“I’ll marry you, Lucas. But I want to be clear, I’m marrying you, not the laird of Clan MacGille. Not the warrior. I’m marrying you.” Ella thought deeply about what he was offering before giving her answer. She saw the anxiousness in his eyes, and wanted to put him at ease, but she had concerns of her own.

He kissed her firm on the mouth. His kiss was filled with assurance that put Ella at ease with her rapidly changing life. He somehow knew in that moment it was exactly what she needed. He still had not spoken of love. But how many marriages started with love? He was offering her safety and protection, both of which had moved higher up on her list of concerns since Edina had attacked her. Still seated in his lap, she pulled away from their embrace to look at him face on.

His hair looked like amber in the waning fire light, and his eyes were hooded and dark. Filled with an emotion she couldn’t name. With all that had passed between them and what she’d been through this night, she still couldn’t help but admire how handsome Lucas was. He was braw, Kelly would say. His health had fully recovered, and she could feel his body harden beneath her.

He took a lock of her hair in between his fingers, twirling it gently. Staring at it intensely, as if it was something he had never seen before. A shiver coursed through her, and he held her tighter, most likely confusing her desire with a chill.

“Your hair looks like fine spun gold.”

“I was just thinking yours looked like amber in the light of the fire,” she admitted, feeling the blush creep up her cheeks.

“I like it when your cheeks turn rosy,” he replied, his burr deep, causing a pleasant vibration in the center of her.

“Lucas, when will we marry?”

“I think quick. I want tae ensure you are under my protection no matter what occurs. I’m only sorry we’ll nae have time for a proper wedding, or tae get ye a proper dress,” he said.

“I don’t care about a proper dress,” she replied. Although the one she was currently wearing would not do. The caked, dried blood on the shoulder would definitely stand out. Not the memory she would like on her wedding day. “But I would like Kelly and Milly to stand with me, if you think they might?” She yawned loudly, and Lucas let out a quiet chuckle.

“Of course they will. And I’ll ask Magnus tae do th’ same for me.” He lifted her from his lap and carried her over to the bed. As he laid her down, he took her mouth into his own. This kiss was different, it was soft and giving. He didn’t part her lips and invade her with his tongue. Instead he moved from her lips and placed a feather light kiss on each of her eyelids. Her insides coiled. Would he make love to her again? She wanted to feel the weight of him next to her, but… was it possible she would not be able to keep her eyes open for very much longer?

“I will leave ye lass, though I dinnae want tae. There are arrangements that need tae be made.”

“No, Lucas, please don’t leave me,” she replied, sleepily. She tried to fight the sleep that threatened to overcome her. She wanted to kiss Lucas, touch him. She yawned again.

“Och, lass, ye are killin’ me. I dinnae want tae go. After we wed, I’ll never leave yer bed, but for tonight there will be a guard stationed at yer door, sleep well, sweet.”

The fire was still going, and the early morning light gave the bedchamber an ethereal glow. She expected any moment a fairy or other mythical creature would pop in and whisk her away. She laughed at the thought, but as a knock came to the door and Milly popped her head in, she thought her daydream wasn’t that far off.

“Good morning,” she said beckoning the girl in.

“Is it true, are ye gonna be my sister?” Milly asked. Her eyes bright with joy and expectation. Milly began to clap her hands together, in delight.

“Aye, I’m to marry Lucas and I’ll be your sister.” Ella sat up and winced at the sting in her shoulder.

“How’s that shoulder?” Kelly said, following Milly into the room. She had a handful of dresses and other items of clothing. “Are ye gonna make me carry all this myself, Milly?”

Milly laughed as she took the clothing from Kelly, allowing her to walk over to Ella and check her shoulder. “Lucas bandaged ye up too tight, lass.”

“I thought so, but I was too much in shock to do much about it last night.”

“Aye, ‘twas a rough night for all.” Ella and Kelly exchanged a meaningful look. The woman was wise beyond her years. Ella valued her friendship and her advice.

“Did Edina really attack ye in the kitchens then?” Milly asked, plopping down on the bed and crawling up to snuggle next to Ella. She was so sweet, Ella could not help but drape her free arm around the girl and think how she and Amelia would be great friends when they were able to meet. Oh, yes, Ella thought. If I’m to be Lady MacGille, I will be able to send for Amelia and get her away from Father. Gwen too. She was getting married, and to Lucas. She had been back and forth so many times on the decision, now that it was made, she was content. The realization that she would also be in a position to reunite with and help her sister made the decision even more joyous.

“Ella, did ye hear me? I asked if Edina truly attacked you with a knife?” Milly’s curiosity for information about the events in the kitchen snapped Ella back from her thoughts.

“She did, but she was not in her right mind,” she replied smiling, then looking at Kelly added, “Has Magnus said what will happen to her?”

“Aye, Lucas was up and at our door before the sun this morning. They wrote letters tae all the surroundin’ clans with who MacGille has good relations. Pending their response, the twit will probably go tae one of them as a kitchen maid. If naeone takes her, Lucas told Magnus he would send her tae Ireland tae live with the nuns. I think he should skip the neighbor clans and just send the girl away. Some time with God and the nuns would dae her good.”

“Och, living with nuns would be dreadful,” Milly said. “Let us talk of more pleasant things, Ella, I brought these dresses for ye. I ken they aren’t th’ finest but they are the best I have, and I would be happy tae give ye any tae where when ye marry Lucas this evening.”

Ella looked between the women. This evening? “Wait, what?”

“Och, ye didn’t ken?” Kelly said. “Lucas arranged for Father Johns, a priest who travels through from clan tae clan to wed ye. He was already here in th’ keep an’ agreed tae delay his travel tae the MacKenzie lands until the morrow, so he could wed ye tonight.” Ella was shocked, but also quite impressed. Lucas had said it would be quick, but never in her wildest imagination did she think he meant in less than a day.

“I didn’t know at all,” she replied sitting back against the bed linens.

“Father Johns is one of only three Catholic priests in all th’ highlands, lass, Lucas had tae act fast or it could’ve been a year before we saw him again.”

“Are ye angry with him?” Milly asked. Ella hadn’t even considered how religion would play a role. In England everyone just followed the Church of England, ministers and vicars were never hard to find. It was a good omen that Father Johns was readily available.

“No, not all. But I certainly wouldn’t have slept so late. We have so much work to do.”

“I already called for a bath tae be brought up,” Kelly said, smiling. “Mrs. Thomas is beside herself preparing for another feast, and without Edina. But she will send one of the other girls up shortly with some thin’ tae eat. We should probably get tae choosin’ a dress, ye ken.”

Ella was eternally grateful for Milly and Kelly. They spent the next few hours poring over the different dresses and fabrics. Food was brought up by a charming girl called Violet, and Ella asked her to stay and help choose the dress. Eventually a light blue dress with a high ruffled bust and oversized sleeves was chosen. Kelly thought it rich and the blue would highlight Ella’s golden hair. Milly fawned over the three dark-grey, satin buttons that lined the bodice declaring they were the reason she loved the dress so to begin with. Milly and Ella were so similar in size that not much alteration needed to be done at all. Kelly suggested adding a few, delicately embroidered flowers around the base of the skirt, only to make it more unique to Ella. And all the woman agreed it would be easy to complete before they had to head to the chapel.

Ella sank down into the luxurious warm water of the bath. At first she was shy, not wanted to relive her earlier experience allowing a clanswoman she didn’t know very well washing her hair. But the girl smiled and assured her she was nothing like Edina.

“Yer tae be the lady of the keep, it would be a great honor if ye were tae allow me tae help with your preparations,” Violet said when Ella skirted away from her reach in the tub. “I’ll be gentle, I promise.”

“Alright, but if you sink me under, there will be a very unhappy laird to deal with,” She realized her fears were unfounded, and hoped by smiling at the girl, Violet would see she felt foolish for skirting away to begin with.

Violet let out a small laugh and set to work. Milly had also managed to find a bar of soap scented with the slightest hint of rose. Ella thought it lovely, especially as Lucas had called her his English rose on more than one occasion when he was delirious with fever.

After her bath was finished Violet excused herself to go back to the kitchens and help Mrs. Thomas while Kelly and Milly both helped Ella dress. The whole day Ella had felt like a princess. After months of being on the run, and not knowing what would be her fate, after she had accepted Lucas’s proposal everything seemed to fall into place.

She spun in the dress, “Well, how do I look?”

“Och, ye look beautiful,” Kelly said, wiping a tear from her eye. “I always kent Lucas would choose well, and here ye are, absolute perfection.”

“Not quite,” Milly chimed in. Ella and Kelly both looked at her with surprise. “Ye hae nothing for yer hair, lass,” Milly said with a sigh.

Ella instinctively raised a hand to the delicate braids at the top of her head. She wasn’t interested in the traditional headwear that hid a bride from her betrothed. She wanted to go to Lucas as natural as when they first met.

“I like my hair just fine as it is, but maybe some flowers would be nice?” Milly held up a finger and darted out of the room.

“Where do you suppose she went?”

Before Ella’s question was answered, Milly came rushing back into the room holding sprigs of lavender and small, delicate white flowers with a dark center that Ella immediately recognized as Cornus Suesica, or dwarf Cornel- how Milly had them this late in the year was a mystery to Ella, but they were lovely.

“Will these work?” she asked, breathless.

“They are beautiful, Milly. Whereever did you find them? It is so late in Autumn,” Ella asked.

“Never ye mind. A little bit of magic and mystery is good for a bride on her wedding day, don’t ye think?” Ella smiled at the woman, as she began weaving the small bouquet into her hair. If only it took something as lovely as a Scottish flower to encourage Lucas to fall in love with her. But for now she would settle for friendship and protection.

Magnus knocked on the chamber door, and popped his head in. How long had he been out there? Ella wondered. Knowing that Lucas would only allow his most trusted men to stand guard.

“Och, what if we were nae decent!” Kelly shouted, whipping a wool at her husband’s head.

“I ken ye were decent ye witch,” he answered, dodging the wool, and scooping her up in a kiss hello that Ella noted quickly turned to passion. She looked away, wanting the lovers to have their moment and wondering if she and Lucas would ever be so comfortable to show their affection in public.

“Are ye birds ready then? ‘Tis time.”

Ella took a deep breath before flowing Magnus, Kelly and Milly out of the bedchamber. This was it. She smoothed the imaginary wrinkles on her dress as she struggled to gain control of her thoughts and nerves. Her marriage to Lucas may not be coming to her the way she’d imagined it, but as long as it was coming she would do her best to be a good wife, and a good lady.