Epilogue
The leaves were turning to a riot of gold and red, and the nights were drawing in.
Summer’s warmth had been fleeting, and autumn was muscling it aside, so Lowri made the most of a rare sunny day to sit atop a hill with Cullen and just take a breath.
Her husband looked unbearably handsome with the sun in his hair, turning his grey eyes to soft blue.
He twirled a stem of grass, heavy with seeds, between thumb and forefinger.
He seemed lost in thought until he said, ‘Do you think Peyton will soften, now that he has an heir?’
‘For a while, aye. The fool is hopelessly besotted with that bairn.’
‘Good, for then it takes his mind off tormenting us.’
‘He doesn’t torment me, only you.’
‘Aye. He will forgive you anything. He thinks the sun shines out of your…’
Lowri kissed him, and Cullen kissed her back for a while. Then he was back to his grievance against her brother.
‘You can try and distract me with your charms, but my point remains. Every time Peyton comes to see you, he glares and grunts at me. Your brother will never accept me.’
‘I don’t see why not? He has made peace with his enemies before, and if he can reconcile with Jasper Glendenning and Caolan Bannerman, he can reconcile with anyone.
And he glares and grunts at everyone except Cecily.
’ Lowri ran her fingers through Cullen’s hair.
‘Those clans once all bore a murderous hatred for each other. Any day now, they might go back to hating each other, for all I know.’
‘As you once hated me. It was not too long ago that I was your enemy, forcing you into my bed.'
Lowri grinned. ‘Aye, but I have well and truly surrendered since then.’
Cullen trailed his fingers down from her mouth to the cleft of her breasts. ‘Which I enjoy very much.’
‘And often. You are wearing me out, Cullen.’
He smiled, but it soon turned to a frown. ‘I hope you never go back to hating me, my love.’
‘When my birthing pains come, I might,’ said Lowri with a smile.
Cullen kissed away her bleak thoughts and then lay down and closed his eyes.
He had a way of distracting her from worries and had become very skilled at it.
Lowri cradled her stomach. She was no coward, but Cecily had endured a hard time birthing Peyton’s son.
Her nephew, Logan, was a big lad with a lusty, demanding wail and his father’s belligerence written all over his wee face.
He was as dark as night, and try as she might, Lowri could not find any trace of blonde, delicate Cecily in that bairn.
And Cecily’s howls of pain still rang in her ears from the long, desperate night when Logan was born.
She had never seen Peyton so afraid, pacing endlessly and tearing at his hair in frustrated helplessness.
But though Cecily might look delicate and fragile, she had surprising grit, soon recovering her strength. Now, both bairn and mother were thriving, so Lowri pushed the memory of that night aside. The wind was gentle on her face, calming, letting a thought creep in.
‘Cullen, it is not the fact we married that irks my brother, but the way it was arranged.’
‘If you say so.’
‘You see, Griffin got what he wanted. He forced a marriage between the Macaulays and Strachans, and now that he is dead, there is nothing Peyton can do to change that. Your father triumphed over my brother from the grave, and Peyton hates to lose. He is a prideful fool about such things.’
‘And he clings to that pride a little too tightly for my liking,’ said Cullen.
‘Aye, and our marriage may have been a cruel punishment for both of us, but it made me leave behind my folly and arrogance, my reiving ways. Your father set me on a better path to a man I love, and a future of happiness and purpose. So in the end, it was a good plan of his. And he made me Lady Macaulay, which I still quite like the sound of.’
Cullen sat up. ‘I made you Lady Macaulay by fighting every hard-bitten bastard who got between me and the lairdship of Clan Macaulay. Have you so quickly forgotten the last months of toil and struggle?’
‘I will never forget. But we have peace now. You are Laird here, and your clansmen are giving you respect.’
‘Albeit grudgingly,’ said Cullen.
‘They will soften once they see how good a leader you are and how much you care for them. Just like me.’
‘Aye, but it was either Allard or me.’
‘So, you are the lesser of two evils.’
He laughed. ‘Are you damning me with that compliment, woman?’
‘I wouldn’t dare. But you have to own that your father’s plan may have been about revenge, but it ended rather well.’
‘He would have hated that.’ Cullen stroked the back of his hand down her cheek, making her shiver with pleasure.
‘As to peace and unity, word came from my cousin, Seamus.’
The pleasure dissolved, and Lowri’s hackles went up, for Seamus had not been too pleased about Cullen assuming the mantle of Laird Macaulay and had rallied men to challenge him from his side of the family. ‘I thought you two had not spoken in months,’ said Lowri.
‘We haven’t. But he wrote to say that he has accepted me as Laird and announced this to all his men.’
‘Probably because Seamus knows he cannot beat you in a fight.’
‘Aye, well, I suppose you are right. So I won’t trust him too much. He also writes to say that Maeve had her bairn.’
‘And?’
‘A lass. A bonnie little lass, so no heir for Seamus just yet.’
‘So he will have to make another with Maeve.’ Lowri laughed and shook her head. ‘I think Maeve might enjoy that more than Seamus. It will be ample punishment to think of him gritting his teeth and doing what she wants.’
‘Aye. As you had to grit yours and suffer me,’ said Cullen.’
Lowri took his face in her hands and said, ‘Only the first time, Cullen, just the first time. And if this bairn turns out to be a lass, then you will have to apply yourself to getting an heir.’
‘I will, most diligently. But first we will have some peace and lazy days of indulgence.’
‘And how will you indulge yourself, husband?’
‘You know how, my love.’
Cullen lay her down in the grass, and Lowri closed her eyes to his caresses. She let her worries slip away and, for the first time in a life of running, reiving, fighting and striving, her heart slowed its beat. It was full and free, and under Cullen’s touch, it took flight.