Page 97 of Hard-Hearted Highlander
“I donna care, Bernadette,” he said, lifting his head. He dipped down to her eye level. “Do you hear me, then? Do you understand me? Idonna care.I mean what I say—you have given me my life back, and for that, God as my witness, I will give you all that I have.” He pulled her into his body, his arms around her, and he kissed her.
How had her fate brought her to the Highlands of Scotland? How had she discovered the happiness she was certain would elude her all the rest of her days? It was madness, it was magical, it was unbelievable, but Bernadette was a believer.
“Uncle Rabbie,no,donna do it!” Fiona cried from somewhere near by. “It’s wretched!”
Rabbie and Bernadette broke the kiss and looked at Fiona. Bernadette laughed. Fiona ran forward, wrapping her arms around Rabbie and Bernadette’s legs. Ualan didn’t follow straightaway.
“Och,what do you stand there for, lad?” Rabbie said, and gestured for him to come.
Ualan smiled sheepishly and ran to join the hug.
EPILOGUE
ITISANearly spring day, and they are gathered in the fields nearBalhaire, Seona and her sister, her’s sister’s wee bairns, Seona’s mother,too. Catriona has come down, as have Vivienne and Marcas and their brood.They have a basket of bread and fruit, and the dogs that have followed themlie about, panting, their snouts sniffing the air.
The wee baby, Seona’s niece, is eightmonths old, and when Rabbie makes faces at her, she puts her fists to herknees and laughs. Her brother is almost two, and he walks about on chubbylegs, bending over to pull wildflowers that he then drops on the heads ofthe dogs. None of the dogs pay him any heed.
Rabbie picks up his youngest nephew andholds him high overhead, telling him he’s a bird, then jogs about with thelad overhead. Seona’s nephew begs for a turn, and Rabbie lifts him up,kisses his cheek, then holds him high overhead. He laughs gleefully asRabbie jogs around with him, flying like a bird.
When he puts the lad down, Seona says“You’ll make a good father one day, Rabbie Mackenzie.”
He hopes that is true. He falls to theground beside Seona. “One day,” he says, and kisses her. “When I return fromNorway, aye?” he asks, and smiles.
“You’re a bold one,” Seona says, andlaughingly pushes him away. “I donna know what I’ll think when you comeback. Perhaps I’ll have found another lad to amuse me.”
He growls and kisses her again. “Promiseme you’ll be here when I return,” he says, and takes her hand. “Donna agreeto marry Gordon.”
Seona laughs. “If I canna marry you, I’llmarry no one, Rabbie.”
It is the last day Rabbie will lay eyes onSeona MacBee.
* * *
RABBIEANDBERNADETTEmarried within a fortnight of that day. There wasn’t a Mackenzie amongthem who thought they ought to wait, given all that had gone before. LadyMackenzie was concerned that Bernadette’s family was not present, but after aprivate meeting with Bernadette, she agreed to it. She understood better thananyone, Rabbie supposed, given her history with her late father. Bernadettewould write to her sister, but she planned never to return to England.
The year that followed their wedding passed within a blink ofan eye. It astounded Rabbie how, for two years prior, every day had passed withexcruciating tedium. But now, it seemed that he was scarcely out of bed beforethe day had passed and it was time to retire again.
He was indescribably happy.
Today was Bernadette’s birthday, and Rabbie had made her sit atthe dining table at Arrandale with a scarf tied around her eyes. She put herhand out, searching the space around her, afraid that a child or something waslurking nearby to frighten her.
A dog startled her with a cold snout to her palm. They hadthree dogs now, all of them quite useless for anything other than lying indoorways and in everyone’s path.
Bernadette scratched this dog behind the ears. “Woolly,” shesaid, recognizing the dog. “You’re not to be here.”
“Donna look,Mamma!” Fiona cried.She was standing across the table from Bernadette. She’d begun to callBernadette Mamma almost immediately. Ualan still called her by her given name,and Isobel, who had been no more than three years when she was found abandonedon the steps of the kirk at Balhaire, called her Mamma as well.
“I’mnotlooking,” Bernadette said,and tipped her head back pretending to try and see.
Rabbie put his hands on his shoulders and leaned down. “Donnalook,leannan,or I’llhave your hide,” he whispered.
“Will the torture never end? I can’t wait another moment!”
“Shall I remove her blind?” Rabbie asked their brood.
“Yes!” they cried in unison.
He untied the blind and pulled the silk away from Bernadette’sface. She blinked, then looked down. There, on a silver platter, was the newpair of boots he’d had made for her. She gasped with delight, her face lightingwith her smile. “They’re my size!”
