bunch of posies, Lissie hesitated shyly. Every eye in the room was upon her. It felt like the entire world had turned out to watch her. It was all too much. Suddenly, she felt her chest compress.

"I-I cannae," she hissed, breathless.

The light and the heat swirled around. A pressing Highland sun peered down from the top of the window as if it were hunting for her.

Lissie felt the heat; it started cloying in her head and worked its way down.

"Ye can, an" ye will!" quipped Aileen from beside her. "After all, he"s come all the way from London. The least ye can manage is a few wee steps down the hall."

Smiling, her sister took her hand to usher her down the aisle. Now in her twenties, Aileen had started to unwind—a bit. But her impetuous streak lived on.

Feeling her big sister"s presence, Lissie began to relax. Aileen squeezed her hand as they began to walk together.

The hum in the crowd lifted, and suddenly, a silence fell.

Every eye fell upon her, and Lissie struggled to push through them. But her sister"s voice steered her through.

"Dinnae fash, lass. Head up, eyes forward," Aileen told her.

Lissie nodded, but in fact, did not hear her. Because suddenly, she had seen him.

Will.

There, at the head of the hall, he waited. And even from here, she could see he was a sight to behold. Pressing closer, she saw the detail on his doublet featuring rich embroidery of silk, and his long gathered sleeves of bright yellow.

The doublet was shorter than before, tucked in to accentuate his figure. There, his upper shape emerged; toned, strong, and ready to take her in the bed.

Och!

Lissie turned, embarrassed by her own thoughts. But she could not help it. Especially here, Will looked even more fulsome than she had previously thought. Perhaps it was the doublet and the hose, and the intricate embroidered edging. Or the slashed sleeves of his houppelande, which was shorter than previously seen before.

Crivvens!

The strange attire of this noble Englishman did not go unnoticed by the crowd. However, when Lissie set foot along the aisle, their attention changed. Head to toe in blue silks, her gown shone like the sea, and over her shoulder, the blue and brown clan plaid flowed to the ground.

Then, he saw her. There was a moment as his bright blue eyes connected with hers. A surge of something hot and sweet burned within her. Lissie felt herself yield. She had to touch him. She needed his hands on her...

The fiddlers struck up their tune, and suddenly, the hall was alive in an eruption of color and sound. Heart thumping, Lissie surged along, a smile forming under her nose. It seemed to take forever to traverse the great hall, but as it did, her heart rose.

Duncan Castle.

Finally, she was here at last. And better still, with Will.

Coming home had been the most joyous event of her life, with Will by her side. But it had all moved so fast. Over the last few days, she had introduced him to the Duncan castle. But the family had been away when they had arrived, and most of them had not yet met Will.

But now, as she reached the end of the hall, he was here, just waiting for her.

"You are beauteous indeed," murmured Will as she came beside him. Lissie turned and smiled at him, and in so doing, caught the sight of Fiona.

As the head of the clan, Fiona sat at the top table, waiting for them to approach. Beside her, McTavish was clinging to the lectern at the top of the hall.

Lissie hid a smile at the sight of him, his hair as shaggy as a goat, desperately trying to remain upright. Inside, she marveled at how old he might be as they surged forward.

"Lissie," hissed Will, his eyes gently searching her. He caught her with his eye, instantly making her blush.

Perhaps McTavish saw this because he looked away, making poor Lissie redden yet further. Aileen hid behind her grin.

"If we might begin!"

McTavish tapped on the lectern, and a murmur ran around the room. It didn"t exactly quieten, in fact, there were several bawdy remarks, which made McTavish even more peeved.

A smile stretching across his face, Will shook his head.

"It"s nae quite Westminster Abbey, I ken," she whispered. Although she was joking, for a moment, doubt crept in.

Was this really good enough for someone like Will? In doubt, she looked at Will.

"Dinnae fash," he quipped, teasing her with his accent. Lissie grinned. "I"m not going anywhere."

At that moment, McTavish glared at them. He had finally succeeded in subduing the room and was anxious to press on.

"An" McTavish isnae quite the archbishop o" Canterbury, but we do oor poor best!" Lissie strained, whispering in Will"s ear.

"Ladies an" gentleman," began McTavish before stopping completely for a few minutes to think on what he was to say. There was a murmur, then he coughed.

"Ladies an" gentleman, Elisabeth an" William..." McTavish looked at them before returning to his speech. "We are here to join these two people, to be bound for all time..."

Grinning, Will stroked her hand. His warm touch ignited thoughts inside her that burned and inflamed. And the last thing she needed was more heat.

"An" it remains to me, as clan elder, to join ye in matrimony with this ribbon."

Reaching out, McTavish wrapped the ribbon—in clan colors—around both of their hands. As he did, Lissie felt a warmth running through her. His arm squeezed her as they were bound, sending a tingle racing through her. Then, they were tied!

Just as Will looked bewildered, McTavish appeared with a wooden quaich.

"Now ye may drink from the loving cup," he said after pouring the liquor inside it.

Gingerly, Lissie picked it up, taking one side, and lifting it to Will"s lips, tipped the drink into him. Then he did the same, dabbing her lips and offering her a dram from the cup, which she accepted.

She dropped it with a clatter.

The quaich tumbled to the floor with a bang. All the liquor flooded out, trickling fast across the hall. Horrified, Lissie brought her hands to her mouth.

"Dinnae fash," said Will, reassuring her with his other arm.

A ripple ran through the crowd, but Lissie was too busy trying to stem the flow of drink from the cup. Looking for something to mop it with, she remembered the handkerchief.

Unfurling the handkerchief from her person, Lissie scooped up the trickling drink. She did not give it a second thought, but as she leaned over to pick it up, Will"s other hand steadied her.

Glancing at the embossed square, he took it curiously. Opening it up, he saw the initials W.I.

"This is mine?" he said uncertainly. "I did not remember you having one."

His eyes swerved to hers in surprise. Taking the now wet handkerchief, Lissie smirked.

"Ye didnae ken," she grinned as they stood together hand-bound.

There was a low murmur from the crowd, but just for the moment, neither of them noticed it. Instead, Will stared at her intently, his blue eyes gazing.

"I did not know, well, that does not matter. I do not mind you."

Puzzled, Will looked at Lissie, then gave up. Laughing, she came to him, kissing him intently on the lips. Then she shied back.

It was forward. The man was meant to kiss the bride. She had not even been asked.

A ripple of laughter ran through the crowd. But McTavish cleared his throat pointedly. Now they turned to him.

"Sorry," she murmured, wiping the grin from her mouth, but Will took her with his spare hand and kissed her deeply.

The taste of Will"s kiss lingered sweetly on her lips. She felt a wave rush through her, but still, she wavered.

Watching them, a ring grew around McTavish"s pursed lips.

"Now ye may kiss the bride," he said pointedly. Will almost laughed out loud but just managed to keep it in as, for a second time, he gave her the kiss of her life.

His kiss spiraled deep, and right then, Lissie was transformed. She was taken to another place, one of aching deep and longing. It was so intense it almost knocked her from her legs. A hot throb burst through her. Lissie looked up. This was unexpected. She had never experienced anything like this before.

"Ye gave it to me," she said, tugging at his arm. They were still bound deep, and every movement meant both of them had to turn. Lissie wondered how long they would stay like that.

She did not mind. In fact, she could get used to it.

Will looked up. His fine face was quizzical. "I gave it to you? Very well, if you say so. It matters not, I just do not recall."

"On the bridge," said Lissie, looking imploringly.

"The bridge?" said Will. He was still confused, his blank English eyes struggling to work out why. Lissie wanted to kiss the look of uncertainty from him and lead him to their bed.

But they were still at the head of the hall. And now there was cheering.

What Will next said was lost in an outbreak of yelling. Then, the fiddlers began to play, shortly followed by some pipers. It was a lot of noise, and Will looked around in surprise as the room erupted in sound. From everywhere, people were greeting them, shaking them by the hand and slapping Will on the back. Will was clearly bewildered but managed to navigate the scene with good grace.

Lissie watched him with quiet pride. For someone who had never set foot in the Highlands, he was doing alright. But amusement hit when the dancing began. Without warning, they were led into the dance, with Lissie taking the lead. She smiled when she pulled him into place as the fiddlers started the jig.

Will looked in open-eyed bewilderment as she began the dance. Leaping into the air, she tugged Will"s hand to show him what to do. It was then that Lissie noticed the ribbons had come off. Shrugging ruefully, Will unbound the last of the ties so that they could dance freely.

Laughing, Lissie took his hand, holding it tight. The ribbons may be peeling, but they were still united. Then, she demonstrated the dance, twirling and jigging in time to the music.

Gradually, Will got into the rhythm, although it must have seemed alien to him.

As they danced, he pulled her near. It was not part of the dancing, but he leaned and put his hands on her. Slowly, they kissed, to the good cheer of all about.

A strange, tingling feeling erupted all over as Lissie held Will near and kissed him back. This time slowly. She did not know how long they kissed. Just that she was burning and only wanted to be in his bed.

Eyes up at him, Will caressed her smoothly. It was in full view of everyone, but by then she didn"t care. No one did. The crowd cheered as they joined in the dance. Now the entire room had formed a circle of spontaneous motion.

They were all there—Lissie"s family, her sisters joining hands and carousing in the circle. But by then, Lissie and Will had come apart.

At the side of the hall, he sat, waiting, as she brought another dram over, as well as a small plate of something to eat. The feast had started. In fact, it might have been going for some time; Lissie could not tell. Hours seemed to have gone by without her noticing.

Taking the plate, Will poked at the clootie pudding in doubt.

Seeing his face, Lissie laughed. "Och," she said, picking up the fruity wedge and positioning it in his mouth. "It"s gusty here."

She proffered him the dumpling, leaving Will speechless and very well-fed. Lissie watched in amusement as Will chewed it down.

"Not...bad," he said thoughtfully, taking another slice. "I mean, I"ve survived haggis and your disgusting porridge with blood!"

Will pulled a face so aghast, Lissie could do nothing but laugh.

"Och, ye didnae complain about the whiskey, I seem to remember. It is braw, an" ye ken it," she said, beaming from ear to ear. She was so happy now that just about nothing could spoil it.

Except that Will was yet to meet her family.

Approaching nervously was a small red-haired boy, hovering almost entirely in his mother"s skirts. With a prickle in her tummy, Lissie knew it was finally time to introduce her family.

"Will," called Lissie, beckoning Will over. "This is my wee nephew, Angus. An" my sister..."

Will instantly went over, teasing the little boy slightly until he gave a shy grin.

"I"m pleased to meet you," said Will formally, as the little lad looked at Lissie in surprise.

Will watched his face unsurely. "Doesn"t he like me?" he asked, worried.

Lissie laughed. "He cannae understand ye, that"s all," she said, ruffling the boy"s wild ginger locks. "He"ll get used to ye. They all will!"

And they were all there. In short order, Will was introduced to Grace, Fiona, Billie, and many bairns. Lissie glanced at Will carefully to see how he was. She thought his head must surely be spinning, but he simply laughed.

Then, to her surprise, he fell into deep conversation with Billie, although it was unlikely either one of them fully understood what the other said.

Perhaps it did not matter when so much whiskey had been drunk! The fiddlers started up again, and some of the children went to dance. Watching them were the adults at the back.

Lissie leaned into Will and smiled.

"If only yer family could have been here," she said as Will grew thoughtful for a while. His big blue eyes had wandered off a while as there was a break in the dancing.

"Aye," he said with a slight smile. Then, there was noise.

One of the children, a small girl, fell and began to cry. There was a melee of confusion as Grace picked her up and comforted her.

"Och, ye"ll scare away Will!" laughed Grace as she ruffled her daughter"s blonde curls.

Smiling, Fiona came up to Will. "On behalf o" the clan, can I say ye"re doing a braw job," she said, with one eye to Lissie.

Lissie groaned.

"I didnae think anyone would take on oor Lissie," she said as Lissie pulled a face. "We have much to thank ye for!"

Will just grinned as Lissie laughed. Fiona was joking.

Probably.

Before she could decide for sure, Billie reemerged, holding a flask of whiskey. Pouring one for Will, he smiled.

"Hoo, at least ye saved oor Lissie from the clutch o" Donald the Dog slayer, h-h-howooo!" Billie nudged Will"s elbow, making a howling sound. Will grinned, but it was completely clear he didn"t have the foggiest idea of what was going on.

"Wheesht!" cut in Fiona cautiously. But she was wearing a grin, albeit carefully. Watchfully, she bobbed her, checking that Donald was not nearby. "Or I"ll tell him about the time ye invaded Edinburgh!"

Will"s face froze. Knocking him on the arm, Billie laughed. He had had quite a lot to drink at this point.

"Och, I didnae, it was just a wee misunderstanding, an" it was a vera long time ago," said Billie, setting the quaich down. Drunkenly, he attempted to refill it before making the same inept job of pouring wine for everyone else.

Lissie turned to Will. He was smiling, but she could see he was lost.

"Ye will see them," she said, stroking his thick black locks. Distracted, Will looked up.

"Yer family," she told him. "Ye should ask them over," she added. Then a thought hit her. "In fact, we can do better than that. We should decide to visit England every couple o" years."

Lissie winked, causing Will to start. "I say you are out of your tiny beautiful mind," he said, with a sudden ripping grin.

His look was devilish and sent a jolt of sweetness all around her. Shyly glancing about, Lissie smiled at Will.

"Ye ken, I dinnae think they will miss us," she said as the feasting and music abounded all around them.

In the background, Billie staggered drunkenly around, charging everyone"s glasses. Slurring, he managed to pronounce his words just clearly enough to say, "Hark! A toast. To Will an" Lissie!"

Around him, a circle of her family began chanting, shouting at the tops of their voices. But they did not see that the actual Will and Lissie were slinking very slowly into the sidelines.

Clasping his hand in hers, Lissie smiled.

"Will an" Lissie!" yelled the crowd, stamping their feet and clapping.

Laughing, Will shook his head. They had reached the door to the chamber.

"You know, I think you are right..."