Chapter 32

They spent every waking moment with each other until her parents arrived. Arran took her to his favorite spot on the riverbank. It had always been a peaceful place for him growing up.

Tall grass swayed gently in the breeze, and the tips brushed against large boulders scattered along the water's edge. Scarlett had climbed the tallest one and lain back to admire the clouds through the trees. Her body was relaxed and graceful on the rough, gray stone. The sunlight danced through the leaves, casting dappled shadows that moved in rhythm with the gentle current of the bubbling river.

Arran had absentmindedly plucked a piece of grass and broke it apart, casting the shards into the water. Each time he caught a glimpse of her, she was in her element, and seeing her delicately hanging hand break the surface of the water stirred something inside him. Her eyes reflected the blue sky, her short blonde hair spread out across the round boulder, and the hem of her blue riding dress fluttered slightly in the breeze, hinting at the slim frame beneath.

She was at peace. A vision of beauty.

Arran picked a wildflower bud from the stem and laid it in the river, upstream of her lazy hand.

If this hits her hand…

Not able to sort out what he'd do if it did touch her hand, he launched it anyway. Alas, the river bucked it around before it ultimately was pulled under before it reached her, and he breathed a soft sigh of relief, though he couldn't quite pinpoint why he felt that way.

Scarlett leaned up on her elbows and shielded her eyes with one hand. "Where to next?"

Arran smirked and walked over to her. She returned his smile and took the hand he offered to help her down safely.

"The kirkyard," he said, and then they walked hand-in-hand back to the horses.

They raced across the lands and over to the kirkyard. It was nestled among the old oak trees, whose gnarled branches reaching skyward, as if they were its keep.

Moss-covered headstones stood sentinel over the quiet graves, each one bearing witness to the passing years. Shielded in the valley of the Patch Hills, the entire sanctuary was silent.

Arran led Scarlett through the winding paths, and the crunch of gravel beneath their feet was the only sound for miles. "These are me parents."

He stopped before a pair of newer tombstones and softened his gaze before addressing her further. His voice had been tinged with sadness and affection.

"I can give ye privacy," she offered and made to walk away, but he held her hand, and she joined him in kneeling before his parents' graves.

"This is she, Maither. Scarlett Paton of Clan O'Neill," Arran said softly and looked at the stone standing in front of Scarlett. "Faither," he uttered and held up a flask to toast them.

Wow, she took that whole sip without even flinching. She's stunning, truly.

Scarlett stayed by his side as he spoke with his parents.

"As ye ken, we are to be united at the end of this week, and I wish ye were here. I'm sure ye wouldnae ken that this was ruse, but since ye arenae here to interfere…" he trailed off and chuckled. "Niamh is doing well and misses ye both dearly. I'm sure she's out here more than me. For that, I'm sorry. I'll do better. I'm trying to save the clan from financial ruin…"

Scarlett took another swig from the flask and handed it back to him, and he took another swig as well.

"—I miss ye both," he finished and reached out to touch the stones.

As he pushed himself to his feet, Scarlett also reached out and touched the stones.

"It's very nice to meet both of ye. I'm so exquisitely honored," she spoke softly.

Arran watched as a wild breeze ruffled her hair. She reached into a hidden pocket in her riding dress and pulled out four flower blooms that she must have picked from the riverbank. With a tender smile, she placed two flowers on each grave, her gesture a silent tribute to the love that still lingered in the air.

Wow…

Arran was in awe.

Scarlett shifted her legs and reached up to catch his hand, and he helped her up and pulled her into his arms.

"Thank ye, lass," he whispered in her hair.

"I have to make a good impression," she said confidently, which made him laugh.

"Alright, I've brought ye to me favorite places. Was there anywhere that I pointed out to ye on me lands that ye would like to see again?"

"I'd like to go into town and see what's down there."

Thinking about the last time Niamh and Lily went into town with Felix, Arran was hesitant to agree without first going back to the castle and inviting them all to go with them.

Strength in numbers.

* * *

Scarlett raced upstairs to Niamh and Lily's rooms to get them to come with her to town and was successful in this effort because she was the bride-to-be. Otherwise, they probably would have turned her down.

Felix and Arran knocked on Lily's door a few minutes later, and the group set off for town.

"Is there something ye are specifically looking for, lass?" Felix asked, his head on a swivel.

"Nay, I just havenae been down here yet, and I figured that I should before the ceremony. Cannae very well be Lady McLaren without visiting the town."

"Sure," Felix scoffed and rolled his eyes, but Lily looped her arm through Scarlett's and Niamh's, and the three walked arm-in-arm ahead of the men.

Scarlett could hear Arran and Felix softly bickering behind them but let her friends lead her away.

"Will ye exchange gifts or anything during the ceremony?" Lily asked as they came upon the metal smith.

Scarlett shrugged. "I dinnae have anything to trade, but me maither is bringing our family jewels."

"Our faither broke tradition and presented our maither with a luckenbooth," Lily said.

Niamh swooned. "Gosh, how romantic! Our faither and maither traded rings, but they were both family heirlooms," she said and looked at Scarlett.

"Me parents didnae exchange jewelry for their handfasting," Scarlett admitted and continued walking past the smithies. "They exchanged oath stones."

"Ye are joking? Like the one me braither gave ye on the night he announced yer engagement?" Niamh asked excitedly, and Lily squeezed Scarlett's arm with equal excitement.

"Aye, the very same?—"

The two women squealed with glee.

"Do ye think he kenned that tradition?" Lily asked.

"I didnae ask." Scarlett shrugged.

Niamh turned the group around to wait for Arran and Felix to catch up. "Braither! Quick!"

Both men closed the distance between them, which pleased Niamh.

"Braither, did ye ken that the Patons exchanged oath stones during their handfasting?"

Arran smirked and ran a hand through his hair. "Aye, I kenned that. It's why I gifted an oath stone to Scarlett."

"I kenned that well enough, did I nae?" Niamh boasted, and Scarlett giggled.

How did he already ken that about me parents? Did me faither tell him about that?

Her raised eyebrow failed to coax a further explanation from him, and she felt the sudden urge to gift him an oath stone in response.

Unfortunately, oath stones took months to make, and she kicked herself for not remembering to ask her mother about it before this moment.

If this is all a ruse, then why did he gift me that oath stone? It could have been less… personal, right?

"Ye ken… our faither also gifted Sorcha to me maither for their handfasting, and I just have to let ye ken that ye'll find yerself disappointed if ye think I'll be able to find ye a mare like that in time for our handfasting." Arran smirked.

Scarlett let out an exaggerated sigh. "Freya will be here anyway, I dinnae need another mare."

She made to walk away from him, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his chest.

"Lass," he murmured quietly, and she was acutely aware that their friends' eyes were on them.

"Aye?" she asked.

"Gifts dinnae mean that I dinnae have love for ye," he whispered so only she could hear.

"Well, ye dinnae exactly have love for me anyway," she corrected softly.

Their faces drew closer together as they pretended to be whispering sweet nothings to each other.

"Ye're wrong. Of course, I have love for ye. We'll be handfasted by this time tomorrow," he countered as the church bells rang, indicating supper would be served soon and that they should get back to the castle to greet her parents.

"It's a ruse of love, got it," she quipped and tilted her chin up.

He kissed it softly before she was pulled out of his embrace by Niamh.

"Enough! Ye make me sick!" she teased and led Scarlett away.