Chapter 26
Ruby squeezed Evan’s hand as they stood in front of the narrow wooden door.
It looked perfectly ordinary—a simple door set into the wall at the end of a narrow corridor, its brass handle polished smooth.
Yet Evan stared at it as though it might bite him.
“Ye are sure this is safe?” he asked for the third time.
Ruby let out a soft laugh. “You’ve faced down warlords, militia and half the criminals of the Highlands,” she said. “And you’re frightened of a door.”
“I’m not frightened.”
“You absolutely are.”
Seven months had passed since they’d faced Seoras MacInnes—and in that time Evan had avoided this unobtrusive door in an Edinburgh townhouse like his life depended on it.
Too busy, he claimed. Too much to do. Which had been true, with plotters to hunt down, a manor house to restore, and family ties to be mended.
Ruby though, had used it often, and now, with everything settling down, it was time for Evan to step through it with her.
He shot her a look. “This door,” he said slowly, “leads to a world filled with carriages that move without horses, buildings taller than castles, and enormous metal birds that carry people through the sky.”
Ruby grinned. “Sure does.”
“And ye expect me to walk into that calmly?”
She squeezed his hand again. “Trust me.”
Evan exhaled. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”
Ruby grasped the handle and pushed the door open. Before Evan could have second thoughts, she stepped through, pulling him behind her. The air shifted instantly—cooler, sharper, filled with the faint scent of coffee and paper.
They stood inside a large bookshop.
Rows of shelves stretched around them, filled with bright modern covers. Charlie was waiting for them, leaning casually against a stack of books while Niall stood beside her looking only mildly less freaked out than Evan did.
Charlie’s face lit up. “There you are!”
Evan blinked rapidly, looking around. “What is this place?”
“A bookshop,” Ruby said.
He picked up a nearby paperback and turned it over in his hands as though it might be enchanted.
Charlie laughed. “You should have seen him the first time,” she said, nodding at Niall. “He thought the coffee machine was a wild animal.”
Ruby felt Evan’s hand tighten slightly around hers and she looked up at him. “You still with me?”
“Always.”
They followed Charlie through the bookshop and out into the street. As they stepped out onto the pavement Evan froze, looking around wide-eyed. He stared up at the towering buildings, at the road where cars streamed past in both directions.
“Those...cars...ye told me about?”
“Yep,” Ruby said cheerfully.
One sped past and he instinctively stepped closer to her. “They move very fast.”
“You get used to it. Come on.”
They set off together through the city streets. Evan turned his head constantly, taking everything in with wide-eyed amazement—glass shop windows, flashing traffic lights, crowds of people walking briskly past with phones in their hands.
“This is...incredible,” he breathed.
They crossed the road and made their way toward Princes Street Gardens. The day was warm and bright, spring sunlight filtering through the hazy cloud. When they reached the grassy slope near the Scott Monument, Ruby slowed and her heart fluttered with excitement.
Waiting there beneath the trees was a small group of familiar faces. Her parents. Friends she hadn’t seen in months. A simple ribbon arch had been tied between two trees, flowers woven through it.
Ruby’s mother pressed a hand to her mouth when she spotted them. “Oh my goodness! They’re here!”
Ruby laughed and ran forward. The reunion was warm and joyful—hugs, laughter, curious glances toward Evan as Ruby introduced him to everyone.
He handled it all with quiet charm, though Ruby could see the wonder still flickering in his eyes.
The story was that he was from the Shetland Isles and that she’d moved up there to be with him.
She didn’t like the lie but it was better than trying to explain the truth.
Soon everyone gathered around the small arch and Ruby’s heart began thumping against her ribs.
This was it. The day she’d been dreaming of.
It wasn’t an official wedding—they would visit the register office later to make it legal—but this ceremony mattered to Ruby because it was here—in these gardens—that everything had begun.
She and Evan stepped up to the arch and faced each other. Ruby looked into Evan’s eyes, her heart feeling impossibly full. After Daniel she’d never thought to be here again, willing to bind herself to another for life. But Evan had changed that. He was her life. Now. Always.
Niall cleared his throat and stepped forward, looking between Ruby and Evan, a faintly amused expression crossing his face.
“Well,” he said, “this isnae something I ever expected to be doing in the middle of a garden in our fair capital. But here we are.”
A ripple of laughter passed through the small gathering.
He held up the ribbon that would bind their hands. “In the Highlands, a handfasting is a promise. A joining of two lives, freely given and freely accepted. It isnae about ownership, nor obligation, but about the choice two people make to walk through life side by side.”
He looked first at Evan. “Evan Campbell, do ye promise to stand beside Ruby, in whatever world ye may find yerselves? To face the future with her, to share her burdens and her joys, and to hold fast to the life ye are building together?”
“I do,” Evan said quietly.
Niall nodded and turned to Ruby.
“Ruby Douglas, do ye promise to stand beside Evan? To walk with him through the years ahead, wherever the road may lead, and to keep faith with the man ye have chosen?”
Ruby smiled. “Always.”
Niall gently wrapped the ribbon around their joined hands.
“Then before the people who love ye, and beneath the open sky, I bind these hands as a symbol of the promise ye have made.” He tied the ribbon loosely.
“May yer days be long, yer laughter frequent, and yer troubles few. May ye face whatever comes not alone, but together.”
He stepped back with a smile. “And now, I believe the custom is that ye kiss.”
Evan cupped her face, his eyes shining. “I love ye, Ruby Campbell.”
Ruby Campbell. She liked the sound of that.
“Right back at you,” she whispered.
He dipped his head, pressed his lips to hers, and Ruby felt the world fall into alignment around her.
Later, as the celebration continued, she slipped quietly away and wandered across the grass and sat down on a familiar bench. The very one where she had first met Irene MacAskill.
She pulled the small book from her pocket. Her fingers brushed its worn cover thoughtfully. It had all started with finding this tiny book in a second-hand shop in the Old Town. Funny how so small a thing can lead to such huge results.
“So,” a familiar voice said suddenly. “How did it all turn out?”
Ruby jumped, and found Irene MacAskill standing beside the bench, looking exactly as she had the first time Ruby met her—dark-eyed, wise, and slightly mischievous.
Ruby pressed a hand to her racing heart. “Irene,” she muttered. “You made me jump. You move as silently as a cat, do you know that?”
“It’s been mentioned,” Irene said with a wink. She lowered herself onto the bench beside Ruby. “So. Here we are. Back where it all started. Are ye happy where yer daft little ritual led ye?”
Ruby looked across the gardens. Evan was standing with her father now, trying to explain something about Highland cattle while her mother listened with fascination. Charlie and Niall were nearby, laughing about something.
Ruby’s heart swelled. “Yes,” she said simply. “I am. Although we both know my ‘daft little ritual’ had nothing to do with it.” She turned in her seat to meet Irene’s dark stare. “So thank you, Irene. For your help.”
Irene studied her for a moment, then nodded. “Ye are most welcome, my dear.”
Ruby stood and held out her hand. “Come join us. We’re about to make a toast.”
Irene smiled faintly. “Free booze? How could I resist?”
They walked back toward the group and Ruby couldn’t help noticing both Evan and Niall going a little pale at the sight of Irene walking by her side.
She stifled a laugh. They were as unsettled by this little old lady as they were by time travel.
Irene reached the table, picked up a glass and tapped it lightly.
The chatter faded and she lifted the glass.
“To Ruby and Evan,” she called in a strident voice. “May their future be every bit as remarkable as their past!”
Everyone raised their glasses. Ruby caught Evan’s eye and he slipped his hand into hers and quietly drew her away from the crowd. They wandered to a quiet corner of the gardens and Evan wrapped his arms around her.
“Did today live up to yer expectations?” he asked softly.
Ruby tilted her face up toward his. “Better than I imagined.”
He kissed her gently. The spring sunshine warmed her skin and laughter drifted through the trees behind them. Ruby rested her head against his chest, contentment settling deep inside her. For the first time in her life, she felt completely certain of the road ahead.
And as she glanced up at Evan with a mischievous smile, she found herself very much looking forward to the wedding night still to come.
THE END
Thank you for reading Voyage of a Highlander!