“Laird Gille Chriost, why daenae ye start with the vows?” the priest asked.
Fionnghall pulled out a piece of paper and Marion turned to him.
“Marion, I cannae lie. From the very first moment that I saw ye, I thought ye were the most beautiful creature on earth. Ye were like a bird, wonderful to look at and impossible to catch,” he smiled. Marion’s eyes started to burn and she blinked quickly.
“But before I knew it, ye had made an impression that was hard to forget. In a very short amount of time, ye managed to melt me frozen heart and leave yer handprint on it. Our relationship has nae been without difficulty and ups and downs, but from now on out, I promise to devote every single day of me life to makin’ ye happy. There is nothin’ more that I want, because Marion, I love ye more than life itself.”
Now Marion couldn’t hold back the tears anymore and a couple of stray ones fell down her cheeks. She quickly raised her hand and wiped the tears away with her glove.
The priest turned to Marion.
“Marion?”
Marion took a shaky breath and started. She didn’t need a piece of paper to remember what she wanted to say. It all came straight from the heart.
“Fionnghall, from the very beginning, you came out as a strong leader with a shell like a rock. But underneath your it, there is a warm and soft heart that overflows with kindness. There are no words to describe how I feel about you every single day. Though our journey together up to today has not been easy, I would live it over and over again if it meant that I would become your wife. Fionnghall, I will love you until my last breath.”
Fionnghall smiled at Marion and Jack brought over the rings.
As Fionnghall placed the ring on Marion’s finger, she felt complete and at home. This was the moment she had lived for. She felt as if she were in a bubble of happiness that nothing could possibly burst. Not Laid Brun, Lady Beitris, or even illness. She was here, home, and ready to start her life.
Her body oozed of happiness and joy. It could be seen in her eyes, her smile and the softness of her expression. Fionnghall looked at her as if there were no other people in the world, and that was enough for Marion.
“I now pronounce ye husband and wife. Ye may kiss the bride,” the priest announced and the crowd stood up to cheer.
Fionnghall leaned over to lift Marion’s veil. He pressed his lips onto Marion’s and she forgot everything else around her.
As Fionnghall walked Marion down the aisle towards the church doors, he felt stronger and more whole than he ever had. He never could have imagined that through all the ups and downs, he would finally come out as a winner.
His and Marion’s journey together had started out rough and going forward, life had thrown a load of branches in their path. But resilience and determination had accompanied Fionnghall and eventually things had locked into place. In the most interesting and unexpected way, one might add.
But today, none of that mattered. Marion was holding onto his arm and she looked perfect, like an angel that had fallen from the sky. Today, the entire town was uplifted and Fionnghall’s heart was full. Nothing could have been better.
Epilogue
After the ceremony, they all headed to the castle for the ball. Deirdre had made sure that even the ballroom was exceptional, filled with flowers, candles, food, and drinks. There was music and people were dancing and laughing. The atmosphere was simply amazing and Marion’s smile never faded.
The ballroom was dim despite all the candles that flickered around the room, creating shadows into the corners. Colorful flowers looked colorless in the dim lighting and the white ribbons that hung from the ceiling and the walls glimmered in the candlelight.
She looked around the ballroom, noticing all the happy faces. And when she looked at Fionnghall, she felt at ease. Her dream, that had seemed impossible, had come true and best of all, it had not involved breaking any promises.
Each and every person of the town had arrived to congratulate Marion and Fionnghall at the castle. They all came up to the newly wedded couple, one by one. Marion remembered their faces, though with names she had some trouble. They welcomed Marion officially and expressed their joy about her new title and the fact that she would be leading Gille Chriost with Fionnghall.
“The wedding ceremony was beautiful, Lady Marion,” Mrs. Connor said to Marion in the ballroom. “Whatever happened to the guests of Gille Chriost? The Laird of Brun and his daughter?” she asked curiously.
Marion smiled and looked at Fionnghall. He answered for her.
“The Laird of Brun and his daughter are bein’ escorted back to Brun tomorrow mornin’,” he said shortly.
Mrs. Connor nodded and smiled, curiosity still readable on her face. But she didn’t press the issue.
“Please, enjoy the ball,” Marion patted her shoulder and she joined her husband.
“Aren’t ye just waitin’ fer all this to be over so that we can spend some time alone?” Fionnghall asked and squeezed Marion’s hand.
Marion took his other hand, too, and faced him.
“Yes, but I do enjoy the ball, as well. It is so wonderful to see everyone here tonight. The ballroom is filled with all the important people of our lives. Deirdre, my parents, Eilidth… and all our new friends,” she said and her eyes looked around the room enthusiastically.
“Ah, sure,” he agreed.
Marion couldn’t get enough of the sight in front of her. The happy people, the laughter, the energy. She loved being in the center of it all. She loved seeing everyone so happy. The joy of the room filled Marion and for a moment, she closed her eyes and let it consume her.
Fionnghall noticed her feelings and he hugged her. Marion could not have imagined being any happier than she was tonight.
“May I steal my daughter for a short moment?” the Countess walked up to the couple and looked at Marion with glistening eyes.
Marion reluctantly let go of Fionnghall and stepped aside with her mother and the Earl.
“I understand that tomorrow morning you two love birds will take some time for yourself and leave for your honeymoon,” she said.
Marion nodded and blushed. The Earl looked away awkwardly and cleared his throat.
“Your father and I will return to England tomorrow. We have been away from our duties for quite a while already. Would you like me to tell anything to Edith?”
Marion was caught off guard. She had had very little time lately to think about her old best friend and she felt badly about it. In fact, she hadn’t even asked how she was doing.
“How is Edith?” Marion asked immediately.
“She is well. In fact, she got married right before we left,” the Countess explained.
“That is wonderful news. Does she love him?” Marion asked, feeling guilty. She would have loved to have Edith with her at her wedding. And surely, she would have loved to be part of her wedding, too.
“Very much,” the Countess smiled and continued. “She misses you, Marion.”
“I miss her, too. Please tell her that I will write to her as soon as I can. And please pass my congratulations to her,” she said. There was so much more that she wanted to say to her, but that would have to wait. She would write a long, long letter to her, explaining everything. She also wanted to know how the Earl of Brookville would react to her marriage to Fionnghall. There was, indeed, a lot to discuss.
“We will tell her,” she nodded. “We shall return to our room. Please, come see us tomorrow morning before we leave.”
The Earl wasn’t much of a talker, so he just put his hand on Marion’s shoulder and patted her. The Countess and the Earl turned to walk away, but Marion stopped them.
“Wait,” she said and her parents turned around. “I… I love you,” she said and ran to hug her parents.
As she watched them walk away, she suddenly remembered the old woman, Miss Hew, that she and Deirdre had met. She had, in fact, known what she was talking about. She had known all along. Marion smiled to herself in wonder.
If she had only listened to her and believed her, she might have found her real mother much sooner.
Though if I had… I might never had fallen in love with Fionnghall.
After the ball was over, Fionnghall and Marion slipped out together and headed over to Fionnghall’s chambers. Their chambers. This was the part that Marion hadn’t had a chance to think about, but now, as they walked up the spiral staircase, her heart started racing and her chest filled with warmth.
She wasn’t even sure what to expect. It wasn’t as though she had never been close to Fionnghall before—after all, they had had their intimate moments. But this time was different.
Marion climbed up the rest of the stairs ahead of Fionnghall. Thinking about what was going to be ahead of her made her blush. It didn’t go unnoticed by Fionnghall.
“What is the matter? Are ye all right?”
Marion took a deep breath.
“Nothing… I think I am just a little nervous,” she whispered.
Fionnghall chuckled and took Marion’s hand.
“Today ye are nervous? What about the other times?” his tone was a bit teasing.
Marion felt the blood rush to her cheeks and she couldn’t help but smile.
“It was different then,” she said. “We didn’t do what… we are about to do now.”
They stepped into Fionnghall’s chambers. She hadn’t been there before, and as she admired the decor and simplicity of the room, she also thought to herself about how strange it was that this was now their room. Hers and Fionnghall’s. That they would go to sleep every night and wake up next to each other every morning.
Not too long ago, Marion thought she had lost Fionnghall forever. She thought that she had lost any chance she ever had of finding her real parents. But in an instant, everything had changed and she was now living her best possible dream.
Marion sat on Fionnghall’s bed and looked down at her own white long wedding gown. Fionnghall stood a bit further away, doing the same, looking at Marion in her wonderful gown.
“Ye look absolutely ravishing,” he said and stepped closer.
“Thank you,” she replied.
Fionnghall reached out his hands. Marion reached out hers and Fionnghall pulled her up with one easy movement. She was now leaning against his strong chest and it felt right. Nothing else mattered.
“Ye ken, Marion, we can just go to sleep,” he whispered, pressing his chin lightly onto her hair.
“No,” she responded and lifted her gaze. She looked right into Fionnghall’s deep brown eyes, and he leaned closer, pressing a light kiss onto her lips.
This time, Marion wouldn’t have to feel guilty about anything. Each touch would be hers and only hers. There would be nothing shadowing the passion and joy between herself and Fionnghall. It could continue forever and Marion would still yearn for more.
Fionnghall’s lips were moving against her own. They were warm and relentless, sucking up all of Marion’s oxygen. But she didn’t care, because all the oxygen she needed was this. The two of them, finally alone together. If breathing was the price she would have to pay for this, she’d gladly pay it, and then some.
His hands twisted behind Marion’s head, making the braid unravel and her curls fall. In the back of her mind, Marion could see how mad Deirdre would be about that—she had spent hours on her hair this morning.
Fionnghall pulled Marion closer to his body that radiated heat. This time, she didn’t pull away or even stop to take a breath. Tonight, nothing could make her stop.
Before she knew it, Fionnghall’s fingers quickly opened the laces that were holding her gown together behind her back. The gown fell loose. She pulled his face closer to hers with both of her hands on the sides of his face. She leaned back and fell down onto the bed, Fionnghall following her move, not releasing his lips from Marion’s for one inch.
She felt the weight of him on top of her, safe, secure, passionate. As his hands pulled up the hem of her gown, a sudden wave of warmth and tingly sensations shot through her. He kissed her neck and chest and for now, there was nothing else in the world. Nothing else, but Marion and Fionnghall.
Gently, but with certainty, he slid Marion’s gown off of her. She felt herself blushing and she bit her lip. No one had ever seen her in her undergarments before.
“Are ye all right?” Fionnghall asked, running his fingers up Marion’s inner thigh.
She nodded. Though she felt absolutely embarrassed and excited at the same time, she did not want him to stop.
He pressed his lips against Marion’s again, which made her forget all about the fact that he was now removing her undergarments. His hand moved slowly towards her intimate parts, which no one, not even herself, had touched before. A rush of warmth met his hand as his fingers parted her.
She gasped, both in pleasure and surprise, and he kissed her chest and breasts.
Oh, Lord.
She never thought she would feel this way. This pure physical lust was unbearable.
She knotted her fingers into his thick hair and arched her back, letting out a moan. For a moment, Fionnghall stopped to undo his shirt and kilt. That little moment made Marion’s yearning even worse. She wanted him close to her.
“Dae ye trust me?” Fionnghall asked.
Marion grabbed his face and pulled him close to her. That was a good enough answer for him, and he pushed himself closer to Marion’s naked body.
She felt him on her hip and suddenly, his fingers were down there again. This time, they weren’t only met with warmth, but wetness as well.
Fionnghall smiled at Marion, clearly pleased by this.
“Is it going to hurt?” Marion asked quietly.
“I will be careful,” he responded and began kissing her neck again, relentlessly.
His fingers moved away and now Marion felt something harder and a lot bigger against her intimate parts. Her heart rate sped up. How was it even going to fit down there?
She felt him slowly pushing himself into her, and a sharp pain radiated up her body. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, grabbing the bedspread underneath her.
Slowly and carefully, he moved himself back and forth, keeping his eyes on Marion. The pain lessened and was replaced with pleasure and unexplainable delight. She relaxed and exhaled, wrapping her arms around Fionnghall.
He let out a low groan, still moving back and forth, now faster. Marion’s pleasure increased and she squeezed her fingers into a fist, letting out a gasp.
Suddenly, she felt her delight climaxing, setting her body trembling and she moaned. Fionnghall responded to this, as he groaned like an animal. Marion felt his muscles vibrating underneath her fingers and he slowed down.
A sudden feeling of relaxation and joy washed over her and Fionnghall pulled himself out of her. Panting, he laid down next to her and wrapped his fingers around hers.
He kissed her arm and Marion turned to face him. She smiled and pressed her hand onto his cheek.
“Did it hurt?” he asked.
“Not very much,” Marion said, almost truthfully. The pain had passed quickly.
Now all that was left was satisfaction and tiredness as they lay next to each other in stillness and darkness.
As the morning sun shone its rays through the window, Marion woke up, but didn’t open her eyes. She could hear Fionnghall’s steady breathing next to her. Today, they would take their coach and leave for their honeymoon. They were going to travel to the shore, York, and Edinburgh. The whole trip was going to take two months.
Two servants were to accompany them and they had already packed. Deirdre wasn’t exactly thrilled about the fact that she was going to be left at Gille Chriost all by herself for two months and to be excluded from a trip this interesting, but she understood that this was time for Marion and Fionnghall to be together.
Marion opened her eyes. Fionnghall was still sleeping, so Marion rose up quietly and pulled a robe over her nightgown. She tiptoed out of the door without shoes and across the hall to Deirdre’s roo
m.
She knocked lightly and entered.
Deirdre was already awake. As soon as she saw who it was who entered, she squealed and ran up to Marion. She embraced her for a long time.
“Did I already tell ye that I am happy fer ye?” she asked.
“Only about a thousand times,” Marion laughed.
“So, ye will leave today?” she asked, trying to cover up her disappointment.
“Yes, right after Lady Brun leaves with her husband and daughter,” Marion said. “My parents are also leaving today.”
Captivating the Highlander: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel Page 27
