Chapter Seventeen
Emma walked with her arm around Morgan’s waist as they made their way from the great hall to the healing hut. Daniel had asked Morgan to return to the hut while he and Gregory worked on their part of the alliance before they presented it to him.
They hadn’t spoken one word to each other as they walked along.
She had wanted more than anything to not have to say goodbye to Morgan, but had she been right in accepting his marriage proposal?
She was overwhelmed, still not having processed the fact that Morgan was now the laird of the Gunn clan. Besides that, his marriage proposal had been painful—in more ways than one—but then, she was certain the man had ne’er done one before.
Did he do it because Daniel had made it necessary in order to allow her to accompany Morgan to his home? Did he want her healing skills so much that he was willing to marry her?
Did Morgan care for her at all? And in turn, what were her feelings toward the man?
They had started out as enemies, but their relationship had certainly changed over the time he was at the keep. She had already admitted to herself that the thought of him leaving had brought on feelings she did not want to examine just yet.
It had sounded to her that his departure was eminent.
Her healer side pushed away those thoughts in order to pull herself together and make plans for what supplies she would need to pack for the trip.
Since Morgan had mentioned that as far as he knew there was no healer in the clan, she would need to pack a great deal of supplies.
Plus, she had to spend time with Janet and Enoch, who would probably faint when they heard they were to take over the healing for their clan.
Deciding the best thing was to push her problems aside and consider Morgan’s, she said, “I assume ye are overwhelmed.”
He nodded. “Aye, I am overwhelmed,” Morgan mumbled, and said nothing else.
Once they arrived at the hut, he began growling orders to her about what she needed to do for him in order to travel.
She huffed. “I am fully aware of what we will need. I suggest ye get some rest since this trip will be difficult on yer body.”
He waved her away. “Nay, no resting. I have things to do to prepare to leave.” He stopped and turned to her, and like a small lad, he said with a grin. “I am Laird of Clan Gunn.”
The words were barely out of his mouth when he reached out and pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms around her and his lips covered hers with a sense of possession she hadn’t experienced before.
He leaned back and smoothed back the hair that had fallen on her forehead. “I promise I will be a good husband to ye, Emma.”
She looked into those deep brown eyes and afraid of the emotions gathering inside her, she pushed back and said, “Get on with ye, now. I’ll let ye do what ye need to do.”
She left the healing hut letting him do what it was he thought he needed to do in order to leave.
Then she made her way to her bedchamber in the keep, which she hadn’t spent much time in, since she had been spending her nights in the hut.
With Morgan.
Who shortly would be her husband, whose bed she would share from then on. She shivered.
God’s toes, was that water dripping from her eyes? It was not possible that she was crying. She took in a deep breath and made her way to her bed, where she sat and continued to wipe her cheeks and take deep breaths.
Confused about marrying Morgan and leaving the only home she’d known her entire life, she gave herself time to settle and then began to gather the personal things she would take with her.
*
Morgan was able to ask Enoch to run some small errands for him.
He didn’t want to admit it, but his leg was throbbing and his sides ached; he’d follow Emma’s advice without blether for once and let his body heal without moving around too much.
But he would need his sword back from Arron, the blacksmith.
He’d told Enoch to ask the man to sharpen it before he returned it to him and especially, to inquire about his horse. Was Demon sound and ready to travel?
In spite of the fact Demon had nearly killed him when he’d fallen on him, Morgan couldn’t actually blame his horse. Battles were full of such instances.
That matter settled for now, he turned to more personal issues.
The breeches Emma had given him after they cut off the pair he’d been wearing when he was brought to the healing hut were dirty, and needed to be washed before they left.
Perhaps Emma could acquire another pair for him, but in case not, he gave them to one of the serving girls who frequented the healing hut with water or food.
Or sometimes to flirt, but now his heart and his fealty would belong only to Emma.
Emma.
When he’d first heard her name, he’d immediately disliked her. As hard as he’d tried over the weeks he’d been here, she’d managed to crawl into his heart. Emma had had a great deal of patience with him even though he’d been so nasty to her when he’d first arrived.
She was also a fine-looking lass. And with plenty of curves to keep his hands and mouth busy. In truth, he admitted to himself he was not sorry that Daniel had forced marriage on them. There was no doubt in his mind that had he stayed here much longer, their relationship would have grown.
Had that happened, being under Laird Daniel Mackenzie’s protection, he would not have been able to put his hands on her the way he wanted to unless they married.
Arron arrived and agreed to get his sword from the Mackenzie and sharpen it for him. He also agreed to make two sgian dubhs, one for him as well as one for Emma.
He had every intention of protecting the woman he needed to start calling his wife, but wanted to make sure she could defend herself to some extent if necessary.
Before Emma returned from wherever she needed to go to prepare for their departure, Daniel sent word for Morgan to meet with him in his solar, where he’d been able to go with help from Enoch.
The alliance was finished and after reading what Daniel had written, Morgan signed the document and since it was without the clan ring to stamp his seal, he merely took one copy of the alliance, and tucked it into the waist of his clean borrowed breeches.
“When do ye plan to leave?” Daniel asked.
“As soon as possible.”
“Then I guess the next question is when do ye plan to marry Emma?”
Morgan ran his fingers through his hair. “Also as soon as possible. The longer I remain here, the stronger the hold on the clan is by whoever took over.”
Daniel studied him for a moment, then said, “I can marry the two of ye today. However, I must have yer word that ye will find a priest to sanctify the marriage as soon as possible.”
Morgan nodded and left. No one, least of all Morgan, expected to go into battle with the Gunns, only to return with a Gunn wife!
He wondered if his clan’s priest would sanctify their marriage before and after he laughed himself silly.