Page 73 of The Plight of a Scottish Lass
He leaned against the table in the center while she finished. “Can I help at all?”
“Nay. All is well.” She smiled at him and stood on tiptoes to give him a quick kiss, one he deepened, his tongue mating with hers briefly before she ended the kiss.
“You are such a good mother, Tamsin. You impress me with your patience every day.”
“Many thanks. I hope to undo any damage done by that evil woman.” She finished and set her linen cloth down to dry, then fell into his arms. “Thane, I’ve never been happier than I am at your home. My thanks for making us feel so welcome. I’m sorry I cannot go as quickly as you like in our relationship, but—”
He set a finger against her lips. “I am more than happy with our relationship the way it is. I swore never to allow a woman in my home, if you recall, so I’ve come a long way.”
“And I swore to never marry again. And if I had the chance, I’d have told my sister Meg never to marry. Now I feel differently. I hope to find my way back to her someday.” If she only had some idea exactly where they had lived, but she didn’t. She’d never paid attention to such details since they rarely left their property.
“I’ll help you when you are ready.”
“I don’t even know what isle we lived on, Thane. It will be quite a challenge. But I thank you for your patience, especially with our relations. I am quite naïve.”
“I’m in no hurry. I’d prefer to take our time to make sure we are right for each other. We both had difficult times in our past. It’s important we get past those times before we commit. That’s my belief. I’ll not rush you, lass.”
She rested her head against his shoulder and said, “I agree.” He rubbed slow circles across her back as he folded his arms around her.
She whispered, “But I do believe I’m falling in love with you, Thane. You’ve shown me a world I didn’t know existed.”
He kissed her forehead and said, “I love you too, lass. You’ve brought me happiness I’ve never known.” He cupped her cheeks and kissed her.
“One step at a time.”
***
Thane bolted up in bed, nearly letting out a bellow, but stopping himself just before his mouth opened. He’d had the same nightmare again. His father pushing him toward his brother and telling him to go across to the forest.
He wiped the sweat from his face and closed his eyes, forcing himself to picture the woman in his dream. He needed to see her face so badly that he’d hoped to have this dream every night.
With the discovery of Dagga and her litany of lies had come another realization. Had he witnessed his parents’ murder? If so, was it truly Raghnall who had killed them? But the more important piece of the puzzle that had emerged from Dagga’s admission was the answer to the identity of the woman in his dream. It wasn’t his aunt.
The woman in his dream was his mother.
Epilogue
Dyna
Dyna, Maitland, Alaric, Eli, and Gwyneth sat around the hearth at Duart Castle. “Do you think they’ll marry after all they’ve been through?” Dyna asked.
Maitland said, “I think Thane and Tamsin will be married within six moons. After the trauma each one has been through, they have to learn to trust again. Not an easy thing to do. Once that happens, they’ll marry. The important piece is that I don’t think Alana shows any negative effects from the evil woman who cared for her. She is a sweet little thing.”
Gwyneth said, “Don’t think it can’t come out later in life, but I agree with you. I think Tamsin’s goodness overpowered the bad in Alana’s life.”
The door banged open, and Eli hopped out of her seat. “Spit and slime, Grandsire! Stop. Banging. The. Door!”
Logan stepped inside, glared at his granddaughter, then stepped back out, closed the door, and opened it quietly. “Does this suit my bossy granddaughter?”
Eli laughed and said, “Aye, my thanks to you, Grandpapa. Now come inside and tell us what you’ve learned.”
He came in with a sigh, moving over to take a chair next to his wife. “Gwynie, who raised our granddaughter to be so bossy and stubborn?”
Gwyneth rolled her eyes and ignored him.
Logan continued, “I didn’t learn much—only one thing. Word was we brought a healer and faeries to Duart Castle. No names have been mentioned. But one of the faeries is supposed to grant wishes. A green faery.”
Dyna sat forward, her eyes wide. “The green maiden?”
