“Thank ye for taking care of him.”
Marion waved a hand. “He’s a joy to have around, and I am his aunt, at any rate. We will have to visit you a great deal after you are married—” she gave Callum a pointed look that made Marsaili chuckle “—so the children will all grow older together and be close.”
“I could nae agree more,” Callum said, taking Marsaili’s hand. “And I’m certain that Marsaili will wish ye all to travel to our home to attend our wedding.”
“When will that be?” Marion asked, giving Callum another pointed look that left no doubt in Marsaili’s mind that Marion had heard Callum was promised to wed the Earl of Ainsworth’s daughter.
“In the next fortnight,” Callum replied, glancing at Marsaili. “If ye agree, that is?”
Marsaili barely got out the “aye” that cracked on her lips. The swirl of emotion inside her stealing her ability to speak.
“I’ll leave you now, but I will see you both shortly at supper.” Marion started to walk away, then turned back around. “Oh, Brody usually takes a nap right about—” She laughed suddenly and pointed at something behind Marsaili. She turned to find her son curled up on the bed with his thumb in his mouth, his tiny chest rising and falling with sleep. “I’ll send a supper tray up for you, Marsaili, if you prefer to stay with him.”
Marsaili nodded. “I’ll stay with him until he wakes. Does he sleep long?” She hated that she did not know.
Marion shook her head. “Actually, no. So you should likely be able to attend supper if he wakes and is not fussy. He has only woken fussy once, though, so all should be well.”
Once Marion departed, Marsaili and Callum made their way to the bed. Callum very carefully scooped Brody up, set him in the middle of the bed, and then the two of them lay on either side of their sleeping son, facing each other. Below Brody’s curled-up feet, they interlaced their fingers and each of them set a palm on their child. Marsaili could see in Callum’s eyes that he had just as much need as she did to touch their son and ensure he was here, that it was all real.
For a long time, they lay in silence, alternately staring at each other and at Brody. Then Callum spoke. “When we return to Urquhart, I will need to speak with Coira alone to break the pledge of marriage given to her.”
Marsaili nodded. “I ken. I am nae vexed about it. But I am fashed that yer mother will be angry with ye. Will ye ask Iain for an alliance to help continue to defend against the MacDonalds, the Gordons, and now possibly the Earl of Ainsworth?”
Callum rubbed a gentle hand down their son’s back. His tender touch to their child made Marsaili’s chest ache with happiness. She could see he was contemplating things, so she did not speak. She simply enjoyed watching him with their son.
After a moment he said, “Aye, if ye are fine with my doing so?”
She smiled, pleased he asked her thoughts. “Aye.”
He smiled. “I dunnae wish to be like my father, but I see and ken that he did what he needed to in order to keep the clan safe. He made an alliance and used me to do it. We will need alliances, but I dunnae wish to use our children, unless it is something they wish for.”
“We are of a like mind,” she said, relieved. Her father had always used his children, and she had thought for a long time that all families did the same until she had met her half siblings and their partners. They had all married for love, and only one of those alliances had been dictated, and that had been Iain and Marion’s. Yet, even then, Marion had chosen Iain. Albeit, her only other choice had been an evil English knight, but she had picked Iain. Marsaili would give her children the opportunity to marry for love. Trying to deny the love between herself and Callum had almost destroyed them both, and she did not want that for her family.
“We will find a way,” she said, squeezing his hand, “but I believe Iain will be agreeable.”
“I believe so, as well. Iain has a heart for ye, lass. He is yer family.”
“I felt alone all my life, and now I dunnae. I feel so blessed. It scares me a little.”
“Why?” he asked, giving her a perplexed look.
She felt foolish telling him, but she did not want to hold anything back from him. “I have nae ever had such good fortune. I feel as if something bad must surely be brewing.”
“I will nae let anything bad happen to ye again, Marsaili,” he vowed.
“Nor I to ye. We will have to guard each other well, aye. We will have many enemies to contend with.”
Brody started to stir. Callum and Marsaili both went to pat him at the same time and in the same spot. They laughed, and Callum moved his hand down to pat their son’s bottom as Marsaili patted his back.
Once he stilled, Callum said, “I hope the MacDonalds will pull back if I secure an alliance with yer brother. That reprieve would allow me needed time to strengthen fortifications and train new warriors so that the need for an alliance is nae so great. The Gordons will want my blood always, but I dunnae fear them. As for Ainsworth, I am hoping that he will see reason when I offer to keep the alliance with him and help defend his land against sieges from the MacDonalds.”
“Ye have given this much thought,” she said, impressed.
“Aye. The moment I kenned I could nae deny my feelings for ye and honorably marry Coira, I started to think on how I could protect my clan and also have ye. I love ye, lass. I would rather wage a thousand wars than live another breath without ye.”
“I love ye, too.” She wiped away a happy tear as their son’s eyelids fluttered open.
Large, brown eyes stared first at her and then at Callum, and then Brody promptly announced, “I hungry.”
“That’s my, laddie,” Callum crowed, scooping the child into his arms. “He already kens his mind, and I will teach him to stay true to it.”
“Wewill teach him,” Marsaili corrected with a chuckle.
