The Highlander's English Bride

by Vanessa Kelly

  “Are you all right?” she asked, patting his cheek.

  “I’m fine. But if we don’t get you out of these wet things . . .”

  She mentally grimaced. The idea of her drowning or falling ill from a dunking would naturally terrify him.

  “I’m f . . . fine, too,” she said. “Please don’t worry.”

  He carried her through the front door and carefully set her down on a bench.

  “Ye could’ve been killed, ye daft lass.”

  He snatched a blanket off a bed, wrapped it tightly around her, and then went to the stove to layer on peat. Within a minute, a roaring fire poured out blessed warmth into the room.

  “Graeme, I didn’t hit my head or inhale any water. I just need a change of clothing.” She smiled up at him. “After all, you’ll recall that it’s not the first time I’ve had a dunking.”

  He snorted. “You are daft.”

  “As are you.”

  “True, that.”

  “You need to get out of those clothes, too,” she said, eyeing his dripping greatcoat.

  He shrugged out of his coat and tossed it on the floor. “Dickie,” he yelled out the door, “we need some dry clothes.”

  The young man dashed into the shed and grimaced at Sabrina. “Sorry, my lady.”

  “All will be forgiven if you can find something for her to wear,” said Graeme.

  “And something for Mr. Kendrick,” Sabrina added.

  Dickie rummaged in a trunk. “We only got stockings, breeches, and shirts.”

  “As long as they’re dry.” And clean, she hoped. “Anything for Mr. Kendrick?”

  “Aye. Magnus used to sleep here, too.” Dickie began pulling clothes out.

  Graeme eased aside the blanket and unbuttoned her pelisse. His eyebrows shot up. “Your evening gown?”

  “I didn’t have time to change into appropriate rescue attire.”

  His gaze narrowed to green slits. “You shouldn’t have been rescuing at all.”

  “And you shouldn’t have gone and gotten kidnapped.”

  He winced. “Good point.”

  “Here be some towels, sir,” Dickie said.

  Graeme gently wiped her face, then briskly went to work on her hair.

  “I have a suggestion,” Sabrina said, her voice muffled by the towel.

  “Yes?”

  “You stop getting kidnapped, and I’ll stop falling into lakes.”

  He pulled back the towel, tipped up her chin, and pressed a hard kiss to her lips. His tongue dipped into her mouth, tasting her with a passion that almost knocked her flat. Sabrina clutched at his wet shirt. If she’d thought she was drowning before, she was mistaken. Because now she was drowning in Graeme—the scent, the taste, the feel of him, the emotions that poured through his desperate kiss and into her very soul.

  And suddenly, she was no longer cold. In Graeme’s arms, she knew she would never be cold again.

  When Dickie cleared his throat, Graeme reluctantly released her.

  “Yes, Dickie?”

  The poor lad had blushed as red as a cherry. “Here be the clothes, sir,” he said pointing to a stack on the table. “Will ye be needin’ anything else?”

  “No, lad. Just tell the others that we’ll change and be right out.”

  Dickie scampered out the door.

  “He seems like a nice boy for someone you kicked in the nutmegs.”

  Graeme choked. “Magnus told you.”

  “Yes.”

  “I take it Magnus had a change of heart when it came to Jackie.” He stood her up and turned her around to unbutton her dress.

  “Yes, thank goodness.” She craned over her shoulder to look at him. “Apparently, I’m going into business with Magnus.”

  “Sorry. I had to come up with something on the fly.”

  “Whatever you said is fine. As long as you’re safe.”

  “As long as you’re safe, lass. Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

  “I suppose you’ll just have to marry me and make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.”

  “You know I will,” he answered.

  When he pressed a soft kiss to the back of her neck, she shivered.

  “Still cold?”

  She smiled. “The opposite.”

  He finally wrestled the soaked gown off then wrapped her again in the blanket.

  “Knock, knock. Is it safe to come in?” Royal peered around the door, holding a bedraggled piece of fabric. “Found it.”

  “My reticule!” Sabrina exclaimed.

  “Aye, and everything’s there, money and jewelry.”

  “Thank you so much, Royal,” she earnestly replied. “For everything.”

  He bowed his head. “Thank you, my lady, for saving my brother’s life.”

  Graeme stripped off his shirt. “We’ll just get changed and be right out, all right?”

  “No rush.”

  “Royal?” Graeme said as his brother started to close the door.

  “Yes?”

  “Thank you for taking care of her.”

  Royal smiled. “Och, laddie, that’s what Kendricks do, ye ken. We take care of one another.”

  “I ken,” Graeme softly replied.

  When the door closed, he turned back to Sabrina. “All right, my darling lassie. Let’s get you warmly dressed and back home where you belong.”

  She went up on tiptoe to kiss him. “Where we belong.”

  His arms went around her. “Aye, that.”

  She nestled against him.

  Home. With Graeme. Nothing had ever sounded so right.

  Epilogue

  Bellwood Manor, Northumberland

  November 1822

  Graeme studied the picture that had pride of place in the hall. Dozens of paintings hung in the long portrait gallery, but none as lovely as this one of a joyfully smiling young woman dressed in a simple, flowing gown. Sitting on a rustic bench in a garden, she held an impish-looking toddler on her lap. That imp, with her golden curls and peacock-blue eyes, had grown up to be the darling lass Graeme held in his arms.

  “Your mother was a true beauty.”

  Sabrina leaned against his chest as she gazed up at Lady Musgrave. “Father always said she was the sweetest, most gentle-tempered woman he’d ever met.” Sabrina tilted her head back to smile at Graeme. “Unlike me, the bossy sort.”

  Graeme turned her so he could give her a kiss.

  “I’ll not have you defaming my bride,” he said. “She’s the sweetest lassie in all of Britain.”

  “She’s certainly the happiest.” Sabrina patted his chest. “Thank you for doing so much to make Father comfortable. I think he’s actually enjoying himself. He was quite approving of tonight’s dinner, even with so many guests and such an elaborate meal.”

  The formal party was the conclusion of their official wedding celebrations. Sabrina had worried that her father would be overwhelmed, but the Kendricks had stepped up to help, coddling the old boy with unfailing kindness and patience. Rather hilariously, Musgrave had taken a particular shine to Angus. The old gents gabbed for hours, complaining about their aches and pains. Angus, healthy as a bull, had invented a host of imaginary ailments, each more inventive than the next. Since Musgrave liked nothing better than talking about his health, Grandda’s strategy had worked like a charm.

  In fact, the evening was going so well that Graeme and Sabrina had managed to sneak away for a bit. Sabrina had wanted to spend time with her mother, and Graeme had wanted a few stolen kisses with his bride.

  “I’m hoping your da will also approve of his new son-in-law, eventually,” Graeme joked.

  Sabrina crinkled her nose. “He will. I promise.”

  “Good thing we didn’t give him a choice. If I had asked for your hand first, I suspect he’d have put a bullet through my heart.”

  Graeme and Sabrina had tied the knot in Scotland. There’d still been a pile of problems to sort out at Lochnagar, and Sabrina had been determined to quickly fix as many
as possible. That had meant a stay of several weeks. Since Ainsley and Royal had wished to return to Edinburgh, leaving Sabrina without a chaperone, there’d been only one solution: marriage. And with the deed done, any objections from her father would be forestalled.

  Less than a week after Graeme had pulled Sabrina out of the loch, Reverend Brown had married them. Royal and Ainsley had served as their official witnesses, and the villagers of Dunlaggan as their unofficial ones. The villagers had insisted on throwing a grand wedding fete on the town green. The ladies of Dunlaggan had provided the food, Monroe the ale, and Magnus several casks of excellent—if illegal—whisky. Sabrina, in a pretty white gown and with a wreath of flowers in her hair, had glowed with happiness throughout the simple but heartfelt celebrations.

  As for Graeme, bringing his bride back to Lochnagar had been the best moment of his life. The trials and sorrows of days gone by were now firmly in the past. Those sorrows could now rest gently in the past, never forgotten, but no longer weighing him down.

  After a month, Graeme and Sabrina had returned to Edinburgh for a visit before heading to Bellwood Manor to face Sabrina’s father. Musgrave had wanted a proper ton celebration in London, but Sabrina had insisted on the family estate in Northumberland. It had been years since she and her father had visited Bellwood, and she was determined to ensure that all was well at the old family pile. Most of the Kendricks had joined them, although Lord and Lady Arnprior had sent their regrets, since Vicky had recently given birth to a healthy baby boy and wasn’t yet up to traveling.

  “Speaking of shooting you,” Sabrina said, “I do think Father gave you a very nice present.”

  “It was a grand and generous present. And very practical.”

  His father-in-law had gifted him with a truly splendid set of matched pistols from Manton’s. Graeme had found it a surprising gift from an elderly man afraid of his own shadow, until he’d received a stern lecture from Musgrave on protecting Sabrina in the wilds of Scotland. Graeme had solemnly thanked his father-in-law, promising to keep Musgrave’s daughter safe always.

  “Although I do think Father should have given me the pistols,” Sabrina added. “I’ve done just as much rescuing as you have.”

  “I sincerely hope those days are behind us.” Graeme reached into his pocket. “Speaking of presents, I’ve got something for you.”

  Sabrina wagged a finger. “Graeme Kendrick, you simply must stop giving me presents. It’s getting ridiculous.”

  “I’ve hardly given you anything,” he protested.

  She held up her hand, which sported a band studded with diamonds and sapphires.

  “Well, I can’t have you running around without a wedding ring,” he said. “All the fellows will think you’re a spinster and try to flirt with you. Then I’d have to shoot them.”

  “With Father’s pistols?”

  “I’ll only use those on smugglers.”

  “We don’t have any smugglers. We now have a perfectly respectable distillery, and I predict it will be the best in Scotland, thanks to you.”

  “You mean, thanks to Magnus.”

  It turned out that Magnus was a veritable prodigy when it came to making Highland whisky. With Graeme managing the legalities and the setup, and Nick providing additional support, they were well on their way to establishing a bang-up distillery in Dunlaggan that would provide jobs for the villagers for years to come.

  Graeme found it hilarious that he was finally able to put the skills of his misspent youth to good use.

  “No, I mean thanks to you,” Sabrina said. “Your work will do more to revitalize Dunlaggan than anything.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “It’s a joint venture, lass. None of this would have happened without you.”

  “That’s true. I am rather wonderful,” she said with the adorably smug smile he loved so much.

  “Which is why I’d like to give you this particular present.”

  She let out a dramatic sigh. “I suppose you’ll just pester me until I let you.”

  “I will. Now, close your eyes and put out your hand.”

  When she did as instructed, Graeme opened the small velvet bag and carefully tipped the contents into her palm.

  Sabrina’s eyes flew open. “My mother’s pearls! How did you find them?”

  “Aden did most of the work. Took a bit of sleuthing, but he finally tracked them down.”

  Since the theft at the theater, Graeme had been determined to find the pearls. Aden had been more than ready to help, finally unearthing them in a small pawnshop. It had cost Graeme a fair sum to get them back, but the look on Sabrina’s face made it all worth it.

  She gave him a teary smile. “You are the most wonderful man in the world. And Father will be absolutely thrilled.”

  “I already told him, which is probably why he hasn’t shot me yet.”

  She let out a watery giggle and unclasped the magnificent set of pearls she was already wearing, placing them on a nearby table.

  “Love, those pearls are your wedding present from the king,” Graeme pointed out.

  She turned her back so he could fasten the old set around her neck. “Pish, they’re not nearly as nice as Mamma’s pearls. Besides, this necklace helped bring us together, so that makes it even more special.”

  The king’s present was extravagantly expensive and truly beautiful. But to Sabrina, the sentimental value made her mother’s pearls infinitely more precious.

  Once Graeme had fastened the necklace, he nestled her back against him as they looked up at her mother’s portrait.

  “I so wish she were here to see this,” Sabrina said. “I wish I could tell her about everything, especially you.”

  He gently tapped her breastbone, over her heart. “Och, lass, your dear ma is always with you, right here.”

  She twisted a bit to look at him. “The way your mother is always with you, my darling.”

  “Aye.”

  Graeme now understood that his mother had always been in his heart and in the love of his family. The unwavering loyalty and devotion of his grandfather and brothers through those reckless, difficult years had helped to bring Graeme to safe harbor with his lovely lass.

  After a few quiet moments, Sabrina stirred. “I have a present for you, too.”

  He kissed her golden curls. “You’re my present, love. Nothing can top that.”

  “True, but this comes close.”

  She slipped from his arms and retrieved a vellum packet from a chair by the table.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Open it and see.”

  He flipped it over and frowned. “That’s the royal seal.”

  Sabrina twirled a finger, as if to hurry him up.

  Graeme broke the seal and extracted a letter written in an elaborate hand on fine parchment. He quickly scanned it, blinked in disbelief, and then slowly read it again.

  “Well?” Sabrina asked with a touch of impatience.

  Stunned, he took a few moments to answer. “A knighthood? You must be joking.”

  “Not even a little bit. The next time we’re in London, His Majesty will confer a knighthood on you for services rendered to the Crown.”

  “I truly don’t know what to say.” It was ridiculous, perhaps, certainly undeserved . . . and yet rather wonderful, for all that.

  “I know you don’t care about these things, but Aden and Dominic were quite determined. And of course I thought it a splendid idea.” She gave a little chuckle. “Father will like it, too. Then he can’t fuss about you being a plain old Scotsman anymore.”

  When Graeme didn’t answer, she grimaced. “Graeme, if you truly don’t want it . . .”

  He swept her into his arms and pressed a resounding kiss to her lips. “Of course I want it, daft lass. I’m just rather dumbstruck. It’s not as if I deserve the honor.”

  She gave him a little shake. “Graeme Kendrick, you are the finest man I have ever known. No one deserves a knighthood more than you.”

 
He had to clear his throat before answering. “Och, my brothers will have a field day, ye ken. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “I told your family before dinner. They are all incredibly proud. Angus was so excited I was afraid he would ruin the surprise.”

  “Sir Graeme Kendrick.” He let out a ghost of a laugh. “Who would have believed it?”

  “Only everyone who knows you.” Then she patted his chest. “Well, Sir Graeme, I suppose we’d better get back to our guests. Father will start to wonder where we are.”

  “We can’t have dear, old da fretting about you.” Graeme offered his arm. “Ready, Lady Sabrina?”

  “It’s Lady Kendrick, if you please. And I’m ready for anything, now that I’ve got you. Even a dunking in the Serpentine.”

  “Pulling you out of that lake was the best thing I ever did, ye ken.”

  Sabrina tucked herself close to his side. “I ken very well. It was the luckiest day of my life, because I met you.”

  “The luck was all mine, sweet lass. The luck was all mine.”