Page 74 of Saved By the Cruel Highlander
“I love ye, too,” she returned, a smile breaking across her lips.
EPILOGUE
Two Weeks Later
“Iken it was only a simple handfastin’ ceremony, but it was the best one I have ever attended, and that was because of ye, Lady McAllister,” Elias said.
“Lady McAllister? Me goodness, I am Lady McAllister now, am I nae? I still cannae believe it.”
Holly and Elias stepped into the Great Hall to rapturous cheers. The ceremony had been simple, with only close friends and family present, but the party afterward included everyone who could fit into the Great Hall and the surrounding rooms.
Elias led Holly straight to the head table and stood behind it, her hand cradled in his. He wore a great kilt in the tartan of his clan. The finest wool was used to weave it specially for the occasion. He wore a cream shirt with a velvet waistcoat and doublet above. A brooch secured the tartan sash over his shoulder.
Holly wore a cream silk dress adorned with golden thread and crystals to look like precious gems. The color of the dress was vivid and brought out her eyes; the high neckline of the dress hid the quickly fading bruises. The sleeves were made of lace, and she wore a golden Luckenbooth gifted to her that morning by the Laird.
Amid the cheers, the Laird finally gave them what they wanted and kissed his wife. He wrapped his hands around her waist and bent her back to explore her mouth with his tongue and move his lips over hers. Holly laughed as she was pulled back up.
The newly married couple sat down at the head table as the drinks were brought out. Holly coughed at the sight of Laird McKinnon at the table beside them, and he waved. He had protested that the favors were even, but sitting at the table so near the front of the hall, he looked distinguished.
There was a feast. Whole roasted pigs were brought out, and accompanying them were large roasts of venison and beef. Platters of parsnips, potatoes, carrots, and beetroot joined the fray, along with bread, fruits, cheese, and enough to make one full just by looking at it all. Whisky, wine, mead, water, and fruit-suffused honey drinks were there to wash everything down, and that was before the desserts were brought out.
The Lairds of the neighboring clans took the time to approach the head table one by one to congratulate the couple.
“Congratulations,” Laird McDougall boomed, holding out his hand to shake Elias’s. “I’m honored that ye asked me to helpwith yer wee problem and me favorable seatin’ arrangement at yer celebration.”
“Aye, the McDougalls and the McAllisters have always been fierce allies, and I ken they always will be,” Elias said.
“Congratulations,” Laird McGregor said, approaching the table next, his voice thick like syrup but flowing like a breeze through the trees. He looked up and down the table, where Cole and Cassandra also sat. “Is that the lad?” he asked.
“Aye,” Elias replied.
“I heard that ye’ve given him yer name,” Laird McGregor said.
“Aye, what ye have heard is true. The lad is a McAllister from now on.”
Holly squeezed Elias’s hand under the table.
“Aye,” Laird McGregor said, looking down the table to where Cole sat with Cassandra.
“Do ye have somethin’ to say about it?” Elias asked. “‘Cause if ye do, I?—”
“Nay,” Laird McGregor said. “I’m wonderin’ who the beauty with him is. Nae his maither, then?”
“Nay,” Elias said with a chuckle. “Cassandra is our healer and a woman who’s been burned previously. I can introduce ye, but she might nae want anythin’ to do with ye or any man.”
Laird McGregor laughed. “Och, just introduce me to the lass. I’m sure me natural charm will win her over.”
Elias did just that, and Holly watched for the look on Cassandra’s face. Cassandra gave a warm but guarded smile.
Then, Elias was back, and they ate and drank together, talking to far too many people to remember. At some point in the festivities, Elias stood up and took his wife’s arm to lift her from her chair. He picked her up, much to the amusement of the gathered guests, who cheered as he carried her out the door.
“Where are we goin’?” Holly squealed.
“Ye’ll see,” he replied.
Holly had been having so much fun that she hadn’t realized how late it had gotten, and when they got to the Laird’s bedchambers, she knew exactly what would happen. Wild horses couldn’t have dragged her back to the feast at that point.
It became a flurry and a fury at that point. Holly could remember the Laird kissing her, and her tongue dueled with his as their hands ran over each other’s bodies. They tore at each other’s clothes, but Holly didn’t mind that when there were far better things to think about.
