Page 58 of Plaid Attitude
Coira ignored him, staring up into Doughall’s beautiful blue eyes. “I loveye, Doughall, and beingyerwife is being different than just beingawife.”
His tongue darted across his lower lip, and he seemed oblivious to their audience. “Does that mean ye’re reconsidering my proposal?”
She grinned.
“Doughall Moray, would ye do me the honor of becoming my husband?”
As the cheering from her family grew—including a few weak ones from the bed—Doughall’s expression melted into a spine-tingling smile.
“Lady Oliphant,” he murmured, bending toward her, “I thought ye’d never ask.”
Chapter 11
The Oliphants hadmuch to celebrate, and Doughall was grateful to his new brothers-in-law for helping to keep the clan—well, ‘twas impossible to keepallthe Oliphants from their good-natured brawls, especially with this much ale flowing, but at least fewer heads had to be bashed.
The whisky was plentiful, the pipers—led by Robena—were loud, and laughter rang from every corner of the great hall.
Because the future of the Oliphants was now secured.
“Ye certain ye’re up for it?” asked Brodie, from where he watched the revelry with folded arms. When Doughall raised a brow at him, the dark man shrugged. “Being married to an Oliphant sister isnae the easiest thing in the world.”
Doughall’s smile slowly curled as he raised his mug. “Aye, but ‘tis the most satisfying.”
Brodie’s smile was rare, but now it flashed. “Ye’ve been married only a few hours. Ye have nae idea how satisfying it can be.”
Suddenly, an arm was thrown across Doughall’s shoulder and he staggered under Kester’s weight. “Thank fook that’s over,” he slurred.
Grinning, Doughall knocked his mug against the drunken man’s. “The wedding? ‘Twas nae so horrible.”
“Nay, the heir thing. Now the auld man’s finally seen how capable yer new wife is, the rest of us dinnae have to worry about being saddled with the responsibility.”
Brodie snorted. “He’s just tired of having to pull out during sex.”
“Aye, that too!” Kester declared. “Dammit, I want ason!”
The trio were joined by Ramsay, who held his young son atop his shoulders. “A daughter would be just as nice.”
Doughall raised his mug in acknowledgement. “Yer heart will never recover from a daughter, take it from me.”
“Speaking of which,” Brodie interrupted, “Any word from Barclay?”
The reminder sobered Doughall just a bit. “He sent word that they’d reached Scone, and Craig had been through all the trials and was settling in with the rest of the Hunters.” He took a deep breath and held it. “He also said the King would hear the case against Edgar sometime in the next fortnight. I’m grateful to him for taking responsibility.” And grateful that by doing so, Barclay had saved Doughall from committing a sin against the man who’d hurt his daughter. “I hope the King will be fair.”
“He will be,” Ramsay said quietly. “I’ve served with Barclay afore. He pretends to be a charmer without a thought in his head, but he’s a brave fighter and a skilled negotiator. He’ll convince His Majesty of the truth, dinnae doubt that.”
Brodie was nodding. “Aye, Kenneth says the same. I’ve never fought beside Barclay, but Kenneth says the man’s the kind ye want at yer side when metal meets meat.”
Their assurances lightened the heavy weight on Doughall’s heart. Although he knew he wouldn’t truly breathe easily until Edgar was duly punished, he hoped this information would rest his mind a bit.
His and Coira’s.
She’d wanted to be married right away, but he’d resisted. He’d wanted the clan to know their laird had chosen Coira as his heir because of her skills.Hers alone. He didn’t want them to think she’d been chosen merely because she was marrying the Commander.
Some of his men had grumbled and saidDoughallshould’ve been chosen as the next leader of the clan, but he’d laughed at the idea, slapped their backs, and asked if they could imagine him sitting at a desk in the laird’s solar, mediating petty disputes, overseeing planting schedules, answering correspondence, and a million other things Coira had been doing for years.
When they agreed ‘twas unlikely, he gave them all extra guard duty, and they’d laughingly accepted.
Coira knew ‘twould not be easy, a woman leading a clan. But the Oliphants were behind her, andtheyknew how capable she was…and that ‘twas all that mattered.
