Page 57 of A Bridge Through Time
Cailin grinned. “Aye. She did.”
“Then will the two of ye come and stand before me?”
Cailin helped Ashley to her feet and she stared at him, suddenly confused. He smiled his reassurance and escorted her to where Robert stood.
“Please face one another and Ashley, put yer hands in Cailin’s if ye will, lass.”
She did as he asked and Robert took a length of ribbon from Irene and used it to bind their hands together.
“As the Lord of Breaghacraig, and the MacKenzie clan, it is my honor to pronounce that ye Cailin and ye Ashley have been hand fasted for a year and a day. He reached out and clapped Cailin on the shoulder, and then kissed Ashley’s cheek, which was damp with tears. “Oh, and welcome to the clan, Ashley, me dear,” Robert added with a delighted smile.
The others offered their congratulations one after the other. Irene and Lena were barely able to speak because they were so overwhelmed, but they threw their arms around the happy couple and managed to convey their congratulations with delighted hugs. Through her tears, Irene finally spoke. “Ma would be so proud of ye, Cailin. Ye have chosen well.” She kissed her brother’s cheek and then turned to Ashley. “We will plan a beautiful wedding, for when the men return. We will use the time while they are gone to get everything ready.”
Ashley couldn’t remember a happier time in her life. Who knew she’d find all the happiness she’d ever wanted in sixteenth century Scotland? Looking at all the happy faces surrounding her, Ashley realized she’d also found a family she could love, and in return be loved by them.
***
Watching the scene unfolding below him, Thomas lay on his belly at the top of the bluff and sneered. “Enjoy your time together, for now. Soon you’ll be mine, woman.”
“We could take them now, sir,” suggested Roger, the very large man who was lying next to Thomas.
“And ruin this happy moment? I think not, Roger. We’ll wait for our opportunity. I want the girl, and Sir Richard wants Irene. Cailin will suffer endlessly, knowing that I have her, and what I’ll be doing to her. There won’t be a thing he can do to stop it.” He laughed coldly. “When I’m done with her, he’ll never want her again.”
“If I might be so bold, sir, why do you hate Cailin MacBayne so much?” Roger asked, wiping his heavily sweating brow with a handkerchief.
“My wife killed herself because of that bastard. She did not want a marriage to me. She wanted MacBayne.” Thomas spat out the words bitterly. “Laird Scott wanted his daughter to be happy, so he tried to arrange a marriage through the MacKenzie’s at first, but when that didn’t work out, he did what suited him. Being a border laird, he wanted an alliance with the English, specifically with Sir Richard. It was agreed by all parties that a marriage to me would provide the alliance he required. I was very happy to marry Elise, she was a beauty, but she looked at me from the beginning with utter disgust. The foolish girl thought she was in love with MacBayne and it ruined everything! He was in her every thought and she refused to let me touch her. As her husband, I was entitled to take her to my bed, but she fought me tooth and nail. She hated me for taking what was rightfully mine, accused me of raping her! How can a man be accused of raping his own wife? Rather than endure a lifetime with me, Elise chose to end her own life.” Thomas narrowed his eyes, his rage apparent from his clenched fists. “So you see,Roger, Cailin MacBayne deprived me of my wife – and I intend to deprive him of his.”
THIRTY
As they lay in bed together that night, their arms and legs entwined, Ashley mused over her delight at having finally found her perfect match.
“Cailin?”
“Aye, love,” Cailin murmured, running his fingers languidly through her hair.
“I know we haven’t spoken about the fight with Sir Richard, but I’m afraid,” Ashley admitted quietly.
Cailin lifted his head to gaze down at her. “What are ye afraid of, love?”
A single tear ran down Ashley’s cheek and onto Cailin’s chest. “I love you so much and I’m so happy, but I’m afraid something might happen to take all that away.”
“Dinnae fash, love. I mean to return to ye, as quickly as I am able.” Cailin lifted her chin and gazed into her tear-filled eyes, his expression serious. “Richard willnae win this. We are well trained, well-armed and he doesnae know we’re coming,” he reassured her, brushing the tears away from her cheeks. “Idinnae like to see ye this way, mo chuisle. I dinnae wish to leave ye, but I must. Richard will be defeated and then there willnae be any more worries for either of us.”
Ashley nodded sadly. “I understand.” And she did, but she couldn’t rid herself of the nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen. It had been plaguing her for days. The biggest problem was, that she simply wasn’t used to these sorts of circumstances. Now she understood and sympathized with women from her time, whose husbands and boyfriends were deployed to a war zone. She’d never really had to think about it before, but now she was getting ready to send her own man off to battle and it was the most frightening thing she had ever experienced.
Despite Cailin’s reassurances, Ashley wasn’t thoroughly convinced, so he took her mind off the subject, in the only way he knew how. Ashley was more than happy to let him and for a few glorious hours, she embraced her future husband and pushed her worries to one side.
***
The morning came much too quickly for Ashley’s liking, and she stretched and opened her eyes to find Cailin was already up and gone. He’d explained the night before that he would be busy all day, preparing for their departure. There was much to do and Ashley probably wouldn’t see him again until the evening meal.
Helene knocked on her door and entered. “Good morn to ye, m’lady.”
“Good morning, Helene.” Ashley had tried her best to get Helene to stop calling her ‘m’lady’, but old habits die hard, so she’d eventually given up.
As Helene helped Ashley to dress and braid her hair, they both talked about their fears.
“Are you worried, Helene?” Ashley questioned.
