Page 93 of Duke of Storme
And there he was. Finn stood beside the chair at the table’s head, dressed in his finest morning coat, his dark hair perfectly arranged, but his eyes holding that particular mixture of nerves and determination she’d come to know so well. Beside him, Locke MacRae raised his coffee cup in a casual salute, his usual grin firmly in place.
Richard stood near the windows with his characteristic composed bearing, while Elias had claimed a position near the sideboard, both men clearly having been briefed on the morning’s significance. Her father approached with a rare smile softening his gruff features while her mother moved forward with obvious satisfaction, her posture suggesting this gathering exceeded even her exacting standards for proper celebrations.
“Good morning,mo chridhe,” Finn said softly, his voice carrying easily across the sun-drenched room.
“Good morning.” Diana felt warmth bloom in her chest at the endearment –my heart. It had become an increasingly familiar thing for him to address her in Scots Gaelic, but the poetic sound still affected her the same every time. “Finn, what is all this? Why is everyone…” She stopped, looking around the room at the assembled faces of the people she loved most. “Finn, love, what’s happening?”
Finn stepped forward, taking her hands in his. “We never had our wedding breakfast,” he said, his Scottish accent morepronounced than usual – a sure sign of deep emotion. “I left ye that morning. I won’t make the same mistake again.”
Their wedding day – that cold, formal affair that had felt more like a business transaction than a celebration of love.
“Finn,” she whispered, tears already threatening.
“I know I can’t change what happened that day,” he continued, his thumbs brushing over her knuckles. “Can’t take back the way I made ye feel unwanted, unimportant. But I thought... I hoped... we could start again. Properly this time.”
“With all the people present who matter most,” Lydia added warmly. “Well, almost all...”
“And proper Highland fare,” Locke chimed in, gesturing toward a platter of what appeared to be freshly baked oatcakes. “None of that fancy London nonsense.”
“Though we did insist on decent coffee,” Richard added dryly. “Some civilized standards must be maintained, even in Scotland.”
“Speak for yourself,” Elias added with rare humour. “I find Highland hospitality quite refreshing.”
“Well,” Lord Silas said, “it’s about time someone treated our daughter as she deserves.”
Lady Prudence moved to stand beside her husband, her voice carrying a rare note of emotion. “This is precisely what a proper celebration should be, Your Grace. You have outdone yourself.”
Diana laughed, the sound a mixture of joy and tears. “You did all this... for me?”
“Forus,” Finn corrected gently, pulling out her chair with elaborate ceremony. “For the marriage we should have celebrated the first time.”
As Diana settled into her seat, she looked around the table at the faces surrounding her. Jane sat to her right, elegant and sharp-eyed as always but with genuine warmth in her expression. Richard had taken the seat beside his wife, his usual reserve softened by obvious affection for the family he’d married into.
Lydia had claimed the seat to her left, practically glowing with the particular happiness that came from seeing her little sister loved properly. Elias sat beside Lydia with his characteristic quiet intensity, though Diana caught the small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Her parents had settled near the head of the table, Lord Silas looking remarkably comfortable for a man who usually fled domestic gatherings, while Lady Prudence surveyed the arrangements and attendees with obvious approval.
Across from them, Locke sprawled in his chair with characteristic casual grace, while Mrs. Glenwright – dearMrs. Glenwright – hovered nearby, beaming like a proud grandmother.
“I can barely believe you managed to get everyone here without me knowing,” Diana said, accepting a cup of tea from Finn’s own hands.
“It wasn’t easy,” Jane admitted with a laugh. “Richard and I had to leave London before dawn, and he thinks I’ve gone completely mad for rushing off to Scotland on such short notice for a second time, no less.”
“I merely suggested that proper planning might have prevented the pre-dawn departure,” Richard said mildly. “Though I admit, the cause was worthy of the inconvenience.”
“It is absolutely worth it,” Lydia said, reaching over to squeeze Diana’s hand. “You should see yer face right now.”
“What about Marian?” Diana asked. “Is she?—?”
“Too heavy with child for such a journey,” Lydia explained with fond exasperation. “But she sends her love and about twelve different messages that I’m supposed to relay, though I suspect I’ll forget half of them. Nicholas was quite adamant that we convey his congratulations and his threat of bodily harm should Finn ever make you the slightest bit unhappy again.”
“A threat I take seriously,” Finn said with a slight smile. “The Marquess has a reputation for keepin’ his promises. Theimportant thing,” Finn said, settling into his own chair, “is that everyone who helped make ye who ye are is here to celebrate who ye’ve become.”
Diana felt tears slip down her cheeks as the full meaning of the gesture hit her. This wasn’t just a delayed wedding breakfast – it was a powerful declaration. A public acknowledgment of what their marriage had become, surrounded by the people who’d watched her grow from a shy, uncertain girl into... well, into whoever she was now.
“I don’t know what to say,” she admitted.
“Say ye’ll forgive a fool who took far too long to realize what he had,” Finn said quietly, his gray-blue eyes intense on hers.
