Epilogue
Anna's chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, morning sunlight scattering soft kisses across the gentle curve of her cheeks.
Hugh reached forward, brushing a strand of hair from her face so he could really see her.
Freed from the strain of money troubles and the cruelty of the rumor mill, she'd only grown more beautiful.
Lately, it even seemed as if a quiet glow surrounded her.
It hadn't taken long for Hugh to repair the damage Callum's plot had done to Anna's reputation.
The staff adored her, and the villagers looked forward to every visit she made.
Once the money was accounted for and the ledgers were balanced, Hugh had finally been able to begin the maintenance the castle so desperately needed.
She made a soft noise, turning toward him, seeking his warmth. He couldn't pinpoint the exact date that she had moved into his chambers, but now he couldn't imagine waking up anywhere but beside her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her sleep-soft body against his chest.
"I don't want to get up yet," she murmured, burying her face against his neck.
"I'm nae askin' ye to," Hugh said, chuckling quietly. The more time he spent around her, the softer he felt himself getting. He'd still protect her with his life, kill anyone that dared to endanger her life, but she was teaching him to embrace intimacy. "I'm just makin' sure ye stay warm."
"What excuse will you use when summer arrives?" she asked, relaxing into her.
"The nights are still cool," he argued, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "And it will still be warmer under the covers than it is outside of them."
She giggled, tilting her face toward him. He connected their lips, giving her the affection she was so clearly asking for. When they parted, she hummed, pulling back enough so that she could look into his eyes.
"I've got something to say," she said quietly, a shy smile affixing itself to her lips. "And you must keep your wits about you."
"Are ye accusin' me of nae bein' level-headed?" he asked, returning her grin.
"I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm just giving you a warning."
"Well, now I'm curious," Hugh said, rubbing his hand up and down the length of her spine. "What is it that ye have to tell me, me Lady?"
Her face turned a pretty shade of pink, but she didn't duck her head. Instead, she said, "I'm with child."
It took a moment for Hugh to process the words. When his brain made sense of it, made sense of the fact that Anna was carrying his child, he pulled her back against his chest. His hand tangled in her hair, the old injury twinging with the speed at which he did.
"Ye're sure?" he asked, squeezing her tightly then loosening his hold when he remembered she was with child. "We're havin' a bairn?"
"We are," she confirmed, giggling against his mouth when he leaned in to kiss her fiercely.
He put all the love that he felt for her into the movement. His fingers tightened in her mused hair. She kissed him back, mirroring his sentiment, returning the attention with just as much fervor as she received it.
"Ye must get dressed," Hugh said when they parted, resting his forehead against Anna's. "We must tell me maither and Marcus and Arianna. They'll be so pleased."
"This is why I warned you before I told you," she whispered, allowing him to bring both of them to an upright position. "I knew you'd be excited."
"Of course I'm excited," he replied as he helped her out of bed. "Me wife is pregnant with our first child. This is cause for celebration."
"I don't need anything extravagant," she said with amusement, watching as he hurriedly dressed. "Just having my family around is enough."
Hugh paused, turning his head to lock eyes with her. He felt himself soften, his feet carrying him across the room once more so he could press his lips to her cheek. She tilted her head, leaning into his touch.
"Then ye'll have yer family," he assured her, his large palm coming up to cup her jaw. "We're all here to take care of ye, Anna. I would do anythin' for ye."
"I know, Hugh," she said, her affection overflowing into her words. "I've never felt more accepted than I do here with your family. With our family. Even when I was with my father, it always felt like there was something missing."
He gave her another promising kiss before stepping back.
She smiled up at him, more beautiful in the mornings than she was at any other time.
Some days he longed to keep her here, to alternate between making love and talking about every subject under the sun.
Soon, before their child was born, he'd have to take her on a holiday with a day dedicated to luxuriating in each other's presence.
"Come now, Anna," he said, offering her his hand. "Ye should have a warm meal. And we must share this news with everyone."
When her small hand slipped into his, he squeezed it. She returned the pressure, allowing herself to be guided from the warmth of their shared bed. He held her close for another beat before reluctantly letting go.
"Will you help me with my corset?" she asked as she shuffled over to her clothes. She glanced back at him, fondness coming off of her in waves. "Or should we call Emelia to help?"
A growl tore from Hugh's throat, unbidden. He closed the space she'd put between them in two long steps. As he gazed down at her, he said, "Nay. I daenae want anyone touchin' ye but me."
As they left the great hall, Anna's belly full at Hugh's behest, he rested his palm against her lower back. She'd known he would become even more protective when she revealed the pregnancy. She didn't mind, though; in fact, she quite enjoyed being so fiercely guarded by the Highlander.
After the matter with the missing money and image-ruining rumors was sorted out, she'd enjoyed the freedom it had afforded her.
She pressed more flowers, and was now waiting for the first of her spring pressings to be finished.
Her father seemed quite keen on seeing the flora.
He was due for a visit soon, and she could barely contain her excitement.
"Emelia said they were in the library," Hugh muttered under his breath, more to himself than to her.
Anna was happy to be led to share the happy news with her family. Though, she did admit to herself that it was a bit surprising how eager her husband was to tell everyone. When they were first wed, she couldn't imagine the man being capable of such care and… domesticity.
He came to a stop just before they turned toward the library. "I will break the news to them."
"I didn't expect anything different," she replied with a grin.
Her sass earned her a deep chuckle from her husband. Then, he marched forward. When he opened the door, he stepped back so she could enter first, following closely behind.
"Ach, I was wonderin' when I'd get to see me sister-in-law again," Arianna said, standing from the table she'd been sitting at with Eilidh and Marcus. She wrapped her arms around Anna, her hair concealing Anna's view. "It seems as if ye've been too busy with the clan for me."
"Perhaps the two of us can go for a walk in a bit," Anna suggested as she pulled away from the other woman. "I will be better about making time for you."
"Ye better," Arianna said without any real heat. She rejoined her mother and her brother. "Surely there's a reason ye've found time in yer busy schedule to come and see us."
"She's right, ye ken," Marcus said with a smile meant to infuriate his older brother. "The only way we can see either of ye is if we masquerade as villagers with concerns."
"Ye're exaggeratin', Marcus," Eilidh said, shaking her head. She turned her knowing eyes back to Hugh and Anna. "But it does look as if ye have somethin' important to say."
"Aye, we do," Hugh confirmed, grabbing onto Anna's hip and tucking her against his side. "This mornin', Anna told me she is with child. We're expectin' a bairn."
The room seemed to erupt into chaos. Arianna gasped as Marcus rose from his chair, closing the distance between himself and Hugh quickly. As he pulled his brother into a hug, Eilidh stood as well. She moved at a much more measured pace. She smiled at Anna as though she had a secret.
"What is it, Maither?" Hugh asked when he caught sight of Eilidh's grin. "Ye look as if ye have somethin' to share as well."
"Nay, nay," she muttered, waving her hand at her son as if to dismiss him. "I just already kent that ye were pregnant."
"But how?" Anna asked, wondering when she could have let the information slip.
"I've had three bairns of me own," Eilidh said simply as she rested her hands on Anna's shoulders. "Ye cannae seem to stand strong smells, and ye've been dealin' with bouts of nausea that ye daenae hide well."
"Oh," Anna said, blushing slightly. "I hadn't realized."
"Ye didnae tell me, Maither?" Arianna interjected, clearly incensed by what she perceived as an injustice.
"Nay," Eilidh said, taking a step toward Hugh to give him a congratulatory hug. "It was nay me business to share. But I hope ye ken that I'm happy for ye."
"As am I," Marcus said, knocking Hugh's bicep with his fist. "I'm goin' to be the best damn uncle in the country. In fact, perhaps ye should name the wee one after me."
"Ye're insane," Hugh said with a self-satisfied smirk.
The tension between the brothers had faded with time.
As Marcus healed, he began reaching out to his brother once again.
It warmed Anna's heart to see them interacting.
Despite being two capable men, they could really behave as though they were children when they spent time with one another.
She was proud to say that she'd played a small part in that, even if it had caused Marcus pain in the beginning.
"Ach, but what if the child is a girl?" Arianna added, not to be outdone in a competition with her siblings. "Ye could name her Arianna. That's a much better name than Marcus."
"That's nae happenin'," Hugh insisted, though it was obvious that he was getting sucked into the game that his siblings were playing. "Ye're lucky that ye're even goin' to get to interact with the bairn."
"Now, children," Eilidh laughed, unable to pull off the stern, maternal tone she was attempting to muster. "Ye shouldnae be fightin' in front of someone in Anna's condition. Ye'll only add to her stress, and it's nae good for the bairn's well-bein'."
"I find their antics entertaining," Anna admitted, grinning so hard her cheeks hurt. "They're not bothering me or the baby." Then, she looked at Hugh, raising an eyebrow in a challenge. "At least, not yet."
"Ach, but they will," Eilidh said with a surety that nearly knocked Anna over. "They're already squabblin', and they just found out that ye're with child. I assure ye that they will only grate on yer nerves more as time goes by."
"I willnae," Arianna said, crossing her arms like a petulant child. "If anyone will, it would be Marcus and Hugh. The two daenae have any sense."
"Ye're the one with nay sense," Marcus shot back.
"Perhaps the two of ye should clear out of here before they really get goin'," Eilidh said to Hugh and Anna kindly. "We're happy for ye."
"I'm quite excited to be an aunt," Arianna agreed before turning back to her argument with Marcus.
Placing his hand at the small of her back, Hugh guided Anna from the room.
Once they were in the corridor and the door had closed on Arianna and Marcus's quarreling, he drew her into a long, lingering kiss.
When they parted, he rested his forehead against hers and murmured, "I love ye, Anna. More and more with each passin' day."
"And I love you, Hugh," she whispered, soft enough that only the two of them could hear it. "More than you'll ever know."
The End?