“I didna expect I would live this long, but the final Sinclair has met his match,” Elspeth made the sign of the cross over her heart but grinned the entire time.
“Ye would paint me in such a poor light in front of ma bride?”
“Haud yer wheesht and dinna fash like a bodach,” Ceit tickled his ribs.
“We shall see if ye still call me an auld mon later this eve.” Tavish tapped her on the backside as he escorted her to the dais.
Once everyone was seated, Laird Liam Sinclair stood looking out at his clan. His mind drifted to his long-dead wife, Kyla, and he wished for the millionth time she was present to see their children and their families. He felt his age for the first time and acknowledged he was not the same young man who stood in this hall the day of his marriage. He longed to join his wife again, but as he looked around, he anticipated many more grandchildren to greet before it would be his turn to reunite with his soulmate. He raised his dram of whisky, and the Hall quietened.
“We welcome ye, Ceit, into the Clan Sinclair. We put the past behind us, we join as one family, we stand in unity to love and protect one another. May God bless this marriage and all yer children today and the end of time. Commit thy work to God.”
At the sound of their clan motto, cheers erupted as cups pounded the tables and feet stomped the floor. Liam Sinclair looked down at his children once more and smiled.
“There is nay luckier father than I. I have all of ma children at ma table with their bairns and the ones on the way. I couldnae ask for aught more. I love ye all, and I ken Mama sends her love as she watches over us all.”
The meal crept along for both Ceit and Tavish. Each time their arms brushed against one another or their knees bumped together, an electric charge coursed through them. Tavish was out of patience by the time the third course started. He pushed back his chair and took Ceit’s hand. She stood and looked at him with a clear question in her mind.
“Good night.”
Tavish said no more as he led Ceit from the dais to cheers from his clan. When a few bawdy comments flowed to his ears, he paused and glared. The comments ended, but the laughter started.
“Comeuppance.”
“By the bollocks.”
“Lucky devil.”
Ceit giggled as Tavish practically tugged her up the stairs. Halfway up, his patience frayed entirely, and he lifted her into his arms as the entire Great Hall sounded as though it exploded with deafening laughter.
“That does it. We are getting a ruddy croft like Magnus and Deirdre. Too many damn people here.”
Tavish carried Ceit to their chamber and paused when he saw the candles lit and smelt the flower blossoms added to the rushes. Someone had turned the bed down, and the fire was blazing. His heart softened when he realized the extent of Hagatha’s and Elspeth’s love for him.
“Dinna let me forget to thank them when we go back down in a few days.”
“A few days? And who? Was this yer sisters by marriage?”
“A few days is the soonest I’m letting ye out of ma reach. And ma sister and sisters by marriage might have helped, but I am certain it was Hagatha and Elspeth.”
“How do ye ken?”
“The lemongrass.”
“I dinna understand.”
“Lemongrass was Mama’s favorite scent, so it is mine. Da has fresh bouquets in his chamber and has since the day they wed. Only Hagatha and Elspeth ken it’s ma favorite.”
“I had nay idea.”
“Nay one does because I’ve refused to be near aught that smells like it.” Tavish swallowed and smiled wistfully, “Until now. They understood.”
“I’m nae sure I do.” Ceit slid her hands up his chest and wrapped them around his neck. She looked into her husband’s whisky colored eyes that mesmerized her every time she looked into them.
Tavish slid his arms around her and rested his cheek on her head.
“Do ye remember that day when we stopped along the roadside, and I explained that I feared losing another woman I loved?”
“Aye.”
“Elspeth and Hagatha are reminding me that those who pass before us arenae really lost. It’s what they told me when I was a grieving lad who couldnae accept his mama was really gone. They’re telling me it’s alright to love.”
Ceit ran her finger through the hair at his collar.
“Then I am glad ye have chosen me.”
She tilted up her head for his kiss. They undressed one another without any hurry before climbing into bed. Unlike their passionate race to the finish the first time they consummated their commitment to one another, this was leisurely. It was an exploration of love and desire blended to form an invisible bond that time would never sever.
True to his word, Tavish and Ceit did not leave their chamber for three days. This time both were very hale and hearty while sequestered away. It was only a sense of obligation that forced them from their love nest.
Epilogue
Liam Sinclair looked around at his children and their spouses with his grandchildren. His mind had wandered as it often did to his wife, and this time he recollected how they met and fell in love. He smiled to himself as his mind spoke to Kyla.
“Da, did ye hear aught that I said?” Tavish huffed.
“Nay, I didna. What was that again?”
“Dinna tell us ye’re getting to be a mincey heid bodach.”
“Da is neither addlepated nor an auld mon. Be nice, Tavish, or I’ll make ye change Wee Liam’s raggies again.” Mairghread scowled at him with a warning. “Da, dinna listen to him. He’s nae used to nae getting his way. These days, he’s having to learn other people’s opinions matter as much if nae more than his. He’s fussier than a bairn cutting teeth or a bear that got stung for putting his paw in the honeypot.”
“Did ye hear that, Kyla?”
“And ye dinna think him a bit of a bampot when he’s talking to thin air?” Tavish felt agitated and wanted to avoid listening to his father talk to the mother he missed even more now that he had his own wife.
“He’s talking to Mama. Let him be,” Callum huffed.
“Yer mama said nearly the same thing to me aboot being a raging bear on the day we met. It reminded me of how poor of an impression I made on her and how dumbstruck I was with her beauty the first time I laid eyes on her. She’s still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” He looked at Mairghread and smiled with love, “I am so fortunate ye look more and more like yer mama every day. Ye have her eyes and her spirit. It lets me ken she is still with us.”
“Have ye, ladies, heard the story of how our parents met?” Mairghread asked the wives of her four brothers.
“I havenae.”
“Me neither.”
“Nay.”
“I’d like to.”
“Och, well it’s quite the tale to be told,” Magnus cut in. “We havenae heard it in quite some time. Da, will ye tell us?”
Tavish shifted with unease in his seat. He came to terms with his mother’s death years ago and enjoyed remembering and talking about memories of her. Except for the story of how his parents met. The story always brought him close to tears, so he did his best to avoid hearing it. The love his parents shared was unlike anything he had ever seen until his sister and brothers married their soulmates. Then it was a love he never fathomed he would have for himself. He disliked hearing the story because it was filled with so much hope and love that it only reminded him of all his family lost when his mother died far too soon. It also filled him with fear that even if he loved as hard and as much as his father had with his mother, there was no promise he’d be able to protect the woman he loved. No promise she would stay.
Ceit’s hand found his arm and slid down to be encased within his own. She squeezed it while never shifting her attention from his father. Tavish looked around at his siblings and saw Mairghread sitting in Tristan’s lap while his brothers all held their wives. Tavish looked over at Ceit and found her looking back at him. Her smile so loving that his h
eart squeezed. She shifted over from her seat to his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and breathed in her scent. As much as he had always loved lemongrass, rosemary and thyme now soothed his frayed nerves.
“I can plead a headache, and we can retire.”
“Nay. I would like ye to ken this story. I would have ye ken our family’s history.”
Tavish sat back as the sound of his father’s voice floated around him. It was a voice that had encouraged him, scolded him, reassured him, and always loved him. Liam’s words from the day he informed Tavish of his impending betrothal came back to him.
“They arenae all the same. Nae all leave us too soon.”
Tavish smiled behind Ceit’s head and held her a little closer. His hand traveled to her stomach and rested protectively over it. She looked up at him, and she intuited he suspected what she did too. He bussed a kiss against her lips as he whispered, “I love ye, Ceity.”
“I love ye, Brodie.”
Tavish turned his attention back to his father as the beginning of the story floated to him.
“I wasna prepared for the surprise of ma life the day I met yer mother. I was in the middle of arguing with ma father aboot getting married when a soft voice came from behind. I kenned right then and there that I was snookered.”
Tavish’s thoughts drifted again as he looked at his beautiful wife who might at that moment be carrying the next member of the Sinclair clan.
History does have a way of repeating itself. Ma father and I are more alike than just appearances, and I am proud to say that. There isnae a better mon alive than Da. I hope to be the husband and father he has been to us all.
The family spent the evening around the fire regaling one another with anecdotes from the five siblings’ childhoods and woe-begotten moments of their courtships. It was a time of laughter and love. It was a time that was the very essence of the Clan Sinclair.
His Highland Lass
The Clan Sinclair, Book 1
An undeniable love... an unexpected match...
Faced with a feud with the Sinclairs that is growing deadly, Laird Tristan Mackay is bound by duty to his clan to make peace with the enemy. Tristan arranges a marriage for his stepbrother, Sir Alan, but never imagines that he would meet the woman he longs to marry. When things sour quickly between Tristan's stepbrother and Lady Mairghread Sinclair, Tristan is determined to make her his. A choice that promises to change his life forever.
Raised with four older warriors for brothers and as the only daughter of the Sinclair laird, Mairghread is independent resourceful, and loyal to her family. When her father arranges a marriage to a man she has never met for the sake and safety of her clan, Mairghread tries to accept her fate. Mairghread is betrothed to one man but it is the dark, handsome, and provocative laird who catches her eye. Arranged to marry Sir Alan, Mairghread finds herself drawn to Laird Tristan Mackay. After meeting her intended, Mairghread knows she cannot go through with the marriage, but she must find a way to end the feud that is tearing the two clans apart.
When the wedding is called off by Mairghread's father, Tristan and Mairghread see an opportunity to be together. Neither of them imagined that they would find the passion that grows between them. However, a spurned mistress and a jilted suitor stand between Tristan and Mairghread's happiness. Tristan and Mairghread must fight for the love they have found with one another.
Destined for another...
Mairghread Sinclair is not prepared for the danger that awaits her while visiting the Mackay clan. She must use her wits to keep herself alive when danger pulls her away from the man she loves.
Fated to be together...
Laird Tristan Mackay was not looking for a wife, but could Lady Mairghread Sinclair be the one to open his heart and bring peace to their clans, or will their passion tear the two clans apart?
Available purchase or download on Amazon
His Bonnie Highland Temptation
The Clan Sinclair Book 2
Unwanted and unloved...
Siùsan Mackenzie has spent a lifetime feeling unwanted and unloved after her mother dies in childbirth and her father abandons her for a new wife and new family. Forced to start her life in her clan's village and then brought to the castle as no more than a servant, Siùsan longs for the chance to escape her clan and the hurt of being ignored. When her father, the Mackenzie chief, unexpectedly announces her betrothal, Siùsan is filled with fear that her father is sending her off to an ogre who will treat her no better or possibly even worse. When she discovers who her intended is, she seizes the chance to leave behind those who sought to punish her and manipulate her.
Could Siùsan's father finally have done right by her? Will Siùsan find happiness in her new home, or is her future only to repeat her past?
Unaware and unready...
Callum Sinclair, the heir to Clan Sinclair, knows that he will one day have to marry to carry on his clan's legacy. He just did not know that his bride-to-be would arrive less than a week after his father announced the betrothal. Enjoying the company of women has never been a struggle for Callum, but as are all the men of Clan Sinclair, he is committed to being a faithful husband. When Siùsan arrives, Callum is unprepared for the gift his father has given him in his soon-to-be wife. Callum is eager to get to know his fiery haired bride who barely comes up to his chest, and Siùsan is tempted by Callum's whisky brown eyes and gentle nature.
But if only it were that easy.
A tangled web of jealousy and deceit is woven when members of Siùsan's clan join forces with outsiders to keep them apart.
Will Callum be able to reach Siùsan to prove to her that she will never be unwanted or unloved again? Can Siùsan put her trust in a man she desires but barely knows?
Available purchase and download on Amazon
His Highland Prize
The Clan Sinclair Book 3
Lost and pursued, searching for protection...
When Brighde Kerr collapses in his arms at Castle Dunbeath in the middle of the night during a Highland thunderstorm, Alexander Sinclair does not hesitate to bring her inside to receive medical care and shelter. Hiding secrets that she is sure will only bring danger to the Sinclairs if revealed, Brighde struggles against her growing attraction and affection for Alex. She attempts to keep her identity a secret, but it does not take long before Brighde realizes that Alex could be the one person to save her.
Steadfast and determined, willing to protect...
Alex dedicates himself to nursing this mystery woman back to health and offers her the security of the Sinclair Clan. Alex’s ongoing support and determination to protect Brighde fuels their growing passion but often puts them at odd when Brighde is not convinced they have a future together.
Both in need of love...
When the source of Brighde's fears shows up at their gates, Alex proves that he will not give up on Brighde no matter the risks or consequences. Now can she accept that Alex's pledge for protection or will she keep fighting the inevitable?
Available purchase and download on Amazon
His Highland Pledge
The Clan Sinclair Book 4
Old enough to love, too young to wed...
Sixteen year old Magnus Sinclair did not realize when he stumbled upon thirteen year old Deirdre Fraser he was meeting his soulmate. Three years of meeting at Highland Gatherings and Royal Hunts, along with countless letters, build an unbreakable love between Magnus and Deirdre, and they secretly pledge themselves in a handfast. When Deirdre’s parents discover their daughter’s actions, she is whisked away to become a lady in waiting to the queen as her parents’ status grows within the royal court.
A boy grown into a man determined to never surrender his love again...
Seven years of separation have not lessened Magnus’s love but have made him taste the bitterness of rejection. Sent to court as the Clan Sinclair’s representative, the last person Magnus thought to find is Deirdre Fraser, and the last thing he thought to learn is she will soon be
betrothed--to a man other than him.
A girl grown into a woman willing to disobey to regain her lost love...
Deirdre has served the royal court ever since her parents pulled her from Magnus’s arms. She has been a dutiful daughter and dutiful companion to the queen, but she never let go of her love for Magnus or her hopes that they would be reunited. Stunned to find Magnus walking past her, Deirdre’s heart calls to him despite her parents’ political ambitions.
Caught between expectations and desire, Magnus and Deirdre must work together to find a way to finally build their life together.
Can they prove to everyone that they still belong together, that theirs was not a childhood infatuation but a love for the ages? Or will they have to defy those who attempt to control them, so they may fulfill His Highland Pledge?
Available purchase and download on Amazon
Thank you for reading
His Highland Surprise
Celeste Barclay, a nom de plume, lives near the Southern California coast with her husband and sons. Growing up in the Midwest, Celeste enjoyed spending as much time in and on the water as she could. Now she lives near the beach. She's an avid swimmer, a hopeful future surfer, and a former rower. When she's not writing, she's working or being a mom.
Visit Celeste’s website, www.celestebarclay.com, for regular updates on works in progress, new releases, and her blog where she features posts about her experiences as an author and recommendations of her favorite reads.
Are you an author who would like to guest blog or be featured in her recommendations? Visit her website for an opportunity to share your insights and experiences.
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