Epilogue
A FEW MONTHS LATER
Spring had finally arrived after the long winter.
Months of preparation and labor had at last come to an end, and the copper mine was ready to begin operations.
Dominik was beyond proud; the work and skill of his men were something he would always be grateful for.
And now, here before the people of his clan in the Great Hall, he raised his glass in celebration of the job well done.
“Thank ye all for such tireless effort. The mining is finally ready to begin, and as the overseer of the endeavor, I will be leaving it in the incredibly capable hands of me wife, Rose.”
The room applauded, his Rose next to him, watching with wide eyes as she stepped forward.
The two of them had still been through so much, and after all this time, the last of any opposers of their marriage would finally be silenced, even the Crown had returned that their marriage was valid with impressive speed.
She had brought this opportunity to the clan, it being her land, and he knew that her keen mind would manage it skillfully, as she had done with the keep under Eilidh’s laborious tutelage.
“I am so grateful, Dominik.” She leaned into him, smiling as her eyes shone with unshed tears. “I will make you proud.”
“I have nay doubt, lass.”
Dominik smiled at her, admiring the radiant glow of his beloved wife, her gracious acceptance of the honor. He never doubted for a moment how proud she was of her clan, how much she would do to take care of it.
“Here, here!” Oskar cheered, making the small line of them at the front of the Great Hall break out into laughter. Smiles and joy filtered through the room, touching everyone there, and Dominik felt another part of himself unlock.
The clan was well at hand, no more fires or poisonings, no more worries over the Crown’s decision regarding the death of the Viscount—a situation they deemed necessary violence against a man who did not uphold the virtues of his station—and the clan had accepted Rose.
They had all at last seen what Dominik had known from the very beginning.
She was a force to be reckoned with, and one they would be honored to have among them.
“At last,” Fiona leaned over to Rose, nudging her with her elbow, “I think ye are at last Highland enough for them all.”
The women laughed, and Dominik’s cheeks lifted in a genuine grin. Eilidh stood proudly at Rose’s side as Peggy came up from behind her, leaning a hand on Rose and saying, “I shall never eat that blasted English porridge again.”
More and more laughter, more and more futures to look forward to.
Dominik’s clan—his home—felt complete in a way it never had, not since the death of his father.
And never again would he think that his English wife could not become a part of her Scottish family.
Rose had embraced the Highland way of life, and indeed, there was nothing and no one who could say that she was not “Highland enough.”
What’s more, even England recognized that Rose had been an innocent of the plot of Lord Egerton.
The Crown demanded that his estate return the stolen dowry, which he and his wife both agreed should be given to her parents.
They were well and comfortable, while the Baron and Baroness still needed to be taken care of.
They were thrilled to receive it, and Dominik could see how glad it had made his wife to see them stable after all this time.
“To the copper!” Rose cheered out, lifting her glass. “May it run as strong as the blood of Clan MacKay!”
Uproarious celebration burst to life at that, and in true Highland fashion, music and dance and food began to fill the hall from wall to wall. The gathering commenced at once, and the celebration would continue long into the wee hours of the night.
“A moment alone with me wife is of the utmost importance, I assure ye.”
Rose laughed, playfully leaning away from him as Dominik pulled her against his, dragging her into their bed chambers.
“And what do you intend to do with this moment, my laird? There are several excited clanspeople just beyond those doors. There is so much to celebrate, and they want to do so with their fearless Laird of Clan MacKay.”
Dominik chuckled against the soft skin of Rose’s neck, nuzzling into her, nibbling and kissing.
He was sure to lock the door behind him as he finally got his wife into the room and then swept her up off the floor.
Carrying her, he walked them to the bed, setting her down as he knelt next to her on the soft surface.
“I intend to hear ye call me name, lass. And the others can wait. This is much more crucial business.” Rose beamed up at him as he spoke, laughing as he lowered his mouth to hers, his hand sneaking under the fabric of her skirts. “As ye always are to me.”
Their tongues danced together as Dominik found the slick warmth of his wife between her thighs, teasing the flesh and wishing only that they had long enough to make this interlude truly something to remember.
As it was, he knew that the people gathered downstairs would be searching for them soon, the Laird and his lady needed for a dance.
“Dominik,” Rose’s breathy voice flowed out, and he dragged the pad of his fingers across that seam, slowly—oh so very slowly—seeking entrance. “Oh my…I…uh, Dominik.”
One of his favorite pastimes was to render his brilliant wife incapable of making a coherent sentence, and he reveled in the way her smooth, soft body responded to him.
She dropped her leg to the side, and Dominik used the space to slide his digits deeper, reaching that inner spot of her that made his wife arch and squeak.
As she did so now, he felt for himself beneath his kilt, stroking back and forth.
If they only had a moment, then he would certainly make it count.
Rose pulled his mouth to hers harder, tasting him with a fever of want as he pleasured her.
The in and out was mirrored by his strokes with his other hand, and the building pressure within him ticked higher and higher with each second.
“I—Uh,” Rose groaned low as he hooked his fingers upward, and she sank herself down onto his fingers. “I wanted to…tell you…something.”
Chuckling, Dominik slowed his movements but did not stop. “Oh, and what was that?”
“You are terrible, making me…oh God…making me attempt to find words at a time like this.”
Dominik only laughed, gripping himself tighter as the desperation on Rose’s face made him all the more lustful and hungrier for her.
“Come now, lass.” Dominik swirled within her. “I’m listening.”
“I…I…” Rose rolled her hips, finding something clearly as she gasped and rocked herself against him.
It was only a few moments before she arched against him, and Dominik felt her body squeeze around his fingers, her release barreling through her.
Time stretched for a moment, and he kissed her lips, then her neck, still stroking himself idly. “I am…”
Blinking, she looked up at him, a smile stretching across her face.
“…with child.”
Dominik froze, everything stopping. He shot backward, staring down at Rose’s face with his brows to his hairline.
“You…you are with child? You are—A bairn?”
“Yes, you silly man.” Rose shook her head, pulling Dominik down to her lips and then whispering. “I’m going to have a baby. Our baby.”
Shock gave way to a joy that Dominik could not put into words. He yanked his Rose against him, squeezing her tightly in his arms. The burn of tears echoed through his eyes. His sweet wife was carrying their child; a future Dominik had considered impossible for a time.
After all, she had nearly left him. The love of his life had almost returned to England, and it would have broken him into crooked shards that could not be repaired.
But they were here, all of them. He had his Rose, and she had him for all time.
And now, by the grace of nature itself, there was to be a child.
There was no political gain or arrangement.
This was not a marriage they simply tolerated.
This was a union of their souls, and they had created a new life to usher into it.
“With child!” Dominik shouted as he pulled Rose back to look at her, smiling from ear to ear. “The finest day in some time indeed!”
Rose giggled, her eyes misty, and she held his face between her hands. “I adore you. We are having a child. And I could not be happier to have you right by my side as their father.”
“I will be beside ye and the bairn for all me days, Rose. I promise ye.”
“I know, Dominik. I know.” She kissed him once more, then found his hand and guided it to her lower stomach, the womb where their child steadily grew. “I’m not sure just when I will have them, but in the fall. When the leaves turn, you will be a father.”
“And ye will be the finest mother our bairn could ever hope to have. I love ye, lass.”
“And I love you, Dominik. Through it all.”
Dominik rested his forehead on Rose’s. “Through it all.”
The End?